asmrz - Aug 10, 2013 3:04 pm Date Climbed: Aug 9, 2013
Third Time a Charm
My wife Penelope and I climbed the ridge August 8,9, 2013. It was the third time for me summiting this long (and seemingly getting longer) alpine ridge. Miguel Carmona and I soloed the ridge in 13 hours CTC in 1984, Rich Henke and I climbed the ridge in 3 days in winter of 94 and yesterday, Penelope and I climbed it again, this time as a two day climb. Pen did a wonderful job soloing most of the route, we roped the last 2-3 pitches, we were getting a bit tired just as the climbing got really steep and loose. Happy 62nd Birthday, Pen!
Daria - Sep 22, 2012 1:37 am Date Climbed: May 21, 2012
superb
GREAT climb with even greater company.
seano - Aug 28, 2012 8:17 pm Date Climbed: Aug 28, 2012
Solo
It was mostly easier than 5.6 by the line I took. It's not quite "classic", but still pretty fun, and the initial sand/desert hiking is not nearly as bad as I had feared. I spent 5h25 from car to summit, then walked down to Meysan Lakes and hitched back to near the car. Trip report.
Two day summer ascent (2nd night on summit) - mostly unroped, with some simulclimbing and 3 or 4 roped pitches here and there. The first 2000' of sand / scree slogging was pretty brutal in the heat. The climbing up higher was up to about 5.6 or so - there were some chossy unprotected slabs after the big notch that were a little sketchy.
One cool feature was was a very prominent 1-2' wide pink dyke on the right hand side of the ridge higher up, which we soloed up for several hundred feet. We nicknamed it the "Stairway to Heaven" as a snow bank on a ledge just above the top of it allowed us to refill our water bottles.
We exited up the left hand of two obvious gullies splitting the headwall - it required a belay for one 30' rock section about halfway up (thought about doing it unroped, but a fall wouldn't be pleasant).
Great route, though I'd want to be in way better cardio shape before doing it again! ;-)
fossana - Jun 20, 2010 3:29 am Date Climbed: Jun 19, 2010
ok route minus the descent
Did this solo today. Rock quality is not so great and the more challenging sections were infrequent and very short. Prefer the N Ridge. If I ever do it again will use the Meysan Lakes descent and park on the dirt road that access the base of the route. The E Ledges descent sucked; part way down ended up traversing several canyons over for a more direct line to Olivas Ranch Rd.
Blair - Jan 20, 2010 11:36 am Date Climbed: Jan 1, 2010
Winter Ascent Attempt Part 1
Gained around 4300ft on this HUGE route before turning back, spent 2 days and had one bivy in a snowy cave. Found a much better spot for the next attempt, along with better perspective of the mountain. Kudos to all who have stuck through it to complete this big route. Will be returning, someday...
danmerrick - Sep 2, 2009 1:03 pm Date Climbed: Aug 20, 2009
August 2009
Jay and I did this over two days in August. Spending the night on the route was very nice and the sunrise/sunset were worth having to carry two days worth of water. We simul climbed most of it, belayed a few spots that looked tricky and made one very short rappel off slings we found. We parked at the start, hiked out via Meysan lakes and hitched a ride down from the portal. ~13 hours of climbing.
Rich Henke and I climbed the ridge in winter in early March of 1994. Bivied twice on the route and summited/returned on the third day. Great winter climb!
Miguel Carmona and I soloed this wonderful alpine route in July of 1984. We took rope and gear but didn't use either. We topped out and returned to our car in some 13 or so hours of hard effort. If you rope up on this line, it will become overnight trip, guaranteed! This was the 3rd recorded ascent of the ridge, the second ascent was soloed by local Guides based in Lone Pine (per summit register).
glahhg - Mar 11, 2008 12:18 pm Date Climbed: Mar 10, 2008
asmrz - Aug 10, 2013 3:04 pm Date Climbed: Aug 9, 2013
Third Time a CharmMy wife Penelope and I climbed the ridge August 8,9, 2013. It was the third time for me summiting this long (and seemingly getting longer) alpine ridge. Miguel Carmona and I soloed the ridge in 13 hours CTC in 1984, Rich Henke and I climbed the ridge in 3 days in winter of 94 and yesterday, Penelope and I climbed it again, this time as a two day climb. Pen did a wonderful job soloing most of the route, we roped the last 2-3 pitches, we were getting a bit tired just as the climbing got really steep and loose. Happy 62nd Birthday, Pen!
Daria - Sep 22, 2012 1:37 am Date Climbed: May 21, 2012
superbGREAT climb with even greater company.
seano - Aug 28, 2012 8:17 pm Date Climbed: Aug 28, 2012
SoloIt was mostly easier than 5.6 by the line I took. It's not quite "classic", but still pretty fun, and the initial sand/desert hiking is not nearly as bad as I had feared. I spent 5h25 from car to summit, then walked down to Meysan Lakes and hitched back to near the car. Trip report.
pmonks - Jul 31, 2011 3:11 pm Date Climbed: Jul 5, 2003
Summer 2003Two day summer ascent (2nd night on summit) - mostly unroped, with some simulclimbing and 3 or 4 roped pitches here and there. The first 2000' of sand / scree slogging was pretty brutal in the heat. The climbing up higher was up to about 5.6 or so - there were some chossy unprotected slabs after the big notch that were a little sketchy.
One cool feature was was a very prominent 1-2' wide pink dyke on the right hand side of the ridge higher up, which we soloed up for several hundred feet. We nicknamed it the "Stairway to Heaven" as a snow bank on a ledge just above the top of it allowed us to refill our water bottles.
We exited up the left hand of two obvious gullies splitting the headwall - it required a belay for one 30' rock section about halfway up (thought about doing it unroped, but a fall wouldn't be pleasant).
Great route, though I'd want to be in way better cardio shape before doing it again! ;-)
fossana - Jun 20, 2010 3:29 am Date Climbed: Jun 19, 2010
ok route minus the descentDid this solo today. Rock quality is not so great and the more challenging sections were infrequent and very short. Prefer the N Ridge. If I ever do it again will use the Meysan Lakes descent and park on the dirt road that access the base of the route. The E Ledges descent sucked; part way down ended up traversing several canyons over for a more direct line to Olivas Ranch Rd.
Blair - Jan 20, 2010 11:36 am Date Climbed: Jan 1, 2010
Winter Ascent Attempt Part 1Gained around 4300ft on this HUGE route before turning back, spent 2 days and had one bivy in a snowy cave. Found a much better spot for the next attempt, along with better perspective of the mountain. Kudos to all who have stuck through it to complete this big route. Will be returning, someday...
danmerrick - Sep 2, 2009 1:03 pm Date Climbed: Aug 20, 2009
August 2009Jay and I did this over two days in August. Spending the night on the route was very nice and the sunrise/sunset were worth having to carry two days worth of water. We simul climbed most of it, belayed a few spots that looked tricky and made one very short rappel off slings we found. We parked at the start, hiked out via Meysan lakes and hitched a ride down from the portal. ~13 hours of climbing.
asmrz - Apr 4, 2009 1:18 pm
Winter Ascent- Early March 1994Rich Henke and I climbed the ridge in winter in early March of 1994. Bivied twice on the route and summited/returned on the third day. Great winter climb!
asmrz - Apr 4, 2009 1:10 pm Date Climbed: Jul 16, 1984
13 hours CTC in 1984Miguel Carmona and I soloed this wonderful alpine route in July of 1984. We took rope and gear but didn't use either. We topped out and returned to our car in some 13 or so hours of hard effort. If you rope up on this line, it will become overnight trip, guaranteed! This was the 3rd recorded ascent of the ridge, the second ascent was soloed by local Guides based in Lone Pine (per summit register).
glahhg - Mar 11, 2008 12:18 pm Date Climbed: Mar 10, 2008
Winter AscentThree days on the route with Scotty.