Peaks & routes	Fortress Mountain (Southeast Route), Chiwawa Mountain (Southwest Route)
Duration	3 days
Roundtrip mileage	13 miles
Elevation gain	+ 8,100 ft
USGS 7.5-minute	Suiattle Pass
GT 15-minute	Holden (No 113)
Trailhead	Buck Creek Trail
Max difficulty	Grade II. Class 4 rock.
Season	June-October

This Slam provides a chance to climb two of the highest peaks in a short outing through some beautiful country. The easy approach will help you save your energy for the physically demanding day of scrambling ahead. Inspiring views of Glacier Peak from the summits and enjoyable climbing will make it all worthwhile.

Fortress Mountain
8,760 feet; 30th Highest

Fortress Mountain is an apt name for this bastion of a peak. It possesses a formidable northwest ridge and northeast face. It is located at the head of the Chiwawa River Valley west of Chiwawa Mountain. In early summer, the long southwest slopes are an alpine garden of heather and flowers.

Southeast Route

Fortress Mountain from the southeast (Chiwawa Basin)
(Photo by Scott Stephenson)

This scramble requires good route finding skills to make your way from Chiwawa Basin through the forest and up onto the open southeast slopes. The summit scramble up an interesting chimney provides an exhilarating finish.

Approach
Time to Camp	3-4 hours
Mileage	7 miles
Elevation Change	+ 2,200 ft; - 200 ft
GT 15-minute	Holden (No 113)
Contact	Lake Wenatchee Ranger Station
Route
Difficulty	Grade II. Class 3 rock with a short class 4 chimney just below the summit.
Time to Summit	4-5 hours
Elevation Change	+ 4,000 ft; - 0 ft
USGS 7.5-minute	Suiattle Pass
Season	June-October

Approach: Permits are not required to camp or climb in the Glacier Peak Wilderness. A Northwest Forest Pass is required to park at the trailhead.

Drive US Highway 2 to Coles Corner 19 miles east of Stevens Pass. Turn north onto State Highway 207 (Lake Wenatchee Road) and follow it for 4.4 miles, past the turnoff to Plain/Leavenworth and over the Wenatchee River Bridge, to a fork. Bear right at the fork and continue 1.3 miles, past the Lake Wenatchee State Airport, then turn left onto Chiwawa River Road (Forest Road 62) at the sign for Fish Lake/Chiwawa Valley. Follow Chiwawa River Road 23.5 miles to the parking area at its end at Trinity and the trailhead for Buck Creek Trail (2,770 ft).

Follow the Buck Creek Trail 1.4 miles to a fork (3,100 ft). Bear right at the fork onto the Chiwawa River Trail and hike 3.6 miles to the junction with the unmarked Chiwawa Basin Trail (4,800 ft) just before the sign for the Red Mountain Trail. Turn left onto the Chiwawa Basin Trail and hike 1.4 miles to its end in Chiwawa Basin and good camping (4,800 ft). Camp on the north side of the stream so you don't have to cross it first thing in the morning.

Route: From Chiwawa Basin, walk northerly across the meadow along its right (east) side, past a tongue of brush, and enter the forest and a broad gully. Follow the gully northwesterly along a stream, taking the path of least resistance, to an open slope at the base of Point 5971 at 5,400 feet. Bear up and right back into the forest and enter a large flat basin beneath Chiwawa Mountain. Ascend to the head of the basin (5,600 ft) at the foot of steep rock slabs, talus and gullies. Avoid the more difficult terrain by ascending the steep slope on the left, which is covered with heather and scrub conifers, to reach the base of an easy gully. Consider marking your course with wands from here onward, as it is imperative that you descend via this route to avoid more difficult terrain. Ascend the gully and slopes above bearing approximately 340-degrees (north-northwesterly) toward the Fortress-Chiwawa col.

From below the col at 6,600 feet, bear left and begin a long rising traverse northwesterly, then westerly (staying above a rock island in the middle of the slopes) to the base of a broad gully leading to Fortress Mountain's east ridge well right (east) of the summit. Ascend the gully to the crest of the east ridge (approx. 8,200 ft). Turn left (west) and scramble toward the summit, being careful not to venture too far left (south) onto the hazardous terrain of the east face. Scramble up a short chimney (class 4) to the summit area and walk to the summit (8,760 ft).

Descent: Descend the route.

Chiwawa Mountain
8,459 feet; 61st highest

Chiwawa Mountain is perhaps best known for the Lyman Glacier on its northeastern flank. The glacier periodically calves icebergs into Lyman Lake. It is located at the head of the Chiwawa River Valley and east of Fortress Mountain.

Southwest Route

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