What gear does Aasgard Pass require on an early-season Enchantments through-hike permit?

Plan for snow travel gear on any Enchantments date before late July, and check conditions right up to your trip. Snow and ice can persist on Aasgard Pass and in the upper basin into August, and the pass is already 2,000 feet of loose, steep rock in under a mile before you add a frozen surface to it.

The early-season kit that earns its weight: microspikes at minimum (crampons if reports show hard consolidated snow), an ice axe if the upper pass still holds a continuous snowfield, and trekking poles for everything else. A helmet is a smart addition regardless of season since rockfall on Aasgard is a known hazard, especially with parties above you.

Beyond the snow question, the standard through-hike list applies: a headlamp with fresh batteries (early-season days are long but 12-to-15-hour outings eat margin), a water filter with capacity for 3 liters, sturdy boots that handle talus, and layers for weather that can swing from hot granite to graupel in an hour. Gaiters help on both scree and soft snow.

One early-season upside: the waterfalls and lake outlets run big, so water sources are everywhere once you are in the basin. The trade is that lingering snow hides sections of the route through the Core, so navigation attention matters more than in September.