curtveld

Lotsa fine routes above but many require climbing harder than 5.4, so use your judgement. Other good ones farther north are the standard route on DelCampo Peak, West Ridge of North Twin and Tomyhoi Peak.

No question about it, that's definitely Peter and me! Glad to know you enjoyed your weekend up there as much as we did, PVD. You should have moved over to the bivy spots by Terror Creek - no critters whatsoever. Kind of spooky actually.

Did the SW buttress route (blue above) last weekend and it’s a good option. The upper West ridge is just outstanding – clean slabby face climbing with great exposure and views. Lowell’s description above pretty much sets you straight. The only minor difference is that the connecting pitches up to the ridge don’t quite follow the main rap route, which is actually about 50’ west of the 'obvious right-facing corner' you climb. Easily up and down the route with a single 60m rope. I know that fact’s been beaten into the ground, but I’d hate to see anyone hump more gear up there than absolutely necessary. And if you get back to the glacier with a couple of hours of daylight, it’s pretty easy to cruise over and scramble up W. MacMillan. Just follow the upper glacier all the way right and keep going across the ramps. They’re loose and exposed, but they get you to the Inspiration/Mac col in short order. The descent is easier from there too.

Of all those gorgeous photos in Alpine Select, I tend to wonder how many are as good as they look. Well these ones certainly are! Thanks for the great info.

Glad to know about the 30m rap descent - thanks! Anyone had more recent experience getting to the southern base of Inspiration? Terror glacier getting icy or broken up at all?

Great shot of the Spillway Glacier! After an intro like that, the Oregon Cascades will never look the same again. And that's coming from an ex-Oregonian.

Silent Running is a great multi-pitch slab climb at 5.9. Pitch ratings are very reasonable (dare I say 'soft'?). Completely bolt protected though.

Sounds like a hell of a day! Thanks for the TR. This sounds like a grievance for Mr Beckey (and Nelson, Potterfield and...). IanOutThere was just using the standard terminology.

Not this year, but did that route in mid-summer a couple of years back: Shrund was no big deal with a bit of meandering. Minimal ice exposed - I think we had one screw placement crossing a crack on the lower face. We mostly placed rock gear along the left margins of the main face and upper couloir. Waterfall was pretty easy - just a faceful of spray at the fixed rope. What an amazing spot!

What a sweet deal - a 20-something-pitch 5.9 about an hour from the blacktop!

Yeah...definitely needed work, but what a back yard!

Oh yeah, the climbing..... First pitch up the south end of the Matthes Crest The amazing 'rock cornice' on Matthes On the lower Fishhook Upper pillar of the Fishhook and the heinous mantle onto Whitney

Trip: 10 days in the Sierras - Conness, Matthes, Russell and Whitney Date: 6/13/2008 Trip Report: A good climbing trip is so much more than climbing. So rather than bore you with climbing shots of golden granite and blue skies, here’s the full spectrum of highlights. Day 1: Fly to Reno, pick up car, groceries and tour the big-box stores looking for white gas (Wall Mart!). Take a nap in the park, then pick up Andy at the airport and skedaddle southward on 395. Bivy among the aspens and coyotes near Monitor Pass. Day 2: On southward, then over Tioga Pass into the Promised Land of Yosemite NP. Water grooves on Lembert Dome prove irresistable, then we hike into Young Lake for the West Ridge of Conness (near the left skyline). Tad bit of altitude queasiness passes quickly. Day 3: Two miles of amazingly easy cross-country to the base. Camera is uncooperative due to chill/altitude/battery but we climb anyway: 1500’ or so of clean class 4 to mid-5th ridgecrest goes smoothly, then a mellow snowy descent. Tip: At the big orange block about ¾ up, go around on the right and hang your butt over the SW face! Hike out past panoramic views. Day 4: Slow morning then a windshield tour of the Meadows’ domes. Check out the tourists at Olmstead Point – that lump over there looks strangely familiar? The best rest day intentions flex when we see that West Crack is unoccupied - definitely a full-value 5.8! Day 5: Hiking at dawn to the classic knife-edge Matthes Crest. Awesome climb alright, but not for the faint at heart. Nor, in my case, for low-stress climbability in approach shoes. Despite the lovely rock and views, the endless up-and-down towers and crazy knife-edge flake traverses begin to make me crazy. Day 6: A driving rest day, stopping in Crowley Lake for a Haagen Daz brunch, then onward to Bishop where the dude at Wilson’s fixes the leaking Whisperlite like it was his own . Next up is air-conditioned pizza and beers and then true refreshment in the unheated Motel 6 pool, next to one of America’s more scenic trailer parks. Day 7: Through the lumpy Alabama Hills to lush Whitney Portal, straight out of Lord of the Rings. Packed up the bare essentials, then up the dramatic and improbable North Lone Pine approach route. We pass through overflowing streams, along slabby ledges, over spawning trout and up miles of talus to the mini-Patagonia of Iceberg Lake. Day 8: A semi-alpine start for the Fishhook Arete on Russell. Chilly climbing on impeccable golden granite on the lower ridge leads to the steeper pillar. A wonderful route, with tons of classic 5.7 and 5.8 climbing and an easy talus descent. Day 9: Whitney for the Solstice. The East Buttress is considerably easier than it appears (and Fishhook) and we cruise it. Approaching the summit, we begin to hear voices, laughter, conversations…. now several at a time? After lunch, we consentingly join the pose-fest. On the hike out, we encounter a craggy old fellow with unruly sideburns, ski poles and a rope over his faded pack. Will Fred ever give it up? The car has a warning note from the bear police – we had stupidly left an empty grocery bag plainly visible in the back seat – tsk, tsk! Day 10: Inhale ham&eggs& biscuits, tour some choice real estate (no purchases) and roll northward back to Reno. How could all this have happened in only ten days? Gear Notes: Rope and a rack and two bivy sacks Approach Notes: Allegiant Air, B'ham-Reno direct and cheap!

A buddy and I climbed the prominent gully toward the right side on your photo. Seems the face was none too steep and none too solid. It's a big chunk of rock, so you might find something solid up there. Have fun.

You might be able to get some insight on access by digging into this post: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/809014#Post809014

My first 10a lead attempt - Fistful of Crystals - a classic JTree finger crack, flaring & grainy. Not much for the feet, so I tried to power through the crux jams and flopped, pulling the 1” TCU. Not a big fall (15’?), but hung there with battered knuckles, knees and confidence. A couple more halfhearted tries, then my buddy climbed it through. Took some lunch, a long break in the shade, then jumped on Mama Woolsey (also 10a), which went without incident.

Be sure to check the 'roads' link, as the Cascade River road has had a number of closures lately. There is an ongoing thread in the Access forum of this site as well.

Check yer PMs Craig

Given that E & L are probably off taking advantage of the nice weather, I'll offer my impressions Rad. Your summary is not far off base, though pitches 4 & 6 are also very good. Elsewhere, forgettable yes, though nothing unpleasant either. Wouldn't rate too high at Squamish, but a nice long route by Cascade standards.

Way to escape the crowds! Much more alpine than it looks from a distance. Nice TR.

Same with me, except mine are a bit more beat up than those. They are extremely durable if treated right. In fact, I just gave some extras to a bud that is building a rack. So yeah, I'd definitely use them. You'll want to replace the slings, but that's cheap.

Very cool. I've never seen Whitney from that angle. Amazing how little snow those mountains hold for mid-April. Looks like July in the Cascades.

Link to trail reservations in the Inyo NF, including full dates. For Whitney technical routes, you want the 'NF Lone Pine Creek Overnight area'.

Did this route last summer and it is worth the long trek. Feels a bit like WA Pass might have before Highway 20 went through. Despite the ten mile hike in, the drive is truly the crux. Gene's beta is basically dead on except that there was a webbing ladder up the short aid section, as shown below. Most photos by Peter McBride. Soviet-inspired bridge on the drive in Steller campspot in the Wall Creek basin The traverse follows the skyline right to left over Matriarch, Macabre and Grimface Peaks First pitch – 5.4 but exposed Simul-hiking toward Matriarch summit block Topping out on the sweet 5.8 crack variation. Too bad it’s only 15 feet. Depending on what you're looking for, the many transitions between simul-climbing, belaying, third-class and rapping is either good practice or PITA. Branch & webbing ladder up the short aid section Checking out the “cubby hole” area on Grimface on the descent Grimface alpenglow from camp

Great climb. Fern and Ty's descriptions match my memories. Most of McLane's pitch ratings seemed accurate, except the second 10a slab, which felt more like 5.8. It's pretty blank, so if its a bit dirty, it might feel more like 5.10.