The Beat Out - Alpine Traverse

** Please read the entire description and review all linked material before signing up for this event. This is a very challenging adventure; it is YOUR responsibility to assess your skills and ability to complete this hike**

Overview:
A common “bucket list” item for avid hikers/mountaineers, the Beat Out includes 4 peaks included in the tail end of the WURL and is a demanding day long adventure consisting of an alpine traverse from Red Pine lake to Bells Canyon, covering ~10 miles, ~6,000 ft of descent, and 4 summits: Pfeifferhorn, UPWOP, Chipman, and South Thunder.

The rewards for your efforts include hours of enjoyable scrambling in a rugged and seldomly visited region of the Wasatch Mountains. The views are outstanding and, once beyond the Pfeifferhorn, solitude is virtually assured on this route.

Limited Group Size
Due to the strenuous nature of this route and car staging/car pooling with a limited capacity for parking at the starting and ending points for this route, this event is limited to a maximum of 8 participants.

Route Stats:
Estimated Hiking Distance: 12.6 miles
Estimated Elevation Gain: 4,849 ft.
Estimated Elevation Loss: -7,375 ft.
Approximate time to complete: 12 hours (or more)
This hiking route includes sections where Class 3 and possible Class 4 scrambling is required (US System). Here is a link to Class descriptions.

Route Plan
1. Red Pine Lake Trail to Pfeifferhorn
Red pine lake from Little Cottonwood road, then ascend from Red Pine Lake, to the approach towards Pfeifferhorn via the climber’s right (Bells Canyon side) of the ridge. The top of Pfeifferhorn is the only spot where one could bail from this adventure and return to the trailhead.
This portion equates to one direction of this, roughly: Pfeifferhorn via Red Pine Lake Trail, Utah - 3,303 Reviews, Map | AllTrails

2. Pfeifferhorn to UPWOP
We’ll descend on the south (Utah Valley) side, then traverse below the ridge to tag UPWOP.
3. UPWOP to Chipman
Remain on the south slope, then ascend Chipman directly via its south slope.
4. Chipman to South Thunder
Follow the ridge toward South Thunder, staying mostly on or just below the west (climber’s left) side where terrain is more stable.
Pfeifferhorn to South Thunder generally follows stops 23-25 of the WURL: WURL: Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup, Utah - 80 Reviews, Map | AllTrails

5. South Thunder to Bells Canyon
Descend to the upper Bells Reservoir, connect with the Bells Canyon trail, and hike out to the Preservation Trailhead where cars will be staged. This final section of the Beat Out is known to be a tedious and challenging boulder descent.

Suggested Items to bring:

• Sufficient water based on your individual judgement (3-5 liters is common) and optional water filtering device if desired
• Electrolytes and food/snacks
• Headlamp/light
• Weather-appropriate layers (suggested long sleeve shirt and pants with optional cooler layers --- t-shirt/shorts --underneath for removing layers if needed)

Car Pool/ Car Staging:
We will meet at the Bells Canyon Preservation Trailhead (pinned) at 5:45am and depart via carpool no later than 6:00am to the Red Pink Lake Trailhead parking to begin the hike.

Upon completion of the hike, we will need one volunteer to drive the carpool drivers back to Red Pine Trailhead to retrieve cars. Please indicate if you can assist with the carpool/car staging in your RSVP response.

Hiking Cadence:
Due to the strenuous nature of this hiking route, which includes multiple scrambling and ridge traversing sections, we expect to hike in a close-knit group at an average of 28-30 minute miles during non-scrambling trails and utilize minimal breaks in order to accomplish the route in the expected time window of 12 hours. ***If you prefer to do this route on your own, outside of a group, or hike ahead or take multiple breaks along the way, please do not join this event.***

Cancellation Policy:
Because of the logistical nature of this event and its limited capacity, it is subject to a $25 cancellation fee for any cancellation after August 23rd. The fee applies regardless of your reason for canceling after August 23rd. The cancellation fee is due no later than October 13, 2025, and must be paid via cash or check. Cancellation fees are our only source of revenue to cover Meetup fees and costs associated with our annual holiday party and, even at $25, they rarely cover all of our yearly costs.