Lone Pine Peak, North Ridge

For the last month, Alois Smrz and I had been eagerly planning to climb the North Ridge of Lone Pine Peak. When seen from Owens Valley, the North Ridge of Lone Pine Peak is a very long jagged spine with several towers and notches visible from the distance. It is a very esthetic, classic line.

This route had first been climbed in September 1952 using the approach from Meysan Lake. Originally called the North-Northeast Ridge, (Long class 5; 6 pitons), it has a Grade III, 5.4 rating. However, the Meysan Lake approach bypasses the lower 5-6000 ft. of the 7,000 ft. elevation gain of the ridge. You don't get to do the whole climb and you leave out some of the best views from the lower ridge. Few parties climb the entire ridge with a bivy somewhere along the way. Even fewer do the ridge in a day. Our goal was to get the climb over with in a day. I like a warm comfortable bed and fluffy pillows.

We arrived in Lone Pine in time for dinner at The Whitney. I'm going to write that place off as I have with the Country Kitchen in Big Pine. There is something in their food and it is not eleven herbs and spices. On our way up Whitney Portal Road, the North Ridge dominated our view. I almost drove off the road, watching above too intently. We checked out our trailhead in the Lone Pine Campground. Here at 5,900 ft., there is a day use parking area at the start of the trail from the campground to Whitney Portal. The trail passes over the toe of the North Ridge and continues up along Lone Pine Creek to the Portal. It makes for a perfect start to climb the entire ridge. Our excitement was building at seeing the start.

We then decided to drive up to Whitney Portal and sleep there at above 8,000 ft. We hoped the added sleeping altitude would be a benefit. As dusk approached, we sorted our gear and packed for the following early morning start.

Alois is the ultimate weight miser. Just a few nuts and hexes, a few slings, and very light carabiners along with an 8.5 mm rope made up the rack. We would bring sleeping bags. My bag was a brand new 20 deg. Polarguard. His was an old 35 deg. bag that looked like a thick bivy sack. He was very proud of its light weight and compact size. He claimed it had just the right amount of comfort and would do the job in a pinch. He thought we might need to bivy either before or on the summit the next night. We were also bringing very little clothing. Light and fast, oh yah.

The alarm got us up at 230 a.m. We had some warm soup and quickly drove down to the trailhead. We were off on the adventure by 315. I asked Alois if he had packed my pillow. He assured me that he had. Now I could forget about an uncomfortable evening on the mountain. It's great when my partner takes such care of me.

We began up the trail toward Whitney Portal. The trail crosses the toe of the North Ridge route and at 6,900 ft. we started up the North Ridge from its very bottom. It was a warm morning and we were anxious to gain altitude and get into a cooler altitude. The initial approach was up very loose sand-covered slopes. We spent a lot of time sliding down and using lots of ankle and lower leg muscles. Soon we crossed onto the eastern side of the ridge where the walking was a bit easier along broad ledges and slopes.

We were gaining altitude rapidly along this section of the ridge, rising 1000 ft. per hour for the first three hours. I was filled with excitement at the thought of all the terrain ahead and with the rapid progress we were making. We'll be through with this thing in no time, I thought. We had finished half the elevation gain in four hours, so why not.

Along the lower part of the climb, we were provided with spectacular views of the ridge. It just keeps rising upward along its jagged spine to the summit. Every 1000 ft., the type of terrain changes from sandy slopes, to boulder hopping, to big traverses on small ledges and to long open slopes.

At around 9,300 ft. we passed over the ridge and began working the western side. We were looking for ramps and ledges to traverse on and began running into dead ends that would have to be further navigated. Down below us about 200 ft. we saw a series of ledges that might have gone. We needed to have started down back earlier in this section, and took a while finding our way through and down to the tree covered ramps. We were having a really fine time.

By mid-morning, we finally had the sunshine on us. We had been hiking during pre-dawn or it was shaded on the western side all morning. We gained the ridge again, and got our first close view of the technical terrain that lay ahead. Up the ridge was the first big tower.

Around the area before the first tower were bivy platforms. The Meysan Lake approach must come in from around here. I wasn't concerned with these sites. We weren't going to be sleeping here tonight. I've got special accommodations that will be waiting for me further up. My partner is taking care of me.

We arrived at the base of the First Tower at 100 after almost ten hours of hiking, and got ready to climb the first of many roped pitches. We got on our climbing shoes that would not be removed for a lot longer than I knew. I led the first pitch starting down and left some 20' from the notch at the tower. Alois led the next pitch to the base of a snowfield where we obtained two quarts of water. Alois showed me the plastic bag trick to collect the cold water from the trickling snow.

We then traversed left and down into the upward ascending major gully and traversed the east side of the first tower. I didn't realize we would be making similar traverses several times more. This traverse led up to the notch in the crest and the base of the Second Tower. Here we couldn't decide on the route. This tower looked huge. We figured six pitches to the top. It didn't look so easy or straightforward. Alois looked around for other options. I wanted to go up the tower and see what we could find.

I led up a ramp to a layback with a fixed pin. Was this the route? It ended at a nice platform. As Alois came up he said, "We've found it." We were on.

I then led what I thought were the most awkward moves of the climb. It was an offwidth that barely took a wide hand jamb. It was interesting to try to chimney with a pack on. It was also grounding distance from the last piece. We then swapped the next two pitches and I brought Alois to the top of the tower. That wasn't so bad! We then traversed around the top of the tower and descended off the Southeast side into the gully and moved up and right into the next notch to the base of the Third Tower.

It was beginning to get cold and we didn't see the summit block yet. At the base of the tower at the notch was a snowfield blocking access to the tower. I led across the snow, getting my climbing shoes wet and got up onto rock to a belay, out another full rope. We then swapped three more leads onto the top of Tower Three. Our pitches were long, generally running out most of the rope so far. It was really getting cold. Alois moved the belay into the sun at the top of the first pitch and we stayed on the west side of the ridge. We downclimbed the south side of this tower and were finally at the base of the summit block.

Now which way to go? It was late; the sun was oh-so-low, and going lower. We'd be racing the night soon. I tried a big traverse to the right across a death fall gully of loose rock, but it wasn't too promising and I had to reverse it. We started again 20' left of the notch, swapping off again. It was getting windy. I had on all the clothes I had, which wasn't much 100 wt. Top, Gore-Tex jacket, and windproof-insulated hat. I'm glad I had my hooded jacket and didn't listen to the weight miser. Alois was a bit more Spartan. He substituted a windbreaker and had no hat. I was belaying from behind wind breaking rocks to stay out of the cold but it wasn't helping. It was getting dark but we were climbing very rapidly. Around pitch 5 to the summit blocks, Alois asked me to holler when I got to the top. I didn't get a chance to holler though, because there was still more to come. It was now really cold. I was thinking that if its more than a few more pitches, we need to stop and warm up. Finally, Alois had the summit in sight, but we'd have to simul-climb the last 50' to get there.

I was exhausted when I arrived on the summit. I had climbed the last 7-8 pitches at all out speed. I was totally winded. When I topped out, Alois barked out, "Find a place for us to bivy, I'll get the rope." It was 838 PM and twilight was about over with.

I found a spot and called Alois over to me. Next it was "Quick into our bags. No, don't bother taking off your harness." It was windy and freezing up there but I did remove my harness. Into our bags we went. I had on both hat and gloves. Alois had neither. Alois then wanted to huddle together for warmth. I could feel the mutual heat working.

Then it came to me. Here I am on top of Lone Pine Peak after a 17+-hour day, and my partner, Partner? did not bring my pillow and an extra blanket for me. "Alois, where is the cell phone? Have some blankets sent up from Whitney Portal. I can't sleep like this. You were supposed to bring extras, weren't you?"

Sometime during the night, I took off my climbing shoes and put on heavy socks. Later on, I handed my hat out of the bag to Alois and he eagerly accepted it. We made it through the night and finally got a little warmed by the early morning sun. When I woke up, I saw a black-bagged figure huddled up against the rock. At first I thought it was a bear but it was one of the survival postures we had that night.

We left the summit at 700 am and had a very enjoyable hike back to the car arriving at noon. Meysan Lakes area was cool and calm. The snow had just melted out here. It provides a friendly green carpet surrounded by bare granite. We had done the deed. The entire North Ridge of Lone Pine Peak, and what a wonderful day.

THE COMPLETE NORTH RIDGE OF LONE PINE PEAK (from the desert floor)
7,100 feet.
4+miles
Approximate Time 18 hours (one day ascent).

The climb starts at the Day Parking area of the Lone Pine Campground. Make left turn off the Whitney Portal Road at about 5,700' elevation, into the Campground. From the far end of the Campground, the signed trail to Whitney Portal begins at 5900'. Follow the trail until about 6900'. Leave the trail and head up onto the lower North Ridge. The lower part of the ridge is steep, difficult scrambling on scree. Bypass boulders and obstacles mostly on left (E). Higher up, above 9300'; pass through a notch to the West side of the ridge. Technical climbing on the ridge top can be bypassed by a series of ledges on the "right" (west) side, well below the ridge crest. Scramble up 1000'. After some 4,500' have been gained, the large notch of the Meysan Lakes route (III, 5.4) is reached. Above the notch, several hundred feet of steepening slabs (up to 4th class) lead up to the FIRST Tower. Rope up. From the notch, go down and left some 40', climb 5th class crack slanting left. Climb 4th class pitch toward the huge, sharp flake above. Go left and down, follow ledges to gully system, which leads back up toward the crest of the ridge (3rd, 4th). The ridge soon brings you to the SECOND Tower. From the notch, move 50' right. Climb 5th class steep face/ramp to 5.7 layback with old, fixed ring pin. Belay at a platform on right. Move 10' right, climb awkward (5.7?) offwidth. Continue up 2 pitches to top of tower. Traverse along the crest of the tower. Descend to the notch. THIRD Tower. From the notch, move left and down into large gully (20'), climb 5th class crack/steep face to a ledge on the left side of the arête. Two more- 4th class pitches, up and right, brings you to the crest again. Traverse along the top of tower. Downclimb south side of tower to notch and final summit pitches. SUMMIT Pitches. Twenty feet left of the notch, climb up 6-8 pitches of 4th and easy 5th class climbing leading directly to the summit.

PLEASE NOTE To reach the notch of all the towers, downclimb 4th class terrain, no rappelling is required.

Equipment One (or two) 8.5 mm rope(s), 5 medium sized wires, 5 medium sized Hexes, 7 slings. 3 quarts of water per person, bivi gear (you might need it!). some granola bars, harness, rock shoes. Go as light as possible!

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