Adding Gannet Peak to Wind River High Route

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severe_case_of_foot
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Adding Gannet Peak to Wind River High Route

Post by severe_case_of_foot »

I'm looking to hike the Wind River High Route this summer. It would be awesome if I could summit Gannett while I'm going right under it, within a mile. Issue is, I'll likely be soloing the WRHR and am not keen on trying to summit alone.

I feel limited by (lack of) technical experience. Includes: use of ice axe / crampons in Adirondacks in Winter, glacier travel in Alaska (no traction used), off-trail travel with talus / scree / steep couloirs / etc. in Alaska, Tetons, snow field travel in Alaska, Olympics, Tetons. I'd do a guided trip but my priority for being in the Winds is the through hike.

My options seem to be: 1) Don't attempt Gannett; 2) Attempt expecting to turn back; 3) Hope for a friendly group of climbers to latch onto; and 4) Try to arrange to meet up with climbers. In any case (except maybe 1, depending on when I decide to go) I'd have my axe and crampons.

As far as routes go the gooseneck glacier in June (snowed over bergschrund) and southeast couloir seem potentially notsobad. Also looking on CalTopo, an approach from Sentinel Pass looks very doable, is that an established route?

I'm posting here for some feedback on these potential plans. Is it taboo to piggyback with a group a climbers? If not, is there a most popular time, or is anyone here planning a Gannett hike this summer? Or tell me now if this is ill-advised, and I should do something guided before trying something like this.
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Craig Barlow
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Re: Adding Gannet Peak to Wind River High Route

Post by Craig Barlow »

You're correct about the Gooseneck Couloir route; "notsobad." There is likely to be nice big bucket steps up the couloir at that time of year (or easy to make them yourself) and the bergschrund should be covered. You'll want ice axe and crampons, but it's a pretty straightforward climb.

I think it's OK to hook up with another group (obviously ask them first if they're good with it). I wouldn't do this with a guided group though, that's not cool.
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Re: Adding Gannet Peak to Wind River High Route

Post by Ptglhs »

I've done Gannett Peak from the north and I've done the Wind River higher out portion from Green River Trailhead to titcomb Basin before diverting down to the cdt. Bonney pass looks like a nightmare. When I did Gannett Peak from the north I was surprised at how easy the overall hiking was. I hesitate to even call it climbing because I think we would have gotten away with just microspikes and crampons. After coming down knapsack Col from the west via the high route I was surprised how steep, trackless, and what a loose awful suckfest Bonney pass appeared to be. To have to do that slog, then drop down on to the gooseneck Glacier before hanging a left and going up Gannett's Peaks Southeast Ridge only to have to redo all of it does not seem like my idea of fun mountaineering.

If you want to do it I would try to camp as high as possible in the upper basin east of knapsack, South of Bonney, so you're minimizing regain.

June is too early to attempt the high route in anything other than a historically low snow year. I was there in Aug of last year and was still going through snow on the passes. If you're set to do Gannet I'd try 1st half of July. The portion of the gooseneck glacier you'll be on is barely noticeable, maybe a quarter mile. If you go before mid July the snow bridge should still be in. You'll have more negotiating the dinwoody glacier. Plan on a hella early start time, unless it's cloudy and cool, to make it back over dinwoody on your way back to camp.

Bring bug spray.

I'm happy to talk more with you or send photos of what I did when I was on gannett. Feel free to pm.
severe_case_of_foot
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Re: Adding Gannet Peak to Wind River High Route

Post by severe_case_of_foot »

@Ptglhs

I've started pulling some other users' routes to a new map: https://caltopo.com/m/UMU2U

The WR thru route I'm planning on will actually take me within a mile of Gannett to the west of the peak. The line I labeled "West Approach" starting at Sentinel Pass would involve the least distance and climb from my intended trail, but unless I'm missing something it's not one of the routes I can see on summitpost. It may be easier even to go further north on the route, then ascend up Gannet glacier. Is that what you did from the north?
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Eli Boardman
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Re: Adding Gannet Peak to Wind River High Route

Post by Eli Boardman »

The route you drew is the north face, an established technical route, first climbed in 1929. You won't find most of the technical Wind River routes online--refer to the Bonney/Kelsey guidebooks for that. Oddly enough I'm actually planning to climb that route this summer, but it's an order of magnitude more serious than the standard Gooseneck. Have you looked at that terrain in Google Earth or any photos?

Given the situation you describe, I'd recommend climbing the southwest couloir route from the Wells Creek valley (west side of Gannett). It's class 3 and by July the only snow you're likely to encounter would be on the summit ridge. (That's another thing--June is too early for efficient travel in the Winds and you would likely need an axe/crampons for much more than just Gannett--mid-July or later would be a much better choice.) There are many ways into and out of that region--read trip reports and look at maps.

As a side note, I've always thought it was funny that Andrew Skurka thought "the" Wind River high route shouldn't even visit the high point of the range. Props for wanting to add it. You might want to re-route some other parts of the route too, just my opinion. Historically, the Wind Rivers have had a culture that very much discouraged the establishment of well-defined off-trail routes like Skurka's, but there's an equally long history of people coming up with their own epic traverses and unique "high routes." Have fun out there, and don't feel limited by the path one guy decided was "the one."
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Re: Adding Gannet Peak to Wind River High Route

Post by Ptglhs »

I started at Trail Lake Trailhead on the Dubois side, hiking from the north via the glacier trail. It is both the easiest and longest free route. I am certainly not a Gannett Peak Guru. Summit post lists the north face as class 5. The views I saw and what I read would not leave me inclined to do your route over sentinel.

I'm including a photo I took probably is still a good 10 miles away from the summit of Gannett but it's from the north. I don't know how easily you can zoom in but it doesn't look easily ascendable to me. More like something you would do if you wanted to challenge yourself and get bragging rights.

If either of those red lines on the topo map you posted is your intended route then just do the standard Southeast Ridge via glacier trail. I'm curious as to your starting and ending points on the high route because I was not under the impression the high route was on the Eastern side of the continental divide that far north.
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Re: Adding Gannet Peak to Wind River High Route

Post by Eli Boardman »

Ptglhs wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 3:07 pmI was not under the impression the high route was on the Eastern side of the continental divide that far north.
You're thinking of the Alan-Dixon route, and the OP is presumably talking about the Skurka route (refer to my thoughts on the existence of "the" Wind River high route above).

Here's a closer view of the north face. A cool route, but not a walk-up...
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Re: Adding Gannet Peak to Wind River High Route

Post by markf »

Definitely attempt Gannett, it would be a great addition to the WRHR. I did not find the Gooseneck Glacier route to be at all difficult. Just about everybody (except one much older guided climber) was going up the Gooseneck unroped the day I did it. At least one person the day I did it was wearing approach shoes and strap-on crampons (Black Diamond Contact, I believe), so it's not like the route demands extremely rigid footwear.
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Re: Adding Gannet Peak to Wind River High Route

Post by severe_case_of_foot »

Wow yeah this all gives great perspective, thanks! Definitely leaning SE couloir at this point.

As the "the route", a number of trip reports I've read take alternates. I'm very open to that since my backpacking trips in AK where you just go where it looks cool to the eye and no worse on the other side based on topo. I need to get more acquainted with the topo and terrain in the Winds apparently, because the north face is indeed very daunting.
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Re: Adding Gannet Peak to Wind River High Route

Post by ChrisinAZ »

Agreed that--in optimal conditions--the Gooseneck is doable in crampons and axe. We were there in I think late June, and while I was a bit sketched out by the 45-50 degree slopes above the still-closed 'schrund, our slow pace meant that we could kick in bomber steps on this section. The rest was pretty standard basic snow climbing fare and scrambling that I don't recall exceeding easy 3rd. While most of the route up Gannett isn't technically difficult at all, a fall would be high consequence in some places, so definitely take your time and be careful if you do go for it.
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Re: Adding Gannet Peak to Wind River High Route

Post by blazintoes »

ChrisinAZ wrote: Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:39 am Agreed that--in optimal conditions--the Gooseneck is doable in crampons and axe. We were there in I think late June, and while I was a bit sketched out by the 45-50 degree slopes above the still-closed 'schrund, our slow pace meant that we could kick in bomber steps on this section. The rest was pretty standard basic snow climbing fare and scrambling that I don't recall exceeding easy 3rd. While most of the route up Gannett isn't technically difficult at all, a fall would be high consequence in some places, so definitely take your time and be careful if you do go for it.
This is the 45-50 degree slope that I too was sketched out by. I was solo and late season (early September) but was glad to have my 30m rope, glacier crampons and axe. I met a group of young fit guys on the traverse who didn’t have or bring any equipment and I was shocked that they got down this section with no equipment other than their hiking boots. So although it can be done it is high consequence if you fall.
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Re: Adding Gannet Peak to Wind River High Route

Post by severe_case_of_foot »

So given all this info, is there an optimal time (week or day of week) when I'd be most likely to run into climbers?
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