GANNETT PEAK (13,809′ or 4,209 m) is the highest point in Wyoming, in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and in the Rocky Mountains outside of Colorado! Gannett is situated deep in the heart of the beautiful and rugged Wind River Range, over 20 miles from most trailheads. Amongst mountaineers, this peak is known to be the most difficult summit of the 50 states’ high points, after Denali (Mt McKinley) and Montana’s highest point, Granite Peak.
Montana Alpine Guides (MAG) offers guided climbing trips on Gannett Peak from the Cold Springs trailhead via the Wind River Reservation. This route provides the shortest (though still guarded by numerous miles) and arguably the most beautiful approach to climb Gannett Peak. Our two-day approach allows participants to take in this rugged landscape, while unlike Elkhart/Titcomb Basic, our summit day climb does not require climbing and descending over a pass.
Regardless of your starting point, Gannett Peak is a massive mountain that demands much respect.
* There is a $470/person cost to the Wind River Reservation. *Accessing Gannett Peak from another trailhead requires an additional day with additional guide fees: (~$500-$800/day).
Itineraries
Gannett Peak via Cold Springs
Dates: mid June – early August Start: Crowheart – Cold Springs, ~9,500’ End: Crowheart – Cold Springs Distance: ~32 miles total Altitude gain and loss: ~7400’ each way Trip Duration: 5 or 6 day options Client to Guide Ratio on each trip: 2:1 or 4:2
Approach and Ascent Route: The Gannet Peak guided climb with MAG begins in the tiny town of Crowheart, Wyoming on the Wind River Reservation (Shoshone and Arapaho tribes). The only establishment is a small general store carrying basic amenities. This is where we arrange permission and transport across the reservation.
DAY 1:Crowheart – 7am– Cold Springs 9500ft -> Scenic Pass 11,400ft -> Echo Lake 10,300ft Meet at 7:00am with your bags fully packed and ready to go! After a gear check and food assessment, we purchase permits and transport with our local Shoshone or Arapaho contacts. Our shuttle ride gains us roughly 1,000ft on rugged dirt roads to our starting point at Cold Springs trailhead (~9500’). We bid farewell to our driver until the day we exit this remote corner of the Wind River Range.
By way of faint to non-existent trails meandering in and out of coniferous forests and beautiful high alpine meadows, we hike to Scenic Pass,11,400ft, our high point for the day. Elk and pronghorn herds are often seen, plus the occasional wolf, if we are lucky! Once at the pass, we get commanding views of the Wind River Mountains and our first glimpse of our objective – Gannett Peak. From this point, our hike is mostly a contoured traverse to arrive at Camp 1 near Echo Lake (7 miles, +1700ft, -900ft).
Day 1: View of Gannett Peak and Echo Lake from Camp 1
DAY 2: Echo Lake 10,300ft -> Horse Camp 9500ft -> Dinwoody Glacier 10,800ft We begin our morning descending the Ink Wells trail to join the Dinwoody Trail where we are rewarded with stunning views of Gannett Peak’s north face. Hiking along postcard-worthy vibrant green meadows and aqua blue waterways for several miles, we ford streams, then gain altitude into the basin of the Dinwoody Glacier. Here we establish Camp 2 amidst exposed granite walls, jutting alpine ridges, glacially polished streambeds, and alpine flowers on the border of the terminal moraine of Gannett Peak’s Dinwoody Glacier (~7 miles, -800ft, +1300ft).
Day 2: Strolling along near Dinwoody Creek and adjoining stream with Gannett Peak in distant storm.
DAY 3*: Dinwoody Glacier 10,800ft – Gannett Peak 13,800ft – move camp to Klonkike Creek 9,600ft or Echo 10,300ft
An alpine start, hiking and climbing by headlamp through snow and talus fields bring us the east face of Gannett Peak. With clear skies and alpenglow, this entire face illuminates a gorgeous orange (see photos). Our ascent route up the infamous “Goose Neck” includes roping up as the slopes steepen, crossing a bergschrund, and continuing up steep snow slopes to gain the southeast/south ridge. We scramble on exposed rock, and regain the snowy south ridge with magnificent exposure on both sides. It is a steady climb up to Gannett Peak’s lofty summit.
This route involves talus walking, technical snow climbing, a bergschrund crossing, rock scrambling over exposed terrain, and steep snow travel as a rope team. Your guide will utilize various tools such as ropes, pickets, rock protection, and belays whenever necessary.
With good fitness, determination, and favorable weather, we arrive at the summit of Gannett Peak boasting incredible views of the Wind River Range, The Tetons, and Granite Peak. We enjoy the summit briefly prior to embarking on the other half of our climb: the descent.
Back at camp, we rest for an hour, take our boots off, hydrate, eat a snack, and then pack up and bump camp back down to the gorgeous Floyd Meadows or continue up to Echo Lake (depending on trip length).
*On 6-day itineraries we are afforded another day to attempt our summit of Gannett Peak if weather prevents us from an attempt on the first day.
Summit Day: The initial steep section on Gannett Peak’s east slopes
DAY 4: Klonkike Creek 9,600ft / Echo Lake 10,300ft –> Cold Springs 9,500ft
We enjoy the rising sun, sip our hot morning beverages, then begin our remaining journey out. We cross Floyd Meadows, beginning our ascension to the Echo Lake. Stopping for lunch or a quick dig in Echo Lake is an option. From here, we traverse back up and over Scenic Pass, where we enjoy our last views of Gannett Peak. We then descend back to Cold Springs trailhead to camp on the edge of where the pine forests meet the alpine meadows: our shuttle pick-up spot.
High Camp: Hiking just 15 minutes from our high camp after a successful summit on Gannett Peak
DAY 5: Cold Springs – Crowheart
We are picked up at trailhead late morning, 10-11am to allow a 12:30pm arrival in Crowheart. This gives all travelers time to drive in daylight to their flights home (or wherever your next destination may be!). We stash water and snacks at the trailhead to enjoy on our slow ride back down to “civilization.”
Trip Planner
TRAVEL Drive to Crowheart, WY where you meet your guides and leave your vehicle for the duration of the trip. Riverton (WY), Lander (WY), or Jackson Hole (WY) are the closest airports. Larger airports include Bozeman (MT), Billings (MT) or Denver (CO). Plan on having your own local transportation; reserve rental cars as early as possible.
Transport from Crowheart, WY to the Cold Springs Trailhead is provided by Emmie O’Neal of Crow Heart.
ACCOMMODATIONS There are camping or motel options for the nights before and after trips in Dubois and Riverton. Shoshone National Forest and Bridger-Teton National Forest offer camping. Visit the National Forest Service websites to locate sites nearest to Crowheart.
AMENITIES MAG offers breakfast and dinner on the trip. You will need to bring your own drink mixes and lunches/snacks. Plan and purchase snacks ahead of time, and consider doubling a day’s ration for our summit day.
If you have dietary restrictions, allergies, or preferences please let us know well in advance of your trip’s starting date!! If you would prefer to bring your own food, please do so!!
Porters are available upon request – please inquire for details.
Cell phones have patchy (if any) coverage. Guides carry inReach devices. Cell phones only work at Scenic Pass as well as near and on the summit.
Most drinking water needs to be treated, either with iodine pills or filters.
We practice Leave No Trace camping, hiking, and climbing techniques to leave the Shoshone National Forest as pristine as we found it, and we expect the same from all those who climb with us.
BATHROOM in the WILDERNESS: Leave No Trace (LNT) MAG will provide each climber two wag bags on the trip to carry out our waste. Bring an extra ziplock bag to enclose the wag bags. You will need to bring toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
WEATHER & CLIMATE Staying extremely well hydrated is key to one’s success when exerting at altitude. If possible, plan to arrive a few days early and do some hiking above 8-9,000ft in many of the beautiful nearby mountain ranges to acclimatize. If you have had problems at altitude before, please let us know prior to your trip and consult with your physician before you come.
The weather is variable at best – nights are cool while the days can warm up substantially, even in the alpine environment. Wind, sleet, rain, hail, even summer snow showers may be encountered; afternoon thunderstorms are fairly predictable.
EQUIPMENT See our summer equipment list for your clothing and equipment lists as well as recommendations. You need to arrive with all appropriate gear and clothing as there is no option in Crowheart to purchase anything you may be missing!! Minimize luxury items — which saves pounds on your back! The best luxury is a light pack! Many climbers take the option to hire a porter. Porters can carry 20-30lbs each.
Additional Information
TECHNICAL SKILLS & CONDITIONING: You should be physically able to travel up to 10 miles, 3000ft+ gain a day with an overnight 40-50lb pack for 5 days in a row. Snow travel skills with boots, crampons and ice ax, talus hiking, and uneven trail hiking are necessary for an ascent of Gannett Peak!
Training is worth it! The better shape you are in, the more you will enjoy your time in the mountains. Gannett is a massive peak that packs a big punch. Heavy packs, altitude, and the uneven terrain will fatigue even a seasoned climber. Spending adequate time training with a pack and hiking for 12hrs is the ideal training for this trip.
EQUIPMENT: see our multi-day gear list
PORTERS and The Road to Success: Be prepared to carry a pack between 40-50lbs depending on the weight of your personal gear. Porters are strongly encouraged and cost an additional $300/day (plus reservation costs). This allows participants to save energy on the way in and the way out so they can focus on the climb. A solid guide can show you the way, manage risks, and make it fun. However, there are several variables that can lead to failure for our climb. The most common are bad weather, inadequate training, and lack of fitness for the climb. To compensate for poor weather, we can add on an extra “weather day” (6-day itinerary). For technical skills, we offer our “Training Day.” We also offer porters to save your energy, but the training is all on the participant. Success in the mountains begins with the first plan.
Included:
Experienced climbing guides
Group cookware, fuel, and all meals (except for day food – lunches, snacks & drink mixes)
All group and personal technical climbing gear (ropes, harnesses, crampons, helmets)
Tents
We highly recommend bringing your own tent and climbing gear: helmet, harness, crampons, ice ax.
Not Included:
Transport to and from Crowheart (the location where you meet your guides)
Everything on our “Equipment List”
Day food (lunches/snacks)
Water purification
Transport and reservation fees for Wind River Reservation ($470/person). This is paid the day we meet up directly to the reservation.
Transport and reservation fees for your guide and/or porters (divided among the group).
NOTE: This is still the cheapest option as the trip from the reservation is 1-2 days shorter than other approaches, saving participants money for guide fees (~$600/day), drive time, missed work, etc.
“Everything about our Gannett Peak climb with MAG was first class, from the initial trip planning to our return to Crowheart. Our guide (Ty) put us at ease with his knowledge and safety consciousness, no small issue given the remoteness and ruggedness of the terrain, which included unusually heavy snow cover during our early July ascent. The food was fresh, varied, and well prepared – not at all like the freeze dried backpacking food we were expecting. Finally, the Cold Springs trail that MAG uses is both stunningly beautiful and uncrowded. We saw perhaps a dozen other climbers during our five day trip. All in all, it was a truly rewarding experience.”
Ron B.
Ron B.
“Aki did a great job of guiding my brother and me to the summit of Gannett Peak. He was patient and showed mastery of the skills needed to make the trek and climb safe. I was also impresses with Aki’s skills as a woodsman since trails and campsites would not have been evident to me if I were trekking alone.”
Tony M.
Trip Duration
5-6 Days
Cost
5 Days
$3,500/person (1 participant : 1 guide)*
$3,200/person (groups of 2 or more participants : 1 guide)*
6 Days (add a weather day to your summit attempt)
$4,200/person (1 participant : 1 guide)*
$3,840/person (groups of 2 or more participants : 1 guide)*
Private Trip
$1,100 additional cost for closed enrollment trip (no others can join your group)
Contact our office for accelerated trip itineraries.
Porters are highly recommended!
$300/day (plus additional reservation fees, see below)
*Price does not Include:
4% public land use fee
Transportation costs across the Wind River Indian Reservation ($470/per person + your portion of this cost for guides/porters)
Post Climb: Contact our office for additional add-on climbing days or other peak climbs such as Kilimanjaro
