Mt. Whitney, East Face, Regular Route

By: Mark Donohoe | Climbers: Mark Donohoe, Ron Gould |Trip Dates: September 25, 2000

Photo: Kim Grandfield

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It was on our annual spring skiing week that my good buddy Ron says to me: "So Mark, want to do the E-face of Whitney?" It's a climb I have been wanting to do, so I jumped on it... Quite a few months later, I realized, if it was going to happen, then it needed getting together...off for a permit (or so I thought....bla, too much hassle). Try to arrange some dates, this is also problematic. I'm married, have two kids, they play soccer, Ron is no slouch and keeps himself busy. We I have been getting together every fall for some sort of mountain adventure, so we were able to set some dates for Sept. 24-26.

I knew the hike in was going to be hard. Even Alan Bard's guide says to break it into two days due to the elevation gain. I didn't have two days, so hump it up to Iceberg Lake we go. I had never been in this area nor the trailhead, so it was nice to see something new. Since we were going in on a Sunday, we met quite a few folks hiking out. But there were not many cars in the parking lot, so we didn't expect many folks at Iceberg.

We left the trailhead about 10 and made good progress to Upper Boy Scout Lake. The initial hump to the ledges sure warmed me up, and Ron said the hump from Upper Boy Scout to Iceberg was a bear. Man, he wasn't kidding! I kept thinking, just over this rise there will be a lake. Just around this corner there will be the lake...some said they went up the waterfall...when I got near that I sorta knew I was close, but was quite tired at that point. Got out the map and realized, at least one more up hill trudge was needed.

YES! There it is! Ron is a good hiker and had already selected a fine campsite. There was no one else at the lake! It was 6pm. What a long day, with another to follow. While tired, I felt good, no headache or other altitude problems. Nor was I very nervous. Why be nervous? Well, let's see, I haven't climbed much or at all in two years due to a climbing related shoulder problem, and then breaking my wrist in Jan. of 2000. Ron hasn't climbed much as he has been getting into river kayaking... We haven't climbed together roped in over two years, but had always worked well as a team. NO PROBLEM! :-).

We discussed a wake up time, and agreed on 6:30am. Not very early really, but I didn't want to argue and I was tired. My goal was to climb and get back to camp by dark.... Slept under the stars, my favorite!

Sunrise was nice and got the great reddish glow on Whitney, Keeler and the crags around camp. It didn't seem cold, but I had ice in the water bottle, even with an OR jacket around it!

We don't hurry, but we're on the approach before 8am, and the notch at 8:50. Time to rope up! We discuss who will climb what. Since Ron had previously led almost all the pitches when he first climbed the route, I get the Tower Traverse (first pitch). Nice to climb out into the sun... Bard was right. A real wake up pitch! Now, let's see, oh yeah, I remember how to climb....hey nice pin....perfect slot for a nut! Off Belay! Using my new web-o-let, I set up a nice 3 point equalized anchor and bring Ron over. My new 9.4 Beal is nice to have and handled well. Have to thank Larry at Mt. Tools for working with me and getting the rope to me in time for the climb. The next pitches go quickly, but we are sure rusty when it comes to signals. Belay switchovers are not that bad. I'm able to down climb on belay over the second tower and we set up for the Fresh Air Traverse. Ron gives me that pitch. I get started a bit too high, but find a good path. Just like they say, a thousand feet of air between your legs. Clipped into one of the two pins, set some more pro, do the step and set up a cramped belay in the rotten chimney. There is quite a bit of rope drag and this is where Ron and I should have (and will in the future), talked more about our signals. I have him on belay and he starts shouting at me "ROPE!"; oops, he's climbing! I yard in the rope and eventually catch up with him... No biggie, but we know better and should do better. Ron apologizes, but there's no need to, I understand perfectly and there are no hard feelings. Now Ron takes the chimney and I get a gravel shampoo. We both have helmets on so, no biggie, Ron is being careful and I know this is alpine climbing, and it goes with the territory.

We get to the giant staircase and off I go, easy 3-4 class, but I'm being careful not to knock anything off....reach the exit cracks and setup. I try to lead the left exit cracks with my day pack on, get two pieces in, flame out getting the third in. I'm off!...Ron lowers me and says, he'll try...I'm ok with that....he takes his pack off and says we'll haul. Ok with me...we are in the shadows and I want SUN! Ron does a good job but we waste time figuring out the haul... Get it going and then I'm up!

At this point, some of my climbing 'memories' are coming back and I use techniques that I knew, but wasn't using before. The cracks didn't seem that bad when done with better technique! I lead up to the sun and bring Ron up. Ron says: "Hmmm, which way?" Hey, he's done this before! What does he mean, which way!? We consult a bit, Ron doesn't want to lead the way he went before, but the other way doesn't look right, well, it's his lead...he'll figure it out. He does. We both wonder if we should have dropped down to some sandy ledges below us that might have been easier. As it was, Ron did a great job leading 'easy 5th class', which seemed like a hard 5.7 crack.

At 4PM we know we are near the top, but aren't sure how near. I take off. I hear voices! Hmmm.... don't see other climbers!? Well, what do you know, I got the summit pitch. Here we are, it's 4:10. I set up a lame anchor (the climbing off the belay was easy 3rd), and bring Ron up. Here we are! There are only 5 others on the summit. Four leave, and the 5th is spending the night (great weather to do so!). We chat, coil, rerack, eat, drink and take pictures. Mt. Russell looks just like the pictures (hmm, should we do that hike again next year!?, My, how memories can be short).

After a bit we decide it's time to head on down. We decide to take the 'alternate' descent by the toilet seat***. There is hard ice in every gully, but it's passable. Having now done the descent, I don't know why anybody would do the standard descent! Too much up and down and over little ridges for me, with death falls if you screw up! The descent is 4th class and one must be careful, but we make it to the notch with no real problems.

Take a 'mindful' break at the notch and start on down. Left side is definitely the best. Man, I would not want to hump this route up! The shadows of the peaks on the ground are amazing; I take a few pics and just smile! The descent takes forever, as usual. We finally traverse over to the bottom of the approach and keep on truckin'. The light is fading fast. There are two parties camped at the lake now, so we'll have company tonight. We reach camp with just enough light to not stumble over rocks. We'll be eating by headlamp tonight, no biggie, we are home. Goal accomplished!

The hike out is as hard, but not near as long as in. It takes days for my calves to not be sore. But it's a good sore! Thanks, Ron! It was a great trip.

*** Variation on Mountaineers' Route descent: From the summit area, walk about 100 yards till one is near the toilet seat, go over to the N. face and check it out. There is a bowl there that leads down very close to the notch where the Mountaineers' Route comes up/goes down. Looking down the N. Face, we went left over steep 4th class terrain. After passing some easily avoidable ice, we moved right to what seemed like 3rd class. Near the bottom is another 4th class section which we choose to down climb facing in for about 10 feet or so. This brought us about 50 yards from the notch. Easy 2-3 class to the notch, and off down the Mountaineers route.