Gannett Peak requirements?

[Above_Treeline]

One problem is that I don't know if I can cover 20 miles in 2 days. It's so gorgeous, hard to stay motivated. Last time just got in 3 miles, and set up camp. Didn't really see how it could get much better, why hike?

Hmm, not sure if this is something any of us can help you with there.

Lol its not really a problem. Might just fish and shoot photos. Probably a good peak in the area.

[spiderman]

Inversion layers are not too uncommon. It can be -40 in Alamosa in the winter, but only -10 up higher in the Sangres. The cold air slides down the mountains and settles in the valleys. If there is no wind to stir up the atmosphere, a huge gradient can build up. The snow was solidly frozen at our campsite in the early morning, but we discovered wetter stuff as we approached the peak. I should have turned around and bailed off the mountain, but it is so difficult to give up when you already spent a week getting to that point and the peak is only an hour above you.

The state highpoints is a fun quest and gets addicting once you start making progress. The convention next year is in the UP of Michigan. PM me if you catch the bug and decide to see the Great Lakes region.

http://highpointers.org/

[Buckshot Jake]

Nobody is going to mention the mosquito's?? That was my biggest fear going in, they wear on you. But once you get higher in the basin it gets to be too cold. Our group went in mid-July and we had perfect conditions. A lot of roped in parties, so it is not unwise to bring ropes if you feel the need. I will echo sentiments on the ridge, and you must be on your toes, There's the ridge, a pitch of snow, and a cliff. If you start going down that snow and cannot self-arrest quickly, your going off that cliff.

[Above_Treeline]

Wow this sounds like a great mountain! One question I have, are there several routes up, or is it just hiking to one route up, and you have to get to the starting point for that? I need to look at maps.

[AlexeyD]

Nobody is going to mention the mosquito's?? That was my biggest fear going in, they wear on you.

Wasn't an issue over Labor Day! But we were getting pretty hard freezes overnight by then, so there's that to consider. Also, Titcomb Basin sees like zero sunshine in early September, just FYI. I was amazed that a place that supposedly south-facing can stay so dark and cold for so long.

OP - If you liked the first 3 miles, wait til you see Island Lake. It's true, that whole area is among the beautiful places in the Lower 48, IMO.

RE: routes - see Spiderman and HuskyRunner's responses. There are several possible approaches, all of which converge on one more or less standard route to the summit. Plan on about 2 days each way regardless of what approach you take. There are other routes to the summit as well, but generally less info is available on those.

Good summary available here: https://www.summitpost.org/gannett-peak/150362

[Above_Treeline]

Inversion layers are not too uncommon. It can be -40 in Alamosa in the winter, but only -10 up higher in the Sangres. The cold air slides down the mountains and settles in the valleys. If there is no wind to stir up the atmosphere, a huge gradient can build up. The snow was solidly frozen at our campsite in the early morning, but we discovered wetter stuff as we approached the peak. I should have turned around and bailed off the mountain, but it is so difficult to give up when you already spent a week getting to that point and the peak is only an hour above you.

The state highpoints is a fun quest and gets addicting once you start making progress. The convention next year is in the UP of Michigan. PM me if you catch the bug and decide to see the Great Lakes region.

http://highpointers.org/

Thanks! I've thought about the highpoints, did Wheeler (NM) this trip. Wanted to do that for a few years. Elbert looks like one of the easier 14ers, might do that.

Maybe I'll do Driskill mtn. this weekend, a bit of a lol, but a legitimate state highpoint. I'll attempt a peak Gerry Roach has never attempted :D :D :D (Or has he done them all?)

That's interesting, I didn't realize there could be so much variation on that much gain in altitude. I knew smaller drops could have lower temos, but I thought thousands of feet pretty much automatically resulted in lower temps. Interesting

[pbakwin]

I've been up Gannett twice from Green River Lakes (west side of the peak). The approach is shorter. Wells Creek is probably the shortest route TH to summit, but I wouldn't recommend unless you are comfortable soloing 5.7 or go in maybe Sept when you can step across the creek. Tourist Creek is slightly longer but easier - just class 3 boulder hopping (and lots of it!) until you reach the glaciated upper slopes of the peak, then easy snow (I used Kahtoola aluminum crampons on running shoes), with the final ridge going probably 4th class. I wrote route descriptions for these 2 routes on summitpost: https://www.summitpost.org/gannett-peak/150362

Mosquitos are FIERCE until early August - I prefer to go the the Winds in August.

[Eli Boardman]

Wow, only class 3? One page talked about having to use ropes, in case,you fall into a crevasse, and talked it up. But the video, it didn't seem like they used ropes, and the terrain didn't look that bad, but they cut out a lot of the climb.

Good to know. I'll look at the top site, thanks for that, too.

Did you come in from the east or west? (Or south, I guess?)

We came in from the south (North Fork Bull Lake Creek) over Blaurock Pass and exited to the north over Downs Mountain. This was in the middle of a 26 day continuous traverse. I've also done the east (Galcier Trail) approach (just backpacked and didn't plan to climb). All approaches are extremely scenic.

Don't assume that it will be a class 3 walkup, although it might be on some trips such as the one that Eli had.

Not quite correct, weather doesn't change the technical grade of the rock. The fact is, there is no class 4-5 rock on the standard route. However, you're right that class 3 can be dangerous in bad conditions. If you go too early in the season or too late or pick a bad weather window, of course it's going to be harder or more dangerous. Part of the climb is in good planning, which includes climbing between late June and late July of most years and hitting the glacier before/at sunrise.

BTW, the bergshrund was open and visible on our July 27 ascent, and easily passable on a snow bridge, as it usually is. (Again, before August of a normal snow year.)

[Above_Treeline]

I've been up Gannett twice from Green River Lakes (west side of the peak). The approach is shorter. Wells Creek is probably the shortest route TH to summit, but I wouldn't recommend unless you are comfortable soloing 5.7 or go in maybe Sept when you can step across the creek. Tourist Creek is slightly longer but easier - just class 3 boulder hopping (and lots of it!) until you reach the glaciated upper slopes of the peak, then easy snow (I used Kahtoola aluminum crampons on running shoes), with the final ridge going probably 4th class. I wrote route descriptions for these 2 routes on summitpost: https://www.summitpost.org/gannett-peak/150362

Mosquitos are FIERCE until early August - I prefer to go the the Winds in August.

I'm glad you mentioned that, I'd like to go up from green River lakes.

Wow, you wrote that? I was reading that page!

I haven'thad trouble with mosquitoes yet, even around July 4th? Other times in September, though.

[Above_Treeline]

Wow, only class 3? One page talked about having to use ropes, in case,you fall into a crevasse, and talked it up. But the video, it didn't seem like they used ropes, and the terrain didn't look that bad, but they cut out a lot of the climb.

Good to know. I'll look at the top site, thanks for that, too.

Did you come in from the east or west? (Or south, I guess?)

We came in from the south (North Fork Bull Lake Creek) over Blaurock Pass and exited to the north over Downs Mountain. This was in the middle of a 26 day continuous traverse. I've also done the east (Galcier Trail) approach (just backpacked and didn't plan to climb). All approaches are extremely scenic

Wow, 26 days! Amazing. A lot experience & skill replying to this thread

[spiderman]

I'll attempt a peak Gerry Roach has never attempted :D :D :D (Or has he done them all?)

Roach is a member of the 750 club (Seven Summits + 50 state HPs), being the second to join this elite set of climbers who enjoy both mountaineering and peakbagging. He is an active participant in the State Highpointers group.
https://highpointers.org/the-750-club/

[triyoda]

Anyone have any info on crossing the 'schrund. I was looking to go next week maybe, but I called the ranger station and they said the 'schrund was open. Understand the conditions can be highly variable, but trying to get a sense of how feasible it is for a soloist to climb into and out of the schrund? Has anyone here done it on Gannet, and how knarly was it? I have experience ice climbing, but I don't want to do anything too dodgy, likewise I'm okay trying to climb and ice step but I don't want to climb into a deep crevasse and then try to get out. I was already planning to bring a rope, a picket, a second tool, a couple of screws? what else or is this a fool's errand? I don't want to spend 2 days on an approach to come up empty handed.