Sharkfin Tower — Southeast Ridge
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A short but spectacular spire of excellent North Cascades granite perched on the high ridge between Forbidden and Boston Peaks — what it lacks in length (only ~3 pitches of low-5th-class rock) it makes up for in airy position and exposure over the Quien Sabe and Boston glaciers, making it one of Boston Basin's classic moderate alpine objectives.
🥾 Approach · descent · season
Approach: From the Boston Basin trailhead (Cascade River Road), ~3.2 mi / ~2,500 ft to the Boston Basin high camps. From camp, follow the Quien Sabe Glacier approach (as for Sahale): skirt the climber's-left edge of the glacier and gain it relatively high up, then rope up and traverse climber's-right across the upper glacier until directly beneath the tower and the gully/couloir leading to the ridge (35-degree snow early season; class 2-3 loose scree gully late season), which leads to a sloped terrace and the notch at the base of the rock.
⬇️ Descent: Descend the route by a combination of downclimbing and several short rappels (typically ~3-4) off established tat / rap-ring anchors, back to the gully and the Quien Sabe Glacier, then reverse the glacier travel to camp. INSPECT every anchor — this peak has a recorded rappel-anchor-failure accident, and the descent terrain is blocky and loose. Note anchor locations on the way up.
🗓️ Season: Mid-July through September. Earlier = firmer snow couloir but more glacier hazard; late season the couloir becomes loose scree.
🎒 Gear & food
Rack: Light single rack to ~2-3 in with a few nuts and alpine draws/slings; plus full glacier kit — ice axe, crampons, and a picket for the approach couloir. Helmet essential (rockfall on the descent).
✅ Before you leave the trailhead
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⚠️ Hazards · fire · emergency
- The crux is the DESCENT, not the climbing: this peak has a documented AAC fatality from a rappel-anchor failure plus rockfall on the loose, blocky descent. Glacier travel (crevasses) and the approach couloir (35-degree snow early season / loose scree late season) are the other key dangers. Rock climbing itself is easy (low 5th).
🌤️ Live conditions
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