W Andesite Peak via "Hole in the Wall"

Type: Backcountry or Sidecountry

Needs Overview

Even though Andesite is the easiest peak to get to in the Castle Peak area a lot of the steeper NW/W slopes that come off of it "dead end" into some heavily treed areas that can be a pain to get through if you pick your line wrong.

This is what I've found is a good way to get down Andesite without having to bushwack and connecting continuous slopes. There are some features on the way down that you can jump off when there is enough snow, but because of their short runout it's definitely not a standout. Follows roughly the "Hole in the Wall" mountain bike trail for some of the bottom half.

Access either by skinning up it, or accessing the Andesite Peak from the Castle Peak /Andesite Peak Saddle. I usually do this as the last run of the day going back to the car or as a quick one and done lap.