>>1706933Completeing the pfiffner traverse last Sept was a big one for me. My first US high route. Only 77 miles but with 760' of climbing for every mile and only dropping below 10000' twice it was pretty tough. Loads of off trail travel and a good amount of class 2-3 scrambling.
Being woken by the elk, seeing cow, bull, and calf moose and getting to be in the CO rockies without seeing anyone else was a blast. This webm is of the approach to the North East Gully which is the 'crux' of the traverse. It's the sort of scree ramp you see at the start, above the largest patch of snow. The talus running up to it was huge, and the gully was steep and slippy. It was a very fun climb.
Completing this route for me was moving onto the next level of mountain travel and has cemented my confidence as a navigator and my physical abilities.
Can't wait to complete some tough routes this year.
