Notch Peak

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Notch Peak is a summit located on Sawtooth Mountain in the House Range, west of Delta, Utah.

Notch Peak is one of the highest peaks in the House Range, reaching 9,654 feet (2,943 meters) above sea level. The northwest face of the mountain is a massive limestone cliff with 2,200 feet (670 meters) of vertical rise, making it among the highest cliff faces in North America. Overall, the summit rises about 5,000 feet above the Tule Valley.

The peak and the surrounding area are part of the Notch Peak Wilderness Study Area (WSA). The summit can be reached by following a trail from the east side of the mountain in Sawtooth Canyon. The hike is about four miles long (6.4 km), with 2,700 feet (820 m) elevation gain.

The north face of Notch Peak is divided by a large shelf into an upper and lower wall. There are several rock climbing routes on the limestone cliffs. "The Swiss Route" (never repeated), "Direct North West Ridge (AKA. Pillars of Faith), and "Book of Saturdays" ascend the upper wall. On the lower wall "Appetite for Destruction" and "Western Hardman" reach 900 feet (275 meters) of vertical. Climbing on all of these routes is adventurous with rockfall hazard and loose flakes of widely varing size.

Bristlecone pines, estimated to be 3,000 to 4,000 years old, are located on the ridges surrounding Notch Peak.