Round Top & Red Lake Peak

Round Top & Red Lake Peak – March 31 - April 1, 2018

Last March I went with Henrique, Jessica, and Faryar on what was supposed to be an easy introduction to snow climbing on Round Top. Maybe climbing the couloir would have been relatively easy, but the high winds forced us to turn around just short of the base of the climb. I decided I was never going to be a mountaineer and had been a complete idiot wasting money on gear I’d never use because I wasn’t good enough for real mountains. A year later, I decided that I was going to be a real mountaineer someday whether or not I could ever find anyone to go with me. Round Top seemed like a good starting point. I’d already been there once and had a general idea where I was going, it’s recommended as a beginner snow trip, and it’s on my list of prominent CA peaks to summit. Right across the street is Red Lake Peak, just over 10,000’ and another easy beginner summit. I’d bought snowshoes as a birthday present for myself in December, but due to the dry winter I hadn’t tried them yet. Both peaks had more moderate terrain where I could get some use out of them.

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