Traverses & Loops (Classics)

Trip reports for truly classic traverses and loops of various types.

Bacon-Hagan-Blum Trav (WA) Enchantment Traverse (WA) Grand Canyon Raft Trav (AZ) Haute Route (Alps) High–Giant Traverse (WA) Huayhuash Circuit (Peru) Inspiration–Isolation Trav (WA) Olympus–Bailey Trav (WA) Overland Trav (Tasmania) Picket Traverse (WA) Ptarmigan Traverse (WA) Sneffels Ski Traverse (CO)

Evening sun lights up craggy granite Prusik Peak during Enchantment Traverse

Enchantment Traverse: Snow Lakes to Aasgard Pass to Colchuck Lake (Icicle Mountains, WA)

Jim Brisbine · October 25, 2015

Trip Date: October 24-25, 2015 FROZEN LARCH OUTING: ICICLE MOUNTAINS Enchantment Traverse: Snow Lakes to Colchuck Lake ...

Central WA Cascades Enchantment Traverse (WA) Golden Larch Outings Icicle Mountains The Enchantments Traverses & Loops (Trail)

During the Inspiration Traverse, a mountain climber traverses the Klawatti Glacier below a jagged ridge crest

Inspiration Traverse: Borealis Glacier to Eldorado Glacier via Inspiration Glacier + Tricouni Peak + Primus Peak + Austera Peak + Klawatti Peak + Dorado Needle (McAllister Mountains, WA)

Jim Brisbine · June 24, 2003

Trip Date: June 21-24, 2003 Inspiration Traverse: Thunder Creek to Cascade River Borealis GlacierBorealis Pass aka Lucky ...

Austera Peak (8334/8366 ft) Dorado Needle (8440+/8466 ft) Favorite Trips Inspiration–Isolation Trav (WA) Klawatti Peak (8485/8500 ft) Major Alpine Crags McAllister Mountains Northwestern WA Cascades Primus Peak (8508/8497 ft) The McAllister Five Traverses & Loops (Alpine)

Oarboats float down the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park

Colorado River Rafting Trip: Pipe Creek to Diamond Creek + Shinumo Creek + Havasu Creek (Grand Canyon National Park, AZ)

Jim Brisbine · July 7, 2014

Trip Date: June 29 – July 7, 2014 GRAND CANYON ADVENTURE VACATION Colorado River Rafting Descent: Pipe ...

Arizona Canyoneering Family Trips Favorite Trips Grand Canyon Raft Trav (AZ) River Rafting

Boardwalk in a field of grasses with distant hills and bridge at Ronnie Creek Crossing at the start of the Overland Track in Tasmania

Overland Track Traverse + Cradle Mtn + Barn Bluff + Mt Ossa (Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania)

Jim Brisbine · January 20, 2019

Trip Date: January 15-20, 2019 2019 TASMANIA ADVENTURE VACATION Overland Track Traverse: Ronnie Creek to Narcissus ...

Family Trips Favorite Trips Overland Trav (Tasmania) Tasmania Traverses & Loops (Trail)

A backcountry skier stares at Mt. Sneffels in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado

Sneffels Range Ski Traverse: Telluride to Ridgway (San Juan Mountains, CO)

Jim Brisbine · March 25, 2022

Trip Date: March 20-25, 2022 Sneffels Range Ski Traverse: Last Dollar Trailhead to Miller Mesa Trailhead Last Dollar ...

Favorite Trips Sneffels Ski Traverse (CO) Snow Tours in Other Locations Traverses & Loops (Ski)

Last sun on the summit of Buck Mountain taken from Mt Berge in the Chiwawa Mountains

High Giant Traverse: Buck Creek Pass to Little Giant Pass via High Pass—Louis Creek Basin—Napeequa Valley + Buck Mtn + Mt Cleator + Mt Berge (Chiwawa Range, WA)

Jim Brisbine · September 3, 1984

Trip Date: August 31 – September 3, 1984 High Giant Traverse: Buck Creek Pass to High Pass to Little ...

Buck Mountain (8528/8534 ft) Chiwawa Range High–Giant Traverse (WA) North-Central WA Cascades The Chiwawa Four Traverses & Loops (Alpine)

Morning sun lights up Gunsight Peak and Chikamin Glacier and Dome Peak from camp at White Rock Lakes during the Ptarmigan Traverse

Ptarmigan Traverse: Cascade River to Suiattle River via Kool-Aid Lake—Yang Yang Lakes—White Rock Lakes + Magic Mtn (Ptarmigan Mountains, WA)

Jim Brisbine · September 14, 1981

Trip Date: September 9-14, 1981 Ptarmigan Traverse: Cascade River to Suiattle River Cascade PassCache ColKool-Aid Lake ...

North-Central WA Cascades Ptarmigan Mountains Ptarmigan Traverse (WA) Traverses & Loops (Alpine)

High Giant Traverse: Buck Creek Pass to Little Giant Pass via High Pass—Louis Creek Basin—Napeequa Valley + Buck Mtn + Napeequa Mtn (Chiwawa Range, WA)

Jim Brisbine · August 3, 2020

Trip Date: July 31 – August 3, 2020 MID-SUMMER OUTING NO. 18: CHIWAWA RANGE High Giant Traverse: ...

Buck Mountain (8528/8534 ft) Chiwawa Range Favorite Trips High–Giant Traverse (WA) Mid-Summer Outings North-Central WA Cascades The Chiwawa Four Traverses & Loops (Alpine)

Sunset on Mt Baker with Upper Blum Lake and a climber in the foreground

Bacon–Hagan–Blum Traverse: Watson Lakes to Baker River via Diobsud Lakes—Bacon Peak—Hidden Lake—Hagan Glacier—Mt Blum—Blum Lakes (Lower Skagit Mountains, WA)

Jim Brisbine · August 2, 2009

Trip Date: July 30 – August 2, 2009 MID-SUMMER OUTING NO. 7: LOWER SKAGIT MOUNTAINS Bacon–Hagan–Blum Traverse: ...

Bacon Peak (7061 ft) Bacon-Hagan-Blum Trav (WA) Blum, Mt (7680 ft) Favorite Trips Lower Skagit Mountains Mid-Summer Outings Northwestern WA Cascades The Lower Skagit Five Traverses & Loops (Alpine)

Olympus–Bailey Traverse: Hoh River to Sol Duc River + Mt Olympus + Mt Ferry + Stephen Peak + Mt Carrie (Olympic Mountains, WA)

Jim Brisbine · July 26, 2020

Trip Date: July 17-26, 2020 Mt. Olympus Climbing Trip & Olympus–Bailey Traverse: Hoh River to Sol Duc River ...

Carrie, Mt (6995 ft) Olympic Mountains WA Olympus–Bailey Trav (WA) Olympus, Mt (7969 ft) The Olympic Thirteen The Regal Six Traverses & Loops (Alpine)

Klawatti Peak horns and the Upper Klawatti Glacier Seen From North Klawatti Notch on the Inspiration Traverse

Inspiration–Isolation Traverse: Borealis Glacier to Colonial Glacier + Primus Peak + Eldorado Peak + Isolation Peak + Snowfield Peak (McAllister Mountains, WA)

Jim Brisbine · July 6, 2019

Trip Date: June 29 – July 6, 2019 Inspiration–Isolation Traverse aka McAllister Traverse: Borealis Glacier to Inspiration Glacier to Colonial ...

Eldorado Peak (8868/8873 ft) Favorite Trips Inspiration–Isolation Trav (WA) McAllister Mountains Northwestern WA Cascades Primus Peak (8508/8497 ft) Snowfield Peak (8347/8346 ft) The Landmark Twelve The McAllister Five The Tall Twelve The Thunder Eight Thunder Mountains Traverses & Loops (Alpine)

Haute Route Traverse: Chamonix to Zermatt + Aiguille du Tour (Western Alps, France + Switzerland)

Jim Brisbine · June 18, 2025

Trip Date: June 12-18, 2025 2025 WESTERN ALPS ADVENTURE VACATION Mountaineer’s Haute Route: Le Tour to Ober-Stafel ...

Favorite Trips France Haute Route (Alps) Switzerland Traverses & Loops (Alpine)

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Traverses & Loops (Classics)

Enchantment Traverse: Snow Lakes to Aasgard Pass to Colchuck Lake (Icicle Mountains, WA)

Inspiration Traverse: Borealis Glacier to Eldorado Glacier via Inspiration Glacier + Tricouni Peak + Primus Peak + Austera Peak + Klawatti Peak + Dorado Needle (McAllister Mountains, WA)

Colorado River Rafting Trip: Pipe Creek to Diamond Creek + Shinumo Creek + Havasu Creek (Grand Canyon National Park, AZ)

Overland Track Traverse + Cradle Mtn + Barn Bluff + Mt Ossa (Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania)

Sneffels Range Ski Traverse: Telluride to Ridgway (San Juan Mountains, CO)

High Giant Traverse: Buck Creek Pass to Little Giant Pass via High Pass—Louis Creek Basin—Napeequa Valley + Buck Mtn + Mt Cleator + Mt Berge (Chiwawa Range, WA)

Ptarmigan Traverse: Cascade River to Suiattle River via Kool-Aid Lake—Yang Yang Lakes—White Rock Lakes + Magic Mtn (Ptarmigan Mountains, WA)

High Giant Traverse: Buck Creek Pass to Little Giant Pass via High Pass—Louis Creek Basin—Napeequa Valley + Buck Mtn + Napeequa Mtn (Chiwawa Range, WA)

Bacon–Hagan–Blum Traverse: Watson Lakes to Baker River via Diobsud Lakes—Bacon Peak—Hidden Lake—Hagan Glacier—Mt Blum—Blum Lakes (Lower Skagit Mountains, WA)

Olympus–Bailey Traverse: Hoh River to Sol Duc River + Mt Olympus + Mt Ferry + Stephen Peak + Mt Carrie (Olympic Mountains, WA)

Inspiration–Isolation Traverse: Borealis Glacier to Colonial Glacier + Primus Peak + Eldorado Peak + Isolation Peak + Snowfield Peak (McAllister Mountains, WA)

Haute Route Traverse: Chamonix to Zermatt + Aiguille du Tour (Western Alps, France + Switzerland)

Ashley Gorge Via Ferrata Climbs: The Outlaw + Abduction + The Pump + The Soup + Toothy Grin (Uinta Range, UT)

Guye Peak: North Summit + Middle Summit + South Summit via Alpental Slope—Cave Ridge (Snoquamlie Range, WA)

McAlester–Rainbow Loop via McAlester Pass—Rainbow Creek—Rainbow Pass—Bridge Creek + McAlester Mtn (North Stehekin Mountains, WA)

Hoodoo Pass Loop via Horsehead Pass—Libby-Crater Saddle + Mt Bigelow + Crater Peak (Sawtooth Mountains, WA)

Amabilis Mtn Bike Loop via Amabilis Beacon + Amabilis Peak (Keechelus Mountains, WA)

Three Fingers Mtn: South Peak / Lookout Via Meadow Mtn—Goat Flats—Tin Can Gap—Southwest Side (West Sauk Mountains, WA)

Defiance Trail Traverse: Thompson Pass to Hemlock Pass via Mason Pass—Pratt Pass + Mt Defiance (Lower Snoqualmie Range, WA)

LaCrosse Pass Loop via Enchanted Valley—O’Neil Pass—Duckabush River—Dosewallips River—Anderson Pass (Olympic Mountains, WA)

Granite Mtn via Hyas Lake—Tuck Lake—Robin Lakes—Northwest Ridge (Upper Icicle Mountains, WA)

Glacier Basin Climbing Reconn: Monte Cristo Peak attempt + Cadet Peak attempt (Monte Cristo Mountains, WA)