Castle/Pinnacle, Standard/East Ridge

Activity Notes

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

Meet: we will meet at camp at 7 PM on Friday, August 21st for a required pre-climb meeting  

Overview: we will wake up at 5 AM and depart camp by 6 AM on Saturday, August 22nd to drive to the Reflection Lake trailhead.  It is about a 20-30 minute drive.  We should start the hike in by 6:30 AM.  

We will take the Pinnacle Peak trail to the saddle between Plummer and Pinnacle Peak.  From the 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.  If time allows we may consider scrambling up Plummer before retracing our path back to the trailhead.

Total distance is 3.5 - 4.5 miles with an elevation gain of ~2,000 - 2,400 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, 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 Cougar Rock Campground in Rainier National Park.

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

Camping: $4-10 per person (depends on how many cars & tents we have at camp, 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, August 18th at 8 PM

What to Expect After Applying: I will select the climb team and notify everyone of their status by Thursday, June 25th.