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2103 Hits
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74.92% Score
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5 Votes
Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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36.59226°N / 118.24057°W |
Route Type:
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Mountaineering, Trad Climbing |
Season:
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Summer |
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Time Required:
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Most of a day |
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Rock Difficulty:
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5.10c (YDS) |
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Number of Pitches:
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8 |
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Overview/Approach
Dow leading the crux pitch, #3, 5.10c
Dow leading the tunnel/chimney pitch, #5
Whitney Portal has a plethora of climbs that see less attention than most of their ilk in California. We had No Country for Old Men, in fact the whole Whitney Portal Buttress, to ourselves on a Saturday in July. There is no question that pitch 3 is a classic causing several posters on MP.com to exclaim that it was the "wildest" that they had climbed. This pitch consists of a wide overhanging bolted dihedral that offers a physical 180’ of lay back climbing on perfect stone and is by far the crux of the climb. The 5th pitch is unique as well in that you tunnel through a massive chimney for a full 200’. For sport climbing enthusiasts, there are two additional 5.10- bolted pitches. The descent is as clean as they come, by rapping the neighboring Ghostrider route.
The alpine grade IV that MP.com gives the route is misleading as the approach is menial and there is nothing committing about the route which has you climbing through double 60m rope fixed raps all the way to the top. With a clear view to the west, you could exit the route at any sign of a pending storm. We were back down to the Portal at 3pm with a causal start.
Park at Whitney Portal. There is a climber’s trail marked with cairns that comes off the main Mt. Whitney hiking trail at a sharp left turn. There is no cairn at this juncture so as to avoid confusing the hikers, but once you are on the trail, you will more than likely see cairns. If you miss it by some chance just cut up and right when you can see you are below the left side of the wall (photo). Pitch three’s corner is quite visible at all times as you approach. The first pitch left to right ramp is also quite easy to identify once you are at the base of the wall. The approach from the parking lot might be 30 minutes.
Route Description
1250’+/-, 8 Pitches, 5.10c1st Pitch- 100’- 5.9/ There are only one or two moves at the grade on this pitch. Start up the bushy ramp and continue to move right up easy ground until you come to two pro bolts. Make a 5.9 move off the deck of the ramp and continue through the two face bolts to a small ledge. Clip a 3rd bolt for your 2nd and traverse left to the fixed rap station.
2nd Pitch- 160’- 5.10b/ This is a full sport pitch. Just climb the face via 5.10- features up to a fixed rap station left of the bottom of the wide over hanging 5.10c corner pitch. The beta that we had discussed skipping an intermediate station although I do not recall there being one. I will say this entire route has been retro bolted to a point. Some older bolts remain but mostly modern hardware is in place (2017).
3rd Pitch- 180’- 5.10c/ This pitch is by far the crux of the route. That being said, it is climbed in its entirety the same way: layback, clip, layback, clip. The wide layback feels the same the entire way for hands and feet. The beta from Mountain Project discusses 17 clips, but I led it and there are only 14. In any regard, it is well bolted and if you fall before a clip it will be a clean one. Near the end it looks improbable to reach the station up on the left wall, but features make it a 5.9 mantel of sorts to a small sloping ledge/hanging belay. I am an avid off width climber, but this overhanging wide corner is best lay backed, thus why it no doubt is bolted.
4th Pitch- 190’- 5.9/ This is a neat varied pitch. Continue up the corner with more positive features, placing gear at will. Start traversing out right following the bolts until you reach some delicate flakes. Climb those straight up and trend back left up to a large ledge below the large chimney/tunnel through.
5th Pitch- 200’- 5.9/ If I were to do this pitch again, I would just head up the chimney proper to the left. The beta we had suggested that going up right outside the chimney and traversing in mid height was the better option. Doing it that way definitely makes this pitch harder than it has to be. Here is the beta for what I led. Head up the shallow, smaller chimney to the right. Start traversing left via an under cling which leads to a roof. Continue traversing left into the bowels of the chimney. If you only brought a single rack to C4#3, you will want to save the #3 for this under cling roof traverse. Pull out of the roof at a bolt in the middle of the chimney. Continue up an easy ramp in the chimney until it is necessary to use chimney technique out left to clip another bolt. Then head up to the top of the chimney and a significant ledge with a fixed rap. Rope pinch can be an issue with this variation, I advise the chimney proper where your ropes will hang more freely, there is some pro to be had in a few flakes and the climbing will be easier and more straight forward.
6th Pitch- 200’- 5.10a/ Another fully bolted pitch on bigger knobs than pitch 2. Move the belay from the rap station to the left side of the ledge. Climb through the many bolts via positive knobs to below a left facing corner. Traverse right and climb up and over the corner and continue a full 200’ to a fixed rap.
7th/8th Pitches- 215’- 5.8/ I combined these pitches which meant a bit of simul climbing on double 60m ropes. Start up the left facing corner placing gear. Eventually you encounter some delicate flakes with a precarious block or two. Avoid yarding on the loose blocks and mostly climb the left side of the main flake to a fixed rap. From there, follow the bolted dike for a fun finish at the top of the Ghostrider raps. There is another 30’ of climbing through two bolts, up and left at 5.9+. Not advisable if you are simul climbing with 200’ of rope drag. But if you do finish this final 30’, just rap back to the top of Ghostrider for the cleanest descent off of the formation.
Climbing Sequence
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