North Ridge of Kulshan

Climb the classic technical mountaineering test-piece North Ridge of Kulshan (Mount Baker). This iconic route alpine route is defined by consistently steep pitches of snow climbing, a few moderate pitches of ice on the serac headwall and great exposure above broken glaciated terrain. This route should be on every alpinist's tick list! A big day moving through complex terrain, the North Ridge is as close to climbing in Alaska as you can get in the Lower 48.

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Ice axe icon, depicting a guided climb on the North Ridge of Mount Baker.

Intermediate/advanced technical mountaineering
AD, AI3, 60°, III+

Icon of a mountain, depicting the prerequisites required for a hiring a guide to climb the North Ridge of Mount Baker.

Previous ice climbing and glacier travel experience required
Additional days can be added to the itinerary for skills prep

Calendar and clock icon, depicting the schedule for technical mountaineering on Mount Baker's North Ridge.

3 day itinerary is standard though custom itineraries are available

Waypoint icon, depicting the location of Mount Baker for an alpine climb.

Mount Baker
10,786 ft / 3,287 m

CLimb a Cascades Classic: the North Ridge

  • The Heliotrope Ridge trail follows a well maintained path through the dense rainforest. We'll establish camp at the Hogsback Camp at 5,800ft. We may also spend a few hours in the afternoon doing reconnaissance of the approach across the broken Coleman Glacier.

    Distance: 3.5 miles
    Elevation gain: 2,300 feet
    Total time: 3-4 hours

  • The climb begins by traversing the heavily crevassed lower Coleman Glacier. Once at the toe of the North Ridge climbers will put their calf endurance and alpine efficiency to the test with sustained steep snow climbing. The serac headwall guards the upper half of the route where we climb a few pitches of alpine ice. A final section of steep crevasses must be climbed to reach the summit. From the summit, we descend the standard Coleman-Deming route navigating mostly moderate snow slopes back to camp.

    Distance: 3.25 miles
    Elevation gain: 4,900 feet
    Total time: 8-9 hours to the summit

  • Our standard North Ridge itinerary is a 3-day program with this final day reserved for hiking out and as a contingency day due to inclement weather. We have found most climbers enjoy the relaxation time in the mountains and don't want to stress about hiking out after a long summit day. Contact us to discuss a 2-day itinerary based on your abilities/preferences.

Looking up at wildflowers and the north side of Kulshan from Hogsback Camp.
Climbing the serac headwall on the North Ridge of Kulshan with the Roosevelt Glacier below.
Climbing the serac headwall on the North Ridge of Kulshan.
Rappelling over a large crevasse on the descent from the North Ridge.
Two climbers smile midway up the ice step on the North Ridge.
Climbing up to the toe of the North Ridge on Mount Baker.
Looking at the steep serac headwall on Mount Baker's North Ridge.
Climbing the steep snow arete above the serac headwall on the North Ridge of Mount Baker.

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