North or South Twin?

[uww]

Looking to get one of these but can't decide- I'd rather not bring a rope and I think that eliminates the traverse for me.  Seems like North Twin is just a bit shorter, but does not seem too dramatically different. What interests me the most is a fun, long, sustained, and solid scramble, which both seem to deliver. Seems like neither gets beyond a class 4 section or two, and that's my limit for this trip. Any reason to pick one over the other? We plan to ride gravel bikes to the trailhead split.  Thanks. 

Edited June 30, 2023 by uww

[dberdinka]

South Twin is a significantly longer trip, and if you follow the ridge crest significantly more exposed/difficult.   Also just less aesthetic all around compared to west ridge of North Twin.

[bargainhunter]

You can link up both without a rope. We did South Twin and descended the east side on to the glacier, then ascended North Twin and came down the west ridge. We were following some guy's strava path and it led us down sketchy loose 4th class on the descent from South Twin; we passed several rappel anchors so I think that the strava guy must have had a rope; we didn't! I almost bailed at the moat, jumping across the chasm from the rock onto a sloping glacier in running shoes, and looking into a black abyss. Agree with dberdina that North Twin is more aesthetic. He rode his bike RT from B'ham on the link up! Mega-style points for his approach/deproach! Interestingly, I felt that west ridge of South Twin was LESS exposed than North Twin.

Edited July 2, 2023 by bargainhunter