http://smcblog.wordpress.com California’s premier mountaineering school and guide service- Bishop, CA Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:18:43 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Mt. Williamson, standing at 14,373 feet, towers over the Owen Valley, and any climb on it is a serious undertaking of several days. So when you add the cold temperatures, snow, and unsteady weather of the winter such a climb becomes an expedition. And the North East Ridge, ... http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/winter-mountaineering-the-north-west-ridge-of-mt-williamson-march-12-16-2008/ On December 21 Sp and Jeremy Barronton climbed the regular route on Cardinal. Jermey was visiting from Georgia and had a day to spare to climb. We had talked about option earlier buit in winter the conditions on the day determine everything. The day before ... http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/12/28/cardinal-pinnacle-in-winter/ This was a custom camp that Malcolm Bordelon put together for a group of friends. Unfortunately Malcolm got sick right before the trip and was unable to climb to the summit of Mt Dade. We followed the usual Mountain Camp itinerary, climbing at Benton Crags the first day and then ... http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/09/21/mountain-camp-september-1-5/ In a range of mainly granite peaks Linda seems to be collecting the loose ones. Last year we did Devils Crag and other peaks of the Black Divide. This year it was Black Kaweah. Black has a reputation as hard to get to and hard to climb. Not because of ... http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/09/21/black-kaweah-with-linda-emerson-813-1707/ John first contacted SMC a few years ago about doing the Le Conte Route but it took a while to get it together and actually make it happen. John and Scott hiked in a couple of days early to acclimatize and SP hiked in and met them there late. This is ... http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/08/08/north-palisade-le-conte-route-with-john-kreutzer-and-scott-taylor-72007/ Last winter John and SP hauled huge loads up the east ridge of Mt Williamson only to get to the East Horn, a few feet shy of the summit height only to be shut down by snow, ice and bad pro. This summer John decided to take things a little ... http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/08/08/whitney-portal-climbing-whitney-east-face-and-fishook-arete-on-mt-russell-with-john-rutledge-622-2507/ This was Joe and Candy's third trip this year. They are in line for "client of the year" award! But we are starting to run out of the known classics so we are digging deeper to find the lesser known routes of the Sierra. We have done Banner via the easy ... http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/08/06/628-3007-mt-banners-northeast-buttress-with-joe-maher-and-candy-mcnulty/ Last year Kelly did the ice couloir on North Peak with us. This year we did it's neighbor, North Peak but by a pure rock route. The North Ridge is one of the easy classics of the Sierra with a short (by Sierra standards) approach to straight-forward, but spectacular climbing. ... http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/08/06/the-north-ridge-on-mt-conness-with-kelly-farmer/ The South Fork of Big Pine Creek is far less used than the North Fork, which gives access to North Palisade, Starlight and Thunderbolt peaks. But the approach up the south fork is shorter, has fewer people and great climbing. So SP and Robert Miller from Albuquerque spent six days ... http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/07/12/middle-palisade-norman-clyde-and-the-thumb/ Think that the Sierra Nevada is climbed out? We have spent enough time out there to know that this is no where close to the truth and there are many routes that we have had our eyes on for years. So when Matt Compton called a ... http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/06/24/new-routes-with-matt-compton/