first ascent [TR] Diptop Peak - South face/rib route - FA - 1,000’, 5.8 09/27/2025

[lunger]

Trip: Diptop Peak - South face/rib route - FA - 1,000’, 5.8

Trip Date: 09/27/2025

Trip Report:

 

The complex south (or perhaps SSW) face of Diptop, Jason Hummel photo:

 

“Not too bad for a couple of old guys.” “Not too good either.”

The statement and its rejoinder were uttered upon arrival at the truck -- just after dark -- and ended 14 hours of moving, including pioneering a route up (with benefit of hindsight) a questionable objective.  Apparently one person’s idea of a good time is another’s idea of a bad time. The exchange echoed an earlier sentiment: “One person’s inspiration is another person's embarrassment”.

Diptop is just north of Mt Daniel, and just south of the insta-famous Jade Lake. Rolf sketched our approx route below, fairly borrowed from a Wikipedia image (in turn apparently derived from a pic by Martin Bravenboer):

Our "meandering-like-a-drunk" route gained 1,000 vertical feet, and entailed 6 roped pitches (the last one v. short) and a fair bit of soloing. Photos from afar inspired hope that 1. we’d be climbing on granite, and 2. there would be appealing lines on the central buttress of the expansive south face, or on the face itself. Upon closer inspection: 1. the rock was granitic, but one might say it has exfoliated "in an unfriendly manner for free climbing." And 2., while there were cracks and attractive features, it was difficult to ascertain if the seemingly discontinuous lines could be joined. We leave that to more competent and/or bolder parties to figure out.

The route was reasonably solid for the alpine, and had its moments of fun. It was mostly scrambling, though it had some contrived steeper climbing and some required steeper climbing. Rolf drew the short final bit -- arguably the crux -- to the ridge crest, not far from the summit. On some of the best rock of the route, although with limited pro, he made a couple of sporty moves with a Vlad-the-Impaler flake threatening his nethers:

Despite a "limited alpine skill set", perhaps indeed an “ordinary person accomplishing extraordinary things” is possible, if by extraordinary the speaker meant finding an ignominious way up a fractured granitic face.  Maybe they were just “projecting insecurities", since this venture was their pet project. We might have been mildly disappointed with the route, but random insults like “twee”, “cloying”, “piker”, and various vitriolic un-printables kept the mood light. And the surroundings weren’t half bad.

A couple more photos below.

First roped pitch, after several hundred feet of soloing up to 5th class:

Relatively high on the route: 

An oblique look at the central buttress from the summit area:

We approached from the Tonga Ridge/Deception Cr cutoff trailhead. This much shorter approach from the north (vs coming from the south) does require travel up/down some steep timber, duff, and a bit of brush, but offers scenery, solitude (until arrival at Marmot and Jade Lakes), and berries. A little off the optimum route on the last steep stretch of the return, while monkey-bar-jungle-gyming from tree to tree down pine-needle covered duff, someone might have mumbled “we can always rap”.  I’m happy to share our approximate track if you’re interested in approaching the scenic lakes without the trail slog.

More photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H1e1ExQ1PTVEohUE8

And more about the rock in the area here (courtesy of Rolf: https://bluemarbleearth.wordpress.com/2024/09/16/tuck-lake-and-jade-lake-geology/

Gear Notes:
Took a standard double rack, but a single would do.

Approach Notes:
See above. To access the south face, wander down from Diptop Gap.

Edited 2 hours ago by lunger
fixed hasty typo

[olyclimber]

Wait….rat has a fing blog??

[olyclimber]

That third pic fromn the bottom.....thank you for sharing as usual!

[JasonG]

So beautiful!  I need to get back in there....never been.  Thanks @rat and @lunger for surviving to tell the tale!

[lunger]

1 hour ago, olyclimber said:

Wait….rat has a fing blog??

Ha, no. Apologies, just credit for the link. 

His OnlyFans channel is full and closed to new members.

Edited 16 minutes ago by lunger