markvictor - Oct 4, 2017 2:42 am Date Climbed: Oct 1, 2017
Solo Ascent
I had checked it out from a distance with a friend two years ago, but then I was too tired. I could get no one interested this year. Having gone both ways, I prefer the use trail around the east end of May Lake. An ascent requires a length of haul cord for your daypack in the narrow exit chimney. For me the crux was all in the last steep section, especially in choosing how to get to the exit chimney. My selection was only moderately exposed, and all there, downclimbable, but the sequence not entirely revealed by just looking from below. From the top-out, Hofmann's short third class summit is only a sandy stroll away. I thought the norteast ridge was super fun. Having been a mediocre rock climber my whole life and now 64, I wish I had discovered scrambling sooner.
dkangas - Sep 16, 2011 1:01 am Date Climbed: Sep 15, 2011
Great Downclimb
Down-climbed this with Josh H. on the way to a series of fine knife-edge ridge traverses leading to Tuolumne Peak. The route begins with a fun and narrow 15ft chimney. We threw our packs down into it and committed. From above the chimney the climbing looked pretty easy, lots of big blocks and ledges. However, as we got down it turned out to be more exposed and trickier route-finding than we anticipated. At one point we wished for a rope! There were two cruxy sections, both moderately exposed and requiring hand-jams in cracks for a good hold. All in all this is a little known and very fun route. The knife-edge traverse on the way to Tuolumne is also fun and exposed. It reminded me of the NW arete of Mt. Clark.
markvictor - Oct 4, 2017 2:42 am Date Climbed: Oct 1, 2017
Solo AscentI had checked it out from a distance with a friend two years ago, but then I was too tired. I could get no one interested this year. Having gone both ways, I prefer the use trail around the east end of May Lake. An ascent requires a length of haul cord for your daypack in the narrow exit chimney. For me the crux was all in the last steep section, especially in choosing how to get to the exit chimney. My selection was only moderately exposed, and all there, downclimbable, but the sequence not entirely revealed by just looking from below. From the top-out, Hofmann's short third class summit is only a sandy stroll away. I thought the norteast ridge was super fun. Having been a mediocre rock climber my whole life and now 64, I wish I had discovered scrambling sooner.
dkangas - Sep 16, 2011 1:01 am Date Climbed: Sep 15, 2011
Great DownclimbDown-climbed this with Josh H. on the way to a series of fine knife-edge ridge traverses leading to Tuolumne Peak. The route begins with a fun and narrow 15ft chimney. We threw our packs down into it and committed. From above the chimney the climbing looked pretty easy, lots of big blocks and ledges. However, as we got down it turned out to be more exposed and trickier route-finding than we anticipated. At one point we wished for a rope! There were two cruxy sections, both moderately exposed and requiring hand-jams in cracks for a good hold. All in all this is a little known and very fun route. The knife-edge traverse on the way to Tuolumne is also fun and exposed. It reminded me of the NW arete of Mt. Clark.