Borah Peak, Chicken Out Ridge

This route begins at an elevation of 7,200 feet. The steep but well maintained trail leaves the trailhead parking/turn-around area and ascends the sagebrush & grass slopes to the ridge. The first 2,500 vertical feet follow a steep trail without switchbacks. At about 10,200 ft, you'll reach treeline. Follow the knife-edge ridge up to the exposed "Chicken-out Ridge." This part of the climb has acquired a nasty reputation, but if you have any climbing/scrambling experience at all, you won't have any trouble. Continue following the ridge to a high point (not yet the summit), then descend a couple hundred feet to the base of the final summit ridge. Scramble up this for about 800 vertical feet to the summit. The round trip should take the average hiker 10 to 12 hours, but fast climbers can easily do the round trip in 5 hours or less (in good conditions).