alpine
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National Pa ...
climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or any other part of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders), to small boulders. Climbing is done fo ...
route
Route or routes may refer to:
* Route (gridiron football), a path run by a wide receiver
* route (command), a program used to configure the routing table
* Route, County Antrim, an area in Northern Ireland
* ''The Route'', a 2013 Ugandan film
* Ro ...
in the
North Cascades
The North Cascades are a section of the Cascade Range of western North America. They span the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington and are officially named in the U.S. and Canada as the Cascad ...
of
Washington state
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
. The route, from
Cascade Pass
Cascade Pass (formerly also known as Skagit PassDome Peak
Dome Peak is a high, massive, glaciated mountain in the Glacier Peak Wilderness of Washington's North Cascades. The remote location of Dome Peak, combined with its height, make it a less common destination for Cascade Range mountaineers. Dome P ...
, is generally remote, unmarked, and challenging, traversing rugged terrain and several glaciers.
History
The first traverse took 13 days in July 1938. The group consisted of four members of the Ptarmigan Climbing Club: Bill Cox, Calder Bressler,
Ray W. Clough
Ray William Clough, (July 23, 1920 – October 8, 2016), was Byron L. and Elvira E. Nishkian Professor of structural engineering in the department of civil engineering at the University of California, Berkeley and one of the founders of the finite ...
, and Tom Myers. The second traverse was in 1953 and consisted of Dale Cole, Bob Grant, Mike Hane, Erick Karlsson and Tom Miller. Miller took high-quality photos of the peaks, valleys, glaciers, and lakes, which were later published in a book by The Mountaineers. The book, called ''The North Cascades'', was published in 1964 and proved instrumental in the bid to create the
North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park is an American national park in the state of Washington. At more than , it is the largest of the three National Park Service units that comprise the North Cascades National Park Complex. North Cascades National Par ...
.
The route is named after an alpine bird, the
rock ptarmigan
The rock ptarmigan (''Lagopus muta'') is a medium-sized game bird in the grouse family. It is known simply as the ptarmigan in the UK. It is the official bird for the Canadian territory of Nunavut, where it is known as the ''aqiggiq'' (ᐊᕿ ...
. The "''p''" is silent and is pronounced "''TAR-mig-an''".
The third successful traverse of the route was made in 1958 by a party led by photographer Ira Spring, with Coleman Leuthy, Ray and Marge McConnell, Peggy Stark and Russell Bockman. The trip was described in an article published in The Saturday Evening Post that was illustrated with Spring's stunning photos of the trip. Today the route is a common goal of
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...
mountaineer
Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, an ...
s.
Route
Place names are listed from north to south:
Cascade Pass area
*
Buckner Mountain
Buckner Mountain (sometimes called Mount Buckner) is a tall peak in the North Cascades of Washington (U.S. state), Washington state and in the Stephen Mather Wilderness of North Cascades National Park. At in elevation it is the highest in Skag ...
() –
*
Boston Peak
Boston Peak is a tall peak in the North Cascades in the U.S. state of Washington and within North Cascades National Park. At in elevation it is the 26th highest peak in Washington. Its nearest higher neighbor is Buckner Mountain, to the east.
...
() –
*
Sahale Peak
Sahale Mountain is a jagged, glaciated mountain, in North Cascades National Park, in northern Washington state. The summit of Sahale Mountain is referred to as Sahale Peak. It is south of its higher neighbor, Boston Peak, and the saddle betwee ...
North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park is an American national park in the state of Washington. At more than , it is the largest of the three National Park Service units that comprise the North Cascades National Park Complex. North Cascades National Par ...
and
Glacier Peak Wilderness
Glacier Peak Wilderness is a , , wilderness area located within portions of Chelan, Snohomish, and Skagit counties in the North Cascades of Washington. The area lies within parts of Wenatchee National Forest and Mount Baker National Forest a ...
Pelton Peak
Pelton Peak is a mountain summit located in Chelan County of Washington state. It is part of the North Cascades, a subset of the Cascade Range. Pelton Peak is situated southeast of Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park near the northe ...
() –
Middle Cascade area
*
Hurry-up Peak
Hurry-up Peak is a 7,821-foot-elevation summit located on the shared boundary of Skagit County and Chelan County in Washington state. It is positioned on the crest of the North Cascades Range, and is set at the northern end of the Ptarmigan Tr ...
() –
*
Middle Cascade Glacier
Middle Cascade Glacier is in Wenatchee National Forest in the U.S. state of Washington and is to the north of Spider Mountain and east of Mount Formidable. Middle Cascade Glacier has a significant icefall that is thinning and may eventually separat ...
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*
Mount Formidable
Mount Formidable is a mountain in the North Cascades of Skagit County, in Washington state. Its first ascent was undertaken by members of the original Ptarmigan Traverse, and the peak is a popular climb for parties on the traverse. It was named ...
() –
*
Spider Mountain
Spider Mountain is an mountain summit located in the Glacier Peak Wilderness in western Chelan County of Washington state.
It is part of the North Cascades, which is a subset of the Cascade Range. Meltwater from the Spider Glacier on the s ...
() –
South Cascade area
*
Le Conte Mountain
Le Conte Mountain is a summit located on the shared boundary of Skagit County and Chelan County in Washington state.
It is positioned on the crest of the North Cascades Range, and is set within the Glacier Peak Wilderness. Le Conte Mount ...
Dome Peak
Dome Peak is a high, massive, glaciated mountain in the Glacier Peak Wilderness of Washington's North Cascades. The remote location of Dome Peak, combined with its height, make it a less common destination for Cascade Range mountaineers. Dome P ...
Spire Point
Spire Point () is in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Wenatchee National Forests in the U.S. state of Washington. On the northwest slope of Spire Point lies Spire Glacier while Dana Glacier is to the east. Ascending Spire Point is a technical climb.
...
() –
*
Dome Peak
Dome Peak is a high, massive, glaciated mountain in the Glacier Peak Wilderness of Washington's North Cascades. The remote location of Dome Peak, combined with its height, make it a less common destination for Cascade Range mountaineers. Dome P ...
Cascade Alpine Guide
Friedrich Wolfgang Beckey (14 January 1923 – 30 October 2017), known as Fred Beckey, was an American rock climber, mountaineer and book author, who in seven decades of climbing achieved hundreds of first ascents of the tallest peaks and best ro ...
Volume 2'',
The Mountaineers Books
The Mountaineers is an alpine club in the US state of Washington. Founded in 1906, it is organized as an outdoor recreation, education, and conservation 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisation, and is based in Seattle, Washington. The club hosts a wid ...