🚐 D‑TOURS with Shotgun 📡Drive
← all objectives

Dragontail Peak — Serpentine Arête

Stuart Range, WA IV 5.8 Alpine Trad ~15 pitches / 2,000 ft / Colchuck Lake approach alpine Approach snow · rockfall · exposure

🚐 Join the caravan

🥾 Colchuck Lake trail + glacier moraine to the orange rock 🦟 Bugs at the lake early summer ❄️ Approach/route snow into June; melts out summer

One of the best moderate alpine rock lines in the Cascades — a 2,000-ft, ~15-pitch IV 5.8 arête on Dragontail's flank above Colchuck Lake. Mostly moderate (much can be simul-climbed) with two excellent technical pitches; only ~4 pitches (P3–6) really need pitching out. Descent via Aasgard Pass and the Snow Creek Glacier.

🚗 Getting there & comms

Trailhead: Stuart Lake / Colchuck Lake TH

~8 mi up Icicle Creek Rd from Leavenworth; NW Forest Pass; lot fills pre-dawn

⛽ Last services: Leavenworth, WA (full services)

📶 Cell signal: Spotty/none in the basin; some LTE high on the peak — carry inReach

🧗 Routes

Serpentine ArêteIV 5.8
~15 pitches / 2,000 ft; ~4 pitches (P3–6) pitched, the rest simuls

🎒 Gear & food

Rack: 9 cams fingers to wide hands (a #3 optional / rarely needed) + nuts

Ropes: Single 60m

Footwear: Approach shoes; consider light boots if snowy

🪢 Skills needed

  • simul-climbing
  • multi-pitch trad
  • snow travel (early season)
  • alpine routefinding

⏰ Start & altitude

🌄 Timing: Pre-dawn — long day, beat afternoon storms

✅ Before you leave the trailhead

Auto-built from this dossier — ticks save on this device.

🏕️ Land · camp · water · permits

🪧 Land & passes: Alpine Lakes Wilderness / Enchantments (Okanogan-Wenatchee NF) — NW Forest Pass to park

Camp:

  • Colchuck Lake (overnight needs an Enchantments permit — lottery)

💧 Water: Colchuck Lake · snowmelt (treat)

📋 Permits: Day climbing needs no permit; overnight Enchantments permits are a competitive lottery; parking fills before dawn

⚠️ Hazards · fire · emergency

  • Approach + route snow patches (early season)
  • Loose/sandy rock, rockfall
  • Lichen-covered slabs — traction
  • Exposure
  • Afternoon thunderstorms

🪂 Bail / retreat: Descend Aasgard Pass then the Snow Creek Glacier back toward Colchuck; carry axe early season

🆘 Emergency contacts

  • Chelan County Sheriff (Leavenworth) — SAR 509-667-6851 — Call 911 first if you have signal

🌤️ Live conditions

🟢 Send window: Sat
Fri
☁️
57° 39°
Sat
☀️
61° 43°
Sun
☁️
75° 48°
Mon
☁️
73° 51°
Tue
☁️
63° 42°

Auto-updated 20h ago · °F · tap a link for the mountain-specific picture ↓

⛰️ Mountain Forecast

👀 In the field

Tap any for ID, edibility & first-aid.

📍 Nearby & other interest

  • Colchuck Peak
  • Backbone Ridge
  • Aasgard Pass
  • The Enchantments

💬 Comments

Comments are reviewed before they show up.