Climbing Mount Borah - Idaho's highest peak
Climb Info
Climbed: July 21, 2024
Car to Car: 4.5 hours (3 hours up with filming, 30 min at summit, 1 hour down)
9 miles, 5,300ft of elevation
3 Liters of water was perfect
Summit Elevation= 12,662 ft
Video of Trip
Trip Report
Slightly smoky but besdies that it was a perfect day for climbing Idaho’s tallest peak. I have not been up Mt. Borah in many years even though it is 30 min from where I grew up. It was awesome getting back on top of this incredible summit and made me miss the Big Lost range with its rugged and stark beauty.
The climb was smooth and went well and only note is that the grade of trail is intense until you get scrambling. The run from summit to car had my quads more sore than they have been in ages and probably did some knee damage I will find in 15 years.
Overall the scrambling was fairly tame but being comfortable scrambling and dealing with loose rock is a must for all the Lost River Range peaks. Borah has the best trail by far and this made me want to make a video for each of the Idaho 12,000ft peaks as a mini series so stay tuned for that.
Tips
1. Borah is very exposed and has no water sources so get an early start and plan accordingly
2. There is a campground at the base for anyone who doesn't happen to have their parents living 35min away like myself
3. This trail climbs ~1000ft per mile so is very steep. Trekking poles would be great for those who prefer them
4. The downclimb on chicken out ridge can be avoided by staying low. I found this out by accident
5. For those looking to add some spice stick to the ridgeline on chicken out and also as you get to final summit push
Photos
