While climbing at Smith Rock and Trout Creek in Oregon, I took a rest day to try Broken Top, which sounded like a fun objective. Broken Top is an old volcano capped with two small glaciers, and the standard route follows the Northwest Ridge (the final bit is easy 5th, while the rest is 3rd). The approach is from Green Lakes, and the rock is typical volcanic choss. The crux comes right at the top, where several options exist; going straight up the ridge the rock looks better there than on either side.

Permits are required, available through recreation.gov. As of October 2025, about 30 extra permits per trailhead are released two days in advance. I was able to grab one for just $1—a nice token fee that feels more about protecting the wilderness than generating revenue.

I anticipated a little snow and ice and carried crampons, but I wasn’t prepared for the thick rime and verglas coating the summit rocks. With crampons on, I spent about an hour within 100 vertical feet of the summit searching for a safe line to the top. I got within about 80 vertical feet of the summit before making the safe call to turn back. The contrast of white rime against the dark rock made for a beautiful scene, and it was still a rewarding day out. My Garmin tracked 13.5 miles and 3,900 feet of gain/loss—about 98% of the vertical and 99.8% of the distance. Hopefully someday I’ll return to scramble the final low 5th-class step and stand on the summit.

This page includes a route overlay, stats, and photos from the fun and snowy attempt.