Trip Report
Mount Olympus via Hoh River Trail & Blue Glacier
A resplendent walk through the legendary Hoh Rain Forest turns into lush, breezy alpine meadows, and finally the iconic Blue Glacier of Mount Olympus. This was an amazing 4-day trip with a successful summit and high-stoke crew.
Joshua Walther
- Mon, Jul 14, 2025 — Thu, Jul 17, 2025
- Basic Glacier Climb - Mount Olympus
- Mount Olympus/Blue Glacier
- Climbing
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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The Hoh River Trail is in great condition. The only issue to navigate here is the tree log crossing. On the way TO Mount Olympus, it is easy to find and sort out. On the way back FROM Mount Olympus, be sure to follow your gpx to find it. The return path is quite hidden. Otherwise you will continue on the main trail back to a river crossing. Worst case scenario, you take off your boots and ford across if you can't find it in about 1 ft of water.
log/tree crossing over the Hoh The Blue Glacier is beautifully packed down into blue ice and easy to navigate. There are a few large crevasse openings to hop across or end run, but they are straightforward. It can be a little punchier/loose in the afternoon. Take caution on the snow patches during some afternoon heat. It's hard to tell what lies under them.
sunrise begins The path up to the summit is straightforward. Approach the ice fall and cut climbers' right up through the rocks and eventually onto Snow Dome. There is plenty of running water up to this point. This might be your last chance to fill up.
snow dome looking scrumptious As of 7/14/25, the Fourth of July route is OUT. We had to take the Crystal Pass route that wrapped around the Five Fingers. I wasn't really upset about this at all, since the views on this longer path are incredible. You have one final loose rock scramble that goes up into a choke point up to a false summit. Leave your crampons on, since the saddle is fairly steep and icy.
The final summit block climb is straight forward. I led the rock pitch and placed a #0.5, #0.75, #1, & #2. There's a chill little chimney section, but I pretty much just reached to the top of it. After that, you can easily scramble up to the rappel station. There were 4 slings through the rapp ring (1 purple nylon runner and 3 cordelette). The purple runner is cooked; do not rely on that. Two of the cordelettes look to be new. I would recommend bringing your own for extra caution and peace of mind. If you're feeling generous, bring a new nylon sling to replace cooked purp.
The rappel went smooth.
I didn't get a chance to do a detailed trip report with lots of pictures, but here is a summary for the parties heading out soon:
Hoh River TH is the start. The line to get into the parking lot takes hours during the summer, show up early.
Day 1: 11 miles and 1k gain to Lewis Meadows.
Day 2: 7 miles and 3.5k gain to Glacier Meadows.
Day 3: 0230 start to beat the heat. Summit day. I placed #0.5, #0.75, #1, and #2 on the summit lead climb. It was cruiser (and a fun lead). Crevasse risk is currently minimal. Back to Glacier Meadows for dinner and rest. We were first to the summit block, but this likely wouldn't be the case if it was a weekend.
**Water: There is plenty of water along the entire route up to your last water source being the Caltech rocks area. There is also a great amount of running water here, but this is your last chance to filter/fill up as of 7/16/25.
**Note: Fourth of July route is out as of 7-14-25. Must use Crystal Pass. It’s a glorious alternate route anyway.
Day 4: 18 mi strut back and 1k gain to Hoh River TH. Even more beautiful on the way out. Take it all in while you can. It goes fast. Left 0630 and back at 1330. Feel free to reach out w questions !!
