Events - Event View

Our day will begin in the dark (5:00 AM) at the Mt. Thielsen trailhead (#1456) on the east side of Diamond Lake. We’ll hike east towards the rising sun for 3.75 dusty miles to where our trail crosses the Pacific Crest Trail.  In those first 3.75 miles, the trail gains 1,920 feet of elevation.  After crossing the Pacific Crest trail, we’ll continue east up the “climber’s trail”.  The climber’s trail follows the West Ridge of Mt. Thielsen eastward until unstable and steeper rock forces the climber’s trail out right onto the broad scree covered Southern flank of the mountain.  Eventually we’ll turn North, picking our way to the Southeast shoulder of the mountain and a relatively flat spot known as “backpack ledge” or “Chicken-point” (9,130’). Backpack ledge / Chicken-point is directly below the prized summit pinnacle. The climber’s trail from the Pacific Crest Trail crossing to this point is only a mere mile in length but gains a respectable 1,795 feet.

At back-pack ledge/chicken-point, the team will put on climbing harnesses as my Assistants and I set a fixed rope up the single pitch of 4^th class rock to the summit. Party members will follow by climbing the superb rock (for Oregon) one at a time while fall protection is provided by their sliding prusik on the established fixed line.  After everyone has assembled on the summit, a quick photo session will document the day’s achievement. The return to the vehicles will be made by rappelling the summit pinnacle back to back-pack ledge/chicken point, then retreating back down same trail we used to access the mountain.