Triumph or Despair: climbing the NE Ridge of Mt Triumph in the North Cascades

The Northeast Ridge of Mt Triumph is classic North Cascades - the climbing is solid and stellar when you stay on route, !@#$y and loose if you get off route.

The climb itself is big enough to justify three days. Trying to crank it out in two days is possible, but you’ll be at the car around dusk. Not a problem for recreational climbing, but if you want to be useful at work on Monday consider taking Friday off and give yourself a three-day weekend to climb this route.

The challenge for most is to get across the basin. In the early 1990’s the glacier and permanent snowfield extended far enough that it was actually easier - once you gained the snow it was a fast trip across. Now a gully is exposed in August and September. If there’s enough snow, climb high to cross the gully. If there isn’t any snow (common in August and September), cross lower.

Gear up before leaving the basin - a sloping red sledge system gains a notch and starts the climb. There are multiple spots on the ridge to pass slower or descending teams, but there are an equal number of chokes that one team can completely block another. Good communication and manners will go a long way.

The route follows the ridge until 60m from the summit, where in a deep notch you break left for 10m then a short pitch leads into the steep heather summit fields. Follow the most traveled line, which winds it’s way up to the summit.

There are three ways down: 1) follow the way you came, 2) descend to the NE (towards the ridge and to skier’s left of your ascent up the heather) to a couple of long 30m rappels that leads back to that deep notch, then rejoin option #1, or 3) descend the South Ridge. If you opt for #3, bring two to four rap stations worth of gear to leave behind.

This is a fantastic “next step” after climbing the West Ridge of Forbidden. It’s arguably more remote, certainly more wild, and the climbing is longer and more involved. Another favorite of mine.

Beta photos: hover over the image for captions.

The view from the Triumph Basin bivi: Orange is the gully, blue is the high line, red is the low line.

The view from the NE Ridge: Orange is the gully, blue is the high line, red is the low line.

Snow coverage at the end of July 2024.