Alpine Rock Climbing On Mt. Triumph

Mount Triumph is a prominent triangular peak in a remote area of the North Cascades National Park. With a full day approach to a pristine bivy spot at Thornton Col, overlooking the immensely rugged Pickets Range to one side and looking down at the deep blue snow-fed Thornton Lakes on the other. There is a small pocket glacier at the base of the mountain, though by mid to late summer it is often easy to bypass this rapidly receding glacier, making for a distinct visualization of the effects of climate change. There are several routes to the summit of Mt. Triumph, though the steep and loose East Face is very aesthetic and imposing it has seen very few ascents. The standard route to the summit of Mt. Triumph and our default guiding objective when climbing Mt. Triumph is the Northeast Ridge, one of the longer sustained alpine rock climbing ridges in the North Cascades.

Intermediate alpine rock climbing (5.6, III)

Previous multipitch and alpine rock climbing experience is required. Due to the remote nature of the peak and length of summit day, climbers must be in good physical fitness

3 day itinerary

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Northeast Ridge (5.7, III)

The NE Ridge of Mt. Triumph is defined by a sustained steep and exposed ridgeline with about 12 pitches of rock climbing. It lends itself to more vertical and technical climbing compared to other similar routes in the Cascades.

The trail to Thornton Lake is a popular hike through a dense second growth rain forest with awesome views at the lower lake. From there, the hike is more overgrown as it contours to the middle lake and up a steep talus and scree field to one of the most scenic bivy sites in the entire Cascade Range.
Distance: 6.5 miles
Elevation gain: 4,000 feet
Did you know that former co-owner, Steve House was the first person to successfully guide Ham and Eggs? Nowadays, this route is viewed as an alpinist’s graduation and often the first route parties climb as an introduction to the Alaska Range. From our inception as a guide service we have been committed to guiding climbers on challenging routes in the mountains with a proven track record around the world. We continue to provide training support, climbing instruction and expert guides with decades of experience to help climbers safely, successfully and efficiently climb big routes like Ham and Eggs.
An early morning start at first light has us navigating the moderate snow and rock slabs below Mount Triumph, contouring to its base. The route is mostly 30 meter pitches of low to mid 5th class with several easier but exposed sections where the team moves together. The crux of the route is a steeper headwall with a wider hand crack splitting the face. Overall the rock quality on the Northeast Ridge is high quality with fantastic exposure, but the top of the peak is guarded by a few hundred feet of steep heather and loose rock, requiring careful navigation. We reverse our ascent path with some down climbing and around 12 rappels.
A casual morning wake-up, we'll pack up camp and hike out to the trailhead. Due to the steep terrain below camp and the overgrown path contouring to the lower lake, this hike out typically takes around 5 hours.