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ptlassiter
Sep 6, 2002, 5:47 PM
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Climbing the East Face at the end of this month. What is the minimum rack I can take along? I'm not into soloing but will be comfortable running out this grade climb. Thank you for any help. patric
[ This Message was edited by: ptlassiter on 2002-09-06 17:48 ]
[ This Message was edited by: cass on 2002-09-12 16:38 ]
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climber-x
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Sep 6, 2002, 6:21 PM
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nuts, and slings would suffice. Of course if you like the weight take some cams along but they're unnecessary. You should try the Fishhook Arete on Russel it's rated 5.8 but there is only one small section 5.8 and you only need nuts also (at least that's all we needed)
X
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fitz
Sep 7, 2002, 7:45 PM
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I'd agree, if you bring cams, I'd focus on #2 Camalot and smaller.
-jjf
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ptlassiter
Sep 10, 2002, 8:20 PM
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Thanks for the help! I've heard from a lot of people that the fishhook arete is a must. Hope to have time to get over there after Whitney.
patric
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chugach001
May 8, 2003, 6:38 PM
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I'm interested in climbing the EF car-to-car, any tips or tricks? I hear it's a long day and would appreciate any beta from similar trips.
Thanks,
jeff
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rockprodigy
May 9, 2003, 9:13 AM
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If you're coming from New Orleans, make sure you acclimatize. I did it car-to-car and I was peein' blood afterwards.
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climbincajun
May 9, 2003, 9:29 AM
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What are the best/worst times of year to do this?
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sancho
May 9, 2003, 10:29 AM
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Anyone know if the route holds snow, or more specifically, if it is icy or snowy now? I have a permit for the second weekend of June and am hoping to do the east face. But after all the snow falling around Mammoth lately I am very curious if the route will be icy or snowy...
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drkayak
May 9, 2003, 11:25 AM
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In reply to: Anyone know if the route holds snow, or more specifically, if it is icy or snowy now? I have a permit for the second weekend of June and am hoping to do the east face. But after all the snow falling around Mammoth lately I am very curious if the route will be icy or snowy...
I would be more worried about deep snow and slow going on the approach. With this years snow pack I would think you will want snowshoes or skis for a June approach. As far as the route, If there is snow on the East Face just do the East Buttress It gets very good sun exposure and is most always free of snow. In fact, I would recomend the East Butteress as a better route. More direct and more/better 5th class climbing.
Doing it car to car I wold decend the trail for sure. Much faster and safer if it gets dark on you.
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clymbhigh33
May 9, 2003, 11:43 AM
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In reply to: Anyone know if the route holds snow, or more specifically, if it is icy or snowy now? I have a permit for the second weekend of June and am hoping to do the east face. But after all the snow falling around Mammoth lately I am very curious if the route will be icy or snowy...
Sancho...you most likely will not encounter snow until you reach base camp at Iceberg Lake (depending on when in June your doing the climb). The camp will probably not have standing snow, however it probably will still be frozen, and the slopes toward russell, and the mountaineers route (east coliour) will almost certainly have snow / packed ice. Near the top of the coliour (the notch) the snow will more than likely turn to hard ice. I would strongly suggest an ice axe and crampons.
On the lower section of the route through base camp, tempatures can at times exceed 90, after base camp....expect the un-expected!
The trail offers a longer descent, but with a faster pace. When I did the route (end of June), we did a really fun glissade down the coliour to base camp, got our gear and I think we got back to the trailhead in 6 hours or something like that as best as I can recall?
Also, when we did the climb, we allowed for some acclimization, and stayed at bc for a day before completeing the route.
This site has all the beta on current route conditions, trip reports, etc. www.whitneyportalstore.com
Warren
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rockprodigy
May 9, 2003, 12:40 PM
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In reply to: I have a permit for the second weekend of June and am hoping to do the east face
I'll admit, I've never been there in the second week of June, so I could be way off base, but it seems highly unlikely that you would be able to get to the base without skis or snow shoes. Let's look at the current conditions for Tioga pass (much lower than Whitney):
http://www.nps.gov/yose/now/tioga.htm
http://www.nps.gov/...ow/images/tioga3.jpg
...looks snowy.
Here's a list of the historical opening dates for Tioga Pass:
http://www.monobasinresearch.org/data/tiogapass.htm
Note the average opening day is 29 May, and that's with crews working around the clock for over a month to plow a path through. I don't think there will be anyone plowing the whitney trail.
Finally, the Sierra Nevada are having one of the heaviest precip springs in recent memory...the Valley is still getting snow.
Considering all that, I would bring skis and avy beacons.
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rockmx
May 9, 2003, 1:34 PM
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In reply to: ...looks snowy.
Yess: http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/
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ncclimber
May 11, 2003, 2:38 PM
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Was their the end of Sep. and was snow pack in the saddle at the top of the mountaineers route. Take passive pro. We climbed the Via Fresh Air traverse and it took great passive gear. With needing crampons and possibly snow shoes i'd leave the cams to cut back on the weight.
Have a great Trip.
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knuckles
May 12, 2003, 1:43 AM
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I drove down 395 earlier this week and as usual stopped to gawk at Whitney, the Bastille Buttress etc.... there is still a LOT of snow. April was good to the Sierra snowpack.
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brutusofwyde
May 12, 2003, 9:13 AM
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Expect the Washboard to have significant snow, as well as some of the ledges along Grand Staircase. Some of the cracks may also be wet. Have fun!
Brutus
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quomalangma
May 16, 2003, 10:22 AM
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I just returned from Mt. Whitney 2 weeks ago. Terrible storm, avalanches, deep post holing while breaking trail, got lost multiple times, had a pounding headache, carried a 45lb pack and can't imagine having a better time.
Snow will be clear to atleast lower boyscout lake. Snow for us started at the whitny portal store but everything was melting fast when we left.
Hope that helps.
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munckee
Mar 18, 2004, 8:09 PM
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Any further info on the East Face route listed as a 5.6 in the database? Is it .6 or .8?
Also, how would the conditions be at the beginning of July?
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thegreytradster
Mar 19, 2004, 10:09 AM
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It's 5.4 and then only a couple of short sections. July is fine. Take an axe for the Mountaneers route descent. Crampons not req. Late August Early Sept is the best. No T storms.
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brutusofwyde
Mar 19, 2004, 2:34 PM
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In reply to: It's 5.4 and then only a couple of short sections.
Disagree. The Fresh Air Traverse is at best only 5.4, but imho one 30-40 foot section low in the Grand Staircase is definitely 5.6-ish, (right slanting finger crack normally protected by a fixed pin) and the exit chimney, if taken, is at least 5.7.
Several published sources will support this.
Brutus
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thegreytradster
Mar 19, 2004, 4:50 PM
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It's a big chunk O'rock with lots of possibilities. IMO the biggest problem on the Grand Staircase was keeping the rope from knocking the rubble off of the "Treads". We finished directly to th summit (Right of the normal route, maybe 5.6) The last move leaves you looking at the survey marker. Big air, but still easy. Elegant way to finish it.
The 50 classics, Roper & Steck call it 5.4 and the 54 Sierra club guide (65 edition) calls it 4th with two 5th class pitches. It is certainly possible (probable?) to find harder ways to do it though.
The most important thing though is have your act together and don't dwaddle. It's a lot of up for one day. The entertainment at Iceburg the night before was a couple that got to the Fresh Air Traverse about 12:00 noon and back to camp about 11:00 pm. :x She was pissed to no end.
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brutusofwyde
Mar 20, 2004, 8:31 AM
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In reply to: The 50 classics, Roper & Steck call it 5.4 and the 54 Sierra club guide (65 edition) calls it 4th with two 5th class pitches.
Yup. The further you go back in the guidebooks, the easier it gets. Sierra "4th class" is a rating unto its own.
The "4th class" (Roper, Climbers' Guide to the High Sierra, and Secor, 1st Edition) summit of the Duck in Little Slide Canyon is solid 5.7 R/X
imho.
Brutus "the older I get, the harder I used to climb"
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