Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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36.56760°N / 118.24874°W |
Route Type:
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Scrambling |
Season:
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Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter |
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Time Required:
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Half a day |
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Rock Difficulty:
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Class 3 |
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Difficulty:
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Easy to get off route (on purpose or by accident) |
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Overview
This is a very enjoyable 3rd class scramble (that can drift into 4th class and easy 5th depending on your mood or lack of route-finding ability). Plenty of excellent exposure and Tuolumne-esque slab sections on perfect rock.Route Description
From Lone Pine Lake, head south and up the slope to the lower obvious ramp, studded with small pines. (There is another ramp higher up that also goes, but you will quickly leave 3rd class territory.)
Follow this path up and east through several dips to a small notch with a pine then turn the corner trending southwest and up on moderately loose rock for about 200'.
From here, keep the ridge edge on your right while the rock improves, eventually turning into wide and solid slabs. Find the paths of least resistance (or more resistance) until you reach the false summit.
Downclimb south from the false summit along a narrow and steep ledge system with nice exposure both north and south. Once down, gain the ridge opposite, again by following a noticeable block path, or head south and down to the sand/scree then work your way back up to the ridge (less exposure).
Once back on the ridge proper, bypass the first highpoint and you'll see the radio antenna that marks the summit.
Return the way you came or head south and down the sand slope to Grass Lake and the Meysan Lakes trail. (Note: taking this way down will deposit you at the Meysan Lakes trailhead. You can follow the Whitney Portal trail another 9/10ths of a mile back to the start or go to the road and pop a thumb or walk.)