Mount Langley

Mount Langley at 14,042 feet is the southern most of the California fourteen thousand foot peaks and the last major summit as one heads south in the Sierra Nevada. The ascent from Cottonwood Lakes is straightforward and a lot of elevation is gained via a trail before a talus scramble over large blocks to the summit. The route falls somewhere between hiking and scrambling. It is the easiest of the Sierra fourteeners to climb and anyone in good shape and motivation will find this a perfect introduction to mountaineering in the High Sierra.

Langley has had a checkered history and the peak's close proximity to Mt. Whitney led to much confusion amongst early ascensionists. The redoubtable Clarence King made what was probably the second ascent in 1871 in clouds and poor visibility, believing that he had made the first ascent of Mt. Whitney. He left the area and returned to the east coast before his mistake was discovered. Frantically returning west King returned too late and found that a group of local Lone Pine fishermen had beaten him to the highest point in the lower 48.

We assure you that we will not be making similar mistakes!

Itinerary
The ascent of Mt. Langley is not technically difficult and does not require ropes or technical climbing equipment. However the elevation is a major concern and it is easy to get high on the peak without allowing sufficient time for the body to acclimatize to the elevation.

So we recommend a careful timing of the ascent to avoid altitude related illness and if possible spending the night before camped at the trailhead.

The Horseshoe Meadows road allows us to drive to over 10,000 feet making this one of the higher trailheads in the Sierra Nevada. From the trailhead the trail climbs steadily, but not steeply to our basecamp at “Lake Four” in the Cottonwood Basin.

The area makes up for the unimaginative naming with stunning high alpine scenery and meadows. We leave early in the morning on the second day and follow the disused Old Army Pass Trail to the Pass. From here the route is cross-country across a high alpine plateau with sparse vegetation amidst rocky tors without any maintained trail, but with very easy travel. The final five hundred feet involve Class two scrambling (you will use your hands for balance and be moving over large rock blocks) to the summit plateau from where we get spectacular views of Mt. Whitney, Lone Pine Peak and north into the heart of the Sierra Nevada.

We return via the same route, pick up camp and plan upon returning to the trailhead in the late afternoon of Day Two. It's a big day but at the same time, a very rewarding one.

Here's our video description of what it is like to climb Mt Langley.

For better quality video you can click the "higher resolution button" on the right of the screen .

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