Johannesburg Mountain, situated near Sahale Peak, towers above the popular Cascade Pass Trailhead. Its impressive northeast buttress features several hanging glaciers, a spectacular and dramatic sight. Additionally, the mountain’s east ridge (Doug’s Direct) offers the least technical climbing route.
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Johannesburg Mountain at a Glance
Access: Cascade Pass Trailhead
Round Trip: 10.8 miles (14.5 miles from the trailhead)
Elevation Range: 3480′-8200′
Gear: helmet, microspikes, rope
Route Info: trailcatjim.com
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: no pets
A Long-Awaited Return
I first saw Johannesburg Mountain eight years ago when it was completely covered in December snow. At the time, friends and I tried going up Cascade Pass, though we never made it. Over the years, I have marveled at the impressive mountain from many places.
After a long and tiring day on Booker Mountain, I returned to Cascade Pass and slept next to a tiny pool. The clouds were hovering in the area when I woke up during the night. But I decided to go back to sleep knowing that sunny days were forecast.
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A Second Johannesburg Mountain Attempt
My partners, Sue and Andy, and I had previously attempted to climb the peak just two weeks earlier. We ultimately had to turn back on the second day because of the terrible weather. However, it was one of the few places on my list that was still accessible this season.
Although the peak was nowhere near Booker Mountain, I wanted to climb both to avoid repeating the Cascade Pass. After carefully weighing my limited options, I used the long weekend for this outing. It was a challenging outing that was planned for some time.
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From Cascade Pass to Mixup Notch
I avoided the long walk from my car by deciding to stay camped on the pass. The next morning at 7 AM, I began my hike toward the vast Cache Glacier. If everything worked out as I had hoped, I could potentially reach the obscure summit by sundown.
After successfully crossing the broad gullies, I found myself right at the glacier’s edge. I then traversed the slabs to the key gully and ascended the broken ledges. Soon, I took a much-needed break on Mixup Notch before the grueling drop on the south.
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Bypassing the Buttress at 5800 feet
I remained very optimistic about the weather conditions despite some hovering clouds. At least, the weather was a significant improvement compared to just two short weeks ago. Johannesburg Mountain was in my full and clear view for the entire day.
The annoying talus and the slick heather were awaiting my planned arrival once again. However, this time I did not go quite as low before heading to the rock steps. I dropped to 5800 feet more quickly than I had expected by relying on ledges. But first, blueberries!
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The Ascent Toward Johannesburg Col
I was running pretty low on water but was glad the stream we accessed was still flowing. I took the opportunity to fill my water bottle before continuing to the camp at 6200 feet. Then I savored the stunning south view, knowing we could not see any of it before.
This time, I did not bring my crampons, knowing that I could bypass the snow on rocks. Just as I ascended the annoying scree, I realized the gear would have been quite handy. But I made the big mistake of leaving my poles and microspikes on the col.
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Johannesburg Mountain East Face to East Gully
The east face of the mountain held many solid handholds over the steep terrain. From this vantage point, I got a surreal sighting of the Cascade River Road far below. Seeing the anchor atop the rocks before carefully side-traversing over the slick heathered ramp was a relief.
From the end of the ramp, I went straight up through more of the slick terrain. Soon I saw the snow patch landmark above the talus field that I expected to see from the route descriptions. Then I hugged the cliffs there to keep from sliding and entered the east gully.
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From East Gully to the East Ridge
This part of the climb was quite tiring, even with places that felt nearly vertical. Luckily, the excellent rocks in the gully let me ascend in an almost straight line. Soon, I passed an anchor about halfway up the route that I would later use to make my second rappel.
Atop the gully was another anchor that would be my first rappel spot the next day. I glanced into the Cascade River drainage as I went above the impressive deep dike to the north. From there, I turned to make my way up to the snow ramp ahead.
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From White Rock Gully to the False Summit
I carefully traversed sideways through steep hardpan to finally reach the edge of the snow. Meanwhile, I stayed high and worked through the shallow moat, then filled my water bottle with dripping water. I had hoped for more snow between the two summits to fill my water pouch.
The white gully was another arduous effort, but it had solid holds just like in the east gully. Decent rocks constantly appeared to help me reach the false summit at 8040 feet. Soon, joy overcame me when I saw the summit within my grasp after so many years.
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Johannesburg Mountain East Ridge Traverse
The ridge traverse was about to become quite sketchy in the rapidly forming clouds. I went down to the snow from the false peak and melted some for the night. Then I bypassed the steep terrain ahead by climbing directly over the next ridge bump.
I checked the photos from Jim Brisbine’s report and immediately looked for the ramp on the south side. I mostly just followed what looked like a faint footpath that was there. Soon, I moved in and out of numerous ribs and gullies in the dense mist.
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An Unintentional Detour to the Wrong Summit
Some rock cairns showed up midway as I went through several tricky, exposed spots. I sometimes moved up and down to bypass cliffs with an overall elevation range of 30 feet. But the climb would have been much more enjoyable on a day with decent visibility.
The rock quality improved farther to the west as I continued. I saw the noted deep gully with a summit above it and went on top after some tricky moves. However, excitement soon diminished when something taller loomed in the misty west of me: “F**k, the summit.” Then I quickly left.
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Euphoria on the True Summit of Johannesburg Mountain
In the mist, I approached the actual peak after going through even more rocky ribs. The gully below it was much deeper and broader, and I bypassed it from the top. One final tricky move shortly put me on the breezy summit one hour before sunset.
I was euphoric as the clouds lowered; it felt good to unload everything. One glance around the area revealed several decent bivvy sites nearby. I, of course, picked the most comfortable-looking one north of a big rock that conveniently blocked the south wind.
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An Evening of Shifting Light
The stunning evening lights had strewn beautifully across the sky above, casting the summit and my silhouettes onto the mist. By sunset, the clouds assembled to the west and continuously shifted. But the best part was seeing the sun on the horizon after a hazy approach.
The last time I slept on top of a peak was on nearby Goode Mountain (Mount Goode). I had forgotten the pure exhilaration of being high above all the chaos below with not a care in the world. The sky soon turned cloudy just as the last of the light faded away.
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A Starry Night on Johannesburg Mountain
I awoke a few times before midnight to find a cloudy sky, but I instinctively knew it would clear at some point. Then, by 1 AM, as if on command, all the clouds had suddenly dropped onto the valley floors. Yippee, it was a beautiful and starry night on one of my most rewarding summits!
I was thankful there were no rodents to be found at this altitude. After I photographed the star trails, I fell right back asleep to the sounds of planes and had a restful night. However, I could not wait to see what the next day would have in store for me.
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A Glorious Morning on Johannesburg Mountain
Well, hello, my sweet Cascades! Even though it was tough to get up this morning, I wiggled out of my warm sleeping bag just a little before the sunrise. Clouds continued to nestle in the valleys while it was nearly bluebird up high above me.
Eldorado Peak, Mount Torment, and Forbidden Peak were simply breathtaking from this high vantage point. Goode Mountain, Booker Mountain, Spider Mountain, and Spire Point were breathtaking. But where even to begin the fun name-that-peak game from up here?
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Beginning the Descent on Johannesburg
The stunning views were ever so gorgeous, and the air smelled remarkably fresh and clean. I left the top at 8 AM, which was unsurprisingly one hour behind my original schedule. Then from the false summit, I carefully downclimbed in the white rock gully.
Meanwhile, stunning views constantly shifted all around me as I moved from place to place. I carefully retraced my steps by the moat through the hardpan above the dike. Soon I was standing atop the east gully right by the handy belay station.
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Rappelling to Johannesburg Col
Two 60-meter rappels in the gully brought me to the more manageable terrain below. Soon, I retraced my steps to the slick heather ramp and the rock anchor. Then I downclimbed the class 3-4 rocks to reach the Johannesburg Col. Whew, what a relief!
Ugh, you animals. Rodents had stopped by after I left my trekking sticks and microspikes. They had chewed through the wrist straps on the brand-new set of poles. Adding insult to injury, they even took the time to nibble on the rubber harnesses on my spikes.
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En Route Back to Cascade Pass Trail
After finishing the hard part, it was a long slog back to Cascade Pass. But en route, I stopped several times to enjoy the field full of blueberries while being on alert of possible bear sightings. The incredible landscape constantly begged me to stop and savor; I effing love this place!
I looked up at Johannesburg Mountain from below Cascade Pass and was simply amazed. I later met two out-of-town visitors and we chatted our way back to the lot. “Did I just come from there?!” I asked myself the age-old question in my head once again.
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