Mountaineering in the West: 15 Spectacular Summits

Looking for a new challenge this spring/summer? Or perhaps in search of the ultimate view? Is this the season to summit that peak that's been staring back at your for years or tick off one of the coveted classics? Tis the season to start planning your mountaineering adventures. Fortunately the west has no shortage of summits to cover off on all those bases and inspire the mountaineer in you to get climbing, this season and beyond.

To help get you thinking about the range of summit possibilities, we've compiled a list of 15 of our favorite mountaineering routes in the West. These routes range from good entry-level beginner climbs for the novice mountaineer to advanced technical routes that should only be attempted with proper mountaineering experience and/or guides. The list includes a diverse array of routes covering the spectrum of climbing that falls under mountaineering, from glaciated routes to technical rock climbs to ridgeline scrambling. Note the difficulty of any route can change depending on conditions (weather/visibility, snow coverage, crevasse openings, etc.)

The routes listed below are an infinitely small fraction of the mountaineering possibilities out there. Let us know what your favorite routes are and where you're thinking about summiting this climbing season in the Comments section below. Safe climbing and enjoy that view!

Snow-covered + Glaciated Routes

• Vesper Peak, Standard Route: North Cascades, Washington. 6,220 ft. Beginner. 
• Mt. Baker via Coleman Glacier: Mount Baker Wilderness, Washington. 10,781 ft. Intermediate.
• Mount Rainier, Disappointment Cleaver. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington. 14,416 ft. Intermediate/Advanced.
• Mount Hood, Old Chute. Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon. 11,250 ft. Beginner/Intermediate.
• Middle Sister, Hayden Glacier. Three Sisters Wilderness, Oregon. 10,047 ft. Beginner.
• Mount Shasta, Avalanche Gulch. Shasta-Trinity National Forest, California. 14,180 ft. Beginner.

Technical Rock Climbs

• Cathedral Peak, Southeast Buttress: Yosemite National Park, California. 10,912 ft. Rated 5.6 YDS.
• First Flatiron: Chautauqua Park, Boulder, Colorado. 7,700 ft. Rated 5.6 YDS.
• Queen Victoria: Sedona, Arizona. 5,230 ft. Rated 5.7 YDS.

Exposed Scrambling

• Golden Ears Summit: Golden Ears Provincial Park, British Columbia. 5,630 ft. Class II.
• Mount Whitney, Mountaineers Route: John Muir Wilderness, California. 14,505 ft. Class III. 
• Borah Peak: Lost River Range, Idaho. 12,662 ft. Class II.
• Devil's Bedstead: Pioneer Mountains, Idaho. 11,864 ft. Class II.
• Pfeiffehorn Peak: Wasatch Mountains, Utah. 11,325 ft. Class II.
• Devil's Castle Traverse: Wasatch Mountains, Utah. 10,920 ft. Class III.