Pingora is the central feature of the Cirque of the Towers. The mountain’s stunning cylindrical shape, its dominating location over Lonesome Lake, and its short approach for climbing, make it a “must do” for visiting climbers. The name “Pingora” is a Shoshoni term meaning “high, rocky and inaccessible peak”.

Many routes tread each face of Pingora, yet the two most popular are the South Buttress (for its easy 5.6 grade), and the Northeast Face (for its inclusion in the “50 Classic Climbs of North America” book).

Pingora is said to receive the majority of the traffic in the Cirque of the Towers, and is the most-climbed mountain in the Wind River Range. For this reason, it’s recommended to climb Pingora outside of the Friday through Sunday weekend rush. We climbed this peak on a Thursday and only saw one other group during our entire day. Just the way it should be!