Overview
Dromedary Peak is a rugged, seldom-visited peak in the Wasatch Range and offers solitude from the crowds climbing the more popular Twin Peaks to the west. Dromedary offers a Class 3 experience similar to its neighbors Sunrise and Twin Peaks. It also offers a great snow climb in winter and late spring. It's location in the middle of the Wasatch range provides good views of surrounding peaks and mountain ranges. When ascending via Tanners Gulch, this peak can be combined with Broads Fork Twin Peaks and Sunrise Peak to complete the Wasatch Classic “Triple Traverse”.
Route Via Tanners Gulch
A path of use trail leading into the gulch on the north side of the highway leaves from the Tanners Flat Avalanche Area sign at 4.3 miles up Little Cottonwood Canyon or 0.1 miles up from the turnout to Tanners Flat Campground. From this trailhead, climb up the gulch with an ice axe until it forks at about 8,500 feet. A more difficult-to-navigate cliff-band blocks easy progress up the left fork. The right branch leads to Dromedary and the left fork more directly to the Dromedary/Sunrise saddle. Take a left at the major branch in the gulch in the gulch and scramble up to the saddle between Sunrise Peak (O' Sullivan Peak) and Dromedary Peak. However, the route opens up again at about 8,800 feet. It is feasible to contour back over to the left fork once the cliff band has been bypassed anywhere between 8,700-9,400 feet, and you can traverse all three summits. From there scramble over the summit of Sunrise and continue west to the Broads Fork Saddle, then continue west along the ridge to the summit of Twins. There is much scrambling along the way. The Tanners Gulch route is for tough and experienced climbers only. The elevation gain to the Twins is about 4200 feet including the drop to the Broads Fork Saddle.
Essential Gear
Make sure to bring your 10 Essentials, as well as a helmet, crampons, an ice axe, and possibly snowshoes and avy beacon depending on time of year.
Warning: Do this route only between early May and late June or early July. This is one of the worst avalanche chutes in the country, so don't attempt it in winter. Summer and fall are also unpleasant and not very safe because of loose rock and scree. When it's the right season, this is one of the finest climbs in the Rockies.