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Chair Peak in the Alpental Valley near Snoqualmie Pass offers several routes of varying difficulty in an alpine setting barely one hour from Seattle. Chair Peak is a great day trip for anyone looking for a quick alpine outing or a solid training peak for bigger objectives.
Important booking information: Please click the "Book Now" button above to book any date. However, booking through our website does not guarantee that a guide will be available on the date you choose. If we do not have a guide available on the date you choose, we will contact you to arrange a different date. If you book at least 2 weeks out it is more likely that we will have a guide available. If you would like to ensure the date is available prior to booking, please call us at 425-888-6397 x2. Price is based on 2 climbers per guide.
Rock Climbing Skills: Moderate to Difficult (route dependent)
Fitness Level: Moderately Strenuous
Technical Skills Required: Moderate to High (route dependent)
Chair Peak NE Buttress (Alpine Grade 2; 5.6): This has been a favorite with our guests for several years. The approach up the Snow Lake trail and into the Chair Peak Basin is pleasant and takes about 2 hours. From the Chair Peak basin you gain the base of the NE buttress via a nice climbers trail. The actual climb starts with a low 5th class gully, followed by a section of scenic 3rd and 4th class scrambling to the actual "crux" of the route where the buttress steepens. This steep section we can climb head on with a few fifth class moves or we can traverse out onto the actual east face. Either way, it feels lofty and spectacular. Above this section we follow easy 4th class scrambling to the top. The descent involves more 3rd and 4th class down climbing down the south face couloir, followed by several rappels through the narrow and east facing chock stone couloir, back into the Chair Peak basin. It truly is a very entertaining route in its own right, but also gets used as a training route and "check off" route for larger alpine objectives like Forbidden Peak or even the Matterhorn in Switzerland.
Chair Peak West Ridge (Alpine Grade 2+, 5.7): Pioneered by Pro Guiding Service owner Martin Volken, this route provides a great test piece for much more remote and classic mountains, but in a more technical, exposed and adventurous character than the NE Buttress. The approach to the route is the same as for the NE Buttress until you get to the base of the NE Buttress. We then traverse across the slabby rocks under the North Face to the obvious gully at the western edge of the North Face. This is where the route starts in earnest with 2 pitches of 5.7 to the top of the gully. From here we more or less follow the West Ridge to the summit in varying degrees of exposure, climbing difficulty and rock quality. All in all a great adventure that should test your overall alpine movement skills.
Chair Peak North Face direct (Alpine Grade 2+, 5.9): This route was also pioneered by Martin Volken and offers steep climbing up surprisingly good rock through the center of Chair Peak's North Face. Prior Alpine climbing and rock climbing experience are a must for this route.
Chair Peak East Face direct (Alpine Grade 2, 5.6):Â The East Face of Chair Peak is actually the most visible face from the Alpental Parking Lot. The route cruises via steep and slabby rock directly to the false summit.Â
PGS Supplied
Although tipping is not a requirement it is considered standard practice in the guiding industry and is appreciated by our guides. We generally recommend 10%-15% of your course or trip cost or a flat amount that you are comfortable with.