Where: Sierra Nevada, California
When: July 2008
Partners: DB
Route: West Face (Class 4)
Mileage/Gain: 5/1,500
From Lake George, DB and I set out up the Crystal Lake Trail that would lead us to the lake and the base of Crystal Crag, a small, aesthetic mountain above Mammoth Lakes, California.
Soon reaching the lake, we wandered up to the base of Crystal Crag's west face and headed up. Encountering plenty of enjoyable class 3, near the top of the face, we angled right, pulled through a notch to gain a narrow ridge, and then followed class 3 & 4 terrain to the base of the final summit block. A couple delicate class 4 moves put us on the summit. A great scramble!
Retracing our steps on the descent, we enjoyed the exhilarating exposure on the ridge leading back to the easier, class 3 west face.
Some relaxation by the lake below followed...
TOPO
Mammoth's Crystal Crag (10,377 Feet)
