Climbing the California 14ers
/California has fifteen peaks over 14,000 feet. Some are non-technical walk ups, some are strenuous snow climbs, many are technical alpine rock climbs, one even has an abandoned road to the top, and all of them are rewarding climbing objectives in their own way. Following is a quick guide to each California 14er climb with the skills that it takes, basic logistics and more. Unlike many of the 14ers in Colorado, most of the California 14ers require some technical skills. Climbing all of them is a worthy goal of any mountaineer and we are happy to help you achieve that goal. Most of the California 14ers are guided by International Alpine Guides through our California division “California Alpine Guides”.
Mount Whitney (14,5005 feet)
The tall one. Mount Whitney is the highest point in the United States outside Alaska and of course at one time was the highest peak in the entire country. First climbed by a group of local fishermen in 1873, Mt Whitney has long enthralled legions of climbers and hikers to attempt its high summit.
MOUnt Whitney massif in morning alpenglow
There are many climbing routes to its summit including the popular 22-mile round trip Whitney Trail which requires little more than stamina and very good physical condition. The next most popular route is the Mountaineers Route which is a real climb involving 3rd and 4th class scrambling which is exposed on the famous “final 400” feet to the summit plateau. Then there is the more technical 5th class multi pitch climbing routes on the East Face which sports the classic “East Face Route” and the “East Butress Route”. Those go at 5.7 and 5.8 in climbing difficulty. In addition, there is a backpacking hiking route up the West side of Whitney through Sequoia National Park.
Due to its immense popularity, Mount Whitney has a strict quota from Spring till late Fall and permits can be hard to come by for both overnight stays or for doing Whitney in one very long day. There is a lottery every year for permits to climb both the Trail and the Mountaineers Route.
Mount Russell (14,094 feet)
Mt Russell has the biggest concentration of high quality technical rock climbs of any of the California 14ers and is a sought after peak by higher end rock climbers. Classic climbs such as the Fishhook Arete (5.9) and the Mithral Dihedral (5.10a) are on many a rock climbers tick list. If climbing harder technical climbs up to 14,000 ft isn’t your game there is the spectacular East Ridge of Mount Russell which is an exposed 3rd class scramble starting above Upper Boy Scout Lake.
Climbing on the east ridge of mount russell
The normal approach to Mount Russell is up the East side Mountaineers Route to either Upper Boy Scout Lake or Iceberg Lake. This is in the same Whitney Zone that has very competitive permits and quotas.
Mount Langley (14,032 feet)
One of the easier California 14ers. Mt Langley sits on the border of Sequoia National Park and the Inyo National Forest. The route to the top begins at Horseshoe Meadows above the town of Lone Pine and travels by trail through the beautiful Cottonwood Lakes Basin over New Army Pass into Sequoia National Park and then follows a “use trail” with some off trail up to the summit. There you are rewarded by spectacular views of the Owens Valley 10,000 feet below.
It was first climbed by Clarence King of the California Geologic Survey in 1873. King thought he had done the first ascent of Mount Whitney and didn’t realize his mistake till weeks later when he arrived back in the East Coast. Most climb Mt Langley in two days with a camp at one of the Cottonwood Lakes which requires a wilderness permit from the Inyo National Forest or it can be done by some in one long day from the trail head which does not require a permit.
mount langley from cottonwood lakes
Mount Muir (14,018 feet)
Somewhat more of a high point on the Mount Whitney escarpment, Mt Muir is a quick add-on objective if you are already on the Whitney trail. It is a 3rd class scrambling objective that is an hour or two out of your way above the trail. Many will also climb the Mountaineers route on Whitney and then hike down to bag Mount Muir, getting in two California 14ers in one day.
Unless you are coming in long distance from the Sequoia National Park side, you are still in competition to get a coveted Mount Whitney Permit to climb Mt Muir.
Mount Williamson (14,379 feet)
California’s 2nd tallest peak, Mt Williamson is therefore far less traveled than its famous neighbor to the South. Most will attempt the climb of Williamson from the East Side via the Symmes Creek trailhead and up the strenuous Shepards Pass trail into Sequoia National Park. From a camp just inside the park or part way up Shepards Pass, the most common route to the summit is the West Face Route accessed via Williamson Bowl. This is a strenuous and somewhat devious 3rd class climb through a maze of chutes (many with dead ends) so it does require very good route finding and mountain sense. In winter and Spring, Mount Williamson is a good ski mountaineering objective via Blairs or Georges Creeks with sometimes a continuous 8,000 ft ski descent right down into the sage brush.
Many parties will opt to add on neighboring Mount Tyndall (see below) to climb two California 14ers in one trip. Permits to go on an overnight trip up the Shepards Pass trail can be acquired by the Inyo National Forest via Recreation.gov
Mount Tyndall (14,025 feet)
Mount Williamson’s neighbor, Mount Tyndall has a very straightforward 3rd class scramble up the North side from the Shepards Pass area and as mentioned above is a great add on to climb two California Fourteeners in one trip. And that only makes sense if you are going to slog all the way up Shepards Pass!
A view of Mount Tyndall from a winter camp
Split Mountain (14, 064 feet)
Perhaps one of the least popular of the California 14ers, Split Mountain looms above the Ownes Valley just South of Bishop, Access is via the Red Lake trail head and Red Lake makes a nice camping spot for 2-day climbs. The easiest route up Split Mountain is the 2nd class North Slope from the Eastern Access. It is a straightforward route but the over 8000 ft elevation gain requires excellent stamina.
Middle Palisade (14, 018 feet)
One of six fourteen-thousand-foot peaks along the main Palisades Crest, Middle Palisade is one of the more accessible of the California 14ers in the Palisades. Located at the head of the South Fork of Big Pine Creek above the small Middle Palisade Glacier, Middle Palisade has a sustained and exposed 3rd class smh sometimes 4th class scrambling route to the summit. Getting off the small Middle Palisade glacier and onto the rock can be tricky at times.
a view of middle palisade glacier
Mount Sill (14, 159 feet)
One of the more prominent peaks in the Palisades, Mount Sill looks like a big shark fin from the town of Big Pine. There is a 4th class route up the L shaped couloir from the Palisades Glacier side, but the best climbing on Mt Sill is the classic Swiss Arete, 5.7 in difficulty. The best approach is up the North Fork of Big Pine Creek via the Palisades Glacier and Glacier Noth. Most will attempt this peak in a 3-day climb.
mount sill and the swiss arete on the sun/shade line above the palisade glacier
Polemonium Peak (14, 080 feet)
Right next to Mount Sill along the Palisades Crest is Polemonium Peak. Not at all prominent, Polemonium Peak is usually climbed when traversing from another peak or when doing the Palisades traverse. There is at least a little 5th class climbing from most sides. The V Notch ice couloir also leads to the summit of Polemonium Peak directly from the Palisades Glacier.
Climbing the V notch to polemonium peak
North Palisade (14, 248 feet)
California’s fourth highest Peak, North Palisade is also the highest point along the Palisades Crest. It is climbed frequently both from the Palisades Glacier from the Northeast and also from the West via the West side of the U Notch. Most routes are at least 4th class with some easy 5th class sections. Considered one of the more technical of the California fourteeners.
On the summit of north Palisade
Starlight Peak (14,200 feet)
While somewhat hard to call Starlight Peak a separate peak as it is really just a high point between North Palisade and Thunderbolt Peak. But a California 14er it is. It’s famous for its 5th class exposed summit pinnacle called the “Milk Bottle”. Climbed both from the Palisades Glacier via the Starlight Buttress and also has a traverse from both North Palisade or Thunderbolt Peak.
Thunderbolt Peak (14,009 feet)
Named for a lightning bolt that struck close to Sierra climbing legend Jules Eichorn while climbing the first ascent, Thunderbolt Peak is the last California 14er on to the North on the Palisades Crest and the most Northern in the Sierra Nevada. It also has a tricky summit block that goes at 5.9 as is difficult to protect for the leader. Therefore it is known as the most difficult of the all the fourteen thousand foot peaks if you are leading it. Climbed from both sides, the shortest route to the summit is from Thunderbolt Col on the West side.
Thunderbolt Peak, Starlight Peak and North Palisade from the west
Mount Shasta (14,179 feet)
One of the two California 14ers not in the Sierra Nevada, Mt Shasta is in the Southern Cascades and is California’s majestic 14,000 foot volcano. Located right off Interstate 5 it is very hard to miss while driving North into Oregon. Actually a bigger mountain that Mount Rainier (Shasta is about 100 ft lower but larger in mass, Mount Shasta makes for an imposing figure on the far Northern California landscape. Shasta has an unglaciated South side and a partially glaciated North side including California’s largest glacier, the Hotlum Glacier.
The most popular and easiest route to the summit of Mount Shasta is the well known Avalanche Gulch route on the Southern flanks. It is however a full mountaineering route requiring ice axe and crampons skills. Other popular easier climbing routes on Shasta are the West Face and the late season route up Clear Creek. Later in August the Clear Creek route may not require any snow climbing at all. The North side routes have snow and glaciers year round. There is the steeper Hotlum Bolum Ridge route that skirts the glaciers. Then there is the Hotlum Glacier route which is a full glacier with many crevasses and ice falls and is an excellent training ground for glacier climbing and crevasse rescue.
Then there is the skiing on Mount Shasta. Considered by many to be one of the top three ski mountaineering objectives in North America, Mt Shasta has amazing corn skiing from late April till sometimes mid June. 7000 foot runs of perfect corn from top to bottom are not unheard of if you hit it on a good day. The Hotlum/Wintun Ridge or “Hotoon” is considered to be one of the best backcountry ski run on the continent.
camp on Mount Shasta
White Mountain (14,252 feet)
The other California 14er that is not in the Sierra Nevada, White Mountain sure does have stunning views of the Sierra! Sitting above the town of Bishop in the White Mountain Range, this is the easiest California 14er to summit and is California’s third highest peak. The trail to the top is actually an old abandoned road that some have even mountain biked. It has probably the most unique view of the High Sierra from the summit as you are mostly looking down on the Sierra Crest.
