I think your page could be useful to anyone going in the direction of the Mountaineer's Route. It's been a few years since I did Russell (camped at Iceberg Lake and did Whitney the next day), but I agree that the mental aspects of facing exposure is more of a factor than any difficulty of moves on the ridge. I think you also did well to point out that one needs to have solid rock climbing/down-climbing skills to tackle the east ridge route with confidence.
Good point. The route takes along the approach to the Mountaineer's Route of Whitney but essentially instead of heading towards Iceberg Lake you take the big scree hill to gain the saddle to the North. I pretty much knew what to expect after researching the East Ridge beforehand. I would say I underestimated the amount of time it would take on the approach.
I'm doing my research for hiking a few 14ners next summer. Your description of this hike is great. I like strenuos hikes but I never tried climbing. It looks like this summit can be hiked having the endurance and the necessary attention. I hiked Mt Whitney in July so I'm a little familiar with the area. Did you need a hiking permit? Did you get it in advance?
Thanks! About the red tape: I took advantage of the government "shutdown" where there was not a ranger in sight, at that time. Normally, the approach described will put you into the Whitney Zone and will be under the regular Whitney permit system. With that being said, getting to the ridge may be, for some, literally a one-in-a-lifetime event. You want to make sure you summit if possible. Also, it is not uncommon to hear that some choose to tackle the ridge roped. Not saying you need to, but there are some very, very exposed moves, I would say. Personally, this was the highest threshold of the amount of risk I would be willing to take unroped. But everyone is different.
On a side note, give Middle Palisade a try, if you haven't already. I would rank it comparable in terms of difficulty, perhaps even a little bit more dangerous due to rockfall, and some moderate routefinding involved that Russell doesn't really have (Middle Pal does NOT require a rope, when approached from the NE [S Fork], bringing a rope was a HUGE mistake on my end and a lot of useless weight I hauled up needlessly).
I'd also mention that both Russell and Middle Pal involve some class 3 exposed / semi-exposed moves, and should not be attempted (in my opinion) unless some fundamental rockclimbing/bouldering experience is developed first.
Augie Medina - Oct 10, 2013 7:20 pm - Voted 10/10
Nice PageI think your page could be useful to anyone going in the direction of the Mountaineer's Route. It's been a few years since I did Russell (camped at Iceberg Lake and did Whitney the next day), but I agree that the mental aspects of facing exposure is more of a factor than any difficulty of moves on the ridge. I think you also did well to point out that one needs to have solid rock climbing/down-climbing skills to tackle the east ridge route with confidence.
icecream4breakfast - Oct 11, 2013 2:13 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Nice PageHi Augie,
Good point. The route takes along the approach to the Mountaineer's Route of Whitney but essentially instead of heading towards Iceberg Lake you take the big scree hill to gain the saddle to the North. I pretty much knew what to expect after researching the East Ridge beforehand. I would say I underestimated the amount of time it would take on the approach.
Diesel - Dec 7, 2013 2:07 pm - Voted 10/10
Great descriptionI'm doing my research for hiking a few 14ners next summer. Your description of this hike is great. I like strenuos hikes but I never tried climbing. It looks like this summit can be hiked having the endurance and the necessary attention. I hiked Mt Whitney in July so I'm a little familiar with the area. Did you need a hiking permit? Did you get it in advance?
icecream4breakfast - Dec 8, 2013 3:46 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Great descriptionThanks! About the red tape: I took advantage of the government "shutdown" where there was not a ranger in sight, at that time. Normally, the approach described will put you into the Whitney Zone and will be under the regular Whitney permit system. With that being said, getting to the ridge may be, for some, literally a one-in-a-lifetime event. You want to make sure you summit if possible. Also, it is not uncommon to hear that some choose to tackle the ridge roped. Not saying you need to, but there are some very, very exposed moves, I would say. Personally, this was the highest threshold of the amount of risk I would be willing to take unroped. But everyone is different.
On a side note, give Middle Palisade a try, if you haven't already. I would rank it comparable in terms of difficulty, perhaps even a little bit more dangerous due to rockfall, and some moderate routefinding involved that Russell doesn't really have (Middle Pal does NOT require a rope, when approached from the NE [S Fork], bringing a rope was a HUGE mistake on my end and a lot of useless weight I hauled up needlessly).
I'd also mention that both Russell and Middle Pal involve some class 3 exposed / semi-exposed moves, and should not be attempted (in my opinion) unless some fundamental rockclimbing/bouldering experience is developed first.
Have fun and enjoy climbing!