facebook
twitter
google_plus
email
  • About
    • Meet the Guides
    • How To: Videos | Tips
    • Gear Rental
  • Climbs
    • Mexico Volcanoes
    • Mt. Everest
    • Aconcagua, Argentina
    • Mount Elbrus, Russia
    • Bolivia
    • Pacific Northwest
    • Custom Trips
  • Treks
    • Everest Base Camp
    • Kangchenjunga Base Camp Trek
    • Nepal
    • Kilimanjaro, “The Roof of Africa”
    • Peru, The Inca Trail
    • Southeast Asia
    • Belize
    • South America
    • Antarctica
    • Pacific Northwest
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • Calendar
  • Book Now!

GoTrek Blog

Washington’s Secret, Spectacular Climb: Mt. Olympus

01 Mar 2016
Comment are off
Marketeteer

Mt. Olympus is the tallest mountain in the seaside Olympic range, yet obscured from view from almost any vantage East of the Puget Sound, which leads many Pacific Northwestern mountaineers to consider it kind of a local secret. In fact, the only really good way to see Mt. Olympus is from the waters of the Pacific Ocean—or, of course, from the top of its summit. If you’re in the area for a climb of Rainier or Baker, we highly recommend scheduling a trip up Mt. Olympus—more importantly, I bet it’s what you’ll actually be talking about the most after your trip is over.

What is so memorable and stunning about Mt. Olympus? For starters, the incredible Hoh Rainforest that surrounds it. The Hoh is one of the last remaining temperate rain forests in the United States, and its lush, green overgrowth, glacier-fed river, and draping screens of moss create a natural paradise.

Hoh_Rainforest_-_Olympic_National_Park_-_Washington_State_(9780084471)

Acer_macrophyllum_in_Hoh_Rain_Forest

And after the forest, the mountain itself. Mt. Olympus is stunning, so much so that when British explorer Captain John Meares first saw the mountain on July 4, 1778, he called it Mount Olympus, proclaiming, “For truly it must be the home of the Gods.” The name stuck, and the mountain’s beauty and the challenge it presents have been undiminished in over two hundred years.

Looking across the Blue Glacier at the summit

Looking across the Blue Glacier at the summit

Mt. Olympus is a surprisingly difficult climb considering that it isn’t even one of the 100 tallest peaks in Washington. It requires over 5,000 feet of elevation gain by the shortest routes, and requires a long multi-day ascent with an aggressive finale. It’s also home to an astonishing six active glaciers, the movements and changes of which can affect conditions, as well as being subject to a variety of weather patterns off the ocean.

If you’re interested in climbing or trekking Washington’s best kept secret, call us at Go Trek! We have some of the most experienced Pacific Northwest guides, and we’d love nothing more than to let you in on our secrets. Call Go Trek today!

Photo Credit: SummitPost.org

About the Author

Social Share

    Go Trek

    Go Trek
    901 Metcalf #53 Sedro-Woolley, Washington 98284
    Phone: (360) 854-8761

    Blog Posts

    • Washington’s Secret, Spectacular Climb: Mt. Olympus
    • The Most Beautiful Peak in the Pacific Northwest: Mt. Shuksan
    • Pacific Northwest Climbs: Mt. Baker

    Calendar

    May 2022
    MMonday TTuesday WWednesday TThursday FFriday SSaturday SSunday
    25April 25, 2022 26April 26, 2022 27April 27, 2022 28April 28, 2022 29April 29, 2022 30April 30, 2022 1May 1, 2022
    2May 2, 2022 3May 3, 2022 4May 4, 2022 5May 5, 2022 6May 6, 2022 7May 7, 2022 8May 8, 2022
    9May 9, 2022 10May 10, 2022 11May 11, 2022 12May 12, 2022 13May 13, 2022 14May 14, 2022 15May 15, 2022
    16May 16, 2022 17May 17, 2022 18May 18, 2022 19May 19, 2022 20May 20, 2022 21May 21, 2022 22May 22, 2022
    23May 23, 2022 24May 24, 2022 25May 25, 2022 26May 26, 2022 27May 27, 2022 28May 28, 2022 29May 29, 2022
    30May 30, 2022 31May 31, 2022 1June 1, 2022 2June 2, 2022 3June 3, 2022 4June 4, 2022 5June 5, 2022
    Copyright GoTrek 2016 | All Rights Reserved