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Although not the highest of the Tatoosh peaks, Pinnacle's central position and attractive form have made it the most popular ascent in the park. When the Mazamas climbed it on July 26, 1897, they dubbed it the "Matterhorn of the Cascades. From Fred Beckey's Cascade Alpine Guide, Volume I
The standard round up is an easy fourth class pitch of a south facing gully. This route takes the more challenging east face. Expect about three pitches of 5th class rock, the second pitch being 5.6.
Suggested gear: 4-5 medium to small nuts, 2-3 cams to 2.5 inches, 60m rope
Activity Notes
This is a great climb for recent BCEP graduates, utilizing both snow travel (crampons and ice axes) and rock skills (top rope belay and fixed lines). I plan to have campsites at the Cougar Rock campground in the park Friday night (6/19). Climbers can come up Friday and camp or meet the team at the trailhead Saturday morning. Cost for the campsites will be shared among those who opt to camp. Note: Vehicle entry into Mount Rainier National Park is $30 per car (this is good for 7 days). Please keep the park fee and camping costs in mind when deciding to apply. I'll notify who is selected by May 24.
| Other Information | |
|---|---|
| Driving Distance from Portland | 160 miles |
| Driving Time from Portland | 3 hours |
| General Route Info | summitpost: https://www.summitpost.org/east-ridge/156348 |
| Expected Duration | Car to car in one day |
| Interesting Features | Spectacular Views |
| Relevant Books | Cascade Alpine Guide: Columbia River to Stevens Pass by Fred Beckey 75 Scrambles in Washington by Peggy Goldman |
| Relevant Maps | USGS 7 minute series, Tatoosh Lakes and Mt. Rainier East; Green Trails: Mt Rainier East / Packwood <href="http: "="" adventure="" c463="" starts-here="" title="On the Mazama Climbing and Hiking map page " www.mazamas.org="" your="">On the Mazama Climbing and Hiking map page <href="http: maps.google.com="" maps?f="q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=plummer+Peak+WA&sll=48.98385,-120.856519&sspn=0.016532,0.04549&ie=UTF8&ll=46.754093,-121.737099&spn=0.017259,0.04549&t=p&z=15"" title="Google map">Google map</href="http:></href="http:> |
| Useful Links | Map |