
From the car, we headed through the open desert and into a wash. Elbow Range HP visible top left.

View back, Arrow Canyon Range visible in the distance.

Within the wash.

Elbow Butte is out of frame on the right. Here we're approaching the two route options. Our ascent route went up the center of this photo where that shadowline is. Our descent came from the left, currently obscured by the slope.

Class 2 ascent.

Looking back, Elbow Butte visible top center.

At the top of the Class 2, a pretty overlook before starting up the north ridge.

View back toward the drainage we came up (right).

Crazy cliffs on the west face. Fortunately we didn't have to deal with any of that.

Class 3 up the north ridge.

False summit along the ridge, view toward Elbow Range HP (top center). We would descend some sketchy Class 3 to the saddle in the center. Our descent route later takes the drainage in the center of this photo.

Sketchy Class 3 downclimb.

View back toward the Class 3 false summit.

Wide shot of the ascent ridge we took (left) and the much easier Class 2 descent drainage we would take later (right).

Continuing to Elbow Range High Point.

Cool drop-offs on either side as we ascend.


View back along the ridgeline, the false summit along the north ridge we came from visible top center. You can see Austin pulling some Class 2/2+ movements along the ridge.

Class 2 to Elbow Range High Point.

Elbow Range High Point, view west.

Elbow Range High Point, view east toward Fleur de Lis Peak. We wanted to get over there from here, but the cliffs looked to daunting to give it a try.

Elbow Range High Point, view south.

We headed down to the previously mentioned drainage we'd use as our descent. This is the hardest of the obstacles. Class 2/2+ on minor dryfalls along the way down.

View back up the drainage we descended.

Elbow Butte ahead. We headed up to its left ridge and ascended to the summit.

View back along Elbow Butte's northern ridge. Elbow Range High Point visible top left. On the opposite side of Elbow Butte for our descent, we encountered some minor Class 3 cliff bands (not pictured).
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