Ptarmigan Ski Traverse

Regard­ed by many to be the most beau­ti­ful moun­taineer­ing route in the coun­try, the Ptarmi­gan Tra­verse is also con­sid­ered one of the finest ski-tra­vers­es. Four mem­bers of the Ptarmi­gan Climb­ing Club made the first cross­ing of this route in July 1938. For thir­teen days, Calder Bressler, Bill Cox, Ray Clough and Tom Myers pio­neered the entire crest from Dome Peak to Cas­cade Pass, mak­ing many first ascents along the plus mile route.

For skiers this tra­verse offers numer­ous descent oppor­tu­ni­ties, all in a true wilder­ness set­ting of big alpine glac­i­ers, com­pli­cat­ed ridge­lines and cirques, and clas­sic ski-moun­taineer­ing ter­rain. What can take hours on foot in the sum­mer, can take min­utes with skis in the late win­ter and ear­ly spring.

A full array of skills will be employed – ski tour­ing, nav­i­ga­tion, win­ter camp­ing, moun­taineer­ing, and avalanche haz­ard assess­ment skills are all required. The Ptarmi­gan Tra­ver­seis a seri­ous under­tak­ing with a high com­mit­ment lev­el. In prop­er con­di­tions, the Ptarmi­gan Tra­verse flows amaz­ing­ly well with skis on your feet. Com­bine the facts of zero crowds, no ski areas, and a long sea­son, and you have what we con­sid­er one of the best alpine ski-tra­vers­es in North America.