Last year Kelly did the ice couloir on North Peak with us. This year we did it’s neighbor, North Peak but by a pure rock route. The North Ridge is one of the easy classics of the Sierra with a short (by Sierra standards) approach to straight-forward, but spectacular climbing. We started from the Saddlebag Lake parking lot at 7.00am and were on the summit at 1.30, dragging our tired bodies back to the cars at 6.00pm. It is a long day and the descent seems to take as long as the climb.
The ascent has a little bit of everything in it, a rappel, downclimbing, easy scrambling and some nasty loose sand on the way up. Along the way we even encountered a group that seemed to believe that they were climbing North Peak. This was Kelly’s first big rock alpine route and it all went just great. Next up for her is Gilbert.
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About the Author: SP parker
SP Parker is co-founder and owner of Sierra Mountain Center, and resides at the foot of the Sierra Nevada near Bishop, California. Having traveled around the world for big climbs and first ascents, he still guides notable summits and ski tours every year, and likely drinks more black tea than anyone in the Eastern Sierra. When he can, SP loves visiting New Zealand, his boyhood home, to see his family, friends, and some of his favorite mountains on Earth.