I really enjoyed Clark Peak, so I thought I would contribute a report in hopes it helps someone. There’s a TL;DR section at the end if you just want the three bullet point summary.

Two of us unsuccessfully tried to climb Clark from the west after climbing Capitol earlier that day. We descended into the basin between the two and climbed to the N/S rib extending north from the ridge connecting K2 and Clark. I did not see any way to make this work. It may work somehow that I missed, but I did not see a good way. I climbed to the rib crest in three different locations (two of which required a Class 5 move), and I was greeted by a Class 5 ridge with cliffs below me in each location. If someone knows of how to approach Clark from the west please point it out in the two pictures below.

IMAGE 1 shows a view looking from K2 towards Clark.

IMAGE 4 is looking west towards the N/S ridge between K2 and Clark. It doesn’t look like it in these photos, but below the ridge is Class 4+/5.

The next day I left to summit Clark solo. I hiked from Capitol Lake over the ridge as if starting Capitol’s standard route. I descended down to Moon Lake and began hiking up the large talus basin just west of the creek feeding Moon Lake. The cliffs seen in IMAGE 4 above continue essentially to Moon Lake, so don’t try to wrap around the north end of the N/S rib between K2 and Clark too high. There is a prominent notch is the N/S rib near the end. It is very inviting from the west, but the eastern side looked like an involved downclimb (IMAGE 2). It’s best to continue to the edge of Moon Lake and then begin up the talus slope. From Capitol Lake camp to the edge of Moon Lake took me just over 90 minutes. It then took me 50 minutes to gain the Clark ridge.

IMAGE 2

IMAGE 3 – From just above Moon Lake looking south up the talus field leading to the Clark ridge. I gained the ridge just to the left (east) of the low point in the ridge. The last moves to the ridge for me were Class 3, but perhaps aiming for the true low point would keep it at 2. The summit is to the left of the edge of this picture.

Once on the ridge the fun begins. This ridge is a very fun Class 4/5 ridge. The majority of the moves are 3 or 4 on pretty solid rock with little exposure. I stayed on the ridge crest for 2/3 of the length, and when I needed to avoid difficulties on the ridge I always descended slightly (less than 50 vertical feet) on the right (south) side. A few places I chose to make a Class 5 move for expediency, but these were never exposed, and you could do a longer Class 4 workaround for each. Traversing the ridge took me 45 minutes each way. There are fantastic views of Capitol the entire way.

I traversed directly on the ridge crest (Class 3/4) until I reached a prominent bump in the ridge (IMAGE 5). Going directly over the bump was exposed with wobbly rock, so I dropped slightly to its right (IMAGE 6) and traversed along some cracks in the granite slabs until I reached a little ramp back to the ridge crest (IMAGE 7). IMAGE 8 is looking back at where my ramp rejoined the ridge crest, and IMAGE 9 is looking towards the summit from that same point.

IMAGE 5

IMAGE 6

IMAGE 7

IMAGE 8

IMAGE 9

The remaining climb was easier. I stayed primarily on the ridge crest, but I dropped slightly right and climbed back to the crest a few times. There is a prominent notch in the ridge between two rock towers in IMAGE 10 which you want to pass on the right and then break through the following rib. After that you can climb back to the ridge crest, and from there it’s a Class 2 walk on rock to the summit (IMAGE 11).

IMAGE 10 – traverse just below the crest to bypass these two towers and the prominent notch in the ridge. Breakthrough the rib in the background (Class 3/4) and then regain the ridge.

IMAGE 11 – after gaining the ridge past the prominent notch it’s an easy Class 2 stroll to the summit.

On the return trip I stayed on the ridge crest more often. I saw a few cairns along the route which I shored up, and I built some new cairns. There is no perfect/standard route, but I felt the cairns followed a good path. From the summit I followed the ridge crest past the prominent notch until I came upon this tower just on the western side of the notch (IMAGE 14). IMAGE 12 looks back towards the summit from this location.

IMAGE 14

IMAGE 12

I began descending this little ramp/gully to the south (IMAGE 13) and turned to the west traversing just below the ridge (IMAGE 15). I passed through the rib just above the shade line in IMAGE 15 and IMAGE 16, crossed the granite slab cracks from earlier, and then regained the ridge crest as seen in IMAGE 17 (looking toward the ascent) and IMAGE 18 (looking toward descent). It is important to stay high (within 15-30ft of the crest) during this traverse below the crest. I recommend traversing between the red rocks to the left and slabby granite to the right in IMAGE 16. If you stray too low when you pass through the rib in IMAGE 15/1451 you come to a section of steep drop-offs on the rib’s backside and downward sloping smooth granite slabs with lichen and no cracks. It would end poorly if you were to slip and fall. The traverse closer to the ridge crest is Class 4, but it’s not exposed, and the rock is pretty good.

IMAGE 13

IMAGE 15

IMAGE 16

IMAGE 17

IMAGE 18

After reaching the low point in the ridge I retraced my steps back to Moon Lake and then returned to Capitol Lake. I apologize for the many pictures and the slight deviation in my ascent and descent routes. Essentially, your ascent is

(1) stay on the crest for the first 1/3 of the ridge

(2) to keep it to Class 4 the next 1/3 you traverse slightly below the crest on the right (south) as needed connecting ramps and crossing ribs until the crest eases after the prominent notch. There are a few cairns, but if you feel comfortable with the move it will most likely go. Alternatively, you can make some low Class 5 moves to stay on the ridge direct which I did more on the descent.

(3) the last 1/3 of the ridge stay on the crest and Class 2 walk to the summit

All in all a very fun ridge scramble in a beautiful basin to a seldom climbed peak. I hope this helps in some small way. Have fun and be safe ð