Mount Hooker. After a previous unsuccessful attempt on Mount Hooker’s northeast face, Craig Luebben and I hiked from Big Sandy Lodge into Hailey Pass. On August 30, we made a complete girdle-traverse ascent of Mount Hooker. A perched block on pitch 3, an exciting arête switch on pitch 5, a thin tip layback led masterfully by Craig on pitch 8, the crux 9th pitch (5.12—) and an amazing summit hike the width of the wall on Der Major Ledge comprised the highlights of the ascent. The route ascends a right-leaning ramp for two pitches to the start of the large left-facing dihedral on the left side of Hooker’s northeast face. The route then follows this dihedral (or just to its left) for six pitches until it meets Der Minor Ledge. A difficult, heel-hook traverse followed by a classic left-facing dihedral leads to Der Major Ledge. This ledge, a couple of feet wide at first, narrows and then expands to Winnebago-size as one traverses to the summit.

Tim Toula, Exum Mountain Guides