SierraDescents | Category | Climbing
June 22, 2024
Kearsarge Revisited
I first climbed 12,598' Kearsarge Peak via Lily Pass in 2014, and, as is often the case, my famously-bad memory recorded it as one of the easier of the eastern Sierra's big-peak (more)
November 16, 2023
Steven Bradshaw Climbs Yahoo Predator
My daughter has recently taken an interest in sport climbing, and thus so have I. Coincidentally, my friend Preston is also a climber, and he invited us to watch his friend (more)
April 25, 2022
The Division Creek Drainage
I wanted to see if I could reach the snow. In the eastern Sierra there is a tradition of long, heroic epics in which skiers carry skis up desperately remote drainages in hopes of (more)
March 25, 2020
Whitney’s North Face
For the best view of Mount Whitney's north face, try climbing Whitney's next door neighbor, fellow fourteener Mount Russell. From the summit of Russell you can clearly see how (more)
March 17, 2020
Cirque Peak
I've always wanted to ski Cirque Peak. This is a handsome sub-13K' peak in the Golden Trout Wilderness, near Army Pass and Mount Langley, with a scooped east face that looks ripe (more)
August 22, 2014
Sierra Class 3
Insofar as I can tell, the Yosemite Decimal System, which is by far the most widely-used climbing route grading system in the United States, works extremely well provided you stay (more)
July 13, 2010
Slings & Physics
If climbing's your bag you might want to check out this sling drop-test video by DMM, in which they conduct a head-to-head comparison of Dynema and nylon slings in Factor 1 and 2 (more)
November 6, 2009
This is Your Brain on Altitude
It has been known for some time that Everest climbers often show symptoms such as memory loss and poor coordination when they get home. And studies have found irregularities in (more)
August 27, 2009
Mt. Whitney’s East Face
When I close my eyes I see granite. Gray-white blocks angle sharply beneath my feet, plunging downward past my rubber-tipped toes. I press my back against a wall of rock as if I (more)
October 16, 2008
Falling Headfirst Down an Ice Cliff
Blame it on Chamonix—exposure to the big mountains of the French Alps made a big impression on me. I bought a Charlet-Moser axe and crampons, intending to incorporate the (more)
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