GUIDED TRIP

Gannett Peak

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 Basin, our summit day climb does not require climbing and descending over a pass.
Our guides will show you the way, manage risks, and make this a fun and educational adventure. However, there are several variables that can lead to not reaching the summit. 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 “Alpine Trainer Day”. To save energy on the way in and out we offer porters and highly recommend them. But ultimately the physical fitness needed to succeed on this mountain is up to the participant and their ability to adequately train and prepare for the climb.
Regardless of your starting point, Gannett Peak is a massive mountain that demands much respect and we want to help you get safely to the summit while enjoying every part of the trip.
Gannett Peak via Cold Springs
Season: Mid-June through -September
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 – 6:30am– Cold Springs 9500ft -> Scenic Pass 11,400ft -> Echo Lake 10,300ft
Meet at 6:30am 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 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 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.
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.
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.”
Be prepared to carry a pack weighing 40-50lbs depending on the weight of your personal gear. Porters are strongly encouraged and cost an additional $300/day (plus reservation costs). Porters allow participants to save energy on the way in and the way out so they can focus on the climb.
No technical experience is required; however basic fitness levels must be met in order to succeed on this climb. We offer an "Alpine Trainer Day" for those with limited mountaineering experience.
- Ability to hike on uneven terrain from class 2 trails to large talus fields (“boulder hopping”) to steep snow in variable conditions
- Ability to hike up to 10 miles and 3000+ vertical feet per day with an overnight pack up to 50lbs
- Ability to to climb steep snow with the use of boots, crampons & ice axe
- Ability to scramble on 3rd class rock
- Professional climbing guide(s)
- 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
- 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)
- 4% Public Land Use fee
Please see our Summer Mountaineering Equipment List for the required equipment for this trip. Technical equipment (helmet, harness, ice axe) may be rented from MAG and is included in day cost. This must be coordinated in advance.
Please see our Registration, Cancellation, and Refund Policies.