This summer I want to try a link up of Half, Storm, Longs, and Pagoda and the Thatchtop to Arrowhead traverse.
I made a rough path of the first on google earth and have three questions:
1) Which direction would you go?
2) Should I do this before the Trough melts for a snow climb/descent? Or just descend directly from Pagoda to Green Lake?
3) Tips for navigating the ridge to/from Pagoda?
For the other loop, I know there are quite a few routes to ascend and descend Arrowhead and Thatchtop. Thoughts on which are most solid/most interesting? A few reports mention talus/scree from the Solitude Lake area.
Thanks!
Glacier Gorge loops
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- emgordon
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Glacier Gorge loops
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Last edited by emgordon on Mon Jun 13, 2016 2:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- justiner
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Re: Glacier Gorge loops
Longs from Pagoda: from the summit of Longs, head down Homestretch, and once you get to the part where you traverse to the Narrows, keep going down the ridgeline (Keyboard of the Winds). You'll be trending towards your left, to find the sneak to avoid the nasty cliffs. It'll go down some grassy ledges, before you want to trend back towards the top of the ridge, it should stay around Class 3. If you want to get back to the Keyhole from there, you can descend before one of the large towers, skirt the Keyboard of the Winds on your S, and you'll rejoin the route at the Loft.emgordon wrote: 3) Tips for navigating the ridge to/from Pagoda?
This has a map of a Radical Slam, which includes going from Longs to Pagoda, which I tried to describe, above,
https://www.strava.com/activities/168749700" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Glacier Gorge loops
I think I have some pictures saved to show the traverse to Pagoda. To expand on what Justin said, you can't tell from the Longs side but the route cliffs out and you have to find the one weakness to get through it. Seeing the pics from the Pagoda side should help solidify that.
I would really consider descending Pagoda rather than the Trough. I have not personally done it though.
Most people run the Arrowhead-Thatchtop traverse starting at Arrowhead. This has two benefits but two negatives that I can see:
PROS:
1) You're going up Arrowhead via a class 3 or class 4 route, rather than descending it
2) You have a relatively easy walk-off descent of Thatchtop
CONS:
1) You're downclimbing the low 5th section of McHenry's Notch
2) I've heard the traverse between Thatchtop and Powell is easier going from T->P and not P->T
If you're not dead set on including Arrowhead, it might be interesting to start at Thatchtop and descending Stoneman Pass to go over and pick up Pagoda. This eliminates the cons above and also allows you to tackle the cliff band between Pagoda and Longs from the side where you can actually see what you're doing.
Cons though are you miss Arrowhead and I'm not sure how scree-y the ascent to Pagoda will be.
I would really consider descending Pagoda rather than the Trough. I have not personally done it though.
Most people run the Arrowhead-Thatchtop traverse starting at Arrowhead. This has two benefits but two negatives that I can see:
PROS:
1) You're going up Arrowhead via a class 3 or class 4 route, rather than descending it
2) You have a relatively easy walk-off descent of Thatchtop
CONS:
1) You're downclimbing the low 5th section of McHenry's Notch
2) I've heard the traverse between Thatchtop and Powell is easier going from T->P and not P->T
If you're not dead set on including Arrowhead, it might be interesting to start at Thatchtop and descending Stoneman Pass to go over and pick up Pagoda. This eliminates the cons above and also allows you to tackle the cliff band between Pagoda and Longs from the side where you can actually see what you're doing.
Cons though are you miss Arrowhead and I'm not sure how scree-y the ascent to Pagoda will be.
- thebeave7
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Re: Glacier Gorge loops
I've done all the routes you are inquiring about. There are plenty of TR out there describing Longs to Pagoda, I think it's better that way. From Pagoda you can drop through the keyboard of the winds and either descend straight to glacier gorge or contour back to the bottom of the trough.
For the Thatchtop to Arrowhead traverse I think I have a TR on this sight. I like doing Thatchtop first so you can scramble up the fun stuff on the Thatchtop-Powell ridge and upclimb the hard section of McHenry notch. The descent off Arrowhead isn't hard, just a little loose. Sorry for any typos, on my phone.
Eric
For the Thatchtop to Arrowhead traverse I think I have a TR on this sight. I like doing Thatchtop first so you can scramble up the fun stuff on the Thatchtop-Powell ridge and upclimb the hard section of McHenry notch. The descent off Arrowhead isn't hard, just a little loose. Sorry for any typos, on my phone.
Eric
Me fail English? That's unpossible. http://www.ericjlee.com/Blogs
Re: Glacier Gorge loops
here's a picture of the area between Longs and Pagoda, taken from Pagoda. I haven't done this traverse, but coming from Longs, you can see that you'd need to find the gully through the cliffband. I believe some trip reports list coordinates for it. Going the other direction along the ridge to the left looks like it might go low 5.
some other parts:
- Half Mtn -> Storm -> Longs : you hit the keyhole past Longs and just join the route from there (upper part of Trough). Snow climb not necessary. The ridge from Half to Storm is class 2 and very scenic.
- Pagoda descent: the gully back to Green Lake is very loose. There is class 3 slab easier to climb on the way up.
- Thatchtop from Solitude Lake is just talus, no scree. If you are looking at S-Gully, that's a little loose and steep but pretty short. There are cairns from S-Gully back down through the forest to Loch trail. The route from Solitude Lake is much more scenic and varied and a bit easier. There's a climbers trail up to the lake.
- The technical cruxes would be along the south end of the gorge as mentioned - Pagoda -> Chiefs Head -> Mchenrys Notch
some other parts:
- Half Mtn -> Storm -> Longs : you hit the keyhole past Longs and just join the route from there (upper part of Trough). Snow climb not necessary. The ridge from Half to Storm is class 2 and very scenic.
- Pagoda descent: the gully back to Green Lake is very loose. There is class 3 slab easier to climb on the way up.
- Thatchtop from Solitude Lake is just talus, no scree. If you are looking at S-Gully, that's a little loose and steep but pretty short. There are cairns from S-Gully back down through the forest to Loch trail. The route from Solitude Lake is much more scenic and varied and a bit easier. There's a climbers trail up to the lake.
- The technical cruxes would be along the south end of the gorge as mentioned - Pagoda -> Chiefs Head -> Mchenrys Notch
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- justiner
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Re: Glacier Gorge loops
This TR has a good photo of what the right sneak looks like, from the top,
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=9266" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Notice how far S you go, and how obvious the gully is when you're right in it.
Anything N will cliff you out on an overhanging face, so it may be a little more than low fifth
Once past that, it's easy boulder hopping to the top of Pagoda.
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=9266" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Notice how far S you go, and how obvious the gully is when you're right in it.
Anything N will cliff you out on an overhanging face, so it may be a little more than low fifth
Once past that, it's easy boulder hopping to the top of Pagoda.