Plunger, The

A thin blade-like spire of granite, this peak is rather unimpressive-looking from the Pika Glacier. Fortunately, looks can be deceiving! The Plunger has a HUGE dropoff and bigtime exposure to the north, which will be discovered while climbing the second (summit) pitch of either route. From the summit, one is rewarded with an exceptional view over the Granite Glacier, which sits some 1,000' below to the north. If it is clear enough, you might also see Denali, 30 miles away. This spire is a good early season alternative when other larger formations are still covered in snow.

Two known routes exist on The Plunger, a 5.10a hand crack on the North Face and a 5.11 thin-hand crack on the West Face. As far as I can tell, both routes share a starting pitch and then diverge on the summit block. As snow melts out, other starts may be possible. Rappel to descend with a single rope from fixed sling anchors.