ADK4Life
New member
- Joined
- May 14, 2004
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From Independance CA drove up Onion Valley Road to Kearsarge Pass Trailhead.
I had no idea what mountain this was until after coming down and checking maps, first thought it was Kearsarge Peak.
Followed Kearsarge Pass for 1/2 mile up wonderful switchbacks. There was a peak in front of us with a perfect pyramid shaped summit. This was my first trip to the High Sierra so I decided to go off trail and ascend this mountain by eye. climbed up a boulder field to gain the south ridge of the mountain (wore helmets, lots of rock fall)
From the South Ridge we could see the obvious path to the summit. Started up the ridge full of flat rock to all out slag heaps. At 12,000ft the ridge started to get very steep and was full of talus, my partner decided to sit out on the climb at this point.
Eventually the slope became well over 45 degrees and you needed hands to progress. I scrambled up another 100 feet on this slope to approach a band of red rocks that would start the actual climb to the summit. After reaching the band of rocks I looked back to my partner hundreds of feet below. I felt the whole ground I was on come loose, from 10 feet above the whole rock field was coming down like a living escalator. I tried my best to scurry up the field but I kept dropping no matter how fast I went.
I jumped to the solid bands of rock as quickly as possible. After catching my breath I assesed the situation. In front of me was a class 4/5 chimney 30 feet high, below me a talus slope just waiting to drag me down. With only a helmet I slowly made my way up the chimney, at least 1 move was so hard that descent from this route would be impossible for my skill level. I topped out of the chimney minutes later, above me was a 20 foot rock overhang and no possible way up without aid. There was a very steep exit on the rock to my right by required going across a 10 foot long 1 foot wide ledge with a drop below.
I started across the ledge bent over crawling. My backside started to feel very wet at this point, was I bleeding? I quickly crawled to the end to check myself out. My 2 liter Platapus had ripped open inside of my bag soaking all wind/weather protection,lights, layers,food in my pack. I looked up, this ext was actually another overhang impassable at my skill level and body size. It was time to throw in the towel only 400-500 feet from the summit.
I started to downclimb from the ledge, the handhold came off in my hand..for a brief moment I thought it was all over but was able to grab another hold quickly. I followed the rock bands down until the talus slope was no more than 30 degrees. After some route finding and downclimbing I was back on the pass, it was simple switchbacks to parking.
The major flaw in my ascent was getting to greedy. i could have followed a much easier class 2 slope up the southwest side of the mountain. A great lesson and even better preperation for my trailess ascent up Mammoth Mountain 2 days later.
I had no idea what mountain this was until after coming down and checking maps, first thought it was Kearsarge Peak.
Followed Kearsarge Pass for 1/2 mile up wonderful switchbacks. There was a peak in front of us with a perfect pyramid shaped summit. This was my first trip to the High Sierra so I decided to go off trail and ascend this mountain by eye. climbed up a boulder field to gain the south ridge of the mountain (wore helmets, lots of rock fall)
From the South Ridge we could see the obvious path to the summit. Started up the ridge full of flat rock to all out slag heaps. At 12,000ft the ridge started to get very steep and was full of talus, my partner decided to sit out on the climb at this point.
Eventually the slope became well over 45 degrees and you needed hands to progress. I scrambled up another 100 feet on this slope to approach a band of red rocks that would start the actual climb to the summit. After reaching the band of rocks I looked back to my partner hundreds of feet below. I felt the whole ground I was on come loose, from 10 feet above the whole rock field was coming down like a living escalator. I tried my best to scurry up the field but I kept dropping no matter how fast I went.
I jumped to the solid bands of rock as quickly as possible. After catching my breath I assesed the situation. In front of me was a class 4/5 chimney 30 feet high, below me a talus slope just waiting to drag me down. With only a helmet I slowly made my way up the chimney, at least 1 move was so hard that descent from this route would be impossible for my skill level. I topped out of the chimney minutes later, above me was a 20 foot rock overhang and no possible way up without aid. There was a very steep exit on the rock to my right by required going across a 10 foot long 1 foot wide ledge with a drop below.
I started across the ledge bent over crawling. My backside started to feel very wet at this point, was I bleeding? I quickly crawled to the end to check myself out. My 2 liter Platapus had ripped open inside of my bag soaking all wind/weather protection,lights, layers,food in my pack. I looked up, this ext was actually another overhang impassable at my skill level and body size. It was time to throw in the towel only 400-500 feet from the summit.
I started to downclimb from the ledge, the handhold came off in my hand..for a brief moment I thought it was all over but was able to grab another hold quickly. I followed the rock bands down until the talus slope was no more than 30 degrees. After some route finding and downclimbing I was back on the pass, it was simple switchbacks to parking.
The major flaw in my ascent was getting to greedy. i could have followed a much easier class 2 slope up the southwest side of the mountain. A great lesson and even better preperation for my trailess ascent up Mammoth Mountain 2 days later.
