Correction to Secor, Sawtooth Peak (N)
by Pat Ibbetson
Secor says to take the class two ridge from the pass, which I did. I
wouldn't exactly call it class two. Most of the way I was able to walk on
sand, avoiding any rock at all. There is absolutely no talus to speak of
on Sawtooth Peak, at least on the west side. This "class 2" ridge was
actually vertical, or worse, on the east side, and on the west a very
narrow ribbon of sand runs along the crest. If you move 100 feet more to
the east the slope quickly steepens, and soon drops off dramtically into
the cliffs that rise above Monarch Lakes. Were it not for the sand, this
ridge would be difficult class 3 at the least. Amazingly I walked
unscathed through the towering blocks that were rising all around me,
taking care to stay below the jagged blocks higher up the ridge, but above
the cliffs below.
As the ridge from Sawtooth Pass approaches the summit
it gradually becomes class 3. It is much easier to
stay a ways down from the summit once you reach the
south side of the peak and cross over to the east
side. From the east side the summit is much easier.
The information in these pages is provided by
interested volunteers and has not been field checked.
R.J. Secor, The Mountaineers and the Sierra Club
are in no way responsible for the
accuracy of any route advice on this web site.
Safe climbers must be able to understand the terrain
and topography of the area they travel in, and they
must make wise route finding choices based on their
own knowledge, experience and observations.