Mount Formidable, Southwest Ridge. This route had been eyed by numerous climbing parties over the past several years, but never tackled because of the indirect and brush-cluttered approach route. From road’s end on the Cascade River South Fork, an old trail continues south about one mile to a crossing at the Middle Fork and then another two miles along the South Fork where it is frequently cut by 100-yard stretches of thick brush and vine maple. A final ¼ mile of vine maple leads to the foot of the southwest ridge, which is primarily steep timber mixed with grade 4 bluffs. On July 2, Dr. Gene Mason, Dr. Bill Myers, Bob Briggs, and Kenn Carpenter established a 6200-foot camp high on the ridge via this route, and the following day started northeast for the summit. A narrow 7300- foot notch at the west end of the summit ridge was gained by traversing right of the first large tower and climbing a 400-foot couloir of 55° ice. Another ¼ mile of exposed grade 3 and 4 rock along the sharply crested but broken and tumbling ridge brought us to the 8350-foot summit for a new route and only the eleventh ascent of the peak.

Kenn Carpenter