Basic Rock Climb - The Tooth/South Face

The Tooth is a classic basic rock climb. The climbing on the route itself is fun and easy. The most difficult part is getting to and from the base of the route. 

The approach involves crossing a moderately steep snow slope and a snow finger up to a notch that can be steep depending on conditions. Ice axes will almost certainly be necessary and possibly crampons depending on snow conditions. There is some short but tricky rock scrambling from the notch to the base of the route itself. Gear will be reviewed over email but expect to need all your rock climbing gear as well as snow gear - mountaineering boots, ice ax, crampons.

The distance/elevation numbers for the Tooth are not large but it can end up being a very long day anyways depending on how we are able to move on the snow approach and how smoothly the climbing and rappels go. 

Leader's permission is not turned on but please be thoughtful and honest about your comfort level with steep snow and using your ice ax before signing up. Basic climbing students without scrambling experience will likely find this climb more enjoyable a bit later when the snow has melted and I would encourage those folks to find another climbing opportunity. The challenges of the Tooth are more in the scrambling than the climbing. 

For the rope leader slot, this is a good climb for a first-year intermediate student after you have completed your final multi-pitch field trip. Consider the same advice about scrambling - if you aren't a strong scrambler, there will be many other trips that might be a better fit for your early rope leads. Other intermediates are welcome too.  

Expect to meet at 6 AM or another early time at the Snow Lake trailhead, to be coordinated over email