Find Nearby Peaks

This peak is not in the book. Published December 2024

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Peak 9642 is a rocky, rugged peak that is seldom climbed. Peak 9642 and its sister peak (Peak 9559) sit atop a forested ridge that separates Fivemile Creek from Sixmile Creek in the Eastern Salmon River Mountains. Peak 9642 is most easily climbed from the Fivemile Creek Trail to its west. USGS Elevenmile Creek

Access

Same as for Peak 9559. This is the second leg of a 2-peak adventure that includes Peak 9559 and Peak 9642. It covers 10.0miles with 3,500 feet of elevation gain round trip.

Northwest Ridge, Class 3

The Climb

From the 9,220-foot connecting saddle with Peak 9559, the northwest ridge of Peak 9642 (the direct line to the summit) looks impossible. Do an ascending, diagonal traverse across a talus/scree field just below some scattered pines. Reach the crest of a talus/scree shoulder and an impasse—a sharp drop to awful-looking, steep gravel/sand gullies below the ridge hoodoos. Follow this shoulder directly up to a notch in the crest of the northwest ridge, just past the first one or two ridge towers.

Once at the ridge notch, climb up the final 100 vertical feet (or so) either on the narrow, rocky ridge crest (Class 3) or just off its right/west side on decent ledges (easy Class 3). You will quickly pop out on the rocky summit. The high point had no signs of previous ascent so I built a modest summit cairn atop the highest boulder.

From the summit, descend the northwest ridge back to the ridge notch. From there, head west down the talus/scree shoulder. Stay on this shoulder to just below the scattered pines. Cross a talus/scree field to return to the 9,220-foot connecting saddle with Peak 9559. Scramble 40 vertical feet northwest up to an elongated ridge hump. From this hump, follow the West Shoulder Route for Peak 9559 to descend back down to the valley floor and Fivemile Creek Trail.