Ptarmigan Peak East Face
The concentration, the thrill, and the mental and physical challenge made this an experience I won't soon regret
Ptarmigan Peak East Face
Notable Visited Landmarks
Lakes
Mountains
Introduction
Ptarmigan Peak offers what may be my favorite views in the Skoki area. Taking the South slopes up to the West ridge offers an easy class 2 route to the summit, the trip is easily accomplished in a single day, though there are great camping options in the area. The East Face of Ptarmigan Peak is far less travelled, in fact, other than the original ascent in 1911 I am not sure how many other parties have made this trip. It was rated as class 4 back in the day but goes more as 5.4 by today’s standards with severe exposure and limited bailout options. There was a point on the route where I told Kayla that our only bailout option left was to make it to the top to go down the West ridge and South slopes.
Coming in at just over 1300m of elevation gain and 27km a lot of which is on trail or through easy terrain it should come as a surprise that Kayla and I took 11:16h to complete this trip. In fact, the last 250m to the summit (the difficult section) took more than 3h to complete! Do not underestimate this trip as we did! We had some plans to explore around Myosotis and Zigadenus lakes afterwards, this did not happen. Once we topped out we just wanted to go home.
Approach to the Upper East Face
On July 19, 2021, year 2 of the covid, Kayla and I started off at Fish Creek parking lot as is always the case when approaching the Skoki area. After a fast 8km on trail we were at Hidden Lake. We took a short break there, admiring the wildflowers.
We then pressed on around the South end of the lake and up towards the South slopes of Ptarmigan Peak. When we got to the typical route, we continued to contour East around the South face of Ptarmigan Peak. After passing the large gully ending in the notch that separates the West ridge of the mountain from the summit we started heading up, staying on rock that looked pretty solid compared to alternative scree. The rock was actually pretty good all the way to the cliffs guarding the summit.
Pink indian paintbrush on the way to Hidden Lake
Traversing around the South face of Ptarmigan Peak
The rock that we decided to ascend as opposed to the alternative scree bash.
From there we continued around to the East face of the mountain on loose scree, traversing below some snow patches. Heading around the East face I looked for easy access options but unfortunately found nothing. I took a look from the East buttress to see if I could figure out where we needed to go. After a lot of staring at the pictures I took of the Rockies Central guidebook I plotted out our approximate route.
Ramp leading towards the East face and the East buttress, still some lingering snow.
The East Face
As much as I would like to give you a clean picture of the route up the face, I can’t. I have looked at the face countless times trying to figure out where we went but after the first little bit I am lost. The face is a maze of cliffs and gullies, and I cannot give a global view of what we did, but I can give a local view and the approximate entrance point to the face.
Entrance point to the East face as viewed from the East buttress.
We started off on the least vertical section we could find on some brown rock just to the left of some brown cliffs separated by a couple inch to 1 foot crack. We found that the grade would steepen after the first 25m or so, so we traversed climber’s left around 15m up on what could be considered narrow ledges at points but was mainly just a broken series of class 4 holds. The exposure during the traverse is significant and some holds are not solid so take care.
This is where the difficult part starts.
Kayla starting on the difficult part.
Traversing steep terrain on a good ledge.
The ledge has turned into a series of class 4 holds.
After we came to a chimney/gully that looked like we would not be able to get around we started heading up on the cliffs on climber’s right of the chimney. This should be the crux of the trip, it started off low class 5 and nearing the top of the chimney there is a slab section I was able to get through with some 5.4 friction moves, Kayla climbed above this on steep 5.4 terrain. We were very careful on this section as a fall would have certainly ended in death. It is not a bad idea to take a rope and some trad gear for this. We knew the terrain above this section looked easier, which it turned out to be, because without a rope the best bailout option past this point is to make it to the top and walk off the other side of the mountain.
We started heading up here, it initially doesn’t look too bad.
Kayla starting up the crux section, still at the easy part.
Higher up the terrain gets steeper, and there is huge exposure.
Immediately after this section there is a good place to rest but you are then confronted with another steep chimney. It looked too steep to climb so we climbed the cliffs climber’s left of it. Once above the chimney we traversed climber’s right into a wide gully. We took this gully climber’s right through class 4 to low class 5 terrain to gain the East ridge of the mountain. This was probably the most enjoyable section of the East face since scrambling was easy, and there were plenty of good route options.
You can see the crux section as that slab below and to skier’s left of Kayla.
Kayla crossing to climber’s right of the gully/chimney
Terrain eases out in the wide gully, we were moving up and slowly climber’s right here.
We arrived on the East ridge just above a large pinnacle. We made our way up following the East ridge but staying climber’s left of the ridge proper as most of the terrain was quite steep and care needed to be taken. At this point there were some fantastic views looking down the ridge, even with the smoke which was slowly subsiding.
Starting off on the ridge proper, pinnacle we came up to is behind Kayla.
On climber’s left of the ridge now with good views.
Terrain is still difficult.
The ridge brings you to a large pinnacle ~20m high, at first inspection we saw a ledge with severe exposure that could be crossed climber’s right consisting of a 4m long flake and some overhanging rock (we ended up taking this). Wanting to avoid the exposure we searched for another ledge that would take us around, we did not find one. I thought that the other side of the pinnacle might be an easy downclimb so I tried climbing the pinnacle which I would grade 5.5, but that could be because of my 40lbs pack and having near vertical sections where I had to lean back which tired out my arms. To my dismay, the West side of the pinnacle was vertical and overhanging in sections, so we weren’t going to downclimb that. I found another way down the pinnacle, and we took the ledge across which I mentioned earlier. Once around the pinnacle it is an easy class 4 scramble to the top.
Traversing a narrow ledge, looking for an easier ledge to get around the pinnacle.
Kayla accessing the ledge around the pinnacle.
POV shot on the flake.
Kayla crossing the flake. It’s technically non difficult but quite exposed.
Large bag + overhang = butt skootch.
Off the difficult stuff, easy class 4 terrain to the top. Pinnacle visible, with the ledge we took (left).
Footage from the East face.
Descent
We took a nice well-deserved break at the summit and eventually headed back down the West ridge and South face. This route is well documented and has a scree trail beaten in, so I will not cover it in detail here.
I only recommend this route to those who plan to bring trad gear or those who have extreme confidence in their abilities (if not bringing gear). I have been on many trips in what is nowadays considered class 5 terrain, in many cases with severe exposure, but I have never been as concerned or on edge;) than on the East face of Ptarmigan Peak. This route is no joke, and that is probably why you don’t hear about people doing it (along with the longish approach, and that it’s not a huge mountain).
Excellent view from Ptarmigan Peak, so many lakes in this area.
Scoping out the glacier down to that lake for another trip.