Dates 2008
Custom or The Whitney and Russel Grand Tour
June 20-23
September 19-22
Price
$ 935
Ratio
1 guide; 2 climbers
Prerequisites
Advanced rock skills and comfortable
on 5.9
Inclusions Price includes guiding, permits, group climbing gear, tents, kitchen gear, breakfasts, lunches and dinners (you bring hot/cold drinks and snack items). Scheduled dates include USFS trail fees. Private programs do not. Local accommodation is not included.
Climbers who are intent on the ascending Mount Whitney often overlook Whitney’s smaller neighbor to the north. We believe that they are making a mistake. Mt. Russell offers great views and one of the best long rock routes around. As one of the fifteen peaks in California that are over 14,000’ in height Russell is popular, but generally via a less-technical route. The Fishhook Arête could also be called the South Ridge of Russell. It lives up to its name with a lower aesthetic curving swoop that takes four pitches to climb and then an arête direct to the summit.
The Climb
We have two options to start the ascent:
• The direct start is 5.9 and features intricate face climbing to link tiny crack systems.
• The variation start knocks a grade off and renders the route 5.8 (the variation is 5.7, the 5.8 is higher up).
Both starts meet at a notch where the climb becomes a true arête: narrow and steep for several pitches, this area of the climb is exhilarating and fun. The first pitch out of the notch is superb – steep, but covered in perfect holds and by now the sun has warmed the rock and it is hard to imagine a better place to be .After ten or so pitches of mostly easy fifth class the route ends right on the summit.
To descend we traverse toward the east summit along the narrow summit ridge and then drop down an easy, class two gully back to the base of the route where we can pick up boots and extra gear before heading to camp.
Notes The best guidebooks are Supertopo's “High Sierra Climbing” by Chris McNamara. and Peter Croft's “The Good, The Great, and the Awesome”. Get them from Maximus Press.
We highly recommend that you spend at least one night at moderate altitude (higher than 8,000') just prior to the trip. Spending a night at Whitney Portal or the Cottonwood Campground would do the trick. Please refer to our Planning for Success info sheet for more info.
Physical difficulty
