Lone Pine Peak

Disregard this post, trip details have changed

Cameron Cunningham wrote:!! I may be new to alpine, but I can climb well so I can be a good team member.

Not to be a dick, but there is little correlation from gym and sport climbing to moving quickly and efficiently on 4th and easy 5th terrain solo on a long route like that.

If you're looking to do the Mt. Whitney trail (the hike) then know that you can pretty much just show up at the Interagency Center in Lone Pine and get day-of permits for parties of 1 or 2 most of the time. There are constant cancellations and if you're there at the right time you get one for the next day. Highly recommend getting an overnight permit vs. doing the whole 22 miles in one push. 

@master gumby I completely agree. Which is the point of this post...Im in great shape/endurance, but lack the alpine knowledge which is why I am looking for someone. I figured this was a good place to start.

Señor Arroz wrote: If you're looking to do the Mt. Whitney trail (the hike) then know that you can pretty much just show up at the Interagency Center in Lone Pine and get day-of permits for parties of 1 or 2 most of the time. There are constant cancellations and if you're there at the right time you get one for the next day. Highly recommend getting an overnight permit vs. doing the whole 22 miles in one push. 

Thats awesome! Living in TN, do you think its worth while to fly out and hope for the best regarding day of permits?

It's a achievable goal, but your sport climbing abilities won't be much of an asset on this route. Moving quickly while maintaining the appropriate level of safety is the challenge. I would recommend first doing some shorter easy 5th class routes in order to get some experience moving over that type of terrain.

If you don't get the permit for the Whitney area there will be many other areas where permits are available.

The best place to start is
" Mountaineering
The Freedom of the Hills"
Then go out and do it, that will get you experienced

Sloppy Second wrote: It's a achievable goal, but your sport climbing abilities won't be much of an asset on this route. Moving quickly while maintaining the appropriate level of safety is the challenge. I would recommend first doing some shorter easy 5th class routes in order to get some experience moving over that type of terrain.

If you don't get the permit for the Whitney area there will be many other areas where permits are available.

is most of this route basically scrambling? I'm not really looking to do anything 4th class without a rope

Cameron Cunningham wrote:

is most of this route basically scrambling? I'm not really looking to do anything 4th class without a rope

Part of the challenge will be deciding when you need to rope up and when you don't. You can't "pitch out" the whole thing - it would take too long, but you probably don't want to solo it either. The numbers can be deceiving. Leading 5.4 when the wind is blowing hard, you are unsure of the route, you can't see or hear your belayer, and there is 1000 feet of exposure is very different than the kiddie route in the gym. 

Sloppy Second wrote:

Leading 5.4 when the wind is blowing hard, you are unsure of the route, you can't see or hear your belayer, and there is 1000 feet of exposure is very different than the kiddie route in the gym. 

Adding: And there's very little air to breathe because you're climbing 5.4 at  12,000 feet after coming from sea level.

To answer the question about getting Whitney permits after coming from Tennessee. Pretty much everyone is coming from somewhere. If you're in a small party you're not going to have to wait more than a day or two before you succeed. And there's tons to do in the area while you wait. If you strike out entirely getting a permit I'd say go do another easy 14er like Mt. Langley in the area. To me that seems like a better idea than winging it on an alpine climb like Lone Pine Peak. 

Good to know. Thanks for the info folks. This is why I came here for advice. If there are any possibly easier achievable goals in the area I would love to link up with someone for a climb. 

North Ridge of Lone Pine Peak is an excellent long scramble. Like everyone said, moving quickly and not wasting time is key. The time you plan on spending in the Tetons should be great preparation for Lone Pine Peak.

If you're going to fly out and hope to get a last minute permit for Whitney, try to be a little flexible. Get a campsite at Whitney Portal so you can acclimatize a little, and use that as a base of operations. Doing Whitney by the hiking route in a day from Whitney Portal would be a great physical challenge. Doing Whitney by the Mountaineer's Route would get you onto a little more challenging terrain, and provide more of a mountaineering/alpine experience. Lots of people hike in to Iceberg Lake and camp there, then do the Mountaineer's Route and hike back out the next day.

Keep in mind that the Sierra Nevada is seeing an above average amount of snowfall this year, so snow is going to stay in the high country later in the summer than usual.

Edit: most of the N Ridge of Lone Pine is scrambling, but I recall one or two sections of 4th/easy 5th class. Based on your remark about not wanting to climb 4th class without a rope, soloing this route might not be a good idea. If you find a partner for this route, moving quickly and efficiently will be important. I saw quite a few  bivy rings on this route, probably made by parties that spent too much time pitching it out when they should have been simulclimbing or moving unroped.

I think Lone Pine Peak is a great first alpine objective, IF you are with an experienced and competent outdoor leader. And if you are fit and you have a good forecast.

You will definitely want a rope as there are many sections of 4th and low fifth. It's a long route so get an early start. Some people do it as an overnight with an on-route bivy, but I'd go light and plan on a long day.

Edit: Also, this climb is not in the Mt. Whitney Zone, so you don't need a permit for a day climb.

I sent you a PM.
IMHO - you are taking the right approach, and Lone Pine Peak is not that difficult if you go with someone experienced. Its easily done in a day, the technical sections can be pitched out, you don't need any permits. It honestly not that exposed either, only a short section of easy knife-edge. The only danger is that you will have so much fun that you want to move out West to be in the mountains.

EDIT: Here is a TR of the route that I wrote up last year. The pics will give you an idea of what to expect. I climbed it late in the season so there was fresh snow and ice on the route route, this is less likely to be an issue in late July or August

http://fresnoclimber.blogspot.com/2018/10/lone-pine-peak-12395-north-ridge-iii-57.html

Cory Brooks wrote: I sent you a PM.
IMHO - you are taking the right approach, and Lone Pine Peak is not that difficult if you go with someone experienced. Its easily done in a day, the technical sections can be pitched out, you don't need any permits. It honestly not that exposed either, only a short section of easy knife-edge. The only danger is that you will have so much fun that you want to move out West to be in the mountains.

EDIT: Here is a TR of the route that I wrote up last year. The pics will give you an idea of what to expect. I di dit late in the season so there was fresh snow and ice on the route route, this is less likely to be an issue in late July or August

http://fresnoclimber.blogspot.com/2018/10/lone-pine-peak-12395-north-ridge-iii-57.html 

This was definitely my thought. I fully recognize Im not capable of doing anything like this myself, hence why I am here on this forum seeing if someone that knows the route very well would be willing to offer a learning experience. Seems to me I am better off hiking mt Whitney to see how I handle that altitude. 

Also that looks gnarly! Sounds like theres a lot more of unroped scrambling than I thought. Thanks for the info everyone. 

Great trip report, Cory. 

This fitness thing you have: Your rock ability means almost nothing on LP Peak. Anyone that can climb can do the moves. Its a question of the altitude.

If you have never done a 5000' foot vertical gain from 8000' to ~13,000' in a day you should find out what that is about before attempting it on a technical climb that is not simple to retreat off. Just try some simple peak bagging first to at least 12,000 to get a taste of real altitude.

The whole idea is for you to succeed, but finding out your effectively sea level conditioning around your home doesn't really cut it at 12,000'+ on a complex and huge peak with a storm coming in etc....no bueno.

Harumpfster Boondoggle wrote: 
The whole idea is for you to succeed, but finding out your effectively sea level conditioning around your home doesn't really cut it at 12,000"+ with a storm coming in etc....no bueno.

I want to echo what HB says above. If you haven't spent time at altitude you really should find out how it's going to sit with you in a fairly low consequence settting. Last July on the Whitney trail I helped a party come down at night who had a member of their group who was totally debilitated by altitude sickness. I encountered them at about 12.5K coming down with the sun setting. They'd done "Whitney in a day" and told me their friend started feeling sick on the way UP but toughed it out up to the summit and then back down to where I encountered them on the switchbacks. By the time they were coming back down he could barely walk and was having a hard time seeing. I fed them and gave him tea at my camp and encouraged them to haul ass to lower altitude even though it was now dark. If that same thing had happened to them on a technical route the guy would have been in a serious emergency.

Harumpfster Boondoggle wrote: This fitness thing you have: Your rock ability means almost nothing on LP Peak. Anyone that can climb can do the moves. Its a question of the altitude.

If you have never done a 5000' foot vertical gain from 8000' to ~13,000' in a day you should find out what that is about before attempting it on a technical climb that is not simple to retreat off. Just try some simple peak bagging first to at least 12,000 to get a taste of real altitude.

The whole idea is for you to succeed, but finding out your effectively sea level conditioning around your home doesn't really cut it at 12,000"+ with a storm coming in etc....no bueno.

THIS.  Don't underestimate the altitude, I've seen people fold at elevations as low as 8,000 ft, you never know until you're up there.  Go hike up Pine Creek pass and spend at least a couple days doing physical activity at higher elevations.  If you climb in the Tetons beforehand you'll at least know how you're body will react.  There is no training for altitude except altitude.  

Cory Brooks wrote: The only danger is that you will have so much fun that you want to move out West to be in the mountains.

aint that the truth!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have fun on your mountainous adventures OP.

It's interesting you honed in on a climb that would teach you a lot about moving quickly in scrambley mountainous terrain. It's the kind of climb that can go quickly with a trusted partner, but might be tougher with someone new on the other end of the rope. For example, the long fourth class headwall at the end. It's probably a solid 5 pitches high but could go really fast simulclimbing or soloing.

You can always do something like Agassiz west slope (class two, on top you will see the finest alpine cirque in the Sierra)

Or something more straight up and down would be good too. Like Whitney east buttress. I would argue this would be easier to do with a new partner provided you find a solid leader of course. You'll be a more desireable partner if your cardio is strong and you can hump gear/rope to the climb!