Outing: Climbing High Peaks in the Wallowas 2019

Activity Notes

Do you yearn to wander in high places? Have you yet to experience the jaw dropping scenery of the Wallowas in Eastern Oregon? Do you love long days in jagged mountains? Would you love to explore this wonderous area with two experienced Mazama leaders? Then this is THE trip for you. The Wallowas are a playground for the avid hiker and scrambler—around every turn there is a feast for the eyes.

You'll climb 8 to 10 of the 9,000 ft.+ mountains in northeast Oregon’s Wallowas, including Eagle Cap, Sacajawea Peak, and Oregon’s Matterhorn. We’ll start our six-day backpack with an assist from the Wallowa Lake Tramway, which will whisk us up 3,500 ft. to 8,000 ft. We will climb up to eight mountains on the backpack. When the backpack is over, we’ll offer a day hike and a day climb. All the climbing routes are rated A.

Pre-requisites: Participants will need to be in good physical condition and have experience on at least one 50 mile (or greater) trek. Participants must also submit a résumé of successful climbs, including those that involved pack-ins to base camp. We will be traveling light and steady, up to 16 miles per day with daily elevation gains reaching as high as 3,500’ and most time spent at 7,000’ to 10,000’ of elevation. The terrain will be challenging with possible scree and brush in the off-trail portion, plus long daytime stretches without access to water.

The outing cost ranges from $273 to $373 for a group of 6 participants (including leaders) and covers four nights car-camping at Wallowa Lake State Park and an uphill ride on the Wallowa Lake Tramway. Travel to/from the Wallowas will be by carpool, which is not included in the cost. A deposit of $100 for members or $200 for non-members will be required upon acceptance. 

This outing is led by Mazamas climb leaders Bill Stein and Eugene Lewins. Both have decades of climbing experience, but these mountain climbs will be exploratory for them. Contact Bill Stein (billstein.rpcv@gmail.com) for more information.