Fremont Peak

Elevation: 13,754 ft.

Prominence: 1,173 ft.

Isolation: 4.5 miles

Technical Difficulty: Class 3

Fremont Peak Guidebook

Introduction

In the hierarchy of northern Wind River summits, Fremont Peak is second only to Gannett in both height and popularity. From west of the range, Fremont can easily be mistaken for the highest summit in the Winds, a mistake most famously made by John C. Fremont in 1842, when he and others climbed his peak and claimed it was the highest in the Rockies. From Island Lake, where Fremont camped, his peak is unquestionably the monarch of all visible summits. Its massive southwest buttress rises thousands of feet to the jagged Continental Divide, dividing Titcomb Basin from Indian Basin and providing climbers with a staircase to alpine heaven

General Considerations

Fremont Peak is THE mountain to climb on a trip to Titcomb Basin, and would make a wonderful introduction to Wyoming for someone who has previous experience with class 3-4 alpine climbing in Colorado or California. While Fremont is the highest peak on the great western wall of Titcomb Basin, it is much easier to climb from Indian Basin.

A camp somewhere along the Indian Basin trail or near Island Lake is convenient for approaching Fremont Peak. You can see the southwest ramp route from Pinedale and from nearly everywhere along the approach, which can help you get an idea of the conditions. Depending on your inclinations, the view may be inspiring or intimidating, as the peak appears especially steep from afar.

Route 1: Southwest Ramp – Class 3

The most direct way to approach Fremont is via the Pole Creek Trail from the Elkhart Park Trailhead, then following the Seneca Lake Trail and Indian Pass Trail to Indian Basin. Where the Indian Pass Trail crosses the small inlet creek to Lake 11008, leave the trail to the left (northwest) and hike up the gently sloping valley to join the southwest ridge of Fremont Peak around 12,200 ft. where the ridge undergoes a change in slope and begins slanting steeply upward.

The southwest ramp looms above, and the route is fairly straightforward. A short rock step marks the beginning of the scrambling, beyond which 2,500 ft. of slabs, scree gullies, and blocky terrain offers a plethora of micro-routefinding choices. Many routes are possible at comparable difficulty, though in general the easiest path meets the summit ridge somewhat to climber’s right of the highpoint.

Keep climbing until the ramp abruptly ends at the wildly exposed summit ridge, with the Upper Fremont Glacier suddenly appearing dramatically at your feet. The ridge consists of huge talus blocks along which you can clamber to find the summit; mind the exposure, especially if it’s windy! The highpoint is a triangular block perched precipitously close to the edge.

Route 2: Southwest Ramp from Titcomb – Class 3+

The character of this route is sufficiently different from Fremont’s standard approach to merit a standalone description. From Titcomb Basin, hike up to Mistake Lake, and find your way through the confusing maze of slabs and cliff bands near Mistake Lake’s southern end. A precise description is impossible, but on a direct route, expect to encounter a range of loose scree gullies and slab traverses (class 4). Continue upwards to meet the southwest ramp around 12,200 ft., the same point as from the Indian Basin side, then join Route 1 to gain the summit.

Alternatively, a class 3+ route can be found farther south on the ridge separating Titcomb from Indian Basin. From Mistake Lake, angle southeast towards a talus gully, climbing up this gully, through a notch, and along the lower south ridge to reach the base of the southwest ramp.

Route 3: Northeast Ridge – Class 5.2, Moderate Snow

The first ascent of Fremont Peak after Fremont’s party (by Blaurock and party) was via the Upper Fremont Glacier and north face, crossing a major bergschrund. Snow chutes below the summit could still be climbed, but the author is unaware of any modern ascents of the direct north face. Recent climbers have favored a traverse route along Fremont’s northeast ridge to connect the summit with points to the north, bypassing the very serious snow on the proper north face.

From the Upper Fremont Glacier, head for the point where Fremont’s east ridge flattens out and turns north below the last major gendarmes. Climb moderate snow slopes to reach the ridge, which is a broad talus crest at this point. From here, the route traverses substantially below the crest on the climber’s left (southeast) side of the ridge. The easiest path follows a swath of highly fractured, darker colored rock.

The upper south face is cut by several steep gullies and chimneys, and crossing these presents the route’s crux. Expect several exposed downclimbs on blocks and flakes. Regain the proper east ridge one gendarme short of the summit area, climbing over or around this stubby pinnacle and ascending a short slab to reach the boulder-clad summit ridge.

Introduction

Mount Helen is one of the finest peaks in the Wind Rivers, and certainly the star of upper Titcomb Basin. Its complicated rock faces converge in a single tower leaning out over the abyss. From the west, the steep wall of Titcomb Basin sweeps upward in dramatic fashion, and two subsidiary summits, Tower 1 and Tower 2, contribute to Helen’s memorable profile as seen while hiking into Titcomb. The east side is gentler, with a broad but steep-walled ridge. If you need to convince your mountaineering friends why the Wind River Range is worth exploring, consider an ascent of Mount Helen. The Bonneys report that this peak was named for Helen Fisher in 1901, though no further information on its namesake is forthcoming.

General Considerations

While Helen is perhaps best known for its highly technical rock climbing routes (including the classic Tower Ridge) and alpine ice routes (including Tower 1 Gully), this guidebook only includes a variety of less-technical (but nevertheless, still serious) summit routes, as the more-technical climbs are well-documented by other sources. For summit-oriented peakbaggers, Helen is best approached from the east side of the Continental Divide, since the west face is so severe. Still, there are several ways to get from Titcomb to the east-side routes.

Route 1: East Ridge – Class 4, Moderate Snow

Approach A: North Fork of Bull Lake Creek

The most natural and aesthetic way of approaching Helen’s east side is to ascend the Helen Glacier from its outwash plain in the North Fork of Bull Lake Creek, which itself can be reached by backpacking over Blaurock Pass from the Dinwoody, North Indian Pass from Dry Creek, or Indian Pass from Indian Basin/Titcomb. The Helen Glacier is rapidly retreating, and is extensively crevassed in areas, but the glacier usually consists mostly of low-angled snow hiking.

Another approach is possible from the moraine below the Sacagawea Glacier, and the author has fond memories of a loop hike up the Sacagawea moraine, over the pass at the base of Helen’s east ridge, and down the Helen Glacier. However, the Sacagawea moraine is incredibly unstable and extreme caution should be exercised; car-sized talus blocks may spontaneously drop into bottomless pits or crush unsuspecting hikers. One way or another, find your way to the interesting col that separates Helen’s east ridge from the Three Brothers, a high 12er.

Approach B: Titcomb Gully

From upper Titcomb Basin, hike north below the imposing west face of Mount Helen, and look for a snow/scree gully leading west to a small col at 12,561 ft. on the Continental Divide. Cross this pass between Helen and Spearhead/Forked Tongue Pinnacles, descending the upper part of the Helen Glacier and turning south to gain the Helen-Three Brothers col.

Final Ascent, All Approaches

From the broad pass between the Sacagawea Glacier and Helen Glacier valleys, Helen’s east ridge begins as a broad bulwark of rock and snow. If enough snow remains, it is possible to climb directly up the center of this face on moderate snow. Alternatively, gain the ridge by scrambling the narrow rock buttress that forms the southern bulwark of the east ridge.

From the break in slope around 12,700 ft., continue up a snow or talus slope to the upper east ridge, which flattens out at 13,300 ft., forming an elegant sidewalk in the sky. Follow the ridge west to the summit. Most of the upper ridge is hiking terrain, but the last few hundred feet involves some class 4 climbing on blocky terrain to bypass gendarmes and surmount the summit pyramid.

Route 2: South Couloirs – Class 4, Moderate Snow

This is the most direct way to climb Mount Helen from Titcomb Basin at a moderate technical grade. From the bench that extends north from Mistake Lake above Lake 10598, climb a left-angling talus slope as described for Mount Sacagawea, obvious from Titcomb Basin when observing the wall between Sacagawea and Helen.

After topping out on the Continental Divide around 12,800 ft., descend north, crossing a snowfield that abuts the eastern edge of the Divide (melts down to ugly moraine in the late season). Head for Helen’s summit, climbing one of several short (200 ft.) couloirs to gain the east ridge just before the summit pyramid.

Fremont Peak Map

Click title to show track

Southwest Ramp Route
Southwest Ramp Route from Titcomb
North Face Route

Fremont Peak Panorama

Fremont Peak Photos

Fremont Peak dominates the scene above Island Lake, the locale first made famous by Fremont’s 1842 expedition (2016)

Sunset light on Fremont Peak after a summer thunderstorm in Titcomb Basin (2016)

Looking up at Fremont Peak in the early morning during an ascent from Titcomb (2016)

At the base of the southwest ramp on Fremont (2016)

Enjoyable scrambling on mostly solid rock (2016)

Nearing the top of the southwest ramp (2016)

It’s a long way back down to Titcomb Basin (2016)

Top of the southwest ramp route on Fremont Peak (2016)

First peek at the glaciers on the other side of Fremont (2016)

The Upper Fremont Glacier suddenly appears from the summit of Fremont Peak (2016)

The glacier view from Fremont Peak is one of the most classic Wind River Range scenes (2016)

Wildflowers high above Titcomb on Fremont’s southwest ramp (2016)

Halfway through the long descent on my first trip up Fremont Peak (2016)

Looking back at the southwest ramp, the standard way to climb Fremont (2016)

We chose to climb Fremont directly from Titcomb on this trip instead of taking the easier approach from Indian Basin (2016)

Panorama of Titcomb Basin, showing the two main Titcomb Lakes and the less-visited Mistake Lake (2016)

Nearing Mistake Lake on the descent from Fremont Peak (2016)

The peaks of upper Titcomb Basin reflect in the placid waters of Mistake Lake (2016)

Our route from Mistake Lake weaves through the cliffs and slabs to gain Fremont’s southwest ramp far above (2016)

Enjoying a post-climb swim and “beach day” on the shores of the Titcomb Lakes (2016)

The more-standard way of approaching Fremont’s southwest ramp is from this side, in Indian Basin (2016)

The northeast aspect of Fremont Peak consists of a sharp ridge rising shortly above the Upper Fremont Glacier (2016)

Mid-June snow on Fremont Peak’s standard route (2020)

Fremont rising above Island Lake, which is still ice-covered this early in the summer (2020)

Fremont Peak (center), Jackson Peak (right), and the other Titcomb/Indian Basin 13ers above Island Lake in mid-July (2020)

Fremont dominates the right skyline while hiking into Titcomb (2020)

Looking up at the jaw-dropping ridgeline between Sacagawea and Fremont (2020)

Sunset on Fremont Peak above our camp between the main Titcomb Lakes (2020)

The “other” side of Fremont Peak, above the Upper Fremont Glacier, is hidden from most who climb the peak (2020)

Starting up the southwest ramp route in the early morning on an ascent from Indian Basin (2020)

Moderate slab scrambling on the route (2020)

High on the southwest ramp route at sunrise (2020)

Scrambling slabs far above Titcomb Basin; the terrain is less severe than it looks from this perspective (2020)

Enjoying the morning sunlight on top of Fremont (2020)

View back west across the Island Lake-Fremont Creek region (2020)

Rugged summit area of Fremont Peak (2020)

The Upper Fremont Glacier is separated from the peak by an imposing bergschrund (2020)

Some snowmelt water on the rocks is icy in places, requiring extra care on the descent (2020)

Flowers and view along the standard hiking route on Fremont Peak (2020)

Looking back at the peak from the base of the southwest ramp; vertical foreshortening makes it look much closer than it actually is (2020)

Morning views of Titcomb Basin and the Titcomb Needles (2020)

Descending snow slopes back into Indian Basin, with the southwest ramp visible in profile on the right (2020)

Fremont Peak as seen from upper Indian Basin, showing the route to gain the base of the southwest ramp (2020)

Fremont as seen from Jackson, showing a major couloir on the south face (2020)

Troubled weather approaches over Fremont as we prepare to hike back to Elkhart Park (2020)

Leaving Indian Basin, with Fremont on the left and Jackson on the right (2020)

Parting view of Fremont over Island Lake (2020)

Sunrise on Fremont Peak as seen from the top of Harrower (2020)

Upper Indian Basin is a pleasant place, and Fremont Peak steals the show (2020)

Another classic view of Fremont Peak from Titcomb Basin (2020)

The day turned out to be glorious, as promised. This view looks north from the summit of Jackson to Fremont and a dozen more distant 13ers. It was an inspiring view in once sense, but it put in perspective how hard this was going to be.

I’m glad I decided to start climbing again this morning, even though I obviously didn’t continue with the FKT. The views were some of the best I’ve ever seen in this area since it was so calm and sunny.

The peaks of Titcomb Basin reflect in Mistake Lake.

Looking down at the Titcomb Lakes from the southwest ramp of Fremont Peak. Notice the giant reflections spreading across the entire lakes!

The southwest ramp of Fremont is one of my favorite moderate scrambles, and I was glad to be climbing an easy route in the sun.

The summit of Fremont Peak, with the snow cap of Gannett visible in the distance.

Panorama from the summit of Fremont Peak.

Wow, what a view. The most obvious peaks here are Henderson, American Legion, the Twins, and Woodrow Wilson (left to right).

Next up is Fremont, and now it’s decision time. I could descend all the way into Titcomb and climb the easy standard route, but this would require a second passage through the rockfall gully and a huge amount of elevation loss and re-gain. Instead, I opt to try climbing Fremont from this side, via a convoluted 5th class route starting from the Upper Fremont Glacier.

The “other” side of Fremont Peak. Most people know it as the giant rock peak towering over Island Lake, but the seldom-visited east side of Fremont is a convoluted plateau harboring the Upper Fremont Glacier below the jagged summit ridge.

Fremont Peak above the Upper Fremont Glacier.

Walking across the Upper Fremont Glacier, a spot I’ve seen many times and always wanted to visit. The summit of Fremont is only a couple hundred feet higher, but the steep summit cliff and icy couloirs prevent direct access.

Meltwater streams on the surface of the glacier. Like most of the Wind River glaciers, this one is melting and unlikely to persist year-round much longer.

Looking back over the Upper Fremont Glacier. By midday, the smoke mostly cleared out, and the views were quite nice.

It’s tempting to head straight up to the summit from the glacier since it’s so close, but that upper section is pure ice. No thanks!

At the edge of the glacier, I gain Fremont’s subtle east ridge. I know several people have made it up or down Fremont from this side, but I’m mostly relying on Sean’s description from last year. The trick is to traverse well below the crest on the left side.

Most of the route involves traversing broad but sloping ledges. The few harder sections involve vertical downclimbs into the steep gullies that cut across the face.

It keeps looking like it’s going to cliff out, but it never does. It’s a cool route, one that feels like it should be much harder than it is. There’s still enough loose rock and exposure to keep me on my toes.

This crazy gendarme looks like the bust of some giant animal, maybe a bighorn sheep, with its horn curling back to the left.

I regained the ridge just before this final gendarme since the face got too steep to traverse. Bypassing it took some delicate low 5th class moves. My fingertips were actually starting to get raw from all the rock climbing the past few days!

Looking back at the ridge that I bypassed/traversed from the summit. It looks short from here, but it took me almost an hour from the glacier. Ah, the perils of being too careful…

The summit of Fremont Peak, one of my favorite perches in the Winds.

Summit panorama from Fremont Peak. Most of the 13ers in the northern Winds are visible on the left, and the few remaining 13ers I plan to climb tomorrow are visible behind the ridge on the right.

My descent of Fremont’s standard southwest slopes goes swimmingly, and before long I’m on the climbers’ trail at the bottom. I’m kind of tired and honestly tempted to call it a day, but it’s only 4:30 p.m. and I should probably make a more productive use of the next 3 hours of daylight.

Descending into Indian Basin, with Harrower cutting a distinctive profile in the distance. It’s my last remaining 4th class 13er in the Winds, and I’m slightly nervous because of my bad experience with the wet slabs when I climbed Harrower right after a rain storm in August.

DISCLAIMER: Mountain climbing is dangerous. Activities described on this page may lead to serious injury, death, and property damage. This webpage is presented with no warranty express or implied. Pictures and text are for entertainment purposes only. No commercial use allowed; all rights reserved.

The Sunlit Summit

Trip Reports

Wyoming 13ers Guidebook

Fremont Peak

Fremont Peak Guidebook

Introduction

General Considerations

Route 1: Southwest Ramp – Class 3

Route 2: Southwest Ramp from Titcomb – Class 3+

Route 3: Northeast Ridge – Class 5.2, Moderate Snow

Introduction

General Considerations

Route 1: East Ridge – Class 4, Moderate Snow

Route 2: South Couloirs – Class 4, Moderate Snow

Fremont Peak Map

Click title to show track

Fremont Peak Panorama

Fremont Peak Photos