Climbing Mount Shuksan (Sulphide Glacier-SE Rib Trip Report)
After getting thwarted on multiple permits and car-to-car plans by lightning storms last season, Greg and I finally (kind of) managed to catch a weather window on Shuksan!!
7/4-7/5/2025
Route: Sulphide Glacier and SE Rib
Mileage: ~16 miles
Elevation Gain: 6,880 ft
Map:
Trip Report:
After getting thwarted on multiple permits and car-to-car plans by lightning storms last season, Greg and I finally (kind of) managed to catch a weather window on Shuksan!! The weather still looked iffy– low clouds and possible rain, but this was the best window we've gotten and we were going to take it.
Greg and I got teriyaki and drove up to the North Cascades to car camp at the Shannon Ridge Trailhead after work on Thursday, 7/3. This trailhead had a clean and well-stocked vault toilet, but I kept an emergency toilet paper roll and hand sanitizer in the car.
We slept well at the trailhead, which was deserted– especially for a holiday weekend! We enjoyed a leisurely morning, starting our hike at 9:10 AM on Friday, 7/4. The approach was peaceful and we were in solitude until we neared the North Cascades National Park Boundary. While gorgeous, the lower portions of this approach were brushy so I was glad I wore pants!
We saw a trio of mountaineers descending who made it 300 feet below the summit. They turned back due to sketchy rotten snow conditions near the transition to rock in the Central Gully. The SE Rib looked dry, which was our intended route.
Snow began close to the NCNP Boundary.
We took turns establishing a bootpack up a steep section of snow with a cheery group of students to gain the ridge west of Sulphide Point.
From there, we hiked sidehills that allowed for classic big open North Cascadian views.
We continued up the ridge, stopping to camp at the Lower Bivy Site of Sulphide Glacier Camp. We were first to arrive, so we had our choice of gorgeous dry sites with easy running water access. The rangers said we got their favorite campsite!!
There were more sites at High Camp, but they weren't dry and we didn't feel like camping on snow.
The two rangers who came up dug out the pit toilet– so we even had a bathroom!! This is a heavily used and sensitive alpine zone, so if the pit toilets are still covered in snow, carrying out waste in blue bags is required.
We were able to set up camp early, make dinner, hang out, prep our rope and supplies for our climb the next day, and get to bed early. My watch logged 5.2 miles and 3,661 ft of elevation gain for day 1. We had just under 3,000 ft to climb to the summit the next day.
The next morning, we woke up around 2:30-45 AM(-ish) when we heard other climbers rising for the day. We shouldered our packs with the gear we had laid out and roped up, starting our climb at 3:23AM. That's right– the hour started with a THREE!! This was my latest alpine start ever! How leisurely!
While I consider myself a strong navigator, the dark and glaciated approach to the base of the summit pyramid was downright disorientating. Thick fog rolled in and out, frequently landing us in a dizzying whiteout. The route itself is also winding, corkscrewing instead of taking a more direct line to avoid the larger crevasses of the Sulphide Glacier. We couldn't see anyone else— other headlamps were obscured by low, dense clouds. Other tracks were sometimes helpful, then would randomly disappear (possibly erased by the sun or wind?) or ended up wandering off route towards a glacier camp. Luckily, I had a GPS map and track downloaded which was a very helpful reference.
We didn't put our crampons on until a steep, firm patch of snow just below the base of the pyramid. We were aiming for the notch on the ridge.
We waited for the team before us to clear out before I lead the first pitch! I had a lot of fun on my pitch and felt strong and brave! I was focused and in control.
The Central Gully route not being "in" forced all the teams onto the SE Rib, adding a bit more crowding to the route than there would probably be later in the season. This was a bit stressful for me as a new alpine leader, so Greg bravely led the rest of the climbing (besides one short anchor bump).
This was a very "choose your own adventure" climb. Most routes, even alpine ones, have more predetermined typical pitches. However, this ridge is pretty continuous and there aren't standard stopping points. We did many "short" pitches (~9), which were still considered pretty long for alpine terrain. It's a blocky route. More frequent, short pitches were more efficient than the rope drag that longer pitches can create. It's also pretty common to simul-climb this route, but I'm still a new alpine climber so we did not do that.
When the route gets steeper, it's helpful to stay to the left. In general, just try to follow the ridge– even if it looks like it might be easier to leave it. We stayed true to the ridge and didn't encounter any terrain harder than 5.4.
Our rack consisted of the 4 smallest totems, 7 single length slings, 3 double lengths, 2 quads. You definitely don't need to bring cams– there are ample opportunities to sling natural features. But we're big and strong and I didn't mind carrying the extra weight of the cams. They were nice to have and we found lots of good placements for them!
All of our anchors were slung natural features.
The views were incredible! I’m so grateful we got to see the surrounding gorgeous alpine, despite the thick rolling clouds. Even when the clouds were dense, we were usually above the cloud inversion and could see Baker dominating the sky. It was so special!! When we were completely within the clouds, it certainly felt very alpine as well.
The ridge climbing itself was straightforward and fun! The moves themselves were simple but the exposure definitely made it feel like a full-on adventure. It was wild to look over the side of the ridge and see a drop thousands of feet down to the glacier below. Airy!
On that note, the ridge also faces a lot of exposure to the elements. It helps to have a belay layer ready to combat the wind and easy access to sun protection. I wore my face glove and several layers, even while climbing.
When we reached the summit, we took some photos to celebrate and enjoyed the view for a few moments before quickly beginning our descent.
With all the teams on the mountain, it was a long day. We walked across the ridge southwest to the rappel stations. We inspected the tat and anchor of each rappel, which were all quality on this day.
We did four rappels, which required some waiting for the parties ahead of us (some of which was their first ever rappel– what a venue!).
I used my Blue Ice Choucas harness. I was a bit nervous about how comfortable it'd be, since it's a more ultralight harness– but it performed great! No complaints. It’s lightweight and very functional. The rappels on Shuksan aren't super freehanging for long, so maybe the Choucas would be more uncomfortable on a steeper rappel line. For Shuksan, it was the perfect tool for the day!
We descended the glacier in the early afternoon (later than intended since we were a two person team, due to the crowding on the ridge/rappels). Luckily, the low clouds and wind kept the glacier firm and the snowbridges felt stable.
The hike out was beautiful and (luckily) uneventful.
GEAR
TRAD RACK
- 4 smallest totems
- 7 single length slings
- 3 double lengths
- 2 quads
- Belay device (Greg used the Gigajul, which I want to transition to. On this trip, I just used an ATC).
GLACIER GEAR
- Aforementioned slings and their accompanying carabiners
- Aforementioned belay device (in case we need to rappel/ascend in/out of the crevasse)
- Nanotraxion
- Tibloc + pulley
- Hollowblock
Reflection:
I first saw Mount Shuksan’s imposing, exposed summit from Ruth Mountain (our first glaciated peak) in 2022. Shuksan made my palms sweaty from miles away— my first thought was that I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to climb it.
I’ve put years of work into channeling my fear of heights into focus in lieu of a freeze response. There are definitely times I get psyched out but I am proud of the physical and mental strength, as well as the trust I’ve built within myself, including while leading alpine trad and navigating glaciated terrain in a whiteout. There is no better feeling than proving yourself wrong, summiting a mountain you’ve thought about for years, and sharing it all with an incredible climbing and life partner. There are no words for what it means to be able to share days like this with Greg.
It’s addicting to think about the next goal or progression— there’s so much to learn in this sport, but this climb made me reflect on how far I’ve come (especially as a Long Islander who grew up without access to any mountains at all). It’s an incredible privilege to have the health, time, and resources to gain the fitness and the skills that take me to alpine glaciers and pointy summits and witness a sunrise cloud inversion with my own eyes.
Climbing, mountaineering, and running have shoved me through doors I just assumed were locked. Being able to control my own mind, even in the most difficult moments is a skill I will carry with me my whole life. Standing above hundreds of feet of exposure puts life in perspective real quick. I’m the best version of myself that I’ve ever been.
It’s easy to be your first no when nothing seems to come naturally, but I’m proud of the work I put in to get here. Not pictured are all the days spent practicing rescue skills let alone honing climbing and uphill fitness. It’s hard to describe how special it feels just to exist in these beautiful spaces with lovely humans and strong partnership and feel complete control over your mind and body. Grateful for everything that has lead me right here.
Best of all: no sunburns!!
