In early September, Erik Bonnett and I climbed a mostly independent route on the northwest buttress of Bonanza Peak, reaching its southwest summit (9,320’). This route begins on the prominent buttress a few hundred yards left of the Soviet Route (AAJ 1976), the only other route on this wall. Prior to our climb we had seen beautiful photos from the Soviet Route, and both of us, independently, came up with the idea to try the new line. Also, having never climbed in the Washington Cascades, we figured it was a good place to start.

Our route climbs 1,600’ of independent terrain before joining the Soviet Route on the west buttress for 600’ to the final summit block. The climbing is mostly sustained 5.6–5.8, punctuated with moves up to 5.9+, with a few ramp and ledge systems. Much of the rock is loose, and it was noticeably cleaner on the upper portion of the Soviet Route. We made our ascent in 30 hours, including one bivouac: the Oregonian Route (2,200’, V 5.9+).

A 32-mile one-way approach (including 10 miles of biking) due to ferry and road closures, a terrifying electrical storm, and wet climbing added interesting aspects to our experience. Overall, we feel we made the very most of our five-day trip.