The passage above Avant-garde is by no means a route without danger. It is perhaps the only location of the mountainous regions where trespassers will be confronted with the threat of harsh weather, larger predators and unsteady terrain. Snow is an ever abundant hindrance the further up the mountain one goes. The stones have become cracked and loosened with age and weather conditions, some paths have even collapsed, forcing travelers to jump to other outcroppings. And while mountain goats make for good meals, mountain lions are not an unfamiliar sight either. But there is a small slice of heaven to be had halfway up the peak, a series of rocky flats that are home to a cluster of hot-springs. Visiting the springs has been rumored to solve health problem making it almost worth the treacherous journey up the mountain to reach them.
