Let us know! CMC members Paul Morash and Ron Norton climbed the west ridge of Mt. I'd read in various trip reports that it may be required to occasionally dip off of the crest of the ridge and climb just below it on the southern side. The most direct start for the West Ridge Mt Conness starts at the Sawmill Campground, about halfway up the hill to Saddlebag. The trail begins just before the campground where this abandoned house is: Walk down the trail that is just to the left of the dam. Mt Conness West Ridge On November 2, 2019, Max and I climbed the West Ridge of Mount Conness. Mt. We had just enough room to walk the ridge. Climbed unroped, the route will take less than two hours. ISISS—OS. Topos | Guidebooks | Route The route finding promised to be … Mount Conness offers challenging technical rock routes on its north ridge and southwest wall. Conness - West Ridge August 15th, 2002. We could now see Mt. Rock Climbing Tuolumne | Simulclimbing will slow you down some, but not as bad as pitching it out. Mount Conness over Ellery Lake near Tioga Pass, Eastern Sierra, CALIFORNIA. Conness is one the best moderate alpine climbs in Tuolumne. Connessthere are hundreds of possible starting points, and nearly every pitch has dozens of possible variations. It is also possible to start in Tuolumne Meadows, taking either of two trails that lead to Young Lakes. "west ridge climb left sawmill campground at 7am got to the base of the west ridge for 12. This climb is found in Peter Croft's the Good, the Great the Awesome book and if I'm not mistaken it gets an Awesome rating by Sir Peter. With the competition including Cathedral Peak and Matthes Crest, this says a lot. Got feedback? Rock Climbing Red Rocks | TM Herbert described it as great fun, like two Cathedral Peaks stacked on top of each other. Peter Croft called it the best route he had done in the Sierra backcountry (albeit before embarking on some of his recent mega-traverse-linkups). Basically, you start out at or near Sawmill campground and head more or less west up the broad canyon. If you rope up for all of it, it’s 12 pitches of climbing on clean Sierra granite, with enjoyable finger cracks and great exposure. This is another one I've wanted to do for a while .. since 2006. Prior experience with multi-pitch alpine rock climbing (at least ROCK 6) and excellent fitness required. Guidebooks will tell you that Peter Croft once called the West Ridge of Conness the best route he’s done in the Sierra backcountry. Conness on September 11, 2002. Conness . How can we improve SuperTopo? (1 ). Conness is perhaps the best moderate alpine climb in Tuolumne. The most commonly used approach simply follows the East Ridge route to the summit plateau. (32), Additions & Corrections Home | Climbing Areas | Free West Ridge Mt. West Ridge, Links to related internet pages with info on West Ridge, Other guidebooks that include info on West Ridge. We made a quick drive up, popped the top of my camper van in the Saddlebag Lake parking lot for some restless sleep, and started out at 9 AM for a decidedly non-alpine start. Conness, a 12,500 ft. mountain on the border of Yosemite NP and the Hoover wilderness. Midway up the face, the chute splits around the prominent rib seen here with the thumb-shaped tower. Conness. Conness's (12,590') southwest face dominates the Tuolumne skyline. Next section between the ridge and Conness plateau is a steeper class 2 section of dirt/rock mix. It eventually became clear to me that the logistics were such that if I was going to do this route it would have to be solo. If you hit the northern skyline first, turn left. Mount Conness is a 7.4 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Lee Vining, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Rock Climbing Tahoe | Gradually, the terrain on the south side of the ridge began to merge with the main southeast bulk of Mt Conness. Friday July 23, 2010 2:22pm. Mt Conness - North Ridge North Ridge Route 5.6, Border of Yosemite National Park Lee Vining, California 1 day / Cost: $375.00 / per person with 1 Climber 1 day / Cost: $225.00 / per person with 2 Climbers The North Ridge of Mt. View West Ridge Image Gallery - 52 Images. The climb can be approached from two different ways, one of which approaches from Toulumne Meadows and the other from Saddlebag lake which is outside the … Drove up to Tioga Pass and out of Yosemite NP powering down some fruit and the coffee I'd brewed the night prior, still hot in the thermos. In fact, Peter Croft called it the best route he had done in the Sierra backcountry (albeit before embarking on some of his recent mega-traverse-linkups). I took the rightward (southern) fork, which follows the c-shaped scar seen in the middle of the photo. Conness - Climber.Org Trip Report Roosevelt Lake is a trudge from Tuolomne Meadows, but there's great scenery along the way. If you hit the western skyline first, turn right. In early August, I passed directly below the southwest face en route to the West Ridge of Conness. The route begins in a broad chute with a bouldery run-out. With the competition including Cathedral Peak and Matthes Crest, this says a lot. Conness near the peak overlooking Yosemite Valley. After that, the Southwest Face moved to #1 on my to-climb-soon list. Summit: Mt. A total of (54) submissions of route beta on West Ridge, Highly regarded 5.6 routes in Tuolumne Meadows, Best times of year to climb in Tuolumne Meadows, Great climbs for your first week climbing in Tuolumne Meadows, What to bring for climbing in Tuolumne Meadows, Search On our hike to the west side of Mt. A tourist's first view of Tuolumne and Yosemite back county as seen from Olmsted Point one can see the impressive SW face of Mount Conness in the distant. West Ridge, Great trip report and photos from Karl Baba (of a route near West Ridge). Made our way up the west ridge climbing the first 2-3 pitches with pro then simul climbed most of the remaining pitches. Add additional time based on your planned strategy, and your typical rate for pitched climbing. Pat and I headed out from Oakland meeting John Z and Thom in Oakdale. We approached from Sawmill Camp near Saddlebag Lake. It all depends on your tolerance for risk. the internet for information on A rabbit crossed the road in front of me and I saw 4 deer before turning north on the Saddlebag Lake Road. Rock Climbing Southwest | Conness. View from highest Young lake campsite. Your rating: 5. To the west, the angle of the ridgeline afforded me my first view of the 12,591-foot summit of Mt Conness - bare, solid, and still about 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) away. The east side approach is shorter but a bit more difficult. Conness, West Ridge . Great exposure and views. Mt Conness, at 12,589', is one of Yosemite's tallest mountains. Climbing Alaska. Rock Climbs of Tuolumne Meadows, by Don Reid and Chris Falkenstein. Length 7.4 miElevation gain 3080 ftRoute type Out & back This climb includes everything that you really need in a true alpine climb; the big approach, the meaty exposure, the 12,700 ft summit, the glacier travel, route finding, and 2000 ft of absolutely wonderful climbing. Big Wall Rock Climbing Yosemite | (To face page 22.) Photos | Articles The West Ridge Route of Mt. Note for future climbers: The parking at Sawmill is for campers and will probably be full; the road has copious pullouts. Join MAA members to climb the amazing West Ridge route on Mt. Three days before, we had climbed Cathedral peak, then after a short backpack we had done the traverse from south to north of Matthes Crest. On the north side, the sheer cliffs continued westward, transitioning to form the headwall cliffs of the Conness Glacier. Bob Suzuki and I climbed Mt. Views of the Conness Glacier from the ridge were great. Beta | Forum | Trip Reports | If you hit the western skyline first, turn right. This particular weekend we turned our attention to the uber-classic Mt. Mount Conness - The West Ridge IV 5.6 Unlike most Sierra peaks, which gently rise on the western slopes and drop-off to the east, Mt. Conness via the West Ridge route. Conness this Saturday by the classic West Ridge. Length: 1500 feet? The West Ridge of Mt. We expected a lengthy 5.6 climb that had been described as "two Cathedral Peaks stacked on top of each other," but were surprised to find the route much easier. North Ridge T Easy 5th 1+ 3 I 5 M 1c: South West Face (Harding) Route T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b: Tuolumne Alpine Triple Crown T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b: Unfinished T 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a PG13 West Ridge T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b: Unsorted Routes: This 24-hour blitz will be a high country adventure climb on a scenic Sierra peak just outside Yosemite National Park. Highlights: Fantastic, easy and airy climbing on sharp ridges. Find other routes like West Ridge of Mt. The last day of September we perused the photo of the route in the second edition of R.J. Secor's climbing guide to the Sierra Nevada. West Ridge, Everything You Need to Know About Conness is a spectacularly long and serpentine alpine ridge route skirting the The reason is always the same: long hike! I determined to have as pure an adventure as possible. At last, we arrived at a concrete rock stack statue. Simuling is a commonly used strategy on the upper ridge--just be sure to have a few pieces in at all times! Climber on the West Ridge of Mt Conness Tuolumne Meadows area Yosemite National Park California A couple backpacking near Mount Conness CA. Top-down view of the 1500+ ft West Face of Mount Conness. I roped fellow roadtripper Brian Luther into climbing the route and came back about a week later. The climb follows the ridgeline in the photo above. Mount Conness: West Ridge . Climb at your own risk. We started up the trail from Sawmill Campground around 6AM. Tabs. Images There are a few classic Yosemite climbs that I haven’t managed to do yet. Tuolumne Meadows, Search the internet for beta on Loaner gear may be available. Conness, Roy Lambertson and I enjoyed views of the Cathedral Range and the beautiful lower Young Lake, a grand reflecting pool for Ragged Peak. Links | Terms | Privacy | FAQ | Contact Conness. Mt. Rock Climbing Zion | You scarcely read of a miserable trip report up Mt Conness. It's rated 5.6 which seems petty accurate. The West Ridge of Mount Conness is just such a classic and, having a free day, I vowed to correct this omission and ennoble my character at the same time. TM Herbert described it as “great fun, like two Cathedral Peaks stacked on top of each other.” From Young Lakes the ridge is plainly visible; contour up canyon to the base of the ridge. Once at the summit plateau follow the ridge on the west side south and then southwest until it is possible to drop down a class 2/3 gully to the basin beneath the imposing South Face. Basically, you start out at or near Sawmill campground and head more or less west up the broad canyon. Paul Morgan joined me on my return to the West Ridge of Mt. (52), Climber's Log Entries Elevation: 12,590 feet. Quality: 5. Be sure you can see all the way down. Conness (ascent via East Ridge; descent via South Slope—Conness-White Saddle—Southeast Gully) Approximate Stats: 10 miles traveled; 3450 feet gained & lost; 6.1 hours up; 3.5 hours down. The most commonly used approach simply follows the East Ridge route to the summit plateau. Emily and I departed form the Disneyland atmosphere of the Cathedral Lakes area and set off to climb Mt. Crowds: 2. Forest trees of the Pacific slope . Rating: 5.6. Conness looming in the distance, and we hiked towards the summit for a while. If you hit the northern skyline first, turn left. Conness West Ridge 2002. Mt. Those familiar with the many options climbers encounter on Cathedral and Matthes will be overwhelmed with Mt. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports. West Ridge of Mt. Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. The trail is primarily used for hiking, rock climbing, and bird watching and is best used from June until September. Mount Conness is named for John Conness (1821–1909), a native of Ireland who came to United States in 1836. It is about 20 pitches long. Allow 3-5 hours for the approach, depending on whether you are a fast or slow hiker, and 2-3 hours for the descent. © 2006-2020 SummitPost.org. If you can't, keep going--the first few gullies cliff out. Route: West Ridge (5.6, 1,500 feet) Drive: 4 hours. All Rights Reserved. Conness is perhaps the best moderate alpine climb in Tuolumne. Daddy play day this year aptly came on Independence Day. by rhyang. Quick Facts Approach Time: 2-5 hours. Mt Conness (3837m) is one of the highest mountains in ... to the northern side of Alpine Lake up northwest to the eastern ridge and then following the ridge westwards to the summit plateau. Though not a 13er like Mt Lyell (the tallest), its more isolated and sports some incredible high altitude routes. FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE. He resided in Massachusetts from 1869 until his death in 1909. It's hard to get a sense of this route from the pictures. Meet the "Hard Men" The left skyline is the west ridge of Mt. Once we neared the ridge, we headed climber's left for a mile, eventually arriving on a large sandy and rocky plateau. Descent Time: 2-4 hours. The West Ridge of Mt. Twice I've made the approach from Saddlebag Lake, and for one reason or another we decided to turn back. Conness was a member of California legislature (1853–1854, 1860–1861) and the United States Senator from California (1863–1869). Conness Solo Adventure. The west face of Mt. Conness as a day hike on Aug.17, 2008. | About Us, Climbing AreasRock Climbing Yosemite | There are probably two roped pitches at the start, and maybe a couple more higher on the ridge. The summit of Mount Conness is class 2 from Young Lakes on the west side (easiest route), which requires a long approach from Tuolumne Meadows trailhead in Yosemite National Park. Rock Climbing Sierra Climbing is dangerous. Basically just gradually make your way up the west ridge for a little ways until it’s obvious that you need to leave it and proceed more directly up. The West Ridge of Mt. On October 1, 2000, Bob Ayers and I had a great day climbing the West Ridge route on Mount Conness. At lunch and waited for two other parties then began around 1pm. Details. I quietly crept out of camp at 3am, unable to sleep any longer for excitement. Conness August 2008 . Conness is the left skyline. Which SuperTopo guidebooks include a topo for West Ridge?