New to climbing..need help

[Clevis Hitch]

Go do Nevermore on Raven Rock. Easy approach. Epic Climb..no doubt one of the best test pieces I have ever been on. I got a hella story about the first time I climbed it (not leading). Buncha crazy sporties placing trad gear for the first time! WOW!

[Tryman]

Gotcha

I'm keeping a list of recommendations.

I'm also trying to keep up with the vernacular....I can only imagine what a sporty is (probably me)

[Syphur]

Sport climber. Bolt clipper.

Stay away from Nevermore. Go out to Fortress Wall and make a day of it.

[Tryman]

....check

...check

[ted]

Go do Nevermore on Raven Rock. Easy approach. Epic Climb..no doubt one of the best test pieces I have ever been on. I got a hella story about the first time I climbed it (not leading). Buncha crazy sporties placing trad gear for the first time! WOW!

Dam Clevis! Your trying to get somebody killed!

[dustonian]

Tryman, that's the East Face in the photo. Cool route but only one brief 5.6 traverse section and tons of 4th class choss...still classic, historical and all, but again the 5.7 East Buttress route is way better--more direct, more sustained, & on much better rock throughout... If you've climbed the Grand you'd be fine, Whitney is a much easier day overall.

There are also lots of other killer high Sierra peaks with less red tape, less slogging, and generally speaking, fewer tourists on top. Check out Bear Creek Spire, Mt. Sill, Basin & Humphreys (right above Bishop!), Temple Crag, Cathedral Peak, & Mt. Conness (W Ridge!), among many others. Whitney is pretty over-traveled and kind of a shitshow all summer with tourists and tedious permitting issues.

[crazyhair]

Don't do nevermore. Like seriously. . . don't do it. You will get lost and die or get stuck and die or get lost and stuck and die- either way- you'll probably die. It's 5.9+. . .not exactly the 5.6 traverse you're training for.

[dustonian]

That's a good point. You could easily kill yourself even on the East Face of Whitney, so if your technical, routefinding, choss wrangling skills etc. are not up to snuff, hire a guide. They're cheap and for the most part super good in the eastern Sierra.

[Tryman]

Thanks to both above. Very helpful. In fact I do plan on using a guide. I don't plan on getting killed. It's good to hear from someone who knows the area.

[caribe]

...and if I wanted to be a stickler, which I do, I'd mention that Lynx rufus should also either be in italics or underlined.

Should've been K. rufus got it. Being a stickler is good.