From the notch above the Stuart Glacier, 11(ish, depends on how you do it) pitches of low/mid 5th class with one move of 5.7 will take you to the base of the Gendarme.  This involves a lot of fun, exposed, easy climbing on bomber rock. Despite this, the best pitches are on the Gendarme.  Above the base of the pillar, are two crux 5.9 pitches.  The first one is a steep fingers and hands dihedral with good rests between harder sections of climbing.  From here, traverse to the offwidth and grunt up it.  After this, there's one more pitch of 5.8-5.9 before the final three pitches of low 5th.

This route is amazing.  A must do for anyone comfortable on alpine rock of the grade.  When we did it, we approached via Ingalls Lake and Goat Pass, this wasn't too bad but meant we had to descend Cascadian Coulior which was one of the worst climbing experiences me and my partner had ever had.

Upper North Ridge w/Great Gendarme

West Ridge

South Headwall

Gorillas in the Mist

King Kong - Gorillas Direct Direct

Sherpa Glacier

The Direct North Ridge w/ Gendarme

Cascadian Couloir

Girth Pillar

Gorillas Direct

The Direct North Ridge combines the North Ridge from the notch with an extra 800 feet of fun climbing.  Although loose in spots and somewhat lichen covered, the route offers those looking for a longer, harder day than the North Ridge  good solid 5.9+ climbing.  It will obviously be faster to simulclimb, my partner and I did this and completed the entire route in 6.5 hours, but the belays for each pitch take good gear and have decent stances.

Roughly the first 3 pitches are the hardest. 1: Climb up easy terrain off a big ledge about 150 feet above the base of the toe to a small tree. 2: Continue up through an awkward 5.8 slot (harder with backpacks) to a face and then to a nice ledge. Small crimps inside the slot for the left hand are useful and make sure to step out on the face with your feet. 3: Follow a striking lie back crack on your left for quite a ways. This is 5.9+ and sustained.  Once you pull over a small roof there will be another ledge to set up a belay.

From here veer up and right, following the path of least resistance.  The rock at times is loose and almost always covered in crumbly black lichen. It is mostly easy 5th class with an occasional 5.6 move. There is, about 5 pitches up, a short slab traverse that takes you even further to the right.  Once you do this, the Notch ridge will come into view and once reached it will connect you with the Upper North Ridge. It takes longer than you think, but keep on trucking.

For the Upper North Ridge look at Max Tepfer's description on this page. To add to it though, begin by staying on the left (east) side of the ridge.  Then follow an easy ramp up to the ridge.  Move up left over a bulge (5.6) and then on to an exposed section on the west side of the ridge.  From here follow the ridge to the super cool 5.5 slab split by an amazing crack and then to the Gendarme--about 8 or 9 pitches from the Notch.  The Gendarme can be done in two pitches; 1: a 5.8 lie back and 2: a 5.9+ off-width, or you can link the pitches easily with a 60m rope (use runners to  prevent rope drag) which is what my partner and I did.  The Gendarme is almost always in the shade and can be very cold or even icy.

From Ingalls Lake hike the ridge towards Stuart Pass (stay mainly on ridge).  When possible cut right across the talus slope and head towards the 2nd prominent gully.

This is the start of the climb, but mainly 3rd and 4th class scrambling will take you all the way to Long John Tower, which is gained by going to the top of the gully and then moving right and down a little into another gully.

The easiest way up to the notch behind Long John Tower is on the right side (see pic.).  Once to the notch head almost straight up and then start veering right on ledges.  This is mainly 3rd and 4th class and sometimes exposed.  Go almost up to the West Horn and traverse around it on a large ledge.

From here, keep moving right until you reach the West Ridge Notch, which is the second prominent notch.  Climb up to its right and onto another large ledge that will take you around to the North Side (and the most fun climbing of the route).  Climb up and left on the North side on easy fifth class rock and then pull back onto the ridge.  From here, climb up to the summit.  There are many options (some of which are up to 5.6).

The route can be done with very little technical climbing, but route finding can be confusing at times (although not as bad as many say).  The best part of the route comes once you reach the North side and all the way to the top.

Descent:  The Cascadian Couloir is the easiest, but lacks any aesthetic qualities.  Once you get to the bottom take the Ingalls Creek trail (trail 1215?) back to Ingalls Lake.

Access is the same as the other south-side routes, with the Long's Pass Trail being most often used.  Be sure to examine the south routes from Long's Pass and take pictures, as you will have an excellent view of the south side of this massive mountain.  Camping is good near Ingalls Creek after descending the trail from Long's Pass, but watch out for the hungry mice at night stealing your food.

Several thousand feet of steep scree, choss, and a few sections of 3rd class terrain are encountered getting up to the base of South Headwall, sometimes with loose rock and sandy conditions.  I did a lot of this kind of stuff in the Sierra Nevada mountains as a kid (and lately too) so I am used to it and have a high tolerance for endless scree choss. It isn't too bad here, and is certainly no worse than Cascadian. Beckey's guidebook has a very good description of the approach and route.  This is a sunny route on sunny days.

From Ingalls Creek trail hike up the first major clearing west of Ulrich's Couloir (this clearing will be west of where the Long's Pass Trail crosses Ingalls Creek where you join the Ingalls Creek trail). You will soon enter the West Ridge couloir, which will suddenly angle rightward.  At about the 7000-foot elevation, at the fork, take the right couloir (traversing into it beneath black slabs) which has tall cliffs on its right side.  Follow this to the cirque with very steep cliffs at about 8700 feet. The technical pitches (never harder than 5.7) start up the center of the headwall and head a bit leftward to the upper South Rib which is followed rightward toward the summit.

Two 20- or 30-foot sections of 5.7 with decent pro placements available were encountered, and lots of 4th Class and low 5th Class terrain in the 4 or 5 technical pitches.  The route has ledges available for belay stations for every pitch.

'It's a long way to the top, if you wanna rock'n'rolllll' - quote from a famous rock band.

P1 - 5.10+ or 5.11-

Locate obvious hand and finger crack/splitter. A small ledge exists, maybe 15-25 feet above the snow or talus. Follow splitter to ledge, mantle, move right up yellow corner/chimney, and belay.

P2 - 5.9 Move left, up hanging corner, around an arete, up another hanging corner, left around another arete, and hand traverse left to bolted belay ledge.

p3 - 5.10+

Climb face holds up and left to 4" crack and slung flake/horn near large orange roofs. Follow diagonal cracks up and right to the continuation of the big corner. Might be easier in 2 pitches.

P4 - 5.10- Head up and slightly left, past Yosemite-style V-slot and finger cracks/stemming features.

p5 - 5.10 Up and Right on obvious features, past small tree, to belay on long, narrow ledge.

p6 - 5th - Move the belay rightward, well past a large detached flake. It may give the impression that the W. Ridge or top of the wall are very near. It's not.

p7 - climb up and right, mostly easy, with one 5.8ish spot 25' off the ledge. You want to get into a clean, grey, v-slot, chimney/gulley/groove.

p8 -5.8 Step right in the top of the V-groove, and follow the long corner for 60m of awesome 5.8 cracks and corners, even a small roof. Ends on finger cracks on a slab.

p9 - A short thin-hands splitter leads to lower angle ground, and one can keep climbing endless low 5th class to the summit, rappel the wall, or descend the West Ridge/West Ridge Gully.

King Kong begins on the original four pitches of Gorillas in the Mist before moving L (GITM moves R) on the major ledge system splitting the wall. It continues up the next two pitches of the Gorillas Direct route before moving R and finishing up direct via a steep headwall. The route in it's entirety is described here.

Please refer to the link to the blogpost at the bottom of this description for complete details on the history of these routes and lots of photos.

P1 - 5.10+ Begin up the obvious hand and finger crack/splitter, starting on a small ledge 15-25 feet above the snow or talus accessed by a short scramble. From the mantle above the splitter move past a tree onto another ledge and up a short corner to a chimney then the belay (beta: from the ledge above the mantle clip into the tat around a tree and use the extra rope to hand-haul shoes/jackets/water). 40m

P2 - 5.9+ Move L, up hanging corners, around multiple aretes, to a short wide au cheval. Continue up then L through an exposed crack traverse, skip the bolted belay and continue moving L on a slab to a short face crux before continuing L to belay at a large slung pillar (some may split this up into two pitches due to rope management). 55m

P3 - 5.10- "The Monkey Traverse." Move up the corner of the pillar eventually launching up and R traversing an exposed horizontal crack. Belay at the end of the traverse on a large slopey ledge. 20m

P4 - 5.9 Head up, then slightly L into a V-slot. Continue up moving first L then R then back L via finger cracks and stemming features. Be careful with rope management. Belay at the large midway ledge of the wall. 60m (the original Gorillas in the Mist heads R a full rope length from this midway ledge to moderate 5.8 cracks).

P5 - 5.10 Move the belay 25 ft L to the base of the striking corner crack. An initial crux off the ground leads to the aesthetic corner which is followed to a good belay ledge. 30m

P6 - 5.10+ Climb up the stouter then it appears short corner crack manteling to a good ledge. Continue up the crack onto a slab. Eventually making a R to L traverse with sparse pro before continuing up a corner crack and a final traverse R at the top of the corner to a two pin belay which can be backed up by RP's. 55m.

P7 - 10+ "Fifth Avenue." Climb the corner and bulge above. From above the bulge move R then back L to an aesthetic stem-box (it will be standard simply to stay in the corner once this short section has been cleaned). From the end of the stem-box continue on up and slightly R via steep juggy climbing with spaced pro to a two-bolt anchor which can be backed up with RP's. 40m

P8 - 11+ "The Empire State Building." The dramatic headwall splitter begins up slabby cracks and blocks moving into solid vertical tombstone flakes. From the flakes move  L into a hand and finger crack eventually moving back R into the main splitter which is followed via sustained climbing to a final sting-in-the-tail crux pulling the lip. (As of September 2016 there are two small fixed nuts on this pitch and a couple old aliens atop the headwall at an ok belay stance. There is a more comfy large ledge a few feet further but this lower belay allows the leader to view their partner struggle up the headwall). 55m

Scramble up a short 5th class pitch to the top of the wall.

Continue up the W Ridge to the summit or descend down the lower W Ridge. The quickest descent down follows the main gully of the W Ridge via scrambling and down-climbing before being able to break skier's R on a large bench. Make a single rope rappel from fixed tat. Continue downclimbing until moving skier's R via the 2nd break in the main ridge out R. Continue downclimbing via easing terrain to the bivy sites at Stuart Pass.

Details of the first ascents of Gorillas in the Mist, Gorillas Direct, and King Kong can be found on my blog here:

solclimbs.blogspot.com/2016…

The Sherpa Glacier is the left-most of Stuart's 3 north-side glaciers. It is also the easiest to climb and descend. The glacier and long curving snow gully above form a classic ski route from Stuart's summit ridge, and offer the peak's best early-season descent. From atop the snow, simple class 3 scrambling leads along the ridge to the summit.

This route is the climber descent route, with some class 3 rock, when melted out. In winter and spring, it is a popular ski descent and snow climb. Cornices can form on the summit ridge.

Crux is the three pitches found on the pillar itself.

Gorillas Direct begins on the original four pitches of Gorillas in the Mist before moving L (GITM moves R) on the major ledge system splitting the wall. At the end of P6 it moves L to a rampy belay while King Kong moves R and finishes direct via the steep headwall. The route in it's entirety is described here

Please refer to the link to the blogpost at the bottom of this description for complete details on the history of these routes and lots of photos.

P1 - 5.10+ Begin up the obvious hand and finger crack/splitter, starting on a small ledge 15-25 feet above the snow or talus accessed by a short scramble. From the mantle above the splitter move past a tree onto another ledge and up a short corner to a chimney then the belay (beta: from the ledge above the mantle clip into the tat around a tree and use the extra rope to hand-haul shoes/jackets/water). 40m

P2 - 5.9+ Move L, up hanging corners, around multiple aretes, to a short wide au cheval. Continue up then L through an exposed crack traverse, skip the bolted belay and continue moving L on a slab to a short face crux before continuing L to belay at a large slung pillar (some may split this up into two pitches due to rope management). 55m

P3 - 5.10- "The Monkey Traverse." Move up the corner of the pillar eventually launching up and R traversing an exposed horizontal crack. Belay at the end of the traverse on a large slopey ledge. 20m

P4 - 5.9 Head up, then slightly L into a V-slot. Continue up moving first L then R then back L via finger cracks and stemming features. Be careful with rope management. Belay at the large midway ledge of the wall. 60m (the original Gorillas in the Mist heads R a full rope length from this midway ledge to moderate 5.8 cracks).

P5 - 5.10 Move the belay 25 ft L to the base of the striking corner crack. An initial crux off the ground leads to the aesthetic corner which is followed to a good belay ledge. 30m

P6 - 5.10+ Climb up the stouter then it appears short corner crack manteling to a good ledge. Continue up the crack onto a slab. Eventually making a R to L traverse with sparse pro before continuing up a corner crack and finishing just L at a rampy belay. 55m

P7 -  Continue L on a fun 10- traversing finger crack leading to the major corner system out L with numerous belay ledges.

P8-10 - Follow the corner for 2-3 pitches with the occasional 5.10 step eventually moving R on easy ground to the top of the headwall. Take great care navigating much loose rock on the final traverse back R above the headwall.

Continue up the W Ridge to the summit or descend down the lower W Ridge. The quickest descent down follows the main gully of the W Ridge via scrambling and down-climbing before being able to break skier's R on a large bench. Make a single rope rappel from fixed tat. Continue downclimbing until moving skier's R via the 2nd break in the main ridge out R. Continue downclimbing via easing terrain to the bivy sites at Stuart Pass.

Details of the first ascents of Gorillas in the Mist, Gorillas Direct, and King Kong can be found on my blog here:

solclimbs.blogspot.com/2016…

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Mt Stuart