Sky Pilot - Peak 11,280

Dylan didn't have much going on this past weekend, so I suggested he drive over from Bend, we head to Wildhorse Creek and climb Sky Pilot.  Sky Pilot is a 5.7 alpine route up the NE arete of Peak 11,280, aka Peak 11,300, aka Rearing Stallion Peak.  I believe it was originally climbed by Marc Hanselman and Drew Daley of Sawtooth Mountain Guides back in 2010.  Several other parties have since climbed it, and the photos from their trip reports were inspiring.  It has been on my list for a few years now and I am not getting any younger.

Sky Pilot offers somewhere between 1200 and 1500 feet of exposed ridge climbing to the summit, and at a modest 5.7, was right in my wheelhouse.

Is that Bigfoot moving through the heavy downfall?

To get to the start of Sky Pilot, we did our best to follow the "trail" leading up past an old mine site.  After a steep1000 feet or so, we popped out into a beautiful high alpine meadow.  A short while later we were at Lake 9238 admiring the route in the early morning sunshine.

Peak 11,280 - Sky Pilot is the left leaning arete

Lake 9280

We wanted to make it exciting, so we left (forgot) our beta at home.  I vaguely remembered a reference to a left facing couloir.  Armed with this lack of information, we started up the 4th class slabs that led to the right, hoping to find the couloir.  The 'biner on the ground told us we were on route and a short time later we found the couloir.  We roped up and started climbing about halfway up the couloir.  We obtained the arete on this first pitch and Dylan then led us to the summit.

Rather than trying to describe the 11 awesome pitches we did that day, I think I'll just let the pictures speak for me.

We climbed the slabs to the right of the crack

Yours truly climbing the slabs

The couloir we were looking for!

Dylan ready to go

Looking down after our first pitch

Dylan led all day

As we moved higher, the views continued to improve

Me following (all day)

On a nice belay ledge 

Looking back down the arete

Dylan really enjoyed himself

Another view down

A steep section on pitch 9?

Followed by another steep section

The last couple of pitches had several up and down sections.  Here Dylan belays me up one of them.

One last super exposed move!

And almost there...

All smiles at the summit

After six hours and 11 pitches, we reached the summit at 3:00PM.  What a blast!  Relatively exposed terrain and nothing over 5.7 made for an excellent, exciting day.