more Granite Peak

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Close up of the last couple of hundred feet. The "Keyhole" is the leaning block up there. To climb up directly underneath the Keyhole is reportedly 5.4 climbing and people rappel this on descent. To the west, thunderstorms were building. I felt I was running out of time. If I had gone further right, as my partner had suggested, we could have got up this last bit. It was a long approach and then to not finish was very disappointing, but still a good effort for just a day trip. We should have either carried a rope or started earlier, like at 3 a.m. or else camped out.

Group descending Granite Peak, taken from just below the Keyhole.

Downclimbing a chimney with another group hot on our heels. They convinced us to turn around and suggested we couldn't do it without a rope since they had used one. We did, however, slog up nearby Tempest Mountain on the way back as a consolation prize. I was really dragging my ass by that point.

We are well on our way back along Froze-to-Death Plateau with no storm to worry about anymore. Our day started from the car at 4 a.m. and we got back 20 hours later at 12:20 a.m. exhausted. It sure felt like we had bagged the peak, because the peak had sure bagged us! Our next mountain attempt was to be Borah Peak in Idaho.

For more info on Granite Peak and other USA other highpoints visit www.americasroof.com/mt.html

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"Aaahhh!"