CLIMBING ADVENTURE SERIES

GLACIER'S GIANT - CLIMBING MOUNT CLEVELAND

Part 1

If you climb in Glacier there is no doubt that Mount Cleveland is on your list as a “must climb.” And so it was on the list ever since my climbing partners and I started climbing. In our group are two emergency room physicians, a graduate student with wilderness medical treatment certification, and this writer.

It is said that Mount Cleveland is a difficult peak to climb and that certainly may be true. One thing I know for sure is that the route we chose was the most difficult bushwhack we had ever experienced. In the beginning, it all had seemed so simple. A short hike, an elk trail, a backcountry camp site, climb the next morning, stay at the Goathaunt Shelter, and ride the boat back to Waterton on day three.

 We enjoyed the nice boat ride on the International from Waterton to Goathaunt with all of the tourists. The narration from the staff added a bit of knowledge about the international border and we got to see some more incredible peaks that we need to climb. The nearly hour long ride was definitely worth the money when compared to the 9-plus mile hike required to reach the Goathaunt Ranger Station.

We checked in with the border patrol and even got a cool mountain goat stamp on our passports. A quick adjustment of packs and off we went at an easy pace covering the nearly 3 miles to Camp Creek in about 40 minutes.

A Climber’s Guide to Glacier National Park indicated that there was a climber’s trail that follows elk trails to the great open basin below the west face of Mount Cleveland.

Unfortunately, we did not find that trail. So began the first deviation from the trip plan.

Visit the BLOG again to read the next part of the adventure.