This excellent, fun, and well protected Wasatch alpine climb is worth doing now before the hordes find out about it! Though by nature of the intricate slab layout there are some broken up sections, many stand out alone pitches make the whole endeavor well worth your while.

All pitches assume a natural belay stance on good ledges and though it is possible to link pitches, doing so might create enough rope drag to bust your fun meter.

Look for the beginning of the route at almost the lowest point of the Face on the Left (south and closer to Needles Gondola) side.

Pitch #1: Climb beautiful pockets and bullet proof edges trending right to some fixed pitons and more bolts to a great ledge and two-bolt belay. 9 bolts. 5.9, 35m.

Pitch #2: Continue up right of the arête trending again right to a weakness through a roof. Climb past several bolts straight up to a ledge and two-bolt belay. 6 bolts. 5.8, 33m.

Pitch #3: Now scramble/walk up and around to an unpleasant and brushy, jumbled, and blocky section mostly in a left facing dihedral. A tag line has been left here to facilitate passage and speed, but may later be removed. Simul-climbing this together with P4 really speeds things and gets you quicker to better things. 4th Class, 35m.

Pitch #4: Continue following the "ridge", which goes down, then back up and climb through an easy roof (bolt) to the arête which culminates with a two-bolt belay. 3 bolts. 5.4, 50m.

Pitch #5: Climb a right trending hand crack to a "step across" 1m wide loose "gully" to a compact face. Bolts protect these brilliant face moves to a roof, with a right-facing dihedral. Continue up a few moves until possible to move back out above the roof and reach a two-bolt belay ledge. 7 bolts, 5.8, 35m.

Pitch #6: From the ledge, move right over some blocks to a short smooth section to another ledge. Move right again on the ledge to where more face climbing following nice features lead to a piton/bolt belay ledge under an overhang. 5 bolts. 5.7, 25m.

Pitch #7: Go right around a corner and climb to a fixed piton (marked with webbing) and continue straight up passing 5 bolts to the left of a skeletal dead snag to a ledge and two-bolt belay. 5.7, 35m.

Pitch #8: A steep brief step (5.5) leads to an easy arête and more low angle scrambling. An escape gully is just around the corner to the left. Stay right on the ridge crest here to reach a two-bolt belay on the ridge. Simul-climbing here can buy you time. 4th Class, 80m.

Pitch #9: Follow the most compact rock trending right and then climb straight up to a nice ledge and two-bolt belay. Wall register here. 6 bolts. 5.7, 35m.

Pitch #10: Climb out above the belay and pass 1 bolt (marked with webbing) following the somewhat loose (take care) arête to where it finally deteriorates to the point you can place a directional and traverse 2m to the right to a piton/bolt belay. 2 bolts. 5.6, 20m.

P10 may be contrived for some and may be avoided entirely by going out left into a loose low angle gully that also leads to the summit antennas.

Pitch #11 (Optional): With the prominent Mt. Ogden summit antennae clearly in view, climb the final short Gray Slab to the top.

Walk off to the south via the hiking trail.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Mt. Ogden