Scramble Route
While the peak presents a formidable challenge to climb when viewed from the highway, the mountain can be ascended by first hiking to Rockbound Lake which is located on the easier backside. A break in a cliff band provides access to a route above the lake. The ascent is a very long day when undertaken from the trail head and can easily require 12 hours for a return trip. This can be shortened considerably by camping at Tower Lake just below the headwall leading to Rockbound Lake (camping not permitted at Rockbound). While the route is primarily a long slog, there is no discernible trail once one reaches the top of the "big hill" overlooking the lake and requires moderate scrambling abilities and a bit of route finding to ascend the gully leading to the upper bench. Helena Ridge is basically a scree slog although a lingering snow field in the gully above the big hill may provide some relief. Snow patches often linger on the upper routes even in late summer so an ice axe should be considered.
Read more about this topic: Castle Mountain
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