These guys:


Geisler Group

Also Jalovec:

My favorites...

Great selection of photos, mountains, Fletch. Is that last one Trango Tower? Beatiful, each and all!

aran wrote:Is that last one Trango Tower?

Yes...

Don't know why, but that is my favorite photo I've ever seen. I can just stare at it for hours... I don't have much desire to climb it, but to be where the photo was taken would be a treat...

I've always liked the view of Lone Pine Peak in California/Southern Sierra Nevada as I'm driving along Hwy 395 into the Owens Valley. And the view from the top is pretty impressive, too; I've always though it better than the view from nearby Mt. Whitney.

Clark_Griswold wrote:Does it have to have snow on it, or be high and technical to be beautiful?

What about the Pusch Ridge and Pusch Peak north of Tucson? I consider that a very beautiful mountain.

It was the first peak that I climbed when I arrived in Tucson in the 80's. Very beautiful! With that said, I actually was entranced by the two symetrical peaks East of Table Mountain a few miles northwest of Pusch Peak. They don't have official names but informal glass registers at their summits in the late 80's called them Barrier Tooth and Ethyls Wolf Jaw or something to that effect... Truly spectacular summits unknown to almost all (with summit registers that hadn't been signed for 18 years prior to our arrival).

That's what is great about beauty in mountains; a peak like Fuji is viewed by millions and is truly beautiful but there are probably a hundred other lesser known peaks that look quite similar but are just more obscure.

Ama Dablam and Chacraraju east look alike....this summer I might have a chance to climb Alpamayo, Chacraraju and several more peaks in the Blanca. Some great looking peaks in Cordillera Blanca! I realized that last year I ticked off South Howser Tower and the Hulk from my previous list.

Chacraraju


Ama Dablam

As far as I am concerned, ALL volcanoes can get nixed off any list of peaks that are the "most" beautiful. Kilimanjaro/Fuji included. Giant blobs without any scenery around them for the vast majority of them. The cascade volcanoes for the most part fit this to a T. Giant mole hills looming over smaller mole hills. Shasta, sisters, hood, ranier. Giant blobs that have a route or two partially worth climbing and the rest are plod plod plod. Ok, Ranier has several worth climbing, but the others? Good training climbs is about their limit.

Wastral wrote:As far as I am concerned, ALL volcanoes can get nixed off any list of peaks that are the "most" beautiful. Kilimanjaro/Fuji included. Giant blobs without any scenery around them for the vast majority of them. The cascade volcanoes for the most part fit this to a T. Giant mole hills looming over smaller mole hills. Shasta, sisters, hood, ranier. Giant blobs that have a route or two partially worth climbing and the rest are plod plod plod. Ok, Ranier has several worth climbing, but the others? Good training climbs is about their limit.

I agree for the most part....the only volcano I am really fond of is Glacier Peak and I think due to its location and surroundings in the GPW it is a beautiful mountain.

phydeux wrote:I've always liked the view of Lone Pine Peak in California/Southern Sierra Nevada as I'm driving along Hwy 395 into the Owens Valley. And the view from the top is pretty impressive, too; I've always though it better than the view from nearby Mt. Whitney.

I agree. I remember the first time I saw it, briefly believing it to be Mount Whitney before I saw that behind LPP. The bright white north east gully of LPP is really a great sight to behold. For being up high in summer, in that area, it's a nicer summit. Not crowded and the valley view is spectacular. I think there is too great an obsession with size or snow coverage, or skill required to summit a peak, when considering beauty. Purely for aesthetics, LPP is a great one.

ALL volcanoes can get nixed off any list of peaks that are the "most" beautiful. Kilimanjaro/Fuji included. Giant blobs without any scenery around them for the vast majority of them. The cascade volcanoes for the most part fit this to a T. Giant mole hills looming over smaller mole hills. Shasta, sisters, hood, ranier.

Hmmmmm
Looks striking to me!

Vitaliy M. wrote:

ALL volcanoes can get nixed off any list of peaks that are the "most" beautiful. Kilimanjaro/Fuji included. Giant blobs without any scenery around them for the vast majority of them. The cascade volcanoes for the most part fit this to a T. Giant mole hills looming over smaller mole hills. Shasta, sisters, hood, ranier.

Hmmmmm
Looks striking to me!

Yup, looking up two of the four good climbs on Rainier(liberty,Ptarmigan ridge). The third on Rainier IMO is Sunset amphitheater/Puyallup cleaver and pick your quality route. Though even Liberty ridge is pretty much nothing but a very long stretch of 40-50 degree snow/ice making it the 4th best route on the mountain IMO behind Sunset ridge, Sunset amphitheater, and ptarmigan. The best part of the "climb" is the approach crossing the Carbon. But it fails in the ambiance department as far as I am concerned. Nothing around Rainier, seriously degrading all of the routes and the mountains stature. Stand on top of a true spire surrounded by mountains and its awe-inspiring further enhancing its beautiful shape. Stand on top of a giant volcano, and you feel a grand sense of accomplishment in endurance even though its a beautiful mountain. This is summitpost.org after all =), not take a pic, Roger Wilco was here.org!

PS. For those who can't tell the scale. Crevasse bottom right is probably large enough(wide and deep) to swallow the space needle in Seattle whole with it standing at the bottom of the crevasse.

Certainly, the mountains of my beloved Djibouti must count for something.

Two personal and backyard (for me) favorites:

Yup, looking up two of the four good climbs on Rainier(liberty,Ptarmigan ridge). The third on Rainier IMO is Sunset amphitheater/Puyallup cleaver and pick your quality route. Though even Liberty ridge is pretty much nothing but a very long stretch of 40-50 degree snow/ice making it the 4th best route on the mountain IMO behind Sunset ridge, Sunset amphitheater, and ptarmigan. The best part of the "climb" is the approach crossing the Carbon.

Have you done Curtis Ridge by any chance? I want to do another route on Rainier some day, maybe, and trying to decide on which one to try. For me, Liberty Ridge was an awesome experience because I climbed/hiked just over a year when I did it (unguided). So doing a committing climb like that with another noob like myself was a good challenge back than. I agree that best part is crossing the Carbon. That thing is impressive, especially for someone who is from CA! It ended up being easier than I thought though.

In my home range, Clyde Minaret is one of my favorite peaks. It's SE face Direct route (IV 5.9) is included in 50 classic climbs in NA, for a great reason IMO. It is named after Norman Clyde, and also is part of the Minaret Traverse (that I need to do some day). Surrounded by other peaks, spires, and lakes, it is a must see. It also has a great route for a scrambler- Rock Route.

Clyde is the high point. As seen from Volcanic Ridge

Merriam peak has my favorite rock climb in Sierra (North Buttress IV 5.10b), and is also pretty damn scenic. Nice and easy descent too.


Temple Crag, has several awesome rock climbs, has great views from the summit, and a good challenge for a scrambler.


Petit Griffon Spire had one of my favorite summits. It is about size of a table and perfectly flat. Moderate climb of 2 pitches that we broke in 3 to prevent rope drag. Can't see it from photos but it actually has twin summits.

Photo of it from the air. By ScottyS or bearbnz:
http://www.summitpost.org/the-petit-gri ... 1/c-150485

Would be cool to climb Lone Pine Peak via Bastille Buttress. Maybe than I will add it to my list of favorites.