Munra for newbies

[Kerraeb]

I started hiking in spring 2015. I started with Angel's Rest and Saddle Mountain. Did Ramona and Shellburg Falls, then a very experienced and conditioned hiker friend suggested we do Munra. He had never hiked with me before, yet suggested this beast. I read the review on the drive to the trailhead. I had to ask him what "scramble" meant. I thought "exposure" meant, 'bring your sunscreen.' I was worried.

Only experienced hikers should try this solo, and maybe not even them.
Newbies: DO NOT DO THIS ALONE!
Tiny margin of error in places with hundreds of feet of steep, bone breaking, neck snapping, TBI causing PAIN on all sides. It's a long wicked way down if you're injured in even a small way.

The initial walk along the highway was fine. Shortly after you enter the woods and cross a stream, there is a little path UP to your right with a "Trail Not Maintained" sign with "MUNRA" cut into it. Now the up begins.

There is a lot of loose dirt and rock in this first section. It was helpful having my friend point out which side to walk on, as he could eyeball the dangers that I had never encountered before. When you think "this must be at least half way!" you're probably close to a cool trail spur where he taught me what "exposure means in hiking. Small path surrounded by rocky death. The view of the Columbia from here is spectacular. We were ABOVE a bird!

Shortly after this the climbing gets REAL. Big rocks. Wide, 6-15 foot areas of just rock that you have to find hand and foot holds to get past. My friend kept saying "three points of contact!" Make sure you have only one unsecured limb at a time. Keep your center of gravity as close to the rock as possible. I've never done any rock climbing. This was scary.

There seemed to be a few false summits. You come around a corner or up a steep slope and you think you're there, but you aren't.

Then "The Chimney." Holy crap, that looked scary. UP only rocks on 3 sides for probably 20 feet. My friend was behind me and guided my feet to the best foot holds and told me where to put my hands. He did the same on the way down. This was incredibly helpful. This is in my profile shot.

Finally, the top is in sight. But, you still have another 15 feet or so of knobby rock with death or broken bones on both sides. At the top is a small area to sit and look up and down the Columbia and marvel at what you have done.

Descending the summit was best done with him placing each of my feet. I'm generally more comfortable going down steeper things face first, hips and booty to the ground. I did most of the descent scrambles (except Chimney) that way.

GO SLOW on the way down. Way more dangerous on the way down. You're tired and the loose dirt and rock would love to take you out. Slow and observant is the way to go.

The sense of accomplishment is HUGE with this one. No way would I have been able to do it without Captain Hikety Hike.

[pdxgene]

Good job! You could stick a pile of gold atop that thing for the taking and you wouldn't find me anywhere near it....

[neilsonw]

Good writeup. You mirrored a lot of the feelings I had while hiking it, haha. I went solo a couple months ago with only 15 or so hikes under my belt and 1-2 solo hikes. It may not have been the best idea, but I'm young and can convince myself to do some dumb things. The entire time, though, I kept the mindset that I could, and would, turn back if anything seemed just too sketchy.

I ended up making it to the summit block and climbed most of it, but couldn't bring myself to go the last 8-10 feet to the very top. I started, and then got a little dizzy and knew I would likely not be able to make it back down safely, so I stayed just below it and had some lunch.

For anyone considering it, it's a killer hike in more ways than one...it's short but since it's so steep, going up is a super fun scramble but coming down is a long, tedious, stressful ordeal especially since it's mostly loose dirt and rocks. And I ran out of water . I'm very glad I chose to try it out, but I doubt I'll ever do it again.

Here's my elevation track. 3 mile mark where it's at its lowest is the beginning of the Munra trail by the highway, about 200'. Summit at 4 miles is 1790'. About 1590' of gain in one mile.


p.s. sorry for rambling, and thanks for sharing