Gore Crest Traverse

[Jorts]

That daunting face of C goes at mid-5th but guessing it's like 8 pitches or so? There's also that easier 5.3 sneak up to C from wrapping around near Kneeknocker. The easiest most expedient option would be to take the couloir from the base of kneeknocker up to the beaver ponds and scoot up CC rider. Guess it depends on the aesthetic you're going for.

It goes at 5.4 controversially. Tricky routefinding, lots of pitches and easy to encroach into 5.7-5.8+…not your average 5.4. It’s a pretty brazen solo and not sure it would be the route I would take, although it is the most true to the ridge line. Definitely have to weigh practicality against aesthetics for the sake of your own well-being in many many places along the county line.

My memory failed me, thought the controversial rating was 5.3. There's a TR out there somewhere but a cursory search didn't turn it up for me. Yep, I would go up to the ponds but if I said I was doing the proper crest, sure I'd be called out for taking the easy way out.

[-wren-]

That daunting face of C goes at mid-5th but guessing it's like 8 pitches or so? There's also that easier 5.3 sneak up to C from wrapping around near Kneeknocker. The easiest most expedient option would be to take the couloir from the base of kneeknocker up to the beaver ponds and scoot up CC rider. Guess it depends on the aesthetic you're going for.

It goes at 5.4 controversially. Tricky routefinding, lots of pitches and easy to encroach into 5.7-5.8+…not your average 5.4. It’s a pretty brazen solo and not sure it would be the route I would take, although it is the most true to the ridge line. Definitely have to weigh practicality against aesthetics for the sake of your own well-being in many many places along the county line.

My memory failed me, thought the controversial rating was 5.3. There's a TR out there somewhere but a cursory search didn't turn it up for me. Yep, I would go up to the ponds but if I said I was doing the proper crest, sure I'd be called out for taking the easy way out.

The sneak may be 5.3, I’m unsure - the NW ridge/face is 5.4. Although not too much distinction between grades around 5.0-5.4 IMHO. And agreed, wouldn’t be a proper crest traverse.

[seano]

Hm... I've only seen parts of it, but looking at a map and knowing C from Kneeknocker is 5.4, I'd go N-S from Eagles Nest to Capricorn or East Thorn, then take the Gore Range Trail trail from Willow Lake on the east side back to Lower Cataract Lake. That's kinda long, but the part from the trailhead to Kneeknocker wouldn't be too bad at night if you have already done the ridge between Eagles Nest and Powell.

Also Bill Briggs' times are, unsurprisingly, pretty stout.

[-wren-]

Hm... I've only seen parts of it, but looking at a map and knowing C from Kneeknocker is 5.4, I'd go N-S from Eagles Nest to Capricorn or East Thorn, then take the Gore Range Trail trail from Willow Lake on the east side back to Lower Cataract Lake. That's kinda long, but the part from the trailhead to Kneeknocker wouldn't be too bad at night if you have already done the ridge between Eagles Nest and Powell.

Also Bill Briggs' times are, unsurprisingly, pretty stout.

14 hours from eagles nest to peak v, insane! If I were to try something like this it wouldn’t be a daytrip. Probably a 4-5 day+ fastpack, considering the sheer amount of slow terrain.

[Monster5]

Few opinions and thoughts:
- Yes, a lot of people were/ are interested in this traverse. For whatever reason, most of the people capable of it lose interest at some point. Maybe when Chalk stops pumping out offspring. I've done all the sections, but always favored going to some new and sustained challenge versus heading back to the Gore.
- I subscribe to Eagle's Nest and Buffalo being the anchors of this particular endeavor, wording semantics aside. Buffalo does not follow the ridge but I consider it a pretty classic anchor on that side.
- Personal criteria would be all named points from end to end. This includes the Zodiac spires, weather peaks, etc. Unfortunately, naming can be arbitrary too. Guidebook authors have no more authority than others (and frankly some are often full of crap) and USGS lacks tradition. For the sake of it though, I'd go with LoJ- or Kramarsic- compiled names as they seem most complete.
- I do not care how much one drops or stays "direct" to access the points. If someone wants to drop hundreds of feet to avoid 5.4, have at it. My opinions of this have changed throughout my experience though. Once upon a time, I would've been a stickler for "direct," but few major named traverses around the world stay direct in the sense of the word. There's always some arbitrary level of acceptable bypassing (10 ft, 50 ft, 100ft??), not withstanding the need to drop for water. And at some point for me, 4th class devolved from "fun" to annoying BS dealt with to access the fun stuff (5th class).
As such, I'd do whatever is fastest and makes the most mountain sense. This may involve a low 5th bump, or a quick 3rd class ledge. Whatever is fastest.
- Cruxes are short and scattered. I'd go EN > Buffalo. This allows up climbing several low 5th spots, excepting near X' and Valhalla. Peak C NW ridge is a rather hairy slabby 5.4, but this can be maneuvered around. The Zodiacs would be a route finding crux N to S to keep it under 5.4. Max Manson soloed it fairly direct at mid 5th, but it is rare for a climber of his calibre to be interested in scrambly peak bagger routes. Most would loop around and tag certain towers from the backside, though most N to S people report major tower bypasses altogether. Rappelling S to N brings in a technical rope aspect somewhat out of character with the rest of the traverse. I'd prefer a fast and light scramble fest.
- it's all fairly arbitrary. People are free to make up whatever criteria they want so long as any public chest beating claims are transparent.

[aholle88]

Well this thread exploded.

Just to add to the cruxes. Sleet->Hail may be one of the more cruxier cruxes just because of rock quality. Like Monster, I have been on all sections of the ridge (except the Zodiacs) and I would say this was the scariest section I’ve been on. Ended up backing out of it somewhere along the way but Chalk has a nice TR on that section now. JChem and I accidentally soloed the top half of Peak C’s NW ridge when we were intending on the west face direct, and while there were a couple stout moves without rope, it was very solid rock which made it less sketchy than other sections of the ridge. A to B, staying “direct”, I would argue was more difficult than C’s NW ridge. W to X prime is another fairly unknown section with some spice. Partners traverse is not a cakewalk. While there may not be much of any sustained class 5, the route finding/complex terrain combined with fatigue and likely hallucinations after that much time moving along the ridge is what makes this traverse so difficult.

I vote Uneva over Buffalo because there is some scrambly bits you’d miss between Deming/West Deming if you went Buffalo. Plus the idea of the starting and finishing at the Gore range trail trailheads seems appropriate. Whoever ends up doing it will be an impressive feat regardless

[planet54]

Plus the idea of the starting and finishing at the Gore range trail trailheads seems appropriate

Not to get all Scott P like but the north terminus of the Gore Range Trail is way over at Forest Road 1832. The Surprise Lake Trailhead is the better choice. Just saying,all cool.

Gore Range Trailhead North.png (849.75 KiB) Viewed 1090 times

[-wren-]

Really great info from everyone. Just want to clarify this isn’t on my agenda - whole thread just started with a question about aesthetics. Don’t want to come off as big-mouthed or anything. Regardless thanks for all the discussion and input, will be helpful if I ever bite the bullet and try to hash this thing out with (much) better fitness and more experience.

[aholle88]

Plus the idea of the starting and finishing at the Gore range trail trailheads seems appropriate

Not to get all Scott P like but the north terminus of the Gore Range Trail is way over at Forest Road 1832. The Surprise Lake Trailhead is the better choice. Just saying,all cool.

Gore Range Trailhead North.png

I am aware, Surprise would 100% make more sense. But nothing about doing something this psychotic really makes sense anyways. Might as well go for aesthetics? Or style. Or something like that. What’s a couple more mindless miles anyways

[CoHi591]

Well, is there an agreed upon part of the Gore RANGE, that makes up the Gore CREST? Like the high, pointy parts?

I thought this traverse was very impressive (great writeup and great pictures too)

https://fastestknowntime.com/fkt/ben-de ... 2020-09-07

This is a great write up and I'm very inspired but also want to give a shout out to this line:

"We started our 2020 attempt at the Surprise Lake Trailhead on 9/3 at 3:09pm. While signing in to the register a ranger passed by and asked about our plans. He seemed perplexed by our objective (probably thinking we were mistaken or lost) and left us with the rangerly advice “Keep an eye out for the waterfall!” "

made me laugh.

[jbchalk]

- Yes, a lot of people were/ are interested in this traverse. For whatever reason, most of the people capable of it lose interest at some point. Maybe when Chalk stops pumping out offspring. I've done all the sections, but always favored going to some new and sustained challenge versus heading back to the Gore.

Marsters, dude, no more offspring. You know that. That ended 3 years ago. Obviously, we love our kiddos, but I think if Kristine & I had a 3rd, we'd flee the country. But, I'm with ya in that the new and sustained challenges mainly involving actual rock climbing and not scrambling have taken all of our interests over the last 5-7 years. This thing was of high interest back in the day for several of us in piecing together all of the sections and figuring them out, I believe, but life and other new opportunities have obviously ramped up. However, don't get me wrong, it would be a super sweet goal to attempt and just perhaps get lucky and accomplish at some point.

FYI, I do believe the obvious north terminus is definitely Eagles Nest. I mean maybe we aren't talking about the entire Gore Range on a map up to Rabbit Ears or whatever, but we are talking about the badass part of the range with the high, gnarly 12ers/13ers. The southern terminus, well, yeah I get the Buffalo idea, but I'm with aholle in that the ridge crest does go to Deming and then West Deming and then back southeast to Uneva and ends at Vail Pass, which I sort of like too. To each his or her own. I think North to South is the way to go too. Reversing the Partner Traverse in the manner most do it would be one little crux, and then reversing the Hail to Sleet traverse in the way I did it would be another. Then, the last crux would be obviously reversing the Zodiacs north to south opposite the way most, if not all, now traverse those spires.

Wren, I know the post sort of blew-up from your initial inquiries, but I think many of us Gore-heads just can't help ourselves from delving in on this subject.

Cheers!
Brandon

[Scott P]

Well, is there an agreed upon part of the Gore RANGE, that makes up the Gore CREST? Like the high, pointy parts?

Fair enough and I apologize for derailing the thread (temporarily). Although I would consider the crest the spine of the whole ridge, technically the "crest" is isn't a named feature or on the map, so it could be defined as something else. I concede (since it wasn't referred to a Gore Range Traverse).

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Anyway, to me it seems that Elliot Ridge would be the starting point for the Crest in question. Although it stands out when viewed from many locations, Eagles Nest peak itself is really on a spur ridge and not part of the main crest/spine. The county line follows the crest.

Dora Mountain isn't really a mountain at all, but the end of a rather flattish ridge, so definitely not part of the crest. Although it looks like a mountain from below, once you get up there it doesn't seem like it. It is still a really cool place, especially with the lake up there. In winter or spring though, Dora Mountain is a lot easier to access than Elliot Ridge, which is why people might start a traverse there.