Crystal Crag out of Mammoth is a great all round crag. We use it for an introduction to multi-pitch climbing in our Rock II program. But it is also a perfect first summit in the mountains. The approach is about an hour on a well-maintained trail through fragrant high-elevation forest to the peak where we encounter interesting climbing. The hardest part comes right at the beginning, but then it eases off to an exposed ridge and ends with a real summit to top out on.

Itinerary
We travel to the Lake George parking area in the Lakes Basin at 9160 feet. The trail up to Crystal Lake is easy and gains about 500 feet in a little over a mile. We take a short break here and then a couple of hundred more feet of climbing founds us at the base of Crystal Crag and the start of the climbing.

Here we will review knots, tying in and the basic skills. Then we will talk about gear and equipment to make sure you to understand the fundamentals of a multi-pitch climb and how to remove and carry the anchors and protection placements.

Then we get into the climbing! The route starts of steeply with two pitches of 5.6 climbing and then enters the unique crystal band of gleaming white quartz. The route eases after this and we move along the firm rock of the ridge to the pointed summit. Here we enjoy the expansive view over the Lakes Basin and Mammoth Mountain before descending the ridge back to our packs.

Instructors
Our guides are American Mountain Guides Association trained so you can expect the highest level of climbing and safety knowledge combined with solid instructional skills and professionalism.

Notes
The best guidebooks are Mammoth Area rock Climbs by Marty Lewis” and Peter Croft's “The Good, The Great, and the Awesome”. Get them from Maximus Press.

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