Mount Whitney – East Face & East Buttress
Climb Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the 48 states, by a classic technical rock climb from the East.
Climb Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the 48 states, by a classic technical rock climb from the East. Choose the East Face or the East Buttress. Which is better? Tough call and often debated. Climbing them both is the only way to know for sure!
Access to Mount Whitney is closely regulated and as a result we have limited first-come first-serve availability for mid-summer climbs. We recommend booking early. Before July 4th and after Labor Day, we have much more availability.
The dates we have scheduled here have a minimum of 2 to run and a maximum guiding ratio of 2:1. This trip is also offered as a Custom Private Trip at our Custom Private rates.
Summer 2023 Dates:
– July 7-9*
– July 28-30*
– August 4-6
– August 11-13*
– August 18-20*
– September 2-4*
*Contact the office at info@sierramtnguides.com for information about booking these trip dates
Mount Whitney (14,505′)
Mt. Whitney is the highest peak in the lower 48 United States at 14,505 feet above sea level.
Mt. Whitney is the highest peak in the lower 48 United States at 14,505 feet above sea level. The survey marker at the summit still says 14, 494 feet, but the latest surveys show it is higher than that. It is still not totally agreed upon what the mountain’s altitude is and much depends on what exactly is considered the “sea level” that will be used as the baseline. The consensus among surveyors seems to be that the elevation of Mt. Whitney will only be corrected upwards if at all in the years to come, and the mountain is in fact growing along with the rest of the range on a geologic time scale. We certainly hope though that we will see it rise enough in our lifetime that Sierra peaks like Mt. Barnard and Mt. Humphreys are raised to 14’er status. We just think that would be infinitely amusing (but did you really need another reason to go climb those amazing peaks?).
Almost named “Fisherman’s Peak” Mt. Whitney was first climbed in 1873 by the “fishermen”; John Lucas, Charles Begole and Albert H. Johnson. The local Paiute Indians, named Mt. Whitney, Too-man-go-yah- (the very old man) and as legend has it a Great Spirit lives inside the mountain and watches over the people from his high perch. People of all ability levels flock to stand on its broad summit. The overwhelming majorities stumble to the top via the Mount Whitney Trail. In the summer months it is not uncommon to have several hundred bleary-eyed people talking on cell phones and making movies on the summit. From the east the peak is much quieter and looks much more impressive guarded by its sheer granite walls. We offer trips on several different east side routes including the Mountaineer’s Route, the East Face, and the East Buttress. The latter two are some of the best 5.7 alpine climbs in the range for rock quality and aesthetics of position.
“Which route is better, East Face or East Buttress.” Read more here to find out.
East Face (5.7)
The East Face route is one of the 50 Classic Climbs in North America. Get your game on early with the “Tower Traverse” that delicately climbs along narrow ledges above the full relief of the East Face of Mt. Whitney. You’ll be blown away by the, “The Fresh Air Traverse” with airy position and big handholds. Dr. Robert Underhill, a member of the first party to climb the route in 1931 exclaimed, “The beauty of the climb in general lies chiefly in its unexpected possibility, up the apparent precipice, and in the intimate contact it affords with the features that lend Mt. Whitney its real impressiveness.”
IFMGA guide, Neil Satterfield, shows how it is done on the Fresh Air Traverse, East Face Mt. Whitney
East Buttress (5.7)
The East Buttress is only slightly more difficult and sustained than the East Face. It was originally named the “Sunshine Peewee” route by the first accent party. This route represents the cleanest, most direct line from high camp to summit. It features high-quality climbing on good granite up the buttress to the “Peewee Pillar”, a gigantic block precariously perched on the buttress. The route continues around the pillar for a few more perfect crack pitches to the summit.
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Included
alpineclimbingEast ButtressEast FaceEastern Sierra WinterMt. Whitneyrock -
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14ers3D chute3rd pillar3rd Pillar DanaAIAREAIARE 1AIARE 2AlaskaAlaska skiingalpine climbingalpine rock climbingAlpsAlps climbingAlps runningAlps skiingAlps trilogyAmerican Mountain Guides AssociationAMGAavalanche awarenessavalanche coursebackcountrybackcountry 101backcountry skiBackcountry Skiingbackcountry snowboardbackpackingBear Creek SpireBerner OberlandBernese OberlandBishopBishop SkylineBlacksmith PeakBloody MountainBreakthroughBridgeportCaliforniaCalifornia fourteenerscampingCardinal PinnacleCarson PeakCelestial AretesChamonixChamonix climbingCharlotte Domechefclassic rock climbclassic Sierra rockclimbclimbing campclimbing skillsclimbing Swiss AlpsClyde MinaretConvict Creekcookcoursescourses instructioncramponCrest tourCrystal Cragcustomcustom private skiDana PlateaudestinationsDevil's SlideDolomitesDolomites climbingDouble Eagle ResortDream BowlEastern Sierra climbingEastern Sierra skiingEigerEvolution LoopexamfastpackingFishhook AreteFour SeasonsFranceGlass CreekGrindelwaldguide courseHaute Routeheli assistedheli skiingHemlock RidgeHigh SierraHigh Sierra skiinghigh tourhikingHorse CreekhorsesHorsetail FallsHut to Hutice 101ice axeice climbingice climbing courseIncredible Hulkinstructionintermediate levelinternationalintroductoryintroductory ice climbing courseItalyJohn Muir TrailJohn Muir WildernessJune LakeJune MountainJungfrauKautz Glacierkidskids climbing programsLas Vegaslee viningLee Vining arealee vining canyonlevel 1level 1 refresherlevel 2light and fastlightweightLone PineLone Pine PeakLovers LeapMammoth LakesMammoth Lakes to YosemiteMammoth MountainMammoth to JuneMammoth to YosemiteMatterhornMatterhorn PeakMcGee CreekMerriam Peakmixed climbingMonchMont BlancMont Blanc runMount ConnessMount DanaMount EmersonMount GabbMount HumphreysMount MillsMount Rainiermountain runningmountaineeringMountaineers RouteMt ConnessMt. DanaMt. EmersonMt. HumphreysMt. RussellMt. SillMt. TomMt. WinchellmulesmultidaynegativesNevadaNorth PalisadeNorth Peaknorth ridgeonion valley to mt. whitneyOrtlerOwens River Gorgepack outfitpack supportpackerspalisadesPalisades Glacier Camppeak descentsPeter CroftPine CreekPolemonium PeakportersPositive Vibrationsprivateprivate customprofessional developmentRed and White MountainRed Dihedralred rockRed Slate Mountainrescue skillsRitter Rangerock 201rock climbingRock CreekRock Creek to MammothSabre RidgeSan Joaquin RidgeSawtoothsself arrestself belayself rescueSequoia National ParksherpasSierraSierra 5.10sierra alpineSierra Mountain GuidesSierra NevadaSierra skiingsingle pitch instructorskiski guidingski mountaineeringski tourski touringskiingsnowsnow skillssnowboardSPIsplitboardsportsport climbingStarlight PeaksupportedSwitzerlandTahoeTemple Cragthird pillarThompson PassThunderbolt PeakTiogatrad climbingtrail runningtraverseTuolumneTwin LakesUltra Trail Mont BlancultralightValdezVia Ferratawhite linewilderness tripwinterYosemiteyosemite national parkYosemite skiYost MeadowZermattZermatt Valley
| TRIP ITINERARY: Mt. Whitney - East Face / East Buttress | |
| DAY 1 | Meet for a gear check and hike up the adventurous North Fork of Lone Pine Creek. This day is strenuous and passes over the famed Ebersbacher Ledges before ascending to Lower Boy Scout Lake. From there, we continue up past Upper Boy Scout Lake and on to high camp. We usually like to camp in a special location away from the more populated high camp Iceberg Lake. |
| DAY 2 | Climb Mt. Whitney via East Face or East Buttress! |
| DAY 3 | Descend to the Whitney Portal. If you are feeling energetic. we can get up with the sunrise to take some photos of the Mt. Whitney group bathed in alpenglow then hike down, drop our packs and spend the afternoon rock climbing at Whitney Portal. |