Climb the Elephants Perch

You don’t need to be an expert – the Mountaineers Route is Idaho’s ultimate moderate rock climb.

Our 2-day Perch Climb gives you a day to hone your skills before tackling the Mountaineer’s Route on Idaho’s most famous chunk of granite. This route has it all including straight-in cracks, lie backs, chimneys, face climbing, and an exciting warm-up mantle. The crux is a hand to fist crack on the final pitch. In total, there are 8 pitches up to 5.9 in difficulty on the finest granite the Sawtooths have to offer

Our 2-Day Perch Climb gives you a day to get warmed up on the Redfish Boulder and/or the Super Slabs to practice the climbing skills needed to scale the Perch, and also learn techniques for efficient multi-pitch climbing including transitions and cleaning gear.

After getting warmed up on the rock, you’ll spend the night at our Canyon Camp  – a 2.5 mile hike up Redfish Canyon from the end of the lake. Situated below the Elephant’s Perch, our Canyon Camp provides the perfect base from which to tackle the climb the second day. Just spending a night at our Camp is a treat on its own, and since it’s fully stocked with tents, pads, and sleeping bags, you won’t need to carry a heavy pack!

The base of the Mountaineer’s Route is reached after a short hour approach from Canyon Camp, and after the climb, you’ll return to Canyon Camp via a non-technical descent.

Day 1 – Prep Day

  • Work on climbing skills and techniques at the Redfish Boulder and/or Super Slabs
    • 5.9 crack climbing
    • Gear and anchor cleaning
    • Multi-pitch techniques and efficiency
  • Take boat shuttle across Redfish Lake and hike 2.5 miles to our fully-stocked Canyon Camp. Spend night at camp.

Day 2 – Perch Climb

  • Breakfast in camp.
  • Short but steep hike to base of Mountaineers Route on the Elephants Perch.
  • Climb 8 pitch Mountaineers Route and descend on foot via NW face.
  • Pack up at camp and hike 2.5 miles to Redfish Lake. Return to lodge via boat shuttle.

 Difficulty: Participants need to be fit and have previous climbing experience.

 Duration: 2 days, 8am first day to 5pm second day

 Meeting Time: 8am

 Meeting Location: Sawtooth Mountain Guides Headquarters in Stanley

 What We Provide:

  • All technical climbing equipment (shoes, harness, helmet, carabiners, belay device, rope)
  • Boat shuttle across Redfish Lake
  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • Night at fully-stocked Canyon Camp – tent, sleeping pad, and sleeping bag provided

 What You Need:

  • Basic outdoor clothing and footwear
  • Snacks
  • Daypack (~30L in size)
  • Toiletries and personal items for night in Canyon Camp
  • Review the equipment list

Ratio: 2:1 maximum

 Rates: 2 people – $1040/person; 1 person – $1600/person