Borah Peak

<p>This route begins at the Borah Peak Trailhead and ends at the 12,664-foot summit of Mount Borah, Idaho's highest peak. The initial section climbs relentlessly through coniferous forest, gaining about 1,000 feet in the first mile before the trail steepens significantly. At mile 2.2, the route breaks through the treeline, offering expansive views of the Lost River Range as it follows a rugged dirt and scree path up the ridge.<p> <p>At mile 3.0, the official trail ends at the foot of Chicken-Out Ridge. This notorious section requires Class 3 scrambling across highly exposed limestone. Climbers should stay directly on the spine of the ridge for the most stable footing, avoiding the loose, hazardous scree slopes below. The crux of the scramble is a steep, exposed downclimb to a narrow knife-edge snow bridge, which can require an ice axe and crampons well into July. Once past the saddle, a grueling 0.5-mile push up a steep, loose scree face leads to the summit.<p> <p>July through September is the ideal season for this route, once the snowpack on Chicken-Out Ridge has cleared, though sudden mountain storms remain a risk year-round.<p>