An alpine trad+sport route with some great exposure on the face of Vesper.

Approach

Hike the normal trail to Vesper, and at around 5,600 feet, spot a turnoff to the right.

You’ll instantly get an epic view of the lake. Continue left along the heather ledges across some steep sections (hopefully no snow as long as you went late enough in the season).

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After about 10 minutes, you’ll find the 4th class 10 foot scramble to the belay ledge.

Pitch 1

There are SO MANY options to get up pitch 1. Near the start, you can stay to the left on what looks like slabby terrain, or go to the right into the nice corner on easy terrain. Then continue up the blocky rock and spot the anchor on the left. Or you also could cut left and then go up some other right-sloping blocking terrain to the anchor.

The following pictures are if you step right near the start and go up the corner.

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Pitch 2

Up the chimney (or bypass by walking around the right), and then slabby bolted section finishing on a grassy ledge with another bolted anchor.

The start of the slabby bolted section

Then some heather steps to the belay ledge with the bolted anchor…

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From this belay ledge, it seems like you could easily cross over to Ragged Edge

Pitch 3

Another bolted slab with a reachy move just above the first bolt, then some trad section in the flakier pieces near the end up to another ledge for the bolted belay.

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Pitch 4

The crux finger crack pitch. It goes up one crack and then a bolt protects the traverse to the right crack, and continues up some more, to three more bolts and then the bolted anchor. I only used a 0.2 cam at the smallest, and quite a few nuts, I placed 12 pieces total including the bolts.

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Pitch 5

All bolted! Like 5-6 bolts to the top including a piton, then sling a rock on the top and belay.

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Summit

Prepare to be greeted by hikers at the summit! Gorgeous views.

Descent

Take the hiking trail (class 3) back down!

Reports