Stanley-Burgner (III 5.9+, six pitches)
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First climbed in 1968 by Ron Burgner and Fred Stanley all free save two points of piton aid for Burgner (leading) this south-facing, 600-foot route sits squarely inside the Stuart Range in Washingtons Central Cascades. Fred Beckey named the area between Icicle Creek and Ingalls Creek Cashmere Crags, and it has some of the ranges most classic alpinerock routes, only three hours from Seattle. Beckeys 1962 ascent of Prusik Peaks South Face (5.9) had impressed Stanley. Still, he says, it took him six years graduated from college, with a family, a full-time job, and supplementing that with weekend work for him and Burgie to add their own Prusik FA.
Youll earn the Stanley-Burgner after a picturesque but grueling (12 miles, 6,000 feet of gain) approach, during which youll pass Mount Stuart and Dragontail and Colchuck peaks. Above the daunting 2,300-foot Aasgard Pass lie the alpine lakes and meadows of the Enchantments, home to Prusik Peak. Many link this climb with the mountains popular West Ridge (5.7) or south-face routes in a one-day push either out of pride or obligation due to the hard-to-get permits required between June 15 and October 15.

p>You can spot much of the Stanley-Burgner from the ground; look for a long, continuous corner that ends on a ledge right of the overhanging southwest face. You can even spot the chockstone squeeze on pitch four. The route trends to the climbers right, avoiding the southwest face.
Pitch one begins about 1,000 feet above Lake Viviane, near a 10-foot boulder. Here, tackle the left of two impending offwidths, a four- to five-inch climber-eater leading to belay trees. Pitch two ascends rightward through slabby knobs and blocks to a vertical gully/corner system, ending 40 feet short of the next two pitches major corner systems.
About 150 feet up this corner lurks the dreaded, grovelly burrow behind the chockstone (5.8). (Ron led the pitch out from under and around the left side of the chockstone says Stanley. I suspect very few have repeated [the pitch in this way].) Above here, pitch four continues up a wide, flaring 5.9 crack with fixed gear.
The short fifth pitch traverses to the climbers right, to the final, exposed corner and its flaring, four-inch-wide 5.9+ crack the crux. On a clear day, the summit reveals a 360-degree panorama of the never-ending Cascade Range.

The Beta
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Guidebooks:Cascade Alpine Guide, Volume I; Third Edition, by Fred Beckey, 2000 (mountaineersbooks.org); Selected Climbs in the Cascades, Volume I, by Jim Nelson and Peter Potterfield, 2003 (mountaineersbooks.org)
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Guide Service: Northwest Mountain School (509) 548-5823, (mountainschool.com)
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Equipment Shop: Leavenworth Mountain Shop (509) 548-7864
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Season: May through October
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Rack: Single alpine rack 3-4; doubles in 2-4; eight 24 slings; four 48 slings; four quickdraws; ice axe, for early-season Aasgard Pass
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Descent: Three to four single-rope rappels on the northern side, until you hit a good ledge and can traverse west and down to terra firma.