Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board East Face topo maps

I've seen books rating the East Face between 5.3 and 5.7...what's the reason that people are not rating this classic route consistantly?

~Swifty

I have also seen the route rated as low as 5.4, and most of it is that or less, but there are a couple short sections that are technically harder than that, although those sections are short, such as the last section of wide crack at the top of the Grand or Giant Staircase. Here is my East Face <a href="http://bearbnz.net/rock_climbing/Whitney/east_face_topo_2.jpg">topo</a>, and as has been traditional most of the time, the rating reflects the hardest individual move. This is, of course, in my own biased opinion, staked on my status as a perennial softman climber. Some climbs have a cumulative rating harder than any individual move if the climbing is sustained at that (lower) grade.

Bearbnz, I hear you brother bear...I've been on 5.7 routes in J-Tree that were so lowballed and kicked my butt...essentially, I just want a rating that I can trust...

~Swifty

the topo graphics download fine but text doesnt

can you attach text in word please

many thanks

There is an easy alternative that avoids that awkward crack at the top of the Grand Staircase. Not many people know about it.

In the alcove go instead to the right, and make a class 4 move around the corner (you have to do it on faith because you can't really see what's there until you commit to the move). It's nothing more than stretching your right foot out to a hold. Make the move, and then it's all class 3 up from there.

A friend (Ray van Aken, FA of north ridge of Lone Pine Peak among other things) told me about this variation over 30 years ago. I have never seen it in guidebooks or guidesheets, so I mentioned it to RJ Secor a while back; it’s now in his 2nd edition.

Swifty,
You may want to check out Peter Crofts guide book "The Good,The Great,the Awesome.This is the best guide I've seen for rock climbing in the eastern Sierra. He covers all the major peaks and rates two routes on the east face at 5.7.He states in the forward of his book that he tends to rate his climbs on the harder side to avoid "sandbagging" anyone.

Spiderman, thanks guy...by coincidence Francine Loft (our master librarian at the American Alpine Club) is sending me that book...by the way, if you've ever climbed Double Cross in J-Tree (5.7) you know what I mean about lowballing...

~Swifty