NORTH FACE the movie – four out of five pitons. The best climbing movie since Touching the Void…

In November 2007, a man died after climbing Cathedral Peak in Yosemite with his partner. They expected to return the same day but were trapped on the descent when it began to snow, and one climber succumbed to hypothermia. In June 2008, a man died on Rainier after a freak blizzard caught three [...]

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our newest Sierra Journal writer, Emilie Cortes. Here is an amazing trip report from an August Trip up Mt. Sill’s Swiss Arete, one of the Sierra’s great classic alpine rock routes. A perfect way to bid adieu to summer.
Before we travel to Sill, we must set the stage…In May 2008, [...]

While Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger promised to keep California State Parks open, he didn’t stress how drastic some changes would be to deal with the 14.2 million dollar reduction in the Park budget.
A summary of the service reductions in store for most of California’s 278 state parks was created by the park superintendants to highlight the major [...]

Wow man, Matthes Crest is one seriously fun climb. The standard south-to-north traverse starts out with a couple of 5.6-ish pitches followed by a long sustained knife-edge ridge, then ends with 5.7 pitch up a tower on the north end. Most people call this the end of the climb, though some parties continue past the north [...]

I know, I know. I write a blog called Sierra Journal and I haven’t yet climbed the classic of all Sierra classics? Somehow time and events have conspired against me when it comes to the great Mount Whitney. The Mountaineer’s Route, East Face and East Buttress have long been on my tick-list, but somehow I [...]

The Cables Route is the standard day hike up Half Dome. It's an all-day affair and is no joke – particularly in inclement weather conditions. Yet another reminder to be careful out there – even on seemingly easy terrain. Weather can turn even the tamest of routes into a nightmarish epic.
From LA [...]

Two thoughts on Tenaya Peak's Northwest Buttress:
1. GREAT climb for beginners out there who are looking to learn the ropes on multi-pitch alpine rock.
2. GREAT early-season climb for working out the winter bugs.
I met up with my climbing partner in the parking lot on the northeast side of Tenaya Lake at about [...]

I'm finally at a point where I can feel okay about the fast-approaching end of backcountry ski season. It's not here just yet – there's still a ton of snow out there. I might even try to get some in this weekend, but what I'm really excited about is a long summer of alpine [...]

Made a quick trip up to the east side over the weekend. Skied the ever-popular Dana Couloir (also a popular alpine ice climb in the late summer months). Slept Friday night at the turn-out just east of the Yosemite pay-gate at Tioga Pass. Got moving Saturday morning about 8:30am.
If you're a lollygagger like me, [...]