FKT: Brian Ralph - The Belly Button - 2025-06-21

Athletes
Route variation
Standard route
Multi-sport
No
Para athlete
No
Gender category
Male
Style
Unsupported
Start date
Finish date
Total time
1d 6h 38m 0s
GPS track(s)
Report

This cute little fella is a bit harder than the name would suggest. Starting early morning with ample amount of daylight was the the right move to provide lots of time moving through the ridge lines. I took a wrong navigational error on Table Mountain and it cost me dearly. Losing at least 2-3 hours down climbing limestone cliffs and log hopping down to flat creek before getting back to flat creek ranch and onto the nose of Sheep Mountain. The great plateau is easier to traverse in the light, which I got through with just enough time. It was slow going along the ridge line in the dark towards Antoinette. Along the backside of UFO peak down towards crystal creek was a very heads up situation as all the snow refroze and made a 1000ft vertical ice luge. More down climbing was needed here, but should have been a fun glisade if the snow was hot. Getting up Antoinette was loose as always with one more ice field luge to descend with a natural 'ice axe' before descending down to swift creek trail and down to Granite Hot springs to complete the loop. 

The route was great with more Bighorn than people and without the navigational error I likely should have shaved off 5-8 hours. This route is totally doable in 20 hours for those who keep moving efficiently and stick to the correct ridge line on Table Mountain. Beautiful solitude.