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


This combines the standard route on Castle with the East Ridge route of Pinnacle.

Activity Notes

Please carefully read all of the following information BEFORE applying!  Thanks!

Meet: we will meet at camp at 7 PM on Saturday, June 6th for a required pre-climb meeting  

Overview: we will wake up at 5 AM and depart camp by 6 AM on Sunday, June 7th to drive to the Reflection Lake trailhead.  It is about a 30-40 minute drive.  We should start the hike in by 7 AM. 

Depending on the amount of snow, we will either take the Pinnacle Peak trail to the saddle between Plummer and Pinnacle Peak or will we ascend on snow directly to the saddle between The Castle and Pinnacle Peak. 

From either saddle, we will traverse to the east on the south side of the mountains to The Castle.  We will ascend The Castle on top rope (low 5th class), then rappel off The Castle and retrace our steps to the base of the East Ridge of Pinnacle.  We will ascend the two pitch technical ascent of the East Ridge (up to 5.5) via top rope and fixed line and then scramble to the summit of Pinnacle Peak.  From there we will rappel down the southwest gully in the direction of Plummer and retrace our path back to the trailhead.

Total distance is 3-4 miles with an elevation gain of ~2,200 ft.  Even though the distance is relatively short, expect this to be a full day climb due to the amount of technical, roped climbing involved.

Skills Required: climbing up to 5.5 on belay and low 5th class on a fixed line, rappelling, snow travel and self arrest (depending on how quickly the snow melts out), scrambling.  

This climb is suitable for recent BCEP grads who enjoy rock climbing and are proficient in the above skills.  Climbers will also have the option to belay from above off the anchor with a Grigri with supervision.

Camping: we will camp the night before the climb at Rainier Hideaway which is adjacent to Wildberry Restaurant and just outside Rainier National Park.  There is space at the campsite for 4 tents and 2 cars so we will need to coordinate who is sleeping in tents and who is sleeping in cars.  Please plan to be flexible.  We will figure this out at the pre-climb Zoom meeting.  We can park one additional car at the restaurant but it would be better to take only 2 cars due to the cost of entry to Rainier National Park.

Costs: please account for these additional costs when deciding to apply:

  • Camping June 6th-7th - $12 per person (paid to Climb Leader)
  • Entry to Rainer National Park - $30 per car (paid to National Park)
  • Carpool gas contribution - suggested $32 per person (paid to carpool driver)

 

Pre-climb Zoom Meeting: highly encouraged pre-climb Zoom meeting will be on Tuesday, June 2nd at 8 PM

What to Expect After Applying: apply by the end of the day on Wednesday, May 27th.  I will select the climb team and notify everyone of their status by Friday, May 29th

Other Information
Driving Distance from Portland 160 miles
Driving Time from Portland 3 hours
Expected Duration Car to car in one day
Interesting Features Spectacular Views
Relevant Books 75 Scrambles in Washington by Peggy Goldman Cascade Alpine Guide: Columbia River to Stevens Pass by Fred Beckey
Relevant Maps USGS 7 ½ minute series, Tatoosh Lakes and Mt. Rainier East; Green Trails: Mt Rainier East / Packwood
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