The Index
Date: 08/29/2025
Partner: J Weingast
Trailhead: Ruby Basin Camp
Summits:
* The Index (an old school "5.9+" off-width crack to the summit)
* Monitor Peak
* Peak Thirteen
* Animas Mountain
Distance: 3.85 miles
Elevation Gain: 3600ft
Duration: 10Hrs 45min
GPX
The Index 14ers.com Page
The Index is one of the 9 peaks J and I climbed as a part of our 5 day Needles and Fingers trip. This overview summarizes the trip and includes links to reports for the other peaks we climbed.
The day prior to climbing The Index, J and I moved camp from Noname Basin where we had climbed three towers on Noname Ridge... Gray Needle(1953), Gray Needle('Coke Bottle') and Noname Needle. En-route from Noname to Ruby we tagged Peak Twelve. We were fired up to be in Ruby Basin with plans to climb The Index and Little Finger.
Gear:
- 70m 8mm rope
- A set of basic nuts
- BD cams .4, .5, 3, 4 and two 5s (both 5s were used on the summit pitch)
- assortment of runners and slings
Thanks to those who came before us! The following trip reports were critical in our planning process.
Steve Gladbach & Peter Blank
Peter Blank
Boggy B & Amy Blazintoes
A special tip of the hat to the late Steve Gladbach and Peter Blank for re-pioneering this amazing route in 2011.
The Index was first climbed in 1934 and I am not aware of it being climbed again until Steve and Peter's trip.
Our climb went smoothly, however we were both surprised by the difficulty of the "5.9" off-width pitch to the summit... so be prepared for that.
Once we were off of The Index, J and I climbed Monitor and traversed to Animas over Peak Thirteen ... an all time favorite Wemi route!
![The index 01]()
3.85m - 3600ft - 10hrs 45min (Index, Monitor, Thirteen, Animas)
![The index 01h]()
Gear: a set of basic nuts, .4, .5, 3, 4, 2x5 BD cams, set of 4 Omega link cams, assortment of runners/slings - both 5s were used on The Index's summit pitch. 70m 8mm rope
![The index 02q]()
The Index is a technical north to south traverse of it's summit ridge over 3 towers. This is the west face and shows the route from the top of the crossover gully
![The index 02t]()
The Index as seen from the summit of Animas to the east. This and the previous image should give you an idea of the general route we took from the top of the crossover gully to the summit
![The index 03]()
Animas (R) and The Index from camp the evening before our climb. The crossover gully is the obvious narrow weakness/gap at 8 o'clock from the summit
![The index 04]()
Hiking to the crossover gully - The Index is just left of center - The gully is the obvious notch to the left of the summit tower
![The index 05]()
Getting closer to the crossover gully on the left side of the summit
![The index 06]()
The Index - crossover gully is down and to the left of the summit
![The index 07]()
Making our way to the crossover gully
![The index 08]()
Amazing morning view of Ruby Lake and the Twilight group to the west
![The index 09]()
A morning on the front porch
![The index 10]()
Just Wow!
![The index 11]()
Climbing the crossover gully
![The index 12]()
There was some low 5th class near the top of the gully. We rappelled this on they way back
![The index 13]()
Looking down the crossover gully and across the valley to Peak Fifteen
![The index 14]()
From the top of the gully we hiked/scrambled some easy class 3 to the base of the summit block on the north side of the summit ridge
![The index 15]()
The summit block comes into view
![The index 16]()
From here you can see the hole we crawled through on the first pitch, tower #1 just above that(which we bypassed on the left), the summit of tower #2 (looks like it has a cairn) and the stiff off-width on the summit tower #3
![The index 17]()
Getting ready for the climb - P1 was the easiest of the three pitches. Up the crack, traverse the ledge, through the hole and around tower #1
![The index 18]()
J sporting his newly found shades... Animas Mountain's daunting west face behind
![The index 19]()
Alex skirting around the left side of tower #1
![The index 20]()
P2: J leads the 5.7 crack that takes us to the summit of tower #2
![The index 21]()
Great perspective on The Index's stiff summit pitch as we prep to rappel off of tower #2
![The index 22]()
Rappelling from tower #2 to the base of the third and final tower
![The index 23]()
J sizes up the steep "5.9+" off-width to the summit
![The index 24]()
J lays down an impressive lead! I needed to 'aid' to get up this thing... one of the more challenging pitches I have been on. Note the draw is clipped to an old piton
![The index 25]()
So much more than stoked to be standing on this thing! Fcuk yeah buddy!!! And where can I get me a pair of those Hunter S Thompson shades?!
![The index 26]()
Southeast views to Eolus and West Eolus(R)
![The index 27]()
R2L: Fifteen, Sixteen and Little Finger - We climbed Little Finger the next day
![The index 28]()
Pigeon and it's impressive east wall
![The index 29]()
Northern views to Vestal and company
![The index 30]()
Setting up the rappel back down to the base of the summit tower
![The index 31]()
Rappelling to the base of the summit tower. Off-Width ascent crack on the right
![The index 32]()
From the base of the summit tower we rappelled to the class 3 terrain that we had hiked from the crossover gully to the base of pitch 1 earlier in the day. Checkout the old piton!
![The index 33]()
Alex raps to class 3 terrain
![The index 34]()
J raps the 5th class at the top of the crossover gully
![The index 35]()
Down climbing the lower section of the crossover gully
![The index 36]()
A view to camp and the giants of Ruby Basin. From here J and I contoured east and climbed Monitor, Thirteen and Animas before returning to camp.
