With 2,461 SOTA summits, W7I presents a vast opportunity for virgin activations with over 90% of hills unactivated. A great reference for those planning a trip to W7I is “Idaho, a Climbing Guide” by Tom Lopez. There are nine peaks in W7I above 12,000 feet, eight of which are SOTA peaks, five of which are still unactivated and almost all require a 5,000-foot ascent from the trailhead. In ascending order of elevation are my pre-SOTA trip notes. Seven of the nine are in the Lost River Range north of Mackay. As with most W7I summits it is best to summit as early in the day as possible to avoid thunderstorms.
Hyndman Peak W7I/BL-001 12,009 ft. Access via East Fork and Hyndman Creek road east of Ketchum. 12 miles round trip. Popular climb, well trailed, numerous places to camp and available water (needs filtering). Final 1,000 feet is ridge ascent. In the opinion of W7IMC, the most scenic 12k peak in W7I. Class 2 scramble.
Donaldson Peak 12,023 ft. Not a SOTA summit due to insufficient prominence, but usually done in conjunction with W7I/CU-003 Mount Church. Class 3 scramble and limited water above 9500 ft.
Mt Idaho W7I/CU-006 12,065 ft. Classic Idaho class three scramble. Follow faint trail thru timber to headwall, then scramble NW to ridge. Last water one mile SW of headwall. We took two days.
Lost River Peak W7I/CU-005 12,075 ft. Can be climbed as early as April with crampons in super gulley. We climbed in early July with minimal snow, but endured much loose muck and a gravel slide steep loose scramble on the last pitch to the main ridgeline. Would be a class 2 if not for the gravel pitch. Limited water.
Mount Breitenbach W7I/CU-004 12,140 ft. Straight forward Class 2 climb with lots of water up to 10,000 ft. In the opinion of W7IMC, the easiest big mountain and most should be able to get up and down around 8 to 10 hours. I unsuccessfully tried to summit Lost River Peak from the shared ridgeline, but was thwarted by a scramble beyond my ability (others have successfully made the ridge).
Diamond Peak W7I/CI-001 12,197 ft. Class 3 scramble via east ridge. Up and down in 10 hours. Look for mountain goats and bighorn sheep.
Mount Church W7I/CU-003 12,200 ft. Class 3 scramble and the most difficult of the Idaho Nine. There can be some snow melt pond water above 10,000 feet, but don’t bank on it. Approach from either Jones Creek or North Fork Jones Creek. Faint to nonexistent trail in either canyon with significant deadfall and boulder hopping. Final approach involves a ¾-mile ridgeline to the west with multiple false summits. Even the most experienced climbers will take 16 to 20 hours to activate Church and non-SOTA Donaldson. Recommend camping on saddle between Jones and N Fork Jones Creek at 10,000 ft.
Leatherman Peak W7I/CU-002 12,228 ft. Class 2 from Pahsimeroi trailhead or class 3 from Leatherman Pass. High clearance 4WD needed to get reasonably close to trailhead from either side. West side approach is close to highway, but adds an additional 1,000 vertical, east side approach much more scenic with plenty of scenic camping once clear of timberline. Look for goats, sheep and elk. Caution, this is best done in late July at the earliest due to snow pack on top of very pointy summit. Adequate water on both approaches.
Borah Peak W7I/CU-001 12,655 ft. Class 3 scramble with 5,400 feet elevation gain from the trailhead. No water. Popular weekend climb. Pay attention on Chicken Out Ridge (aim for center of ridge). This is Idaho’s high point.