3-day Mount Baker Traverse: Heliotrope Ridge Trailhead and Coleman Glacier to the summit (North Side)

Join an AMGA-certified mountain guide for this incredibly scenic but challenging 3-day mountaineering traverse of Mount Baker. Beginning from the northern slopes of the peak, climb to the summit of the fifth highest peak in the Cascade Range before descending down the south side of this iconic mountain.

Cascade Range

3 Days

Jul

High

Advanced

Highlights

Enjoy the stunning scenery of Mount Baker.
Get the chance to climb along both sides of this iconic Cascade Peak.
Camp on the pristine cradle in between Colfax Peak and Mount Baker.

Description

Rising to 10,781 feet in elevation, Mount Baker casts an imposing shadow over its northern Washington surroundings.

Mount Baker is the third tallest mountain in Washington and the fifth tallest in the Cascade Range. Making the traverse from the north side to the summit and back down the south side in a single climbing expedition is a coveted opportunity for enthusiastic mountaineers.

After meeting up in Sedro Woolley and discussing the trip itinerary, we will make the two hour drive to the Heliotrope Ridge trailhead at 3,500 feet.

The adventure begins with a three to four hour hike to the Hogsback moraine, near the toe of the Coleman Glacier. If the weather is particularly good, we may be able to ascend an additional 1,00o feet to Black Buttes.

The following day, we will undertake a moderate ascent through snowfields to the Colfax Col in between Colfax Peak and Mount Baker. Depending on weather conditions, we may even be able to make it to the plateau summit of Mount Baker and climb below Sherman Ridge to camp.

If we haven't already done so, then the following day is summit day. Getting an early start, we will ascend the final Roman Wall up to the summit, which takes about three or four hours.

After enjoying the phenomenal views from the top, we will descend down the south side of the mountain, taking the Easton Glacier route and hiking on to the Schreibers Meadow trailhead.

So what are you waiting for? Book now for this unforgettable 3-day mountaineering traverse of Mount Baker in wondrous Washington state!

If you like the look of this trip then we think you may also enjoy our 3-day ascent of Forbidden Peak in the Boston Basin of North Cascades National Park!

Price includes

Guiding fee
Permit and entrance fees
Rope
Harness
Helmet
Belay and rappel devices
Quickdraws
Crampons
Ice axe
Mountaineering Boots

Price details

*Please keep in mind that the full balance of this trip must be paid upfront.
**Price includes a nonrefundable reservation fee of 250 USD.
***Partial refund of the balance up to 90 days in advance.

Itinerary

Day 1: Meeting and journey to the Heliotrope Ridge trailhead

Our journey begins with a scenic drive from Sedro Woolley to the Heliotrope Ridge trailhead. After a 3-4 hour hike, we'll camp near the Hogsback Moraine, with potential for a summit push to Black Buttes.

Day 2: Climbing Colfax Col

Day two involves a moderate ascent to Colfax Col, aiming for the Mount Baker plateau summit if conditions allow. We'll descend via the Easton Glacier and Schreibers Meadow trailhead.

Details

More info

Please contact us to receive a complete equipment checklist.

Meeting point

Sedro Woolley, WA

Equipment you will need to bring

Water bottle

Backpack

Sunglasses

FAQs

Are there any other special requirements such as permits/insurance/vaccines that we need to consider before the tour?

For insurance, you can review the options proposed by Explore-Share's partner. More information is available here: https://partner.globalrescue.com/exploreshare/

About the guide

NW

Mountain Guide

Celebrating 40 years of adventures in the Pacific Northwest and worldwide, NW Mountain Guides is one of the most experienced and refined companies on the planet.

We offer private climbs of the classic mountains in the Pacific NW, including Mount Baker, Mount Shuksan and Mount Olympus.

Internationally, we offer trekking and climbing in Mexico, Nepal, Argentina and Africa.

Languages

| Nepali | English

Certificates

AMGA

Request more information

What people are saying about Explore-Share

Man

Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!

Maxine

Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.

Valeriya

You’re simply the best!!! :))) Explore-Share made everything easy and stress-free. Will definitely use again.

Joshua

We had Léo as a guide for our day climb in Fonty. We were blessed with a knowledgeable, warm, and instructive guide. Communication with Léo and Ivan was smooth and swift. Explore-Share was excellent in arranging everything for our day climb. The communication was quick, and the platform was easy to use, making our adventure stress-free.

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Patrick was a great guide. He took us on an intermediate Via Ferrata at Passo Sella. Renato was quick to respond with any outreach on the Explore-Share platform. The booking process was straightforward, and once Patrick was confirmed, all went well. It was a wonderful experience, and I’d highly recommend the platform.

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