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calpolyclimber
Mar 11, 2003, 10:49 PM
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Have any of you climbed the east side of Whitney recently? Ever? I am really interested in this climb. I'm just looking for any info you guys could give me on anchor situations, rappelling (or do you just hike off the back as I did when I backpacked it?), or any other things that I should know before heading out there. Thanks in advance. I can't wait to get out there.
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crotch
Mar 11, 2003, 11:13 PM
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climbjs
Mar 11, 2003, 11:20 PM
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CalPoly-I'm excited to hear how your trip goes. It's one of those climbs I've always wanted (and hopefully will) to do.
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bandycoot
Mar 11, 2003, 11:35 PM
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My friend did it, IN THE WINTER! :shock: He is hard core. He told me that the route finding can be problematic. Another friend of mine has soloed it a few times, but before his first attempt he got a lot of beta from other people on where to go becuase he said route finding is hard too. My friend that did it in the winter got off route and had to pendulum onto the real line. Maybe there is booty gear for someone to find if they get off route as well?
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dsafanda
Mar 11, 2003, 11:40 PM
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I'm totally biased since I do some work for SuperTopo but I'd recommend the SuperTopo High Sierra guide which includes comprehensive beta and topos for both the East Face and the East Butt.
http://www.supertopo.com/packs/highsierra.html
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calpolyclimber
Mar 12, 2003, 1:18 AM
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Hey thanks guys. I too have heard about the route finding problems. Thats part of the reason I posted here, just hoping people might be able to give me some pointers that would help me avoid that problem. Still looking for some personal experience of it, if anyone's got some? Thanks again.
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crotch
Mar 12, 2003, 1:38 AM
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cruntley
Mar 12, 2003, 1:44 AM
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I was planning on attempting the east face or mountaineers route in late april, any info on the routes that time of year would be helpful.
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graniteboy
Mar 13, 2003, 5:51 AM
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Calpolyclimber; (isn't that an oxymoron????).
East face whitney is good fun. after you scramble up the 1st gulley, the little pitch that starts things off is a pain in the bootay with a pack (easy offwidth) which is followed by several hundred feet of easy climbing (the washboard), then by a pitch of easy 5th (blocks) to the famed fresh air traverse (down and left). The next pitch is a 5.6 ish wide crack. Then more scrambling (watch loose rock) and up left thru a 5.6 dihrdral to the finishing scramble. Too much beta spoils the soup, so no more info. Before you make yourself all nervous abt this one, Remember that Norman clyde and company did the first ascent in about 3 hours.
descent: down the mountaineers route. be cautious; some folks have died on descent. there's a cliff at the bottom of the mountaineer's route gulley; you hafta head right toward the bottom.
If you pay your dues first, you don't hafta beg for beta.......
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calpolyclimber
Mar 13, 2003, 6:24 AM
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I'm not seeing the oxymoron, fill me in please. I'm not nervous at all, actually. I'm just more confident now that I have heard such positive things about it. Also, what did mean by "If you pay your dues first, you don't hafta beg for beta......." Sorry, I have to ask. Man, I feel like a schmuck, I just can't understand anything today, haha.
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graniteboy
Mar 13, 2003, 6:33 AM
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No offense intended, it's just that the east face and east buttress of whitney are very easy, very readily climbed routes, with few if any questions about where to go once you get on the route. The thing I mean about dues: Some old fart (royal robbins) said that the way you get ready for big climbs is to climb hundreds of smaller ones.....
Have fun up there. And don't forget to bring some light fishing gear for lower boy scout lake. Plenty of brookies. Free food.
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calpolyclimber
Mar 13, 2003, 6:49 AM
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Yeah, no kidding! I hiked Whitney last summer, and I saw those brooks you speak of. I was killing myself for not bringing my rod.
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randonnee
Mar 13, 2003, 7:13 PM
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Alex, with all the topos and beta available these days, you should have no problems with the East Face or Buttress. Enjoy! But keep a very sharp eye on the weather. Thunderheads will stack up on the west side of the mountain, so as you’re climbing, all you see looking east or straight up is clear blue sky. By the time you see the clouds, they’re big, menacing, and right on top of you. Whitney is especially notorious for this.
One more thought: If you’ve never been on the Mountaineer’s Route before, I strongly recommend getting down to it before dark. Even with headlamps, parties have missed the notch (and the cairn) to the gully leading down to Iceberg Lake. And that gully is LOOSE. It is a garbage chute. Be very careful. People have been killed here by others setting off rockfall from higher in the gully.
--ron--
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climber1
Mar 14, 2003, 2:50 AM
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the first pitch is the Tower Traverse(exposed 5.3). after that the route is pretty straight forward. we did the Shaky Leg Crack and not the Fresh Air Traverse.
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