[ikell]

Hemlock Peak (left) and Bryant Peak (right) We climbed the steep notch/gully between the peaks Bryan (Gneiss) and I tried to summit Bryant Peak last Sunday, trying the route from Alpental via Great Scott Basin and up the notch between Hemlock and Bryant, per this TR. It was a beautiful sunny day, right after all the heavy snowfall over the holidays, but the snow was consolidated and avy danger low. We walked up the cat track and followed the busy trails toward the basin, donning snowshoes and getting up into the basin below Pineapple Pass / Tooth / Hemlock Peak. Bryan in the basin:

Things got difficult as we climbed up the gully, it probably took an hour to get up the 40 to 50 degree slopes in snowshoes... It was hip deep in places, one step forward and two back. The language got a bit colorful and coarse during this stretch... Ian struggling up the gully:

After gaining the pass, we kept going up the ridge directly to Bryant Peak. We made it up the next gully but found ourselves on an icy ridge that was too sketchy to continue, even with crampons and axe. Ian approaching the upper "gully". We went left of the rock at the top, but got cliffed out.

On the ridge near our high point. We actually used a few holds on the rock while traversing...snowshoe rock climbing?

We backtracked back town and tried an easier traverse route below the rocks, but ran out of time and energy (it was about 2:30pm at this point), and opted to head back down for food and cold beers. Great winter trip, will have to return. Does anyone know if you can climb Bryant from the Chair Peak side in winter? We saw a busy AT ski and snowshoe track head up in that direction, but not sure what it's like on that side. Heading back down for our first beer and lunch break, Snoqualmie across the valley:

[Magellan]

Nice pictures.

[EastKing]

Great TR, effort and photos! Was actually thinking off doing Bryant Peak and Hemlock Peak via Hemlock Pass! I doubt I will do it in the near future with another round of iffy weather coming in but if I do I will pass along the details. You will need a super early start because the Denny Creek Trailhead is now snowed in.

[gneiss]

Great day out! We'll have to give it another shot soon!

[Malachai Constant]

Been up there a couple times, Is there still a rope hanging over the gully to the East? we found a couple bent poles in your upper gully. In the spring you can do a bear hug up the ridge to the summit rocks, airy but safe without a belay. The route up the other side of the ridge goes in winter if snow is stable.

[BirdDog]

[ikell]

BirdDog, Thanks for the info. I think we'll try again this weekend for Bryant. Looking at this photo, which gully is the "ramp" you're referring to? The on one the left I assume so (above photos 4/5/6), there's one far right but that's the China chute, right? http://www.alpental.com/chinab.htm Also, do you know if you can cross over the ridge at the top (toward Malekwa) and just climb the peak from the backside, and avoid the ridge? That is possible from the Hemlock side, you can actually avoid climbing the ridge itself and just traverse around and then up the back of the peak. thanks!

[BirdDog]

[puzzlr]

Can't say first hand about winter conditions, but I once tried the ridge from the gap on the Chair Peak side in the summer with a solid partner. Becky says follow a "broken rock face" up to the summit, but we could not find anything like that. We ended up in a heather gully steep enough to make us both take Becky's name in vain and we turned around defeated. I wouldn't want to be in that gully in winter, but then I'm not Jason Hummell either. Oh, and I've been up the west side -- a steep walkup from Hemlock Pass so I'm not getting that route confused.

[Malachai Constant]

I know where you are coming from we traversed the ridge a long time ago and we had to Rap to the Col with Chair.