Beartooth Wilderness: Granite Peak
Granite Peak, Montana's highest peak, is located in the Beartooth Mountains just north of Yellowstone National Park. Jackson Hole Mountain Guides is the oldest and most experienced guide service serving those who wish to climb Granite Peak. We offer our standard 4-day trip; we also have 5-day trips for those wishing to add a day, for weather reasons, fishing, or for a little more acclimatization and rest time. For details and pricing information, visit the Highpoint pages.The highest summit in Montana, Granite Peak, elevation 12,799', is located in the heart of the remote and scenic Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, just north of Yellowstone National Park. It is a worthy climb requiring rock and snow mountaineering skills and has a strenuous approach. Granite Peak is considered by many to be the most challenging high point summit after Denali.
All of JHMG's Granite Peak trips meet in Cody, WY the afternoon prior to the start of the trip unless other arrangements have been made with your guide. In rare instances, and with prior approval, we may meet at 8:00 am at the West Rosebud (Mystic Lake) trailhead on the first scheduled day of the trip. However, because there is no pre-trip organization meeting or gear check at our office under this option, it is important that all details be dealt with beforehand by phone. Once the food and gear have been distributed and the packs loaded the approach to Mystic Lake begins.
At Mystic Lake there are two route choices. One, the spectacular Froze to Death Plateau, is steep and exposed to the elements but is shorter than the alternative and the summit camp is conveniently placed very high. The second, Huckleberry Creek, isn't as steep and is more protected but it's longer, has a lower summit camp, and once the snow has melted in mid-season, extensive boulder fields that cannot be avoided are exposed. Your guide will determine which route will be most appropriate for you and your party based on current conditions; usually the choice is obvious before the trip begins. Either way, two days are spent getting to the summit camp.
On Summit day the East Ridge route is used from either of the approaches. Snowfields (boulder fields later in the season) and scrambling lead to the infamous "snowbridge", a narrow ridge with steep couloirs falling away on both sides. Above, scrambling and technical (5.4) rock climbing interspersed with comfortable ledges lead to the summit. The descent uses the same route, usually requiring 2 or 3 rappels. A 12 hour summit day is not unusual. On the final day lighter packs and downhill hiking make the hike to the trail head less arduous.