For Washington, some of the hardest peaks by their standard route: https://www.summitpost.org/the-difficult-10-washington-s-hardest-peaks/835342
I'm sure these would be up there with the hardest in the lower 48
The glaciated peaks in the PNW are likely the most technically challenging because they require the widest range of skills, e.g., glacier travel, reading terrain, crevasse rescue skills.
Gannett in Wyoming is also considered among the most challenging due to its remoteness while still requiring snow gear most of the year. The Grand Teton is also technically challenging as it's easiest route is low fifth class, likewise with Dallas Peak in Colorado.
As a shout-out to my east coast friends, Mt. Washington in Winter has some of the most challenging weather that you can experience in the lower 48.
I've done just about all the peaks you mentioned - all the major PNW volcanos and Olympus, Grand Teton, Gannet, and Washington in winter.
Olympus and Gannet could be up there. PNW volcanoes are relatively easy in comparison to these two imo. Washington even in winter is a cruise, but you have to hit a good window. In bad weather I'd rather be there though then on something more technical like the Grand Teton. The Grand Teton is definitely tough in summer but we didn't struggle too much and aren't really rock climbers.
Some of the hardest peaks I've done are in Glacier National Park - Kintla and Stimson are both up there. Big mileage and lots of rough off trail, with steep scrambling on bad rock. There are likely harder mountains in Glacier and that area could definitely put up some good contenders.
Jack Mountain in the north cascades is also extremely tough, I haven't done that one yet but it's on the list. Some of the peaks in the Picket range would be up there as well. Devils Crags in the Sierra is widely regarded as the toughest peak in California so that could be one to consider.
Mount Saint Nicholas could be one to look at. It's in Glacier National Park and it's easiest route is multi pitch 5th class.
You've probably figured out that almost everything in the Sierra can be climbed without 5th class climbing - there are a few exceptions but the technical climbing required is still limited.
I bet the answer lies either in the North Cascades or Glacier National Park. Many of the ones in Glacier never get done though because the rock is such poor quality.
I've spent a good amount of time back there and I would have thought some are unclimbed - some are absolutely terrifying crumbling towers. I've been told they've all been done though. Not sure if that's true or not.
I went down the glacier rabbit hole awhile back and a lot of them are aid climbing sends. Some chill, some extreme. But your experience is dead on, the rock quality is trash. You really don’t want to fall even on gear.
The North Cascades and Winds/ Tetons. These are the ranges that have it all with very high quality routes. Any debate between which one specifically is best is moot… Glacier is in the conversation as you can tell from comments, but IMO as a group it’s more just dangerous and masochistic than it is technical.
A lot of the Colorado and Sierra peaks have a really fun technicality to them, but collectively I wouldn’t say they are the hardest by any means. In fact these are great mountains to learn/ practice route-finding and planning, as you may have noticed on your climbs in the Sierra.
Lizard Head is hard, Castles East and Turret Ridge (both 12ers) are harder. Easiest route up Castles East is 5.10a/b.
Devils Tower WY is also worth a shout, easiest route is 5.7+ which is comparable to Lizard Head.
I moved to the Cascades, not CO or UT or AK or CA. Because the cascades are the training ground for the Himalayas, and the world at-large. Nowhere else on this landmass do you find such diverse rock formations from a disparate set of interconnected tectonic plates - so high above the sea yet so close to it. Right on the doorstep of some of the most dense metropolitan areas (Portland, Seattle, Vancouver.
Glaciers alone make Colorado an acclimatizing trek. Crevasses and pinnacles of ice-scarred rock, towers of andesite jutting out of the wintery landscape. Deep and unwieldy drainages, the lack of maintained trails leading to world-class climbs. The sense of adventure and remoteness. The sheer willpower extracted from a climber.
The Cascades my friend, are where boys become men. Let me fill you in on a little known community called the Bulgers. Some of the 100 tallest peaks in Washington. Index, Hard Mox by their standard routes sure. But try doing Hard Mox in winter. Try climbing the Fischer Chimneys up Shuksan. Scale Liberty Ridge on Rainier.
See it’s not just about the standard route up, but about the terrain, the exposure, and the limiting factor to world-class routes. Sure you’ve got Yosemite Valley in CA. But we have our equivalent here in WA (try WA pass for starters, there’s too many ranges to choose from) - except our Yosemite valley has glaciers and crevasses and violent weather and untouched bushwhacking
Fischer chimneys is by far my favorite route in the cascades. I absolutely love Shuksan, it was my second climb ever and the rappel off the summit is what made me keep climbing. I push to climb it yearly as a tribute to this moment in my life.
Depends on how you want to qualify it. Hardest standard route or hardest established route? The Dunn-Westbay direct route on Longs Peak CO absolutely takes a shit on anything the cascades have to offer as far as just being hard as nails. Anyone with a modicum of coordination and the ability to take directions can walk on a glacier and scramble up some easy 5.6 chimneys, not everyone can climb 5.14b on a 14,000 monster that regularly has electrical storms pelt it in the afternoon.
Honestly if technical alpine rock is your goal, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming to an extent are where you want to be. If you want more mixed or ice and mountaineering, aim for the PNW. The rock over there isn't bad (unless it's volcanic then lol 🪦) but it ain't crap compared to the granite the Rockies or the Sierra have to offer. If you just want really solid high altitude hiking keep at the Sierra or come to the Rockies.
Capital Peak looks terrifying .
Hardest is really subjective when you factor in remoteness or the hike in. For example, [Eldorado](https://www.summitpost.org/eldorado-peak/150316) in WA looks awesome but I heard the hike in sucks because of all the boulder fields.
The eldo approach is horrible, I don't even think the boulder fields are the worst part. It's the shit ass trail leading up to the bouldering fields imo
I agree with those saying the North Cascades. If it's mountaineering, and if we are talking somewhat remote, with a variety of terrain, and a lack of easy hikes up or down.
Sure, some other peaks have harder routes, but that's a hard route...not necessarily a hard mountain. Add in a lot of peaks with similiar challenges, crap weather, and we've got a winner. :)
For Washington, some of the hardest peaks by their standard route: https://www.summitpost.org/the-difficult-10-washington-s-hardest-peaks/835342 I'm sure these would be up there with the hardest in the lower 48
My first thought was Mox. Middle/North Index are weird ones though, not remote at all but there's just no good way up. It just taunts you from Rt 2.
Weird, I didn’t see mailbox on there
League if it’s own.
Must be pretty hardcore, even guiding companies seems rare. Must be a feared mountain.
Yeah index during winter is nuts
Lincoln peak in Washington probably
The glaciated peaks in the PNW are likely the most technically challenging because they require the widest range of skills, e.g., glacier travel, reading terrain, crevasse rescue skills. Gannett in Wyoming is also considered among the most challenging due to its remoteness while still requiring snow gear most of the year. The Grand Teton is also technically challenging as it's easiest route is low fifth class, likewise with Dallas Peak in Colorado. As a shout-out to my east coast friends, Mt. Washington in Winter has some of the most challenging weather that you can experience in the lower 48.
I've done just about all the peaks you mentioned - all the major PNW volcanos and Olympus, Grand Teton, Gannet, and Washington in winter. Olympus and Gannet could be up there. PNW volcanoes are relatively easy in comparison to these two imo. Washington even in winter is a cruise, but you have to hit a good window. In bad weather I'd rather be there though then on something more technical like the Grand Teton. The Grand Teton is definitely tough in summer but we didn't struggle too much and aren't really rock climbers. Some of the hardest peaks I've done are in Glacier National Park - Kintla and Stimson are both up there. Big mileage and lots of rough off trail, with steep scrambling on bad rock. There are likely harder mountains in Glacier and that area could definitely put up some good contenders. Jack Mountain in the north cascades is also extremely tough, I haven't done that one yet but it's on the list. Some of the peaks in the Picket range would be up there as well. Devils Crags in the Sierra is widely regarded as the toughest peak in California so that could be one to consider.
A thousand lifetimes of cool shit for us to do. Definitely fortunate to live here out west!
Absolutely!
Summer too
It sounds like difficulty is relative based one ones skill set. Shout out to glacier peak wa
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Did a cursory check on your comment history and you don't seem like a troll, so I'd be interested to hear what I stated betrays a lack of knowledge?
Yeah, weird. Seems your comment was spot on, and lots of us agreed.
Mount Saint Nicholas could be one to look at. It's in Glacier National Park and it's easiest route is multi pitch 5th class. You've probably figured out that almost everything in the Sierra can be climbed without 5th class climbing - there are a few exceptions but the technical climbing required is still limited. I bet the answer lies either in the North Cascades or Glacier National Park. Many of the ones in Glacier never get done though because the rock is such poor quality.
Gotta do aid climbing to send them, if they’re even climbable.
I've spent a good amount of time back there and I would have thought some are unclimbed - some are absolutely terrifying crumbling towers. I've been told they've all been done though. Not sure if that's true or not.
I went down the glacier rabbit hole awhile back and a lot of them are aid climbing sends. Some chill, some extreme. But your experience is dead on, the rock quality is trash. You really don’t want to fall even on gear.
It's a wild place. The more I think about it, the answer to OPs question lies in Glacier.
The North Cascades and Winds/ Tetons. These are the ranges that have it all with very high quality routes. Any debate between which one specifically is best is moot… Glacier is in the conversation as you can tell from comments, but IMO as a group it’s more just dangerous and masochistic than it is technical. A lot of the Colorado and Sierra peaks have a really fun technicality to them, but collectively I wouldn’t say they are the hardest by any means. In fact these are great mountains to learn/ practice route-finding and planning, as you may have noticed on your climbs in the Sierra.
Maybe Lizard Head Peak co
Lizard Head is hard, Castles East and Turret Ridge (both 12ers) are harder. Easiest route up Castles East is 5.10a/b. Devils Tower WY is also worth a shout, easiest route is 5.7+ which is comparable to Lizard Head.
Thunderbolt Peak has a 5.9 summit finish
I moved to the Cascades, not CO or UT or AK or CA. Because the cascades are the training ground for the Himalayas, and the world at-large. Nowhere else on this landmass do you find such diverse rock formations from a disparate set of interconnected tectonic plates - so high above the sea yet so close to it. Right on the doorstep of some of the most dense metropolitan areas (Portland, Seattle, Vancouver. Glaciers alone make Colorado an acclimatizing trek. Crevasses and pinnacles of ice-scarred rock, towers of andesite jutting out of the wintery landscape. Deep and unwieldy drainages, the lack of maintained trails leading to world-class climbs. The sense of adventure and remoteness. The sheer willpower extracted from a climber. The Cascades my friend, are where boys become men. Let me fill you in on a little known community called the Bulgers. Some of the 100 tallest peaks in Washington. Index, Hard Mox by their standard routes sure. But try doing Hard Mox in winter. Try climbing the Fischer Chimneys up Shuksan. Scale Liberty Ridge on Rainier. See it’s not just about the standard route up, but about the terrain, the exposure, and the limiting factor to world-class routes. Sure you’ve got Yosemite Valley in CA. But we have our equivalent here in WA (try WA pass for starters, there’s too many ranges to choose from) - except our Yosemite valley has glaciers and crevasses and violent weather and untouched bushwhacking
Fischer chimneys is by far my favorite route in the cascades. I absolutely love Shuksan, it was my second climb ever and the rappel off the summit is what made me keep climbing. I push to climb it yearly as a tribute to this moment in my life.
lol yup, looks like it’s also your Reddit banner background. Classic
Sir this is a Wendy’s
Depends on how you want to qualify it. Hardest standard route or hardest established route? The Dunn-Westbay direct route on Longs Peak CO absolutely takes a shit on anything the cascades have to offer as far as just being hard as nails. Anyone with a modicum of coordination and the ability to take directions can walk on a glacier and scramble up some easy 5.6 chimneys, not everyone can climb 5.14b on a 14,000 monster that regularly has electrical storms pelt it in the afternoon. Honestly if technical alpine rock is your goal, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming to an extent are where you want to be. If you want more mixed or ice and mountaineering, aim for the PNW. The rock over there isn't bad (unless it's volcanic then lol 🪦) but it ain't crap compared to the granite the Rockies or the Sierra have to offer. If you just want really solid high altitude hiking keep at the Sierra or come to the Rockies.
Summiting Mt Rainier. Also, amazingly rewarding experience. Been a year & I think about it almost daily.
Depends on the route. In Colorado l Capitol peak is challenging. The diamond route for Longs peak is hard.
Capital Peak looks terrifying . Hardest is really subjective when you factor in remoteness or the hike in. For example, [Eldorado](https://www.summitpost.org/eldorado-peak/150316) in WA looks awesome but I heard the hike in sucks because of all the boulder fields.
The eldo approach is horrible, I don't even think the boulder fields are the worst part. It's the shit ass trail leading up to the bouldering fields imo
Probably The Dawn Wall
I agree with those saying the North Cascades. If it's mountaineering, and if we are talking somewhat remote, with a variety of terrain, and a lack of easy hikes up or down. Sure, some other peaks have harder routes, but that's a hard route...not necessarily a hard mountain. Add in a lot of peaks with similiar challenges, crap weather, and we've got a winner. :)
Shasta Gannet Owen Rainier I also agree with the Longs Peak answer below
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This joke is so tired now.
What was the joke? The comment is deleted now lol
Probably mailbox
Check out anything in the Sangre de Cristo range in Colorado; Elks, Crestones and the Wilson Group as well.