Missouri Mountain East Ridge

[BillMiddlebrook]

^I've been all over that ridge and along it to the south. If there's a straightforward, Class 3 way along it, I'll get back up there...

[ericahlstedt]

I did east ridge yesterday and found it to be trivial 3rd class on the ascent from Elkhead Pass.

Do you have a track? I've been all different ways and even with my sandbagged sense of classes, I've never found anything that's Class 3. (ericahlstedt same q)

Unfortunately Strava killed Fatmap and the track did appear to migrate to Strava but to access it I have to pay for a subscription. I could share some photos with dotted lines though if youre interested, that I had once meant to make a trip report with. The main challenge was figuring out a way up the initial headwall from the saddle/elkhead pass around 13600, which required some zig zagging, ending up on the Left or south side of the ridge and then regaining the ridge near 13800 and from there it was class 2 talus to the summit.

I will say, there may have been a class 4 move or two, but they were short lived and the way I found felt mostly class 3 and not that long at that either.

[ericahlstedt]

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^I've been all over that ridge and along it to the south. If there's a straightforward, Class 3 way along it, I'll get back up there...

Heres some photos of the way I went. I uploaded them in reverse order by accident. That covers most of it...maybe you two have been a similar way and think its stiffer, I have some other photos to fill in the gaps of these ones but these show the main route finding challenge to my recollection.

I just recall it not being nearly as bad as I had expected from reading the forums/this thread and Roachs guidebook opinions.

[ericahlstedt]

Heres a few others as well

[justiner]

Huh, as far as I can see (complicated terrain!) those views all look very familiar. There is imo some very loose high-consequence terrain. I've done the south side at least twice. The last time we got about here, and my partner nope'd out.

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The north side has some okay-ish scrambling, but I wouldn't call it Class 3. And it's my preferred way. If you ever get back up there, check that out. The Roach guide actually describes it really well.

[ericahlstedt]

Yes I made the mistake of trying to regain the ridge too early and was crawling on very steep loose ball bearing over hardpack scree, was very sketchy, so backtracked and found some lower angle ramps with grass on the south side that led to more solid rock, closer to the missouri summit to get back on the ridge crest.

I think in your photo I may have tried to regain the ridge there too, and it was total crap, so continued lower traversing across the ridge on the ramps until I found a better way up.

Noted on the north side, ill check that out next time. Thanks!

[notidealbutfine]

Last July, I climbed Bel + Ox then East Ridge of Missouri to the top. It was loose and crappy, but TBH I didn't feel like it was nearly as bad as Roach states it to be. You just have to find a good route on the climber's left, maybe step on some snow, and be okay with loose rock. I remembering pulling one 5th class move (maybe 5.0 or 5.2) coming around an exposed corner before moving upwards. It's definitely not a route I would recommend for beginners, but if you're good on loose stuff and a confident 4th class scrambler, it's honestly not as bad as everyone hypes it to be. That being said, good job on turning around. I would have made the same decision if I was descending instead of climbing. The route finding and loose stuff would be significantly tougher going down. You made a wise decision and got out to tell the tale.