7-day Ptarmigan Traverse in the North Cascades, Washington State

Join a certified mountain guide for a fun, scenic and informative 7-day mountaineering experience along the Ptarmigan Traverse. Running from Cascade Pass to Dome Peak, enjoy incredible views and amazing climbs every day.

Cascade Range

7 Days

Jul, Aug

High

Beginner

Highlights

Enjoy the sublime scenery of the Northern Cascade Range.
Summit at least three different mountains over the course of the week.
Learn plenty of necessary mountaineering and backcountry camping skills.

Description

Named after the route taken by the Ptarmigan Climbing Club in 1938, the Ptarmigan Traverse takes us through some of the most pristine and remote scenery in the Cascades.

It is also the perfect traverse for advanced-beginner mountaineers, as there are various types of climbing to do, but none of it is too technically challenging. The entirety of the traverse is characterized by the rugged terrain and stark beauty of this untamed Washington wilderness.

Over the course of one incredible week, we will climb glaciers in a rope team, ascend through ice and snow with crampons and ice axes, assess various hazards and learn about leave no trace camping.

Expect to see plenty of incredible natural beauty as we go too. We will be trekking past turquoise-blue mountain lakes, ancient old-growth forests, imposing mountains and stunning glaciers.

Along with traversing several glaciers and crossing a number of mountain passes, we will summit Le Conte, Sentinel and Dome Peak over the course of the week. From the summit of each, we will enjoy great views out over some of the most iconic peaks in the Northern Cascade Range.

For a complete itinerary of the trip, see below.

So what are you waiting for? Book now for this unforgettable 7-day mountaineering experience along the Ptarmigan Traverse in wonderful Washington State!

If you like the look of this trip then we think you will also enjoy our 2-day ascent of Ruth Mountain, which is also perfect for beginner mountaineers!

Price includes

Guiding fee
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Transport during the trip

Price details

Please note that the prices listed above are for scheduled group dates. Please contact us for price quotes for private trips.

Itinerary

Day 1: Cascade Pass

After parking at the trailhead, we will hike toward Cascade Pass and camp at Kool Aid Lake.

Day 2: Cascade Pass to Yang Yang Lakes

We begin the day by climbing up the Red Ledges before dropping down the middle of Cascade Glacier. From here, we climb up the glacier to the Spider-Formidable Col and continue on to Yang Yang Lakes, where we will camp.

Day 3: Yang Yang Lakes to White Rocks Lake

We will begin the day by heading up Le Conte Glacier then climbing Le Conte and Sentinel. After reaching the summit, we will head down Lizard Pass to White Rocks Lake, where we will camp.

Day 4: White Rocks Lake to Itswoot Ridge

We will climb up Dana Glacier and descend south onto Itswoot Ridge, where we will camp and enjoy great views of Glacier Peak.

Day 5: Dome Peak

We will climb Dome Peak on this day.

Day 6: Extra day

We’ll reserve this day in case we get rained on one day or make an ascent of another summit.

Day 7: Departure

We will hike back out to the road via the Bachelor and Downey creeks then head back to Seattle.

Equipment you will need to bring

Crampons

Ice axe

Harness

Water bottle

Backpack

Helmet

Sunglasses

Belay device

Rope

Please contact us for a complete list of the necessary equipment.

About the guide

Mountain

Mountain Guide

For over 35 years, Mountain Madness has been bringing profound outdoor experiences to trekkers and mountaineers across the globe. We have built a strong foundation of skills and expertise, fueling our passion to impart our wisdom onto other like-minded explorers. Cultivating an enthusiasm for the
outdoors while helping you enjoy the journey and achieve your goals is a dream come true.

Our mission is to provide the best experience possible and to instill a passion for adventure. We value cultural exchange, take pride in facing physical and mental challenges head on, and strive to development wilderness skills that encourage self-discovery without compromising our environment.

Climbing, trekking, and skiing worldwide allows Mountain Madness to guide internationally. Our success and determination have given us worldwide acclaim and reignited our hunger – from Rainier and Baker to Kilimanjaro and Everest, no adventure is too big or too small.

Our guides have extensive training and are AMGA and/or IFMGA-certified guides. We enjoy assisting in all aspects of your trip, from the first conversation to the last goodbye. The collection of activities are endless, with alpinists, trekkers, explorers, mountaineers, and ski tourers on our team. To assist first time explorers and grizzled veterans in finding hidden, everyday wonder is our pleasure.

Languages

English

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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4.8