Summit Gannett Peak: A High-Altitude Expedition in Wyoming’s Wind River Range

Wyoming’s Wind River Range is a rugged, glacier-carved range known for sheer granite walls and superb mountaineering. Remote crags and impressive couloirs offer unparalleled opportunities to learn alpine skills—and Gannett Peak, at 13,804 feet, is the state’s tallest summit and the ultimate objective. This course is designed for first-time mountaineers and experienced climbers alike—as long as you’re ready to work hard and support your team.

You’ll start with the fundamentals: cooking, navigation, Leave No Trace, and camping in grizzly country. Then you’ll progress into mountaineering skills like ice axe use, rope-team travel, and route-finding on snow and rock, while moving camps closer to the peak. Whether you spend more time on snow, ice, or rock depends on conditions during your course.

Photo credit: Jack Stevens

You’ll hike or climb almost every day, traveling in a small group until the summit attempt, when you’ll move as one large team. Learning the value of teamwork, you’ll tackle group challenges and achieve common goals, including an attempt to reach Gannett’s summit. The length of this course allows for multiple weather windows to attempt the peak, though there’s no guarantee everyone will summit.

Ultimately, you’ll learn the skills needed to travel in the mountains long after your expedition ends.

Photo credit: Jack Stevens