On the first day, Evan and Ward drove south from AAI's Bellingham office and hiked the 5.5 miles from the trailhead to the talus slopes above Colchuck Lake where they made camp.

The weather was perfect as they woke the next day and left camp to begin climbing at 5am. Evan said, "There were two 5.8 pitches of really solid crack climbing right out of camp. From there it was 1,500 feet of easy fifth-class all the way to the summit (about 15 pitches in all). On top we had great views of Stuart, Rainier, and Baker. It was a perfect day for the climb."

Ward has climbed extensively in the Cascades, and Serpentine Ridge has been on his list of must-do classics for a while. We congratulate him on the climb!