Experience the beauty and challenge of Mount Borah: a beginner’s guide to climbing Idaho's highest peak
Chicken Out Ridge is a common place to give pause while climbing Mount Borah. It involves relatively easy class 3 scrambling, but route finding and exposure can be concerns.
The standard climb up Mount Borah, Idaho’s highest peak, is physically challenging and, for half a mile, somewhat technical. It ascends more than 5,000 feet along a prominent west ridge from the Lost River Valley to the summit at 12,662 feet.
With steep slopes, rocky and exposed terrain, and the possibility for shifting weather, a climb up Mount Borah isn’t without hazards. But for those with at least a little mountaineering know-how Idaho’s highest peak offers an enjoyable and fairly straightforward day trip among Idaho’s highest mountains.
Where is Idaho’s highest peak?
Mount Borah is located in the Lost River Range of Idaho, in the east-central part of the state. The nearest city is Mackay, about 20 miles away. The only nearby thoroughfare is Highway 93. Mount Borah is 50 miles north of Arco, 40 miles east of Sun Valley, and about 240 highway miles from Boise.
Mount Borah geology and history
The Lost River Range is a fault-block mountain range at the northeast end of the Basin and Range Province, which stretches to southern Nevada. It’s easily one of Idaho’s highest collection of mountains, with seven of the state’s nine 12,000-foot peaks.
The Lost River Fault gives rise to the range and is right at Mount Borah’s western base. This was the epicenter for a 1983 earthquake that created an impressive scarp running 20 miles north and south. The access road climbs right over this easily recognizable scarp as you drive to the trailhead to stage your climb.
Mount Borah was named after William Borah, a U.S. Senator from Idaho who was known as the “Lion of Idaho.” In the early 20th century, several attempts were made to climb Mount Borah, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that it was successfully summited.
How to climb Mount Borah
Climbing Mount Borah requires a high level of physical fitness and at least a little bit of mountaineering know-how. The most popular route, the Southwest Ridge, is rated Class 3, which involves steep, rocky terrain that may require use of your hands for balance and support.
I’ve seen varying statistics for the route’s distance and vertical gain, but according to my gps track, recorded via Strava, the round trip was 7.3 miles with 5,200 feet of vertical gain. Our group included mixed levels of fitness and experience, and our round trip took nearly 11 hours overall. My moving time, however, was just over five hours and is probably a better estimate of how long it would take a relatively fit person to climb and descend efficiently.
The Mount Borah climb has several distinct sections, which I’ll describe in more detail below as: Lower Mountain, Switchbacks, Plateau, Chicken Out Ridge, and Summit Push.
Lower Mountain (parking lot to ridge), 0 – 1.1 miles: From the parking lot, the first mile climbs moderately up a valley through a mix of sagebrush, aspen trees, and conifers. At the 1-mile mark, the trail turns left, leaves the valley, and climbs toward a conifer-covered ridge. At 1.1 miles, you arrive at a timbered saddle, a great place to catch your breath, have a snack, and drink some water.
With a proper alpine start, you’ll see a great sunrise while climbing Mount Borah’s lower steep switchbacks.
Switchbacks (saddle to tree line), 1.1 – 1.8 miles: Perhaps the most physically challenging part of the climb is hiking the approximately 0.7 miles up 1,500 vertical feet from the saddle to slightly above tree line via numerous steep switchbacks. If you got an appropriate alpine start, you’ll probably watch twilight and morning unfold with gnarled trees silhouetted against the unfolding day as you sweat up this surprisingly steep section of trail.
Plateau (tree line to Chicken Out Ridge), 1.8 – 2.8 miles: After leaving tree line, the switchbacks continue to a broad and relatively flat plateau on Mount Borah’s shoulder. The ensuing 1 mile climbs more gradually. This is an enjoyable part of the climb with big views and relatively small physical effort. After a mile, however, the trail arrives at Chicken Out Ridge. For some, this is the end of the ascent. I’ve climbed Mount Borah via this route several times, and I’ve always encountered people enjoying the view from the bottom of Chicken Out Ridge while waiting for friends to return from the summit.
Chicken Out Ridge, 2.8 – 3.3 miles: For many Mount Borah climbers, Chicken Out Ridge is the understandable focal point for planning and stressing out prior to their climb. For just under half a mile, the route climbs over and around steep, solid rock and, time of year depending, may also include some snow and ice to traverse. The idea is to stay on or close to the rocky spine, but specific route finding can be challenging, and there is some exposure—especially for climbers who stray off course.
Chicken Out Ridge is rocky, moderately technical, and exposed for about a half mile.
The ridge ends with a 20-foot cliff to go descend. The cliff has easy handholds and footholds, and there’s sometimes a rope left by prior climbers (always be wary of systems you didn’t set up yourself and inspect carefully before use). This small cliff is also a choke point, and on a busy Saturday lines can form as people wait to maneuver up or down the cliff on their way up or down the mountain.
If you’re climbing Mount Borah before August, the small cliff leads to a cornice atop a north-facing, ice-filled couloir. The traverse across the top of this feature is safest with an ice axe, crampons, or both. If it was a low snow year, or if you’re late enough in the season, this part of the climb will be nothing more than some easy-to-walk-on dirt and shale.
Summit Push, 3.3 – 4.1 miles: The final mile and 1,000 vertical feet climbs a rocky chute to the summit. A faint trail leads from Chicken Out Ridge to the southwest-facing chute, where route finding becomes slightly more challenging, and loose rocks, particularly from climbers above, can be a hazard. If the chute is filled with snow, climb the ridge, which involves slightly more challenging rock scrambling and route finding.
The view from 12,662-foot Mount Borah’s summit is expansive. You can see west to the Pioneer, Boulder and White Cloud mountains; east to the Lemhi Range; and north to the Salmon River Mountains. That’s a giant and inspiring chunk of Central Idaho to take in all at once.
Descent, 4.1 – 8.2 miles: The climb down from Mount Borah’s summit shouldn’t be underestimated. The technical parts of the climb will need to be navigated in reverse, and the route’s steepness will take its toll on your knees and hips. Trekking poles will help.
Safety considerations for climbing Mount Borah
Climbing Mount Borah is a big physical undertaking, and that’s one of the key safety considerations. The route climbs more than 5,000 vertical feet in less than 5 miles, so the math is pretty simple. It climbs more than 1,000 feet per mile.
I’ve climbed high points across the western U.S., and Borah ranks among the harder summits I’ve done. According to the Effort Scale, which takes into consideration mileage, vertical, technical difficulty, and more, it ranks eighth among the 50 state high points, and seventh out of the West’s 11 state high points.
Mount Borah poses some technical difficulty, with required scrambling on Chicken Out Ridge, some exposure, and the possibility of snow and ice to traverse. For experienced rock climbers, experienced alpine climbers, and non-climbers with an adventurous spirit, the technical difficulty on Mount Borah probably won’t be an issue.
Additional safety concerns include the usual array of potential hazards we all might face in the mountains: rapidly shifting weather, rockfall, intense sun, adequate food and water supplies, injury, hot weather, cold weather, and more.
Research the location-specific weather forecast before setting foot on the trail and be prepared for any conditions the day may have in store, both at the trailhead and at the summit.
Camping at Mount Borah trailhead
There are a handful of dispersed campsites at the Mount Borah trailhead that are first-come, first served, and require that you pay a small fee. If you’re climbing Borah on a Saturday during peak season, which is late August and early September, these sites are nearly guaranteed to be full, and the area around the trailhead buzzing with activity the night before your climb.
Gear and supplies to consider taking along
Any day in the mountains poses a diverse range of challenges, and climbers should be prepared for all of them. This includes the whole gamut of gear and clothes you’ll need for hot and cold weather, sun or rain, technical challenges, calorie and hydration requirements, staying out longer than expected, and more.
Here’s a great list of gear you might need for a wide array of mountaineering activities. Mount Borah doesn’t require much technical gear, but season and year depending an ice axe and crampons might be a good idea.
A unique and challenging experience
Climbing Mount Borah is a unique and challenging experience that offers stunning views and a sense of accomplishment. With proper preparation and respect for the mountain and its surroundings, it is a rewarding adventure.