Route: Great High Peaks Traverse (NY)

Submitted by Charlotte Winkler on Fri, 06/26/2020 - 04:36pm
Location
New York, US
Distance
27.21 mi
Vertical Gain
14,463 ft
Description

This route connects the 12 trailed peaks connected in an arc in the high peaks region of the Adirondack Mountains: starting with the Great Range (Lower Wolf Jaw, Upper Wolf Jaw, Armstrong, Gothics, Saddleback, Basin, Haystack, Mt Marcy), and adding on Skylight, Colden, Algonquin, and Wright to complete the arc.

This traverse includes 7 of the 11 tallest peaks in the High Peaks/NY State.  The elevation gained and the technical rocky and cliffy trails make this traverse an amazing challenge.  It is similar to the Bob Marshall traverse, however replaces Big Slide (a 46er, but 500' shorter than Colden) and Mt Jo (a very small hill) with Colden, one of the most wild and steep iconic high peaks.  It is a point-to-point route between Lake and Heart Lake (ADK Loj).

Note this is different from the High Peaks Wilderness Traverse, which crosses the High Peaks Wilderness along the E-W axis, and is not focused on the peaks.

GPS Track

Comments

Great route!  Completed a similar route in 2018 that was calling this project the "Jackrabbit High Route".  that covered the Great Range Traverse (starting at the Roosterhead TH), up over Marcy and on to Colden and Algonquin.  Did not add in the dog legs to hit Haystack or Wright).....still slower :-).  Will definitely shoot for your version next time!  Link to Sunnto with my GPX here.