Ragged Ridge Traverse

[JoshK]

Has anybody around here done a traverse of Ragged Ridge? Specifically, Cosho, Kimtah, Katsuk and Mesatchie peaks? If so, any beta would be much appreciated.

 

thanks!

-josh

[Stefan]

I do not know of people who have done the entire traverse. However, I do know of people who have done those mountains separately. I only have a trip reports of Mesachie and Katsuk. Let me know if you want it.

[Lowell_Skoog]

My brother and I traversed the glaciers north of Ragged Ridge from Mesahchie Pass to 4th of July Pass on skis in 1991. Here are some brief notes:

 

http://www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/notes/ms/lds-journal.html#lds-journal-p683

 

We climbed only Cosho and Red on that trip, but I've climbed all the other peaks along the ridge on different trips from the same basic route.

[JoshK]

Lowell, in general was the terrain such that skis remained on for the majority of the traverse? It looks like a neat area with some cool peaks along the way.

[Lowell_Skoog]

Lowell, in general was the terrain such that skis remained on for the majority of the traverse? It looks like a neat area with some cool peaks along the way.

 

Oh yeah, definitely. The only "mandatory" place to take the skis off is the ramp that bypasses the summit of Cosho on the south. West of Cosho we backed down a gully on crampons, but that was only because it was morning and the snow was frozen. With softer conditions it would have been skiable. The entire rest of the traverse, from Easy (or Mesahchie) pass until you drop into the woods above 4th of July Pass, is skiable.

 

Kimtah Peak is probably the most difficult to climb from the north side. (All the other peaks can be climbed by their east ridge after reaching it from the north.) On Kimtah, my brother and I climbed straight up the east face on snow, which was a new route at the time and very dependent on adequate snow cover. I don't know about other routes on Kimtah. The east ridge of Mesahchie can be a bit treacherous. Perhaps the west route would be better, combined with a climb of Katsuk from the same col.

 

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BTW: Here are some corrections to the latest CAG-2 edition regarding my Ragged Ridge climbs:

 

http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/223474/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

Edited May 5, 2004 by Lowell_Skoog