Remmel Mountain had been on my mind ever since my first failed attempt in 2023, when I tried climbing it after tagging Cathedral and Amphitheatre (<a class="in-text-link" href="https://hike2hike.com/scrambling/cathedral-amphitheatre-washington-okanagon-county/">link</a>). I’d come painfully close to the top via the North Ridge before running into a set of scrambling moves I couldn’t safely commit to. For a long time afterward, I kept thinking about what I could have done differently.
On my return trip, I wanted a completely different experience and a cleaner shot at redemption. Instead of the North Ridge, I chose the lesser-used Andrews Creek approach—a trail many avoid now due to years of fire damage. It’s rough in places, but it also offers a quieter, more direct line to the mountain. A few miles in, Remmel comes into view, and from there the entire day becomes a strategic puzzle of choosing the right route.
The ridge I followed offered solitude, movement over interesting terrain, and a sense of discovery I didn’t get the first time. There were no cairns, no boot paths, and no guarantees—just steady progress toward the high point I’d missed years before.
The full story covers the exact line I took, the conditions, the ridge scrambling, and how the final push compared to my first attempt. If you’re curious about what it takes to reach Remmel’s summit from this remote side—and how satisfying a second chance can be—the full trip report is on my website.

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