West Ridge

A beautiful ridge route that is worthy of the long walk to get there. People often start up the West Ridge but at the top of the so called 'dome', they veer right and follow the sandy chute to the south ridge just below the summit. The better alternative is to stay with a direct ascent of the West Ridge all the way to the summit. As with any 3/4 class route, you can make your own adventure. I found some really wonderful situations on this ridge. The rock was solid throughout. About half way up you are sort of committed to staying with the ridge. At that point it begins to narrow and the exposure increases a bit. The elevation gain from the pass to the summit is about 1640 feet.

A full description of the trip is available at

http://esa-rol.com/content/gallery/71/matterhorn-west-ridge

Probably the best way to reach this route is from Twin Lakes via Mule Pass. I took a casual two days to get there and set up a nice camp at Finger Lakes just below Burro Pass. From there wander up to the Pass and follow the ridge all the way to the summit. To descend, wander south briefly to the top of the chute that is often used as a means of ascent. Follow this back to Burro Pass. This is definitely a grade 2 route as there was plenty of time to pack up and head back to Mule Pass for my 3rd night. Late afternoon and cool temps in the 3rd week of September is such a great time to make your miles.Trail crew was working in the area, but other than that, I didn't see anyone until I got back to Barney Lake after an additional loop over Rock Island Pass and Peeler Lake.

There is no need for any kind of gear on this route. Even rock shoes are optional. I wore Salewa Rapace