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Alabama Hills
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Alabama Dome 
Arizona Dome 
Biscuit, The 
Candy Store 
Cattle Pocket, The 
Chocolate Block, The 
Earthday and Munge Domes 
Ghosts, The 
Hangin' Tree 
Hell Wall 
Hideout 
Lost Eye to the Moon 
Monument Slot 
Oz 
Paul's Paradise 
Penguins, The 
Peter Gabriel Cliff 
Pistachio, The 
Shark's Fin, The 
Southern Blonde 
Tall Wall, The 
Temple of Kali 
Walnut, The 
Western Wall Area 
Zoo Wall 

Bouldering at Alabama Hills.
Photo by Blitzo.

Description 

The Alabama Hills lie west of Highway 395 and the town of Lone Pine, below Mt. Whitney. The climbing here is on coarse, monzonite granite, which ranges from good to really chossy. Bouldering is plentiful.

This area has long been used as a film location and is one of the most photographed areas in California and the panoramas are breathtaking!

Please stay in the Tuttle Creek Campground to minimize impact on this delicate area. Watch out for rattlesnakes.


Getting There 

Take Whitney Portal Road to this area. Most of the climbing is accessed from Movie Road, witch heads north from the Whitney Portal Road.

For complete information get "A Rockclimber's Guide to The Alabama Hills," by Michael Strassman.

Alabama Hills, near Paul's Paradise. <br />Photo by Blitzo.
Alabama Hills, near Paul's Paradise.
Photo by Blitzo.
Submitted By: Blitzo on Mar 18, 2008



The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Alabama Hills:
Jackie's Rack   5.6     Trad   The Cattle Pocket : Tuning in Tokyo Tower
Shark's Fin Arete   5.7     Sport   The Shark's Fin
Rotten Bananas   5.7     Sport, 1 pitch, 90 feet   The Tall Wall
East Face   5.7     Sport   The Shark's Fin
Ranger Ron   5.7+     Sport, 150 feet   Western Wall Area : The Loaf
Coral Sea Adventure   5.8     Sport   The Shark's Fin
Leonosphere   5.8     Sport, 60 feet   Western Wall Area : Hoodgie Wall
Ankles Away   5.8     Sport, 80 feet   Western Wall Area : Hoodgie Wall
Muffy   5.8     Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Arizona Dome
Bananarama   5.8     Sport, 1 pitch, 90 feet   The Tall Wall
Spot   5.8+     Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Arizona Dome
Lives of the Cowboys   5.9     Sport, 2 pitches, 160 feet   The Tall Wall
Scoop Ejector   5.9     Sport, 1 pitch, 60 feet   The Pistachio
Pangborn   5.9     Sport, 140 feet   Western Wall Area : The Loaf
Paul's Paradise   5.9     Sport   Paul's Paradise : Paul's Backyard
Alabama Hills Gang   5.10a     Sport, 1 pitch, 145 feet   Western Wall Area : The Loaf
Left Cheek   5.10a     TR   The Cattle Pocket : Cattle Pocket-Main Area
Really Really Ridiculously Good Looking   5.10a     Trad, Sport, 1 pitch, 100 feet   Zoo Wall
Cornfed   5.10a     Sport   Paul's Paradise : Hillbilly Pillar
Fat Black Mama   5.11c     Sport   The Shark's Fin
Browse More Classics in Alabama Hills

Featured Route For Alabama Hills
"Pangborn". <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Pangborn 5.9  CA : Sierra Eastside : ... : The Loaf
Excellent face climbing with a distinct crux at the 6th bolt. This route is not as sustained as Ranger Ron. The crux is very well protected, but there are sometimes 5.6 moves 10 feet above the last bolt....[more]   Browse More Classics in CA


Photos of Alabama Hills Slideshow Add Photo
Alabama Hills. Photo by Blitzo.

Alabama Hills. Photo by Blitzo.

Shark's Fin and Sierras. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Shark's Fin and Sierras.
Photo by Blitzo.

Alabama Hills. <br />Photo By Blitzo.

Alabama Hills.
Photo By Blitzo.

Roadside art in the Alabama Hills <br />

Roadside art in the Alabama Hills


Historical plaque at the entrance to the Gunga Din area, Alabama Hills

Historical plaque at the entrance to the Gunga Din...

Alabama Hills morning. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Alabama Hills morning.
Photo by Blitzo.

Red sky-Alabama Hills. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Red sky-Alabama Hills.
Photo by Blitzo.

Towers-Alabama Hills. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Towers-Alabama Hills.
Photo by Blitzo.

Woody Stark on the Tall Wall

Woody Stark on the Tall Wall

Alabama Hills. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Alabama Hills.
Photo by Blitzo.

Alabama Hills, near Paul's Paradise. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Alabama Hills, near Paul's Paradise.
Photo by Blit...

The Walnut and The Pistachio. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

The Walnut and The Pistachio.
Photo by Blitzo.

Mt. Tyndall and Mt. Williamson. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Mt. Tyndall and Mt. Williamson.
Photo by Blitzo.

Roadside rock art, Alabama Hills

Roadside rock art, Alabama Hills

Yellow Bee-Plant (Cleome lutea), Alabama Hills.

Yellow Bee-Plant (Cleome lutea), Alabama Hills.

Spires in the Alabama Hills

Spires in the Alabama Hills

Gunga Din area. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Gunga Din area.
Photo by Blitzo.

Alabama Hills. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Alabama Hills.
Photo by Blitzo.

stormy day in the alabama hills

stormy day in the alabama hills

Relaxing in the Tuttle Creek Campground after a fun day in the Hills

Relaxing in the Tuttle Creek Campground after a fu...

It get's warm at the Hills. Be sure to stock up on plenty of Mammoth Beer in town. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

It get's warm at the Hills. Be sure to stock up on...

Out in the hills. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Out in the hills.
Photo by Blitzo.

Diaz Dome, Alabama Hills

Diaz Dome, Alabama Hills

alpenglow from the hills

alpenglow from the hills

the arch at the hills

the arch at the hills

Inyo Mountains beyond the Alabama Hills. March 2010

Inyo Mountains beyond the Alabama Hills. March 201...

The Arch. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

The Arch.
Photo by Blitzo.

Calico is widespread at Alabama Hills. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Calico is widespread at Alabama Hills.
Photo by Bl...

Towers. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Towers.
Photo by Blitzo.

Mojave Aster. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Mojave Aster.
Photo by Blitzo.

Yerba Mansa? <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Yerba Mansa?
Photo by Blitzo.

Brown-eyed evening primrose. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Brown-eyed evening primrose.
Photo by Blitzo.

Alabama Dome. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Alabama Dome.
Photo by Blitzo.

Amy Jo Ness bouldering at Alabama Hills. <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Amy Jo Ness bouldering at Alabama Hills.
Photo by...

Beware of sidewinders! <br />Photo by Blitzo.

Beware of sidewinders!
Photo by Blitzo.


Comments on Alabama Hills Add Comment
Show which comments —
By Brad "Stonyman" Killough
Administrator
From: Alabama
Apr 15, 2008

Awesome area, spectacular.
Why do they call it Alabama Hills?

By Darrell Hensel
Aug 13, 2008

Per the Alabama Hills name: In the 1860's the town of Lone Pine was primarily Southern (Confederacy) in their sympathies with regard to the Civil War. The town of Independence on the other hand (~15 miles away), being a Federal Fort, was primarily Northern (Union) in their sympathies. The residents of Lone Pine named the Alabama Hills to commemorate the Confederate iron-clad warship Alabama, which was wrecking havoc on the Union fleet. To counter, the residents of Independence later named a local gold mine Kersarge, to commemorate the Union warship that sank the Alabama.

Finally! Marty's guide is available...

By Simon Hatfield
From: Los Angeles, CA
Sep 23, 2011

This would be a terrific place to take a new climber - the routes are user friendly, easy approaches, and there are many moderates.