[TR] Snoqualmie Pass - Commonwealth Ultimate Ridge Linkup (CURL) 07/28/2019

[Kyle M]

Trip: Snoqualmie Pass - Commonwealth Ultimate Ridge Linkup (CURL)

Trip Date: 07/28/2019

Trip Report:

 

 

Anthony and I did a fun enchainment of Guy Peak (south side), Snoqualmie, Lundin, Red, Katwalk Peak (north of the Katwalk), and Kendall. There was some exceptional scrambling, hours of exposed "Beckey 4th class". We tried to stay on the ridge proper as much as possible except for when it was simply too sketchy in trail runners or it was too vegetated.

Here's some beta:

- Guye Peak: approached from underneath the west face, we climbed a rib to the left of the South Gully, this offered some amazingly steep, hero juggy scrambling.

- Snoqualmie to Lundin: There is an incredible knife edge just after Snoqualmie. West ridge of Lundin is cruiser, bypassed the impassable gaps on the left with some low 5th.

- Lundin to Red: There is an optional gendarme (which we took) partway down the ridge which was probably the crux of the entire route for us. We left the Red Pass trail and the talus field and climbed a gully system to the summit.

- Red to Katwalk Peak: The descent off Red was nowhere near as bad as people describe. Partway along the ridge, we ran into "The Cleft", a vertical impasse that splits the ridge. We had to descend a few hundred feet before finding a fourth class weakness through it, then climb back up to regain the ridge.

- Katwalk Peak to Kendall Peak: mostly vegetated at first, but with some fun knife-edge right before the Katwalk. Kendall North Ridge is cruiser.

It totaled 12 miles, 6.5k ft gain, and took us 8:23. Apparently it has been done in four hours .

https://climberkyle.com/2019/07/28/commonwealth-ultimate-ridge-linkup-the-curl/

Scrambling steep terrain up the south face of Guye.

More fun higher on Guye.

Full view of the CURL.

The middle summit of Guye.

Awesome knife edge after Snoqualmie.

West Ridge Lundin.

Red mountain and the ridge.

Crux gendarme.

Some loose scrambling on Red.

Fun slabs on the downclimb of Red.

The 4th class weakness through the Cleft.

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Above the Kendall Katwalk.

Red mountain with the Cleft visible on the right.

Nearing summit of Kendall Peak.

Gear Notes:
Helmet, running vests, approach shoes.

Approach Notes:
Start up the neighborhoods beneath the west face of Guye, climb talus to the base, then curve right to the south face.

[Kameron]

Wild, that looks like some full-on scrambling

[Alisse]

Awesome! Nice photos!

[Hans Travis]

I had thought about doing this on and off for a while but never really got around to it.  Glad to hear someone more ambitious than me came up with the idea!

Edited August 9, 2019 by Hans Travis

[aaasen]

Thanks for the inspiration. I did a lite version of this yesterday with the standard route on Guye, only E summit of Snoqualmie, and no Kendall. Great way to climb some peaks which I have tried (and failed) while skiing in the area. Felt pretty maxed out in my trail runners and wished that I had brought approach shoes.