What Climbing Gear do You Need for Granite?
There are just 12 more days until it’s time to climb Granite Peak, Montana’s highest point. First of all, if you’re also planning to climb this mountain, keep up with your fitness regimen! I looked back through my recorded workouts and discovered that I’ve progressed significantly.
On June 24th, I wore a 30 pound pack and did a 3.4 mile loop averaging 17 minutes per mile. Today, I did essentially the same loop, wearing a 52 pound pack, and averaged 9:56 per mile. It’s going to make the hike and climb much easier, and it will make the recovery that much better.
So, today’s workout tip: stick with it. But we’re going to take a look at gear as well.
What Climbing Gear is Needed to Climb Granite Peak?
For many people you don’t need any climbing gear. The “climbing” parts are actually simple enough that you don’t need any gear. But, for some the gear is going to make things mentally a lot easier, and I found getting off the mountain when you can rappel down is faster, safer, and easier.
Here’s my gear list, some of this will be shared with other members of the group:
- Rope – minimum 35 meters
- Harness
- PAS – Personal Anchor System
- Rappel device
- 2 Mid Sized Cams
- Anchor Material
- Helmet
There’s no mountaineering gear necessary, and unless you’re going really early in the season, you don’t have to worry about snow or ice gear.
For an experienced climber, even one that is not necessarily “good,” but at least knows their way around the rock, you can probably get by without the cams. There’s only one section on the climb where they will be used, and while the section is easy, it’s a many thousand foot tumble down the mountain if you slip.
As I mention in the video, your helmet should always be with you; especially if you’re in a group of people that could drop rocks in your direction.
Hike, Climb, Hike
Base camp is about a 11 mile hike in. That hike starts around 6,500 feet and progresses until you build camp for the night around 12,000 feet up. It’s a long hike that is even longer when your legs aren’t up to the challenge. Fortunately, the views, and the experience of being on Froze to Death Plateau are second to none.
Coming out, we have decided to drop down the Huckleberry Creek drainage. It’s a nice area, but the trail sucks. To get the full experience, though, we will go over the top of the plateau and down and out through the drainage.