Lifestyle Sports: [New post] North Peak of Mount Olympus

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North Peak of Mount Olympus

by atylerhowe

Distance: Elevation Gain: Trailhead Coordinates: Rating:

Distance: 2.4 Miles (4.8 Miles Roundtrip)
Elevation Gain: 3,360 Feet
Trailhead Coordinates: 40.67714, -111.77609
Rating: 4 Stars

For years and year I've wanted to know how to climb the North Peak of Mount Olympus. Thanks to an expert guide, I finally pulled it off. This climb is intense, but it is safe and doable without rock climbing skills or gear. Amazingly, this route traverses the seemingly sheer face of Mount Olympus and brings you to the front ridge just above the West Slab where you'll face nothing more than a rock scramble to get to the summit.

The hike begins at the Neff's Canyon Trailhead. At the half-mile mark (just beyond the water tank), take the trail that leads to the right (toward Mount Olympus) rather than the trail to the left that heads up Neff's Canyon. You'll follow this trail for another half mile until just before it runs into a Granite wall. Your goal is to leave the trail to the left just before the Granite wall, so you can get behind the Granite wall. If you misfire, back up and try again.

Once you make it behind the granite wall, you'll be enclosed in on both sides in a route that will traverse all the way to the ridge. It's not much of a trail, but there's typically only one route that makes sense and doesn't force you to rock climb.

At about the 1.6-mile mark, you'll find a memorial in a rock as a tribute to a hiker killed somewhere on Mount Olympus. The route beyond this point will seem a little more exposed but not dangerous. It will grant you better and better views of Olympus Cove and the Salt Lake Valley.

You'll reach the ridge line at about the 2.2-mile mark. From here, you'll do an about face, and begin climbing up to the summit by heading east. It's not as steep of climbing along the ridge line, but it's more technical. At one point, you'll come to a considerable notch in the ridge line that requires you to scramble down a good 30 feet before scrambling up the same 30 feet on the other side. It looks more challenging than it is.

You'll really have two summits to choose from when you arrive. Visit them both. The "front" most summit offers the best view down to the valley below. The taller summit behind that is the highest point of the North Peak. Keep in mind, both summits are shorter than the proper Mount Olympus Summit on the other side of Tolcats Coulier. You'll be able to see that summit from the North Peak, but hiking down through Tolcats and back up to the main summit does not look easy, and I, personally, wouldn't recommend it. I know it can be done, however.