The first of three great failed High Sierra dayhikes during the summer of 2013. Attempted as a dayhike via Shepherd Pass. Made it all the way through Williamson Bowl and up to about 13,500 before dizziness and fatigue forced me to make the wise decision to turn back. This was my very first time off trail in the High Sierra and I didn't know it yet but I was falling in love.
Did the journey with two friends. Trail Head to Shepherd Pass on day 1, Shepherd Pass to Summit and back on day 2, back to the car in 4 1/2 hours from SP to Trail Head the next morning.
The Chimney was something else, I'm not much of a rock climber myself so I had to have a friend spot me on the way down.
Registry seems in good shape, ran into about a dozen hikers on the 2 1/2 days. Lots of people staying in Anvil, probably about 6 on our way back down.
the easy class 3 chimney was a blast. camped at lake 3733 for an easy day.
citadel07 - May 13, 2014 2:05 pm Date Climbed: Aug 27, 2013
Awesome Views
Solo up. Nice to get out of the smoke from the Yosemite fire burning up north. Shepherd Pass is amazing and worth the hike alone.
BobD3 - Feb 10, 2014 10:29 pm Date Climbed: Aug 18, 2012
West face
Solo from camp at lake 3733. Perfect weather. Cloudy, cool, and calm. One of the Sierra's best, well worth the effort.
douggranger - Sep 12, 2013 8:23 pm Date Climbed: Aug 3, 2011
West Face
Long approach, long boulder hop across the bowl. Short class 3 section was invigorating. W/ Andy.
orbitor - Aug 20, 2013 6:08 pm Date Climbed: Jul 21, 2013
West Face from Shepherd Pass
Set up base camp at Shepherd Pass on 1st of 3-day trip. Went up Williamson on day 2. All landmarks were easy to find and navigation was less challenging than it is made out to be. Even the Bowl wasn't too bad. Chute is long and tedious, but eventually gives. Was ok going up the chimney; had to take my time on the way down. Exhilaration while standing on the summit taking in some sweet views. Aiming to do Tyndall on day 3, but storm had other plans and we hiked out instead.
slagerjon - Aug 18, 2013 4:21 am Date Climbed: Aug 16, 2013
Williamson/Tyndall dayhike
Ascended west face via chute (from hell) wish there was a chimney from toe to summit. I thoroughly enjoyed the chimney, by far the best stretch of the ascent! Easy class 3 with plenty of protection(if middle pal is 3, this is 2 at best). The chute was long and arduous, but that was after the approach, Tyndall and the bowl so perhaps with an advanced basecamp it would be more mild. Car to summit in just under 11 hrs. Car-to-Tyndall-to-Williamson-to-pointless flat switchbacks that never end-to-car ; 18 hrs.
CWessels - Aug 9, 2013 3:04 am Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2013
Via West Face
All in one very long (19.5 hr) day from the trailhead. Though others have said the Williamson Bowl and the class 2 chute are hellacious and unpleasant, I actually enjoyed both; but the black stain direct and the chimney were definitely the highlights of the trip (if only those sections were longer!). Williamson is a gorgeous mountain and the views from the summit are absolutely stunning.
I'll add that the author of the route description for the West Face route was very thorough and accurate. A printout of it is the only beta I brought with me to the mountain, and never once did I feel lost or confused. Thank you Summitpost!
Deb - Jul 28, 2013 12:33 am Date Climbed: Jul 26, 2013
West Face
Thrilled to have actually reached the summit after a failed trip via LTR 2 yrs ago. Enjoyed the "chimney" through the rain and loved the view through the clouds.
Ol Walsher - Jul 27, 2013 1:24 am Date Climbed: Jun 8, 2013
West Face black stain
From Shepherd Pass with Chad.
MelbaToast - Mar 25, 2013 7:54 pm Date Climbed: Feb 2, 2012
Many times
Saw a big rattlesnake at the trailhead.
danblock - Feb 20, 2013 6:46 pm Date Climbed: Aug 12, 2012
West Face
Early morning ascent from our camp at Shepard's Pass. Two meetup groups were on Williamson, and there were many successful summits. It was a long day though, up at 3am, and back home in Sacramento around 2am.
A solo round trip from a base camp at Shepherd Pass, a total of ten and a half hours. Some 60 to 80 parties have summited this year so far. Hard to tell, because there are two notebooks in the register box; some people sign up only one, others use both. The Chimney was fun after that incredibly tedious and long chute. Found a dark blue Mountain Hardwear jacket with a water bottle in one of its pockets near the "black stain" (left it there). There were no other climbers on the mountain that day, so it must have been left or lost some days earlier (or much earlier?). Trip report.
Did you need crampons in the chimney still or is it pretty much clear?
pinch - Jun 7, 2012 1:50 am Date Climbed: Jun 3, 2012
West Face
This was a meetup hike. Two days, camped in Williamson Bowl. Light snow year. Great peak!
iditarod81 - Jun 1, 2012 5:22 pm Date Climbed: May 27, 2012
West face
We had great weather but it still took literally all day. Phenomenal views from the top, exquisite terrain, and really enjoyable 3rd class terrain in the chimney.
rossrleone - Jul 28, 2015 7:44 pm Date Climbed: Oct 13, 2014
This is a burnerThis beast is hard to access and a climb you'll remember and maybe even want to forget
jdmorehouse - Sep 23, 2014 12:01 pm Date Climbed: Sep 21, 2014
List FinishThunderstorm at Sheperd Pass. Thick clouds on the summit. All told, a good day on the mountain.
RoryKuykendall - Sep 10, 2014 1:10 am
NopeJune 2013
The first of three great failed High Sierra dayhikes during the summer of 2013. Attempted as a dayhike via Shepherd Pass. Made it all the way through Williamson Bowl and up to about 13,500 before dizziness and fatigue forced me to make the wise decision to turn back. This was my very first time off trail in the High Sierra and I didn't know it yet but I was falling in love.
evoalex - Sep 7, 2014 9:21 pm Date Climbed: Sep 6, 2014
West FaceDid the journey with two friends. Trail Head to Shepherd Pass on day 1, Shepherd Pass to Summit and back on day 2, back to the car in 4 1/2 hours from SP to Trail Head the next morning.
The Chimney was something else, I'm not much of a rock climber myself so I had to have a friend spot me on the way down.
Registry seems in good shape, ran into about a dozen hikers on the 2 1/2 days. Lots of people staying in Anvil, probably about 6 on our way back down.
DukeJH - Jul 14, 2014 2:55 pm Date Climbed: Jul 11, 2014
via West Face from Lake 3733Cool climb and the Class 3 chimney is fun climbing with no more than 10 feet of exposure. Fun stuff.
bscott - Jul 13, 2014 4:47 pm Date Climbed: Jul 11, 2014
great climbthe easy class 3 chimney was a blast. camped at lake 3733 for an easy day.
citadel07 - May 13, 2014 2:05 pm Date Climbed: Aug 27, 2013
Awesome ViewsSolo up. Nice to get out of the smoke from the Yosemite fire burning up north. Shepherd Pass is amazing and worth the hike alone.
BobD3 - Feb 10, 2014 10:29 pm Date Climbed: Aug 18, 2012
West faceSolo from camp at lake 3733. Perfect weather. Cloudy, cool, and calm. One of the Sierra's best, well worth the effort.
douggranger - Sep 12, 2013 8:23 pm Date Climbed: Aug 3, 2011
West FaceLong approach, long boulder hop across the bowl. Short class 3 section was invigorating. W/ Andy.
orbitor - Aug 20, 2013 6:08 pm Date Climbed: Jul 21, 2013
West Face from Shepherd PassSet up base camp at Shepherd Pass on 1st of 3-day trip. Went up Williamson on day 2. All landmarks were easy to find and navigation was less challenging than it is made out to be. Even the Bowl wasn't too bad. Chute is long and tedious, but eventually gives. Was ok going up the chimney; had to take my time on the way down. Exhilaration while standing on the summit taking in some sweet views. Aiming to do Tyndall on day 3, but storm had other plans and we hiked out instead.
slagerjon - Aug 18, 2013 4:21 am Date Climbed: Aug 16, 2013
Williamson/Tyndall dayhikeAscended west face via chute (from hell) wish there was a chimney from toe to summit. I thoroughly enjoyed the chimney, by far the best stretch of the ascent! Easy class 3 with plenty of protection(if middle pal is 3, this is 2 at best). The chute was long and arduous, but that was after the approach, Tyndall and the bowl so perhaps with an advanced basecamp it would be more mild. Car to summit in just under 11 hrs. Car-to-Tyndall-to-Williamson-to-pointless flat switchbacks that never end-to-car ; 18 hrs.
CWessels - Aug 9, 2013 3:04 am Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2013
Via West FaceAll in one very long (19.5 hr) day from the trailhead. Though others have said the Williamson Bowl and the class 2 chute are hellacious and unpleasant, I actually enjoyed both; but the black stain direct and the chimney were definitely the highlights of the trip (if only those sections were longer!). Williamson is a gorgeous mountain and the views from the summit are absolutely stunning.
I'll add that the author of the route description for the West Face route was very thorough and accurate. A printout of it is the only beta I brought with me to the mountain, and never once did I feel lost or confused. Thank you Summitpost!
Deb - Jul 28, 2013 12:33 am Date Climbed: Jul 26, 2013
West FaceThrilled to have actually reached the summit after a failed trip via LTR 2 yrs ago. Enjoyed the "chimney" through the rain and loved the view through the clouds.
Ol Walsher - Jul 27, 2013 1:24 am Date Climbed: Jun 8, 2013
West Face black stainFrom Shepherd Pass with Chad.
MelbaToast - Mar 25, 2013 7:54 pm Date Climbed: Feb 2, 2012
Many timesSaw a big rattlesnake at the trailhead.
danblock - Feb 20, 2013 6:46 pm Date Climbed: Aug 12, 2012
West FaceEarly morning ascent from our camp at Shepard's Pass. Two meetup groups were on Williamson, and there were many successful summits. It was a long day though, up at 3am, and back home in Sacramento around 2am.
xharv - Jul 30, 2012 7:20 pm Date Climbed: Jul 27, 2012
West face from the PassA solo round trip from a base camp at Shepherd Pass, a total of ten and a half hours. Some 60 to 80 parties have summited this year so far. Hard to tell, because there are two notebooks in the register box; some people sign up only one, others use both. The Chimney was fun after that incredibly tedious and long chute. Found a dark blue Mountain Hardwear jacket with a water bottle in one of its pockets near the "black stain" (left it there). There were no other climbers on the mountain that day, so it must have been left or lost some days earlier (or much earlier?). Trip report.
AdventureDoc - Jun 10, 2012 6:53 pm
Re: West faceDid you need crampons in the chimney still or is it pretty much clear?
pinch - Jun 7, 2012 1:50 am Date Climbed: Jun 3, 2012
West FaceThis was a meetup hike. Two days, camped in Williamson Bowl. Light snow year. Great peak!
iditarod81 - Jun 1, 2012 5:22 pm Date Climbed: May 27, 2012
West faceWe had great weather but it still took literally all day. Phenomenal views from the top, exquisite terrain, and really enjoyable 3rd class terrain in the chimney.