This route is fairly straightforward but above Herman Lake it requires a mile of off-trail, Class 2 hiking. Near the trailhead kiosk, start up the trail (
1) and after 0.2 mile, turn left toward Herman Gulch/Lake -
2. Follow the excellent trail into Herman Gulch where you'll get several opportunities to view Pettingell along the way -
3 and
4. Near 11,900' and after 3 miles of hiking, stay left at a trail junction -
5. Continue a bit farther (
6) to reach Herman Lake, at 12,000'. Leave the trail and walk north along the east shore to reach the north end of the lake.
Locate a prominent gully and ramp (
7) used to access the south slopes of Pettingell and ascend the left side of the rocks in the gully -
8. You'll find a combination of grass and talus but the climb does not exceed a difficulty of Class 2. Once you reach easier ground near 12,500' (
9), continue west up broad "ramp" on grassy/rocky terrain -
10. Keep hiking west to eventually see the saddle between Point 13,418' (left) and Pettingell (right) -
11. Ascend easy scree and talus to reach the saddle and turn right (north) to begin your climb of the summit ridge -
12. After an easy 200' of elevation gain, the summit pops into view -
13 and
14.
GPX File
