So I've climbed Rainer (2X), The Grand (2X), Hood, Orizaba, been to Yosemite, Bugaboos Ecuador and I'm looking for a new objective for this summer. I have about 6 days, can climb up to 5.7 on (though that's pushing it on a big peak), lead ice to WI4 max, probably 3ish in the alpine.
I'm thinking of the East Buttress on Whitney, any other "iconic" peaks or climbing areas come to mind? I'll be coming from NY.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I think that's a great idea. East Buttress of Whitney (5.7), and East ridge (cl 3) of Mt. Russell. You will have a blast.

One thought is do a tour de Pickets in the North Cascades: Challenger Glacier on Mt Challenger, North Buttress of Mt Fury, and Luna Peak. Round trip should be doable in 6 days.

Also, classics in Canada like Mt Sir Donald, Mt Assiniboine, North Face of Mt Robson, Mt Temple, Mt Edith Caval, NF Athabasca.

None of the other places have weather as good as it is in Sierra usually. Research precipitation graphs by months (if you care). Weather would be a big factor for me if I was choosing a summer destination. Although this summer I will be going to Bugaboos : )

Death Valley, Badwater to Whitney Portal ultra.

I spent a week in the rain/snow in the Bugs last summer. Someplace with decent weather sounds appealing.

How about Cirque of the towers, in the wind river mountains. If you liked the Bugaboos, you will like the Cirque. There are two north american classics, The wolf head,5.6 truly one of the most unique climbs. and Pingora 5.8.east face. Pingora also has a great 5.6 on it's south face. Also sharks nose, leaning tower, warbonnet, Michell, and on and on!! I will be there in the middle of August myself!! can't wait!! Another area of the wind rivers is Titcomb basin, many semi technical climbs, Gannett is the highest in Wyoming. Fremont has an awesome third class route. Ellingwood north face 5.6 another north american classic. Late July, and early august, fairly stable weather, or maybe I should say predictable weather. ( afternoon thunder showers)( But Much better weather than the Bugaboos) I like middle August, because in July the SKEETERS can Drive you INSANE!!! If you like Glacier travel, Titcomb basin area, has some of the biggest Glaciers in the lower usa. Late season Augusts early September, many peaks are technical because of glacier ice. The cirque is an eight mile approach, while Titcomb basin is a 17 mile approach, and remote!!

Cheers Peter

Ptarmigan Traverse? Might be a bit too long, but if I had the money and the free time, i would do it immediately.

http://www.summitpost.org/view_object.p ... irm_post=7

I spent a week in the rain/snow in the Bugs last summer.

What month were you there?

The question you need to ask youself is do you want to go rock climbing or alpine climbing? Lots of great suggestions for rock climbing here; Wind Rivers and the Sierras, and hiking; Ptarmigan Traverse, Badwater to Whitney, but if you want alpine climbing, the Canadian Rockies are the ticket; new place for you, lots of accessible big alpine routes.

The Crestones in southern Colorado offer a number of 14ers with fine technical routes on them (Ellingwood Ledges is one of the 50 Classics)- Ellingwood Ledges (5.7), traverse from Crestone Peak to Needle (one of the '4 great 14er traverses' of CO- 4th class), & north buttress (if I remember correctly- 5.8, I believe) all seem like classics. You can also hike up Humboldt Peak, another 14er, from there too (2nd class).

Suggestions provided for the Sierra (Whitney E face & Sunshine Peewee route, Mt. Russell) are great too.

Tuolumne Meadows is an amazing place to climb as well- some great cragging & peaks too (Cathedral Peak SE buttress (5.6), Tenaya Peak (from Tenaya Lake- 5.5; excellent climb), & Mt. Conness (W or N ridge, either 5.6).

I'd say you couldn't go wrong with most of the suggestions provided. Have fun!

The Sierra Palisades region might fit the bill for you. It is often called the most alpine region in the Sierra with 6 summits over 14K, none of them with any route easier than class 2 and most of them class 4 or 5. It has several snow filled couloirs that become alpine ice climbs in the summer, and has the largest glacier in the area. It has some of the biggest multipitch rock climbs in the Sierra on Temple Crag. You could set up base camp in Sam Mack Meadow or the Palisade cirque and start knocking off routes, or if you wanted a bigger adventure you could spend all six days doing a high traverse of the peaks. The Whitney region is beautiful but very crowded and permits can be hard to come by. While the access trails to the Palisades are popular you will see far fewer people above treeline than you will in the Whitney region.

Get a copy of Peter Croft's "The Good, the Great and the Awesome" and start checking out some of the options!

Temple Crag, on the approach to the Palisade basin, with some of the longest rock routes in CA:



Palisades traverse takes you across this ridge, as seen from Mt. Winchell's summit:



North Palisade, as seen from the West:



Some of the alpine ice couloirs are visible here:

Canadian Rockies, too many classic alpine climbs to do!

I was in the Bugs the last week of July. Rained Snowed every day.
I was in Titcomb basin in the 80's, what an amazing place. Cirque of the towers sounds interesting...
A friend suggested Skyladder on Andromeda. http://www.summitpost.org/skyladder/162038 Looks cool, but the travel to Canada is a bit much from NY.
Will probably check out Whitney. Thanks for the suggestions.