All Trips

This is a "fast and light" style trip designed to cover many miles per day. The plan is: Day 1: Hike to Seavey Pass from Twin Lakes; 15.2 mi, 2000' climbing; Day 2: Climb Volunteer and Petit from camp, 15.5 mi, 3600' climbing; Day 3: Climb Piute, hike to Peeler Lake, 14.4 mi, 5400' climbing; Day 4: Hike out, 8 mi. A trip report describing the route and climbing is available in the October 2008 Scree. Strong and fast backpacking skills plus recent mountaineering experience required. Contact Louise Wholey: louisewholey at yahoo.com

Note: Trip is full, but with a waitlist.

Day 1: Start at Onion Valley, go over Kearsage Pass, head south on the John Muir Trail, camp near Golden Bear Lake - 14 miles.
Days 2 and 3: Climb Keith and Bradley.
Day 4: Pack up and return to the trailhead.
We may throw in University for good measure, depending on time, weather, and the desires of the participants and whims of the leader. The trek to Center Basin is quite long, but the trip should be easy from a technical point of view.
Email: jschou AT solar.stanford.edu

Driving through Tuolumne Meadows one cannot but admire the surrounding peaks. Yet we are often too rushed to reach mountains in faraway places. This time we will stop and enjoy the ones nearby. To add to our fun, we have chosen peaks that require a bit of technical climbing. To be able to use ropes and climb as a group, the technical section is limited to one short pitch of class 4 or so. Participants must have previous mountaineering experience, must have experience with rock route of at least class 3, be experienced in tying in and giving top rope belay, and be in excellent physical condition. Not for beginners!!

This is an official Sierra Club trip. You have to be a Sierra Club member. You must include your Sierra Club number with your application to be considered.
Contact: Ron Karpel, ronny AT karpel.org
Co-contact: Charles Schafer, c_g_schafer AT yahoo.com

We'll enter the John Muir Wilderness at Lake Sabrina (above the town of Bishop), and hike on-and-off trail past rockbound lake basins to our camp at Sunset Lake, below the stunning cliff face of Mt. Powell. We'll trek up to the saddle between our two peaks, and then climb them from the gentler southwest and southeast sides. From the summits, we'll enjoy spectacular views of the north faces of the Palisades. We'll camp a second night at Sunset Lake and hike back out the way we entered.
Email: a.j.schuman AT gmail.com

Mt. Sill: One guide book quotes Walter Starr, Jr as having written ". . . it can be said to be the [ultimate] of all Sierra peaks in the extent and quality of the views it offers." It's also part of the main Palisades massif, overlooking the largest glacier in the Sierra. I'll lead a crack team of qualified adventurers up the North Fork of Big Pine Creek, across this glacier and up the North Couloir route. The difficult section isn't long, but participants must be solid on class 3 and must have some ice axe and crampon experience. A rope will be used. If you think you have what it takes, send me your resume.

Map: Tom Harrison Kings Canyon High Country, or North Palisade & Split Mtn USGS 7.5 min.
Leader: Kelly Maas, 408-378-5311, kellymbase-pcs@yahoo.com

Join us for 10 peaks in 10 days starting with a hike on the High
Sierra Trail from Crescent Meadow and ending in Mineral King.

The targeted peaks are Lion Rock (12,360+'), Triple Divide (12,634'),
Stewart (12,200+'), Eagle Scout (12,000+'), Red Kaweah (13,720+'), Mt.
Kaweah (13,802'), Lippincott (12,265'), Eisen (12,160+'), Sawtooth
(12,343'), and Needham (12,520+'). Peaks are class 2 - 3.

An option exists to do the first part of the trip with us as a 6 day
trip, Sun Aug 8 to Fri Aug 13, starting and ending at Crescent Meadow,
climbing Lion Rock (12,360+'), Triple Divide (12,634'), and Stewart
(12,200+').  Eagle Scout (12,000+') could be added by staying another
day.

Another option is to enter at Mineral King around Saturday Aug 14 (on
your own permit) to join us for the latter part of the trip, that is,
the peaks above Big Arroyo, Red Kaweah (13,720+'), Mt. Kaweah
(13,802'), Lippincott (12,265'), Eisen (12,160+'), as well as Sawtooth
(12,343'), and Needham (12,520+').   Contact louisewholey@yahoo.com

Backpack over Shepherd Pass and up the Milestone drainage to camp (2 days). Climb Table from the southeast, class 3, move camp to JMT. Climb Cal Tech from the SE, move camp to Bighorn Plateau. Climb Barnard and Trojan via SW slope of Barnard, traverse to Trojan. Climb Tunnabora via Wallace Lake if time and start hiking out. Hike out. If we get ahead of schedule, maybe climb Picket Guard.

This is a moderately difficult trip with some challenging class 3 climbing and difficult route-finding on Table. The other peaks are much easier - class 2. Getting over Shepherd Pass may require ice axe and crampons.

Mountaineering experience is required, including travel over snow using ice axe and crampons, recent travel at altitude, excellent physical condition are all required. Equipment required: crampons, ice axe, helmet. People need to know how to handle being belayed.

This trip requires Sierra Club membership, filling out a medical form,and signing a liability waiver.
Email: louisewholey AT yahoo.com

Join us for this intermediate to strenuous trip up in the eastern Sierra to attempt to climb 3 peaks in three days. This area is of particular geological interest because of the dolomitic rock formations and the large number of hanging roof pendants, as well as the unique wildflower biomes that this geology supports.

Day 1: Hike in up McGee Creek 1200 feet, climb Mr. Baldwin, class 2, 3000' gain. (12,615'). Then camp at 9600 feet.
Day 2: Move camp 2 miles, 1000 feet. Then climb Red Slate, class 1, 3000' gain, (13,123'). Possibly climb Red & White (12,816'). Then back to camp after a long day.
Day 3: Hike out and drive home.

You must be in good condition and have experience in class 3 climbing if you want to do all 3 peaks. If you're just interested in seeing some great wildflowers and some very interesting metamorphic rocks, and just want to climb the class 2 peaks, that's fine too. This has been a high snow year. Equipment required: boot crampons, ice axe, helmet, snow camping gear. This trip requires a completed medical form, and signing a liability waiver.

If interested, please send your climbing resume to Lisa Barboza AT gd-ais.com

We will meet at the north end of the Castle Peak - Boreal Ridge turnoff road from Highway 80 (0.6 miles west of Donner Pass). This will be a beginners day hike up Castle Peak, and a likely return along a ridge to Basin Mountain and back past Peter Grubb hut.
Contact James Wholey at jnwholey AT yahoo.com; phone 530-550-9286

This is a moderate intermediate level trip. Backpack from Onion Valley over Kearsarge Pass to Kearsarge Lakes. Climb Bago (11870) and Rixford (12887) from camp on the second day. Some climbing may require ice axes and crampons due to frozen snow. We may use snowshoes to prevent pole-holing late in the day. We may climb Gould (class 3 summit block) if time permits on the way in or out. Gould
has a class 3 summit block.

Mountaineering experience with ice axe and crampons, recent travel at altitude, excellent physical condition, and snow camping experience are all required. Equipment required: boot crampons, ice axe, helmet, snow camping gear.

This trip requires Sierra Club membership, filling out a medical form, and signing a liability waiver.