Mt. Whittier, Norway Pass Traverse

Activity Notes

Mt Whittier is a serious scramble in the Mt Margaret Backcountry northeast of Mt St Helens. One website calls Whittier Ridge "the scariest hike in Southwest Washington," but the exposure on the route shouldn't scare experienced climbers. Our route is a 14-mile counter-clockwise loop visiting--taking a post-climb dip in?--the lovely lakes basin on the return trails. The traverse is exploratory for your leader at this point, but he plans to scout it in the weeks leading up to the climb. This will be a day climb with a nearby car camp the night before. This climb will be canceled in the event of wet weather, as the traverse must happen in bone-dry conditions. Successful applicants to this climb will have Mazamas profiles with lots of scrambling/climbing experience.