Grace navigating the lower ridge

All Locations > Utah > Wasatch Range > Wasatch Alpine… > Pfeifferhorn > N Ridge (5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c Easy Snow)

Grace navigating the lower ridge

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Just shy of the Summit

Lower Ridge

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Sam Marjerison

Sep 1, 2020

“Grace navigating the lower ridge”

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Nearby Photos

May 2013 Trip Report:<br>
http://rjohnasay.blogspot.com/2013/05/pfeifferhorn-n-ridge-55-grade-iii.html

Jonathan Smoot on the challenging lower North Ridge in winter, 1978.

Some of the best rock on the North Ridge. Although I'd have a hard time recommending dragging skis up this, I'd have a hard time not recommending the turns off the summit.

photo courtesy "Mooner"<br>
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A view of the exposure

First light on the full moon setting. Photo taken from the lower crux

Approaching the couloir for the North Ridge.<br>
PC: Dallin Connell

View of the North Ridge.

Looking down couloir variation B. It's more mellow than it looks from afar. Safe to solo in good conditions.

I think Tyson was putting in an anchor here. Yes, I was taking a picture, but I had him on a good belay.

The two rock faces described on summit post. Pass the first on the right and the larger second on the left, where you encounter the crux rock move. Exposed but well protected.

Thought I'd add one summer photo.
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This is the last couple hundred feet to the summit. Lots of loose rock but mostly low angle enough that it isn't a huge concern at this point. The lower half of the route has much better rock quality

An avalanche-aware traveler of the back-country, Tyson evaluated the North-East snow-field of the mountain, which runs from the base almost to the top, as safe to walk down. Confident outward-facing plunge-stepping was mixed with inward-facing down-climbing until we arrived at a point where glissading was a reasonable and exciting option.

The colder and icier the better to keep the rocks in place. Here, the slab pitch of the Pfeiff was an easy ice climb, but a belay wouldn't go in at the top without a bit of simul-climbing to get further up.

North ridge from small pass

Looking up the first pitch after gaining the ridge using the steep couloir.

What may have been the crux pitch of the ridge, climbing this in crampons with bulky gloves was interesting, thought-provoking and very enjoyable...when I wasn't scared, if it's fair to say that for at least one moment this was the case.

The crux moves in the upper ridge on the east side of the face, as described on summit post. Well protected with slings and a 0.5 cam.

photo courtesy "Mooner." Steep, sharp ridge. Seriously one of my favorite routes in the Wasatch.

Chris Gmitro on the upper crux

Tanner F soloing high on the N Ridge in July. Not just a spring/winter route!

Tanner F soloing high on the N Ridge in July. Not just a spring/winter route!

Looking down at one of the two hardest cruxes of the route - downclimbing into the notch before the lower tower. Follow the line of my rope in this shot for the easiest line. I climbed in the shadow and it was a lot harder!

J-sexy a-slabbin' and a'cruisin'

Nearing the summit

Mike just above the ski descent rappel anchors, seen from above the final crux of the N Ridge (5.0?). The slab is rough & tilted at about 30 degrees, so with all of the features it was fun, solid & exposed cl. 3 scrambling!

There she blows...

J-sexy workin through the lower ridge

Before the 5.4 traverse

Just shy of the Summit

Grace navigating the lower ridge

Lower Ridge

Majestic snow-topped spires seen from a vantage point enjoyed only by those who venture the ridge.

Reaching the crux slab traverse on the lower tower, protected by 1 cam and 2 pitons.

The air up there

Piton reached after climbing up the hanging couloir after the crux slab traverse. The remnants of the old fixed line that used to string across the slab to a piton on the north end is still here!

Looking back across the slab traverse from the piton in the hanging couloir. You can see my sling going down to the lone piton that protects the traverse.

Looking across the crux slab traverse from your last piece of pro. You can see some cord hanging from the single piton that protects the traverse.

May 9 2013 Trip Report:<br>
http://rjohnasay.blogspot.com/2013/05/pfeifferhorn-n-ridge-55-grade-iii.html

Dave and Jmo traversing across the slaby crux

Classic snow climbing on the upper ridge with Hogum Divide beyond.

Try and spy the climber coming around the last rock tower.

Daaavey-Davey Crockett; King of the wild frontier

I believe this may be the aptly-named Sun-Rise Peak along with Dromedary Peak and a few others. This, unfortunately, was taken well after the rising of the sun, but when the sun did peak over the mountains to the East, we were high enough on the ridge, and lucky enough, to witness the reason Sun-Rise peak is thus named. It really was amazing!

Crampons on the rock pitch

Neat vintage piton halfway across the crux slab traverse.

The intrepid J-sexy going for the upper ridge

Exhaustion or seduction? You decide

J-sexy makin it happen

J-sexy makin it happen

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