You know, after looking at pictures of the route, I'm still not sure what the heck Secor was talking about. I understood Bob Burd's instructions, though.
jonhersh - Sep 1, 2006 4:51 am Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2005
NE Face
Fun 3rd class climb with my brother. Camped at the north end of Finger Lake and enjoyed the views.
MoapaPk - Aug 7, 2006 8:01 am Date Climbed: Aug 6, 2006
No crampons or axe needed lately
NE "Face": As of Aug 6, one could travel up the middle moraine and cross over to the "red band" (brown-red?) in summer boots (non-goretex vasque catalysts for me). We crossed about 20' only of high-angle snow, and it readily admitted kick steps.
That chute to the top has plenty of class 3 holds, but is otherwise a shooting gallery for loose rock. If there are more than 2-3 closely-matched people in the party, consider taking helmets. I probably spent 80% of my energy trying NOT to kick up loose rocks; but rocks 1' distant from my boot would let go at the merest suggestion. I ended up climbing down every talus-free rock rib I could find, and we spread laterally across the gully to avoid beaning each other.
I was initially surprised at the number of people who did that trip as a dayhike from the Pine Cr Campground. However, the round trip is about 14-15 miles, with about 6500' elevation gain, half on semi-decent trails. If you start early at the parking lot, it should be "easy" enough.
Great climbing day - firm snow for crampons from the inlet of Finger Lake all the way up the glacier. Ledges to the face were easy to find. A slushy snowfield covered what I believe to be the "standard" route, up the left branch of the main couloir, and I climbed the right branch of the couloir instead. Good rock and good climbing, but some definite 4th class and some interesting routefinding near the top. Great fun!
virginiapine - Jul 5, 2006 9:37 pm Date Climbed: Jun 26, 2006
Clyde Route
Climbed the Clyde Rt. on the E. Face: first came 2 MI2 (e.g., feel like 5.6) pitches directly below the central chute (e.g., just N of the rib dividing the glacier) going around the right end of the glacier's high pt. to get onto the bergshrund, then traversed left and up into the steambed cut into the chute. Fun technical work - crampons, axes, & good rock pro. We tried the snow field above but it was shallow with ice beneath so climbed alongside and onto the rib on the left, thus avoiding the 3 avalanches that cut loose from the snowfield later in the morning. After an airy step around the tower on top, we moved up and left to the next rib. Climbing this became progressively harder up to the summit, where at 1:20PM we discovered it was storming over on Winchell/Agassiz. We hustled down and luckily had no lightning, just graupel after we found the easy part of normal route when halfway down (2nd chute left of the main chute when facing the pk.). Altogether an interesting climb in these conditions (2006 is a big snow year in the Sierras).
Still LOTS of snow left. Didn't have a great weekend and fatigue+a huge gap between the glacier and the face, made me turn around. More luck next time I guess.
Mountain Jim - Mar 14, 2006 6:51 pm Date Climbed: Aug 20, 1980
Northeast Face
Easier climb than it looks on the approach ... great summit !!!
Route Climbed: NE Face Date Climbed: October 23 2005
Went up some class 4 (with ice & snow) at the end of the west glacier that took me 3 hours then tranverse back to the class 3 chute described by Bob Burb. Summited around 2pm with Patrick Bauman Nobody else was on the mountain except two Russian dudes, Igor & Vladamir I think. It was a beautiful cloudless day.
Route Climbed: Northeast Face variation Date Climbed: September 10, 2005
I soloed this Class 4-5 route pretty much by accident, by traversing too much too the right when attempting NE face. Considerable exposure and quite a bit of summit crest traverse to get to the summit proper... I downclimbed the NE face on the descent, but then didn't traverse back to my starting point and ended up downclimbing to the highest point of the Clyde glacier . Obviously, I am "route-finding challenged". Very fun, very high winds, pretty cold.
Route Climbed: NE Face Date Climbed: August 3, 2003
Climbed with Maria. I thought it the route was fun and relatively clean class 3, but some disagree. Don't be fooled by the bogus ducks when you scramble onto the moraine above finger lake. Climb up half way and traverse around to the left and get on the SW facing ramp that heads all the way up the north middle palisade glacier.
Route Climbed: NE Face Date Climbed: September 10, 2005
climbed with uwjennie from summitpost; good beta made for a good climb. It was very windy at the summit. The hardest part of the climb was coming off the glacier and onto the rock (hard class 4 to maybe mid class 5 moves); this can be by-passed though by climbing the rock band to the south. Will return to this peak later ...
Great peak. Perfect way to wrap up a summer of peak bagging. I'd have to agree with some others that it was a little looser than I was expecting. I didn't notice it at all going up, but coming down was a little slower as a result.
Route Climbed: NE Face Date Climbed: Sept. 10, 2005
Great trip with Kurt H. (aka physics) from SP. Reached the summit from the trailhead after leaving overnight gear at Finger Lake on Saturday. Hiked out Sunday for an early return home.
Fourth ascent of this mountain and 68th 14'er. Very beautiful at Brainard and Finger lakes. Scouting a traverse route to Norman Clyde Peak with-out a rope.
MoapaPk - Sep 7, 2006 3:14 am
Re: NE FaceYou know, after looking at pictures of the route, I'm still not sure what the heck Secor was talking about. I understood Bob Burd's instructions, though.
jonhersh - Sep 1, 2006 4:51 am Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2005
NE FaceFun 3rd class climb with my brother. Camped at the north end of Finger Lake and enjoyed the views.
MoapaPk - Aug 7, 2006 8:01 am Date Climbed: Aug 6, 2006
No crampons or axe needed latelyNE "Face": As of Aug 6, one could travel up the middle moraine and cross over to the "red band" (brown-red?) in summer boots (non-goretex vasque catalysts for me). We crossed about 20' only of high-angle snow, and it readily admitted kick steps.
That chute to the top has plenty of class 3 holds, but is otherwise a shooting gallery for loose rock. If there are more than 2-3 closely-matched people in the party, consider taking helmets. I probably spent 80% of my energy trying NOT to kick up loose rocks; but rocks 1' distant from my boot would let go at the merest suggestion. I ended up climbing down every talus-free rock rib I could find, and we spread laterally across the gully to avoid beaning each other.
I was initially surprised at the number of people who did that trip as a dayhike from the Pine Cr Campground. However, the round trip is about 14-15 miles, with about 6500' elevation gain, half on semi-decent trails. If you start early at the parking lot, it should be "easy" enough.
dpatmalloy - Jul 15, 2006 10:01 pm Date Climbed: Jul 14, 2006
NE FaceGreat climbing day - firm snow for crampons from the inlet of Finger Lake all the way up the glacier. Ledges to the face were easy to find. A slushy snowfield covered what I believe to be the "standard" route, up the left branch of the main couloir, and I climbed the right branch of the couloir instead. Good rock and good climbing, but some definite 4th class and some interesting routefinding near the top. Great fun!
virginiapine - Jul 5, 2006 9:37 pm Date Climbed: Jun 26, 2006
Clyde RouteClimbed the Clyde Rt. on the E. Face: first came 2 MI2 (e.g., feel like 5.6) pitches directly below the central chute (e.g., just N of the rib dividing the glacier) going around the right end of the glacier's high pt. to get onto the bergshrund, then traversed left and up into the steambed cut into the chute. Fun technical work - crampons, axes, & good rock pro. We tried the snow field above but it was shallow with ice beneath so climbed alongside and onto the rib on the left, thus avoiding the 3 avalanches that cut loose from the snowfield later in the morning. After an airy step around the tower on top, we moved up and left to the next rib. Climbing this became progressively harder up to the summit, where at 1:20PM we discovered it was storming over on Winchell/Agassiz. We hustled down and luckily had no lightning, just graupel after we found the easy part of normal route when halfway down (2nd chute left of the main chute when facing the pk.). Altogether an interesting climb in these conditions (2006 is a big snow year in the Sierras).
Luciano136 - Jul 4, 2006 9:34 pm Date Climbed: Jul 1, 2006
NE faceStill LOTS of snow left. Didn't have a great weekend and fatigue+a huge gap between the glacier and the face, made me turn around. More luck next time I guess.
Mountain Jim - Mar 14, 2006 6:51 pm Date Climbed: Aug 20, 1980
Northeast FaceEasier climb than it looks on the approach ... great summit !!!
graham - Nov 25, 2005 2:53 pm
Route Climbed: NE Face Date Climbed: Aug-28-05Beautiful day hike/climb. The entrance traverse from the top of the glacier was surprisingly easy
kevin trieu - Oct 24, 2005 6:29 pm
Route Climbed: NE Face Date Climbed: October 23 2005Went up some class 4 (with ice & snow) at the end of the west glacier that took me 3 hours then tranverse back to the class 3 chute described by Bob Burb. Summited around 2pm with Patrick Bauman Nobody else was on the mountain except two Russian dudes, Igor & Vladamir I think. It was a beautiful cloudless day.
tdoughty - Oct 16, 2005 1:45 pm
Route Climbed: NE FaceWith Don Huntress
tpdwr - Sep 27, 2005 6:49 pm
Route Climbed: East Face Date Climbed: August 6, 1988Perfect day for a great Peak. A little trouble on the way down finding the cross over.
Bob Burd - Sep 20, 2005 4:35 pm
Route Climbed: Traverse from Disappointment / NE Face (descent) Date Climbed: Aug 12, 2005Done with Matthew as part of the 2005 Sierra Challenge. Not a bad route, but bears little resemblance to Secor's route drawing. Trip Report
kovarpa - Sep 12, 2005 11:28 pm
Route Climbed: Northeast Face variation Date Climbed: September 10, 2005I soloed this Class 4-5 route pretty much by accident, by traversing too much too the right when attempting NE face. Considerable exposure and quite a bit of summit crest traverse to get to the summit proper... I downclimbed the NE face on the descent, but then didn't traverse back to my starting point and ended up downclimbing to the highest point of the Clyde glacier . Obviously, I am "route-finding challenged". Very fun, very high winds, pretty cold.
sierramtngoat - Sep 12, 2005 4:37 am
Route Climbed: NE Face Date Climbed: August 3, 2003Climbed with Maria. I thought it the route was fun and relatively clean class 3, but some disagree. Don't be fooled by the bogus ducks when you scramble onto the moraine above finger lake. Climb up half way and traverse around to the left and get on the SW facing ramp that heads all the way up the north middle palisade glacier.
physics - Sep 12, 2005 1:54 am
Route Climbed: NE Face Date Climbed: September 10, 2005climbed with uwjennie from summitpost; good beta made for a good climb. It was very windy at the summit. The hardest part of the climb was coming off the glacier and onto the rock (hard class 4 to maybe mid class 5 moves); this can be by-passed though by climbing the rock band to the south. Will return to this peak later ...
ExploreABitMore - Sep 11, 2005 8:37 pm
Route Climbed: NE Face Date Climbed: 09/10/05Great peak. Perfect way to wrap up a summer of peak bagging. I'd have to agree with some others that it was a little looser than I was expecting. I didn't notice it at all going up, but coming down was a little slower as a result.
uwjennie - Sep 11, 2005 8:28 pm
Route Climbed: NE Face Date Climbed: Sept. 10, 2005Great trip with Kurt H. (aka physics) from SP. Reached the summit from the trailhead after leaving overnight gear at Finger Lake on Saturday. Hiked out Sunday for an early return home.
Guilty - Aug 31, 2005 11:28 pm
Route Climbed: NE Face Date Climbed: 08-28-05Fourth ascent of this mountain and 68th 14'er. Very beautiful at Brainard and Finger lakes. Scouting a traverse route to Norman Clyde Peak with-out a rope.
Hmm! Has anyone did this w/o rope?
Guilty - Aug 29, 2005 4:14 pm
Route Climbed: NE Face Date Climbed: 07-19-99Saw many rocks rolling down the face. Very exciting.
BranchWhitney - Aug 26, 2005 1:00 am
Route Climbed: NE face Date Climbed: 8/22/2005Great climb and great weather. Ice ax and crampons came in handy.