McHenrys Peak decent route?

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emiller
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McHenrys Peak decent route?

Post by emiller »

After seeing McHenrys peak from glacier gorge this summer I really want to return in 2011 and climb it via arrowhead. What I don't know is what is the best way back down. Back down the way you came or via stoneman pass? I am really interested in what the length and vertical would be for the downclimb back down to easier terrain? It would probably be an early July climb which seems it would make for a snow decent if you go down the stoneman pass route.
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Re: McHenrys Peak decent route?

Post by thebeave7 »

Arrowhead descent would be more scrambling, shorter route, less talus. Stoneman pass has lots of talus and boulders and its quite a long boulder hop til you hit a real trail just above Black Lake. Just depends what type of terrain you prefer. The rock quality and scrambling are probably better descending via Arrowhead than via Stoneman Pass (though the latter is technically easier).

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emiller
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Re: McHenrys Peak decent route?

Post by emiller »

Well that certainly sounds like back down Arrowhead would be the best way then. Decending talus has got to be one of my least favorite things to do in the mountains. Thanks for the help
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Re: McHenrys Peak decent route?

Post by llamaman »

There is a solid, class III rock route on Stone Man. I climbed Chiefs Head in july. The gully up Stone Man was still snow-filled, so I started climbing the rock on climber's left. It's marked with cairns and is a pretty fun route. Once you get to Frozen Lake, there is a "trail" marked with cairns back to black lake (not that route-finding is very hard there). I've never done Arrowhead, so I can't compare the two, but a loop (or a lollipop) is always nice.
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Re: McHenrys Peak decent route?

Post by Brian C »

If you're comfortable on the Arete, it would not be too much of a stretch to do McHenry's notch over to Powell and then down Andrew's Glacier. Not sure on what snow would be around the notch then.
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Rich H
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Re: McHenrys Peak decent route?

Post by Rich H »

I almost did McHenry's Peak this weekend...I hesitated because of the weather and instead went and got some Sawatch Peaks...

I was planning on going up the Summit Ramp on Arrowhead to the Arrowhead or North Arete then Down via the Notch to Powell and traversing back to Flattop.
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Re: McHenrys Peak decent route?

Post by emiller »

Rich,
not sure if you have seen this trip report http://andyintherockies.com/trip/80/Arr ... e_Fest.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; the decent into McHenrys notch looks rather dicey.
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Re: McHenrys Peak decent route?

Post by Rich H »

i have read that it is class 4 and not 5.3...but yes I am somewhat worried about doing it which is why I didn't want to try it if the weather was dicey.
i was planning to rap down the slabs

arrowhead
http://www.summitpost.org/route/166526/summit-ramp.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


the arete
http://www.summitpost.org/route/166528/ ... rc-te.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

from McHenrys down to the notch
http://www.summitpost.org/route/166530/the-notch.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Last edited by Rich H on Mon Aug 30, 2010 1:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: McHenrys Peak decent route?

Post by lordhelmut »

emiller wrote:Rich,
not sure if you have seen this trip report http://andyintherockies.com/trip/80/Arr ... e_Fest.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; the decent into McHenrys notch looks rather dicey.
Dicey but fun and the only way to continue on with the Glacier Gorge Traverse.

Regarding a descent off McHenry's, the descent off Stone Man really isn't that bad. We included Spearhead with the day after the traverse from Arrowhead and the descent off Stone Man. Fun way to spend a day in GG.
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Re: McHenrys Peak decent route?

Post by Rich H »

I did go and climb McHenrys pk today. I went up the summit ramp on Arrowhead and did the North Arete on McHenrys. It was the first climbing I have done in a while and I have to say that it kicked me pretty good . Carrying the rope and gear plus the extra water was tough. I started at Glacier Gorge TH at 4;15 am and got to the summit of McHenrys at noon. The summit ramp on Arrowhead from black lake is tough . I don't know if they grade routes differently in RMNP but the class 3 section of the ramp was beyond me figuring it out. Spent a lot of time working it and instead we went up a 5.3 route to the side of the 3rd class crux of the route. Then after Arrowhead we went up the Arete of McHenrys. It was a 4th class ridge but again wow - not 4th class like Pyramid or the Bells...or some of the Sawatch ridge runs I have done. Very intense 4th class. Fun though. As for our plans to traverse down the notch to get Powell and Taylor we shot ourselves with time - we instead bailed down Stoneman Pass which again is a tricky 3rd class climb only to then have to rappel back down to black lake because we kept cliffing out. I have done Chiefs head and Longs/Meeker and some of the Mummies. McHenrys Peak is one tough peak and my hat goes off to the guys who have done the entire Glacier Gorge Traverse. All the more so to the ones that did it in less than 24 hours.
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Re: McHenrys Peak decent route?

Post by emiller »

Rich if you have any pics of the decent from McHenry's to Stoneman pass I would love to see them! Sounds like you really got after it today.
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Re: McHenrys Peak decent route?

Post by Rich H »

my climbing partner brought the camera...I'll try to get them. Not sure how many we took on the descent but I will say it was an easy route to follow. Someone put in some good cairns and it seemed like we just took the route of least resistance all the way down
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