Embedded Files
Mountaineering
Intermediate Climbs
Mountaineering
Intermediate Climbs
These are Beyond what Most Scout Units can do, even with training
The Mountains are Inherently Unpredictable and Unforgiving
The Mountains are Inherently Unpredictable and Unforgiving
Warning: These climbs require advanced skills and significant conditioning. These climbs are beyond what many climbers will be capable of completing without a guide.
We DO NOT recommend these climbs for Scouts.
Do NOT Attempt Mountain Climbing without Properly Training for it or without Experienced Guides!
Do NOT Attempt Mountain Climbing without Properly Training for it or without Experienced Guides!
The Following Climbs are
INAPPROPRIATE and Far Beyonds the Capabilities
of Most Scout Units
The Following Climbs are
INAPPROPRIATE and Far Beyonds the Capabilities
of Most Scout Units
Grading
Grading
The following lists include multiple grading systems.
Commitment Grade
Commitment Grade
Commitment Grade (often part of the NCCS system) measures how much time and effort an average team needs for a route, factoring in objective hazards and difficulty of retreat. The classification system runs on Roman numerals and defines the overall seriousness of a route:
Grade I: Less than half a day of technical climbing
Grade II: About half a day for the technical portion
Grade III: Most of a day of roped climbing
Grade IV: A full day of technical climbing
Grade V: Typically requires an overnight or bivy on the route
Grade VI: Requires two or more days of hard technical climbing
Yosemite Decimal System (YDS)
Yosemite Decimal System (YDS)
Yosemite climbing grades refer to the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS), the standard North American system for rating the difficulty of hikes and climbs. It categorizes terrain into five classes, with Class 5 representing technical rock climbing, further broken down into sub-grades based on technical moves and endurance.
The system rates both the technical difficulty of individual moves and the overall commitment level of the route.
Class 5 requires ropes and protective gear. The scale originally topped out at 5.9, but as equipment and climbing standards evolved, it became open-ended and currently extends up to 5.15.
5.0 – 5.4
Beginner-friendly
Very large, prominent holds and vertical ladders
5.5 – 5.7
Intermediate routes
Requirs deliberate movement and some basic gear placement
5.8 – 5.9
Advanced routes
Smaller holds, steep climbing, and technical sequences
5.10a – 5.10d
Experienced climbers only
Holds are significantly smaller, and complex technique is mandatory
5.11a – 5.15d
Expert and elite grades
Letters from "a" to "d" indicate increasing micro-difficulty within a single number grade
Water Ice (WI) Grades
Water Ice (WI) Grades
The WI (Water Ice) system measures the technical difficulty, steepness, and physical endurance required to climb seasonal, frozen waterfalls.
WI 1 - WI 2: Low-angle ice (50°–60°). Very easy, but still requires crampons. Good stance and protection
WI 3: Sustained 70° ice. Longer bulges, but offers good resting places and places to put in ice screws
WI 4: Near-vertical (80°). Sustained climbing with fewer rests. Climbers must place gear on steep ice
WI 5: Vertical ice (90°). Long, strenuous, and sustained. Very few resting stances
WI 6: Fully vertical or slightly overhanging. High technical difficulty requiring a full pitch of non-stop climbing with marginal protection
WI 7: Dangerous and highly tenuous. Thin ice or unbonded, overhanging columns where protection is impossible or of dubious quality
Intermediate Alpine Mountain Climbs
Intermediate Alpine Mountain Climbs
Alpine climb (often a basic climb done in winter).
Baker / Park Glacier Headwall (I-II)
Big Four / N Face (III)
The Brothers / Traverse (II)
Bonanza / Mary Green Gl (III )
Bonanza / SE Ridge (III)
Bonanza / Traverse (II)
Cascade – Mixup Traverse (III)
Challenger / Challenger Glacier(II)
Chimney Rock / East Face (II)
Chiwawa / Lyman Glacier (II)
Cloudcap / E Ridge (II-III)
Colchuck / North Buttress (II)
Columbia / S Ridge (II)
Constance / N Chute (III)
Constance / Traverse (III)
Degenhardt / Degenhardt Glacier(III)
Despair -Triumph / Traverse (III)
Dome / Dome Traverse (II)
Edith Cavell / E Ridge (III)
Eldorado / NE Face (III)
Elkhorn / S Ridge (III)
Formidable / N Ridge (II)
Fury / E Ridge (III)
German Helmet / N Ridge (II)
Glacier Peak / Scimitar Glacier (II)
Goode / SW Couloir (II)
Gunsight / W Face (II)
Himmelhorn / Regular Rt (II)
Jack / N Ridge (II)
Jack / E Ridge (II)
Jefferson / Jefferson Park Glacier (II)
Johannesburg / S Face (III)
Kaleetan / N Ridge (II)
Matier / E Ridge (BC) (III)
Ottohorn / Regular Rt (II)
Rainier / Fuhrer Finger (II)
Rainier / Gibraltar Ledges (II)
Rainier / Success Cleaver (II)
Rainier / Sunset Ridge (III)
Rainier / Tahoma Glacier (II)
Rexford / NE Ridge (II-III)
Sheep Gap / N Face (II)
Sloan / NE Ridge (BC) (III)
Spickard / N Face (III)
Three Fingers / NW Ridge (II)
Triconi / North Ridge (II)
Twin Sisters / Traverse (II)
Intermediate Rock Climbs
Intermediate Rock Climbs
Alpine rock climbs from 5.5 on and more than three pitches.
Agnes / S Ridge (II 5.6)
Argonaut / NE Ridge (II 5.8 A1)
Argonaut / NW Arete (II-III 5.7)
Argonaut / SE Ridge (II 5.6)
Athelstan/Moonraker (BC) (III 5.7)
Bear Mtn. / N Face, W Buttress (III 5.8)
Big Four / N Face, Tower Rt (IV 5.7)
Big Kangaroo / S Face (III 5.9)
Big Kangaroo / W Route (II 5.5)
Big Snow Mtn. / E Buttress (III 5.7)
Black Peak / NW Face (II 5.5)
Black Pyramid / N Face (II 5.6 A1)
Black Pyramid / NE Face of E Pinnacle (II 5.7)
Black Pyramid / NW Face (II 5.7)
Blackcomb Peak/DOA (BC) (II 5.7)
Blum / N Ridge (III 5.9)
Bonanza / N Face of SW Peak (V 5.9)
Bonanza / S Face (II 5.5)
Booker / NE Face (III 5.8)
Burgundy Spire / Corkscrew Rt (III 5.8)
Burgundy Spire / N Face (III 5.8)
Burgundy Spire / W Face (III 5.9)
Cascade / N Buttress (II 5.6)
Cashmere / NW Ridge of NE Pyramid (II 5.6)
Castle Peak / N Face (III 5.8 A1)
Castle Peak / N Face, W Side (II 5.)
Cathedral Peak (CA) / SE Buttress (III 5.9)
Cathedral Peak (BC) / S Face (III 5.9)
Cathedral Peak (BC) / SE Buttress (III 5.8/5.9)
Challenger / NE Spur of E Face (II 5.6)
Chamois / N Buttress (II 5.7)
Chamois / Les Cornes, E Face (II 5.7)
Chaval / North Ridge (II-III 5.7)
Chianti Spire / Rebel Yell (III 5.10)
Chianti Spire / Standard Rt (II 5.6)
Chimney Rock / E Face Direct (II 5)
Chimney Rock / E Face of N Peak (II 5.8)
Chimney Rock / SE Face of N Peak (III 5.7)
Chopping Block/ NE Ridge (II 5.5)
Colchuck / NE Buttress (III-IV 5.8)
Colchuck Balanced Rock / NW Buttress (III 5.8)
Colonial / NW Couloir (II 5.6)
Comet Spire / E Face, Center Rt (III 5.7)
Concord Tower / North Face (II 5.6)
Concord Tower / Cave Rt (II 5.7)
Constance / N Face (IV 5.7)
Constance / Red Dike (III 5.5)
Constance / W Arete (III 5.4)
Crooked Thumb / NE Face (II 5)
Crown Mtn/ Widomaker Arete (BC) (IV 5.9)
Cutthroat / SE Buttress (III 5.6)
Cutthroat / S Face (III 5.7 A4)
Davis / NE Face Couloir (III 5.6)
Dorado Needle / E Ridge (II 5.5)
Dorado Needle / S Face of SW Buttress (IV 5.8)
Dorado Needle / SW Buttress (III 5.7)
Dragontail / Backbone Ridge (IV 5.9)
Dragontail / Colchuck Col Buttress (II 5.6)
Dragontail / N Face, Hidden Couloir (III 5.7)
Dragontail / NE Couloir (II 5.7)
Dragontail - NE Towers / NE Buttress (III-IV 5.9)
Dragontail / Serpentine Arete (IV 5.8)
Early Morning Spire / SW Face (IV 5.9)
Eldorado / E Ridge Direct (III 5.8)
Eldorado / S Face (III 5.4)
Eldorado / W Arete (IV 5.8)
Elephant Head / NW Ridge (III 5.8)
Elephant’s Perch (III 5.9)
Exfoliation Dome / Blueberry Buttress (III 5.9)
Fin, N Face (II 5.7)
Forbidden / E Ridge Direct (III 5.7-8)
Forbidden / N Ridge (III 5.4)
Forbidden / NW Face (IV 5.6)
Forbidden / W Ridge (II 5.3)
Fury / N Buttress (III-IV 5.6)
Garfield - W Peak / S Face (III 5.5)
Goode / NE Buttress (III-IV 5.4)
Goode / NE Face (III-IV 5)
Goode / NW Ridge (III 5)
Green Giant Buttress / Dreamer (IV 5.9)
Gunsight / E Face (III 5)
Gunsight / SW Face (II 5.6)
Guye / Improbable Traverse. (II 5.8)
Guye / W Face, Ramp Rt (II-III 5.8)
Habrich / Gambit Grooves (III 5.7)
Habrich / SW Nose (III 5.8)
Half Dome / Snake Dike (III 5.7)
Index Town Wall / Town Crier (IV 5.8 A2)
Index - Middle Peak / W Face (IV 5)
Index - N Peak / E Face (IV 5.7)
Index - N Peak / N Face (III 5.6)
Ingalls / E Ridge (Ii 5.7)
Inspiration / E Ridge (II 5)
Inspiration / S Face (III 5.8)
Inspiration / W Ridge (II 5.6)
Jack / SE Ridge (III 5.6)
Joffre/NW Rib (BC) (III 5.8)
Joffre/ Enchainment (BC) (IV 5.9)
Johannesburg / NE Face (’67) (IV 5.6)
Johannesburg / NE Rib (III 5.4)
Johannesburg / W Rib of NE Rib (III 5.3)
Juno Tower / Clean Break (IV 5.10)
Kangaroo Temple / E Face (II-III 5.8)
Kangaroo Temple / NW Face (II 5.7)
Kangaroo Temple / SW Face (III 5.8)
Keyes / NW Ridge (III 5 + Aid)
Keyes / NE Ridge (II 5.4)
Lexington Tower / E Face (III-IV 5.9+)
Liberty Bell / Barberpole (III 5.9)
Liberty Bell / Liberty Crack (IV 5.9 A2)
Liberty Bell / N Face (II 5.8)
Liberty Bell / NW Face (II-III 5.9)
Liberty Bell / SW Face (II 5.6)
Little Annapurna / S Face (II 5.6)
Little Mac Spire / SW Arete (II 5.8)
Logan / NW Buttress (III 5.7)
Matier / SW Buttress (BC) (IV 5.7)
McMillan Spire / N Buttress of E Spire (IV 5.9)
McMillan Spire / N Face of W Spire (III 5.6)
McMillan Spire / SE Face of W Spire (II 5.7)
Minuteman Tower / E Face (III 5.10)
Molar Tooth / NE Arete (II 5.6)
Mole / N Face (II 5.7)
Mole / SW Rib (II 5.9)
Mole / W Face (II 5.7)
Nooksack Tower / NE Face (III 5.4)
N Early Winter Spire / N Face (II 5.7)
N Early Winter Spire / NW Corner (III 5.9)
Overseer Mtn / SW Face (BC) (III 5.8)
Paisano Pinnacle / W Face (III 5.8)
Professor / W Face (II 5.5)
Prusik / W Ridge (II 5.7)
Prusik / S Face (III 5.9)
Rexford / E & NE Ridge (BC) (III 5.7)
Royal Arches / Royal Arches (IV 5.9)
Sherpa / N Ridge (II-III 5.8)
Sherpa / W Ridge (II 5.4)
Shuksan / NW Arete (III 5.7)
Shuksan / NW Rib (III 5.8)
Sir Donald / NW Arete (III 5.2)
Silver Star / W Buttress (III 5.8 A1)
Slesse / NE Buttress (V 5.10)
Slesse / NW Face (II 5.6)
Slesse / W Pillar (II 5.8)
Sloan / SE Face (II 5.7)
Sloan / W Face (II-III 5.5)
Snoqualmie / NY Coulouir (Winter) (III 5.8 A1)
Snow Creek Wall / Mary Jane Dihedral (III 5.9)
Snow Creek Wall / Orbit (III 5.8+)
Snow Creek Wall / Outer Space (III 5.9)
S Early Winter Spire / N Face (II 5.10 A2)
S Early Winter Spire / W Face (III 5.10)
Sperry / E Face, C Rib (III-IV 5.8)
Sperry / E Face, N Rib (II 5.7)
Spire Point / S Face (II 5.6)
Static Point / Curious Cube (III 5.9)
Static Point / Off Line (III 5.10)
Static Point / On Line (III 5.10)
Stuart / N Ridge (III 5.7)
Stuart / NE Face (IV 5.9)
Stuart / NW Face (IV 5.8 A1)
Stuart / Razorback Ridge (III 5.9)
Stuart / W Ridge (II 5.4)
Swiss Peak / Northeast Face (IV+ 5.8)
Terror / E Ridge (II 5.6)
Terror / N Face (III 5.8)
Three Fingers / NE Buttress (II-III 5)
Three Musketeers / S Face (II 5.6)
Thompson / W Ridge (II 5.4)
Toketie Wall / N Prow (III 5.9)
Tooth / E Face (II 5.7)
Tooth / S Face (winter) (II 5.4)
Tooth / SW Face (II 5.7)
Torment / S Ridge (II 5.4)
Torment-Forbidden Traverse (IV 5.6)
Triumph / NE Ridge (III 5.5)
Triumph / NW Ridge (II 5.3)
Triumph / S Ridge (II 5.6)
Twin Spires / SE Spire (II-III 5)
Vayu / NW Ridge (BC) (IV 5.5)
Vesper / N Face (II-III 5.8)
Warbonnet / S Face (II 5.6)
Wedge Mtn / NW Rib (BC) (IV 5.7)
Whitechuck / SW Face (II 5.6)
Whitechuck / W Face (III 5.7)
Whitehorse/ E Ridge (II 5.3)
Witches Tower / NE Face (II 5.8)
Witches Tower / NW Buttress (II 5.7)
Intermediate Glacial/Ice Climbs
Intermediate Glacial/Ice Climbs
Alpine ice climb on 40 degree or greater glacier ice.
Adams / Adams Glacier (II)
Adams / Klickitat Glacier (II)
Adams / Klickitat Headwall (III)
Adams / Lava GI. Headwall (II)
Adams / N Face of NW Ridge (II)
Adams / N Lyman Glacier (II)
Adams / S Lyman Glacier (III)
Andromeda / N Face (III)
Andromeda / Skyladder (II)
Athabasca / Andromeda Col (III)
Athabasca / N Face (III)
Athabasca / Silverhorn (II)
Baker / Coleman Headwall (II-III)
Baker / N Ridge (II)
Baker / Roosevelt Gl (II)
Bonanza / Company Headwall (II-III)
Bonanza - SW Peak / N Couloir (II-III)
Buckner / N Face (II)
Buckner / N Face Couloir (II)
Castle Towers / NW Face (BC) (III-IV)
Chair / E Face (Winter (II)
Chair / N Face (Winter) (II)
Colchuck / N Buttress Couloir (Winter) (III)
Colchuck / NE Buttress (Winter) (III)
Dragontail / Triple Couloir (III)
Elkhorn / W Couloir (Winter) (II)
Fernow / N Face & Ice Finger (II-III)
Fissile Pk / NW Couloir (BC) (II-III )
Fissile Pk / NW Face (BC) (II-III)
Fitzsimmons / N Face (BC) (IV)
Forbidden / NW Face of N Ridge (II-III)
Formidable / Formidable Gl (II-III)
Formidable / Formidable Gl Direct (II-III)
Formidable / NE Glaciers & E Ridge (III)
Fury / NE Face (III)
Hood / Cathedral Ridge (III)
Hood / Luethold Couloir (III)
Hood / N Face (III)
Hood / Sandy Headwall (III)
Hood / Yocum Ridge (III)
James Turner / N Face (BC) +5.7 rock .V)
Joffre / NE Glacier (BC) + 5.8 rock (IV)
Joffre / Central Couloir (BC) (IV)
Joffre / The Ramp (BC) (IV)
Joffre / Twisting Couloir (BC) (IV)
Johannesburg / CJ Couloir (III)
Kyes / Upper Pride Glacier (III)
Mesachie Peak / Mesachie Icefall Couloir (II-III)
Matier / NW Face (BC) (III)
Maude / Entiat Icefall (III)
Maude / N Face (III)
Observation Rock / N Face (II)
Pingora / N Face (III)
Rainier / Edmunds Headwall (III-IV)
Rainier / Kautz Headwall (II-III)
Rainier / Kautz Glacier (II)
Rainier / Liberty Ridge (III-IV)
Rainier / Mowich Face (III-IV)
Rainier / N Mowich Headwall (IV)
Rainier / Nisqually Icefall (II-III)
Rainier / Ptarmigan Ridge (IV)
Rainier / S Tahoma Headwall (IV)
Redoubt / NE Face (III)
Robson / Kain Face (IV)
Robson / N Face (IV)
Sampson / N Face (BC) (IV)
Sauk / N Face (Winter) (II)
Serratus / N Face (BC) (III-IV)
Shuksan / Nooksack Cirque Wall (II-III)
Shuksan / N Face (II-III)
Shuksan / Upper Nooksack GIacier (II)
Sinister / N Face (II-III)
Spider / N Face Rt. 1 (III)
Spider / N Face Rt. 2 (II-III)
Stuart / Stuart Glacier Couloir (II-III)
Tooth, NE Slabs (Winter) (II)
Torment / NW Glacier (III)
Weart / N Face (BC) (IV)
Wedge / NW Couloir (BC (III-IV)
Wedge / Wedge Couloir (BC (III-IV)
Water Ice Climbs
Water Ice Climbs
A water ice climb is a type of climbing that involves ascending frozen waterfalls, other frozen flows, or ice formed from running water. Unlike alpine ice, which forms from glacial ice or consolidated snow, water ice climbs are often temporary and change as temperatures fluctuate.
Borgeau / Right-hand (WI 4)
Bow Falls (WI 3-4)
Cascade Falls (WI 3)
Cascade Waterfall (WI 3)
Great White Icicle. (WI)
Guiness Gully. (WI 4)
Horsetail Falls (WI)
Lady Wilson’s Cleavage. (W 3)
Murchison Falls (WI 4+)
Night n’ Gale (WI 4+)
Nothing but the Breast (WI)
The Professor Falls (WI 4)
The Ribbon (WI)
Sinatra Falls. (WI 2)
Synchronicity (WI 4)
This House of Sky (WI 3-4)
Resources
Resources
Alpine Select – Climbs in SW BC & NW Washington, Kevin McLane
Bugaboo Rock - A Climbers Guide, Randall Green and Joe Bensen
Canadian Rock: Select Climbs of the West, Kevin McLane
Cascade Alpine Guide, Fred Beckey
Climbers and Hiking Guide to Wind Rivers, Joe Kelsey
Classic Climbs in the Northwest, Alan Kearney
Climbers Guide to North America, East Coast Rock Climbs, John Harlin, III
Climbers Guide to the Interior Ranges of British Columbia South, Robert Kruszyna & William Putnam
Climbers Guide to West Coast Ice, Don Serl & Bruce Kay
Guide to the World’s Mountains, Michael R. Kelser
Joshua Tree, Randy Vogel
Mexico’s Volcanoes, Second Edition, R. J. Secor
Ouray Ice, Bill MacTiernan
Rock Climbers Guide to Europe, David Jones
Rock Climbers Guide to Squamish, Kevin McLane
Rock n Road Rock Climbing - Areas of North America, Tim Toula
Rocky Mountain National Park, Bernard Gillett
Selected Alpine Climbs in Canadian Rockies, Sean Dougherty
Selected Climbs in the Cascades, Jim Nelson and Peter Potterfield
Selkirks South, David P. Jones
Tahquitz & Suicide, Randy Vogel and Bob Gains
Teton Classics, Richard Rossiter
The High Sierra, R. J. Secor
Waterfall Ice Climbs in the Canadian Rockies, Third Edition, Joe Josephson
Yosemite Climbs, Don Reid
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