I snapped this photo from my tent as I woke up. We hope to be standing on top of that peak in a few hours!

The morning sun on Seven Gables as we leave camp in the morning. We're not in the sun yet and it is cold.

Almost down to Vee Lake - sun is nearly on us now.

Unusual lumps above Vee Lake. We called it the Hiker Graveyard. Hm.

Peeking across at our route. We're heading straight up the chute to the low point, then following the summit slope to the top.

The climb starts off with a nice slabby slope that was pretty easy to move through, except for the mosquitoes. Ugh.

Slabbity slabby slab.

After climbing up the slabs we pop out on the top of the greenery and some route finding is needed to get us over this small wall and up to the next level of the chute.

On the first of several snow fields. It was solid and much faster than talus hopping!

Heading up one of the lower snow fields. Gordon's trekking pole pointing out our general route. Which is pretty much 'up',

Heading up the snow and talus to the low point. Summit on the left.

Sooz on the snow.

Snow and rock. The long snow fields saved us a lot of time since it kept us off of the loose talus.

Getting higher into the chute. Still easy going. It definitely doesn't look as bad close up!

The snow field at the top was the one that concerned us from a distance, but we can clearly see that there is plenty of passable space in the rocks/dirt on the right.of the small snow field.

All smiles!

Nearing the top of the chute. We're off the snow and on some steep loose talus and gravel. It's annoying but it goes.

Looking back down the chute - sooz is climbing up below the rock wall on the left.

Steep and loose. Bleh. Not really hard, but definitely the most annoying part of the climb.

Almost there! And look at that puny snowfield that had us all concerned.

Incredible views from the plateau when we top out. I peek into some familiar JMT terrain below us to the west.

On the mercifully flat and comfortable plateau. Studying the maps while we take a snack break to figure out the peaks around us.

The summit is in sight. Just a few rocks in between us and it. :)

Marie Lake and selden pass (along the JMT). Seven Gables has always intrigued me since I first spotted its unique profile from the JMT in 2007. So happy to be climbing it today!

Mmm...some late season polemonium (sky pilot) has survived up here. It smells so good. My favorite flower.

flowerzskypilotpurpleblue

Looking back to the plateau as we begin working our way up the rocks.

The Minarets, Banner, and Ritter were really obvious to the north.

Heart Rock

A couple of hundred feet below the summit some thinking is required.

Looking back down towards the plateau from just under the summit. Our chute drops off the plateau on the right.

Sooz just below the summit.

Hm, that is the summit block but getting there from here is not class 2. We find a way around (to the right of this picture).

Another late season surviving sky pilot seems to be a positive sign that we'll make it. We're very close to the summit now, just trying to find the class 2 way around that summit pile.

flowerzskypilotpurpleblue

And we found it. :) The first thing I did was look in the summit register and see this - another Dave & Becky, clearly. Unless I completely blocked out a previous climb and don't remember it.

Register

Our sign-ins

Gordon signs in.

One of the best things about Seven Gables is its position smack in the middle of the range. The views in every direction are incredible. This is to the south.

View to the west. And my feet.

View to the north. Banner/Ritter just squeezing in on the left.

Summit block of Seven Gables. Mt Humphreys way in the distance. Mt Tom also visible. Feather, Royce, and Merriam are in between us and Tom.

Zoom of Humphreys and Four Gables (we'll be there in a few days)

View to the southwest

Vee Lake peeks out below the summit block.

View to the south