🏔️ Chair Peak — Class 3/4 Alpine Scramble

📍 Meet: Green Lake P&R
⏰ Meet Time: 5:00 AM
🚗 Departure: 5:15 AM
🥾 Trailhead: Alpental / Snow Lake Trailhead
🏔️ Objective: Chair Peak — 6,238 ft
🧗 Route: Southeast Face / South Shoulder
Difficulty: Class 3 with some Class 4 / exposed scrambling
📏 Distance: ~8–9 miles round trip
📈 Gain: ~3,500–3,800 ft
⏱️ Expected Time: ~7–9 hours

We’ll meet at Green Lake P&R at 5:00 AM and leave by 5:15 AM. From there we’ll drive to Alpental, gear up, and aim to be moving around 6:15–6:30 AM.

We’ll follow the Snow Lake/Source Lake approach before leaving the main trail and heading into the basin below Chair Peak. From there we’ll work our way toward the Southeast Face/South Shoulder and begin the scramble.

The upper mountain involves Class 3 scrambling with some exposed Class 4 terrain depending on the exact line we take. Expect loose rock, route finding and significant exposure in places. This is a scramble rather than a technical rock climb, but everyone coming should be comfortable moving confidently on exposed Class 3/4 terrain.

I’m aiming to reach the summit around 10:00–11:00 AM, hang out for a bit, and then descend the same general route.

Tentative Schedule

5:00 AM — Meet Green Lake P&R
5:15 AM — Depart
~6:15 AM — Arrive Alpental / gear up
6:30 AM — Start hiking
~8:30 AM — Reach upper basin / start scramble
10:00–11:00 AM — Summit Chair Peak
~11:30 AM — Begin descent
2:00–3:00 PM — Back at trailhead
~4:00 PM — Back in Seattle

Gear

Helmet is required — Chair has plenty of loose rock and we’ll want them on once we enter the scrambling terrain.

Bring normal day-hiking gear, good approach/hiking shoes, gloves if you prefer them for scrambling, headlamp, layers, sun protection, food and plenty of water.

Experience: This is not a beginner hike. You should have prior scrambling experience and be comfortable with exposure, loose terrain and Class 3/4 movement.

Weather, smoke and current route conditions will be checked before the trip. If conditions aren’t good for exposed scrambling, we’ll adjust accordingly.