West Ridge of Conness

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Patrick Henner

Trad climber
Arlington VA
Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 6, 2012 - 10:37am PT
I have made the approach twice from Young Lakes and been turned back twice; once because of weather and the other time because we spent too much time looking for the beginning of the climb. Tow questions:

1) What is the most straightforward approach from Young Lakes?
2) A pic or more specific beta on where the first pitch begins? I know there are variations but want to be in the ballpark.

Thanks!
10b4me

Ice climber
dingy room at the Happy boulders hotel
Jul 6, 2012 - 11:24am PT
From the lowest Young lake, go north kind of following the drainage to Roosevelt lake
Patrick Henner

Trad climber
Arlington VA
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 6, 2012 - 12:59pm PT
Yes; That is what I have basically done in the past. Any beta of where to start the first pitch?
pglee

Boulder climber
Oakland, CA
Jul 6, 2012 - 01:38pm PT
Rope up at the top of the highest talus past the face. There will be a corner on your left. I made the mistake of scrambling up to a false ledge. There is no ledge, so you need to rope up at the talus heap. Protection is sparse. You can also start up on the slabs on the other side of the corner, but I think you're doing another climb if you do that.
monolith

climber
albany,ca
Jul 6, 2012 - 01:56pm PT
Someone's got to have some pics. I remember my first time hiking in from Youngs is that the west ridge is facing you, so it really doesn't look like a ridge. The North ridge skyline is easily seen. Once you walk into the bowl of Conness, then the west ridge becomes more prominent when looking to the left. The ST topo start (pglee describes above I think) doesn't start on the ridge, but in the depression to the south/right of the ridge and joins the ridge a pitch or two up. I've always started on the ridge itself, which means you scramble/climb something like 30 ft to gain the ridge.
nature

climber
SoSlo, CO
Jul 6, 2012 - 03:58pm PT
Dingus for the Three pointer - nothing but net. well done, sir. well done....
hoipolloi

climber
A friends backyard with the neighbors wifi
Jul 6, 2012 - 04:52pm PT
The best approach from Young Lakes is to hike back to the car. Start Over. Drive to Sawmill Campground/Saddlebag Lake and approach from that side.

More vertical gain, but 1/2 the distance, and most of the gain is in one big push when you climb to the Plateau.
Rhodo-Router

Gym climber
the secret topout on the Chockstone Chimney
Jul 6, 2012 - 05:18pm PT
I know a lot of people who have been shut down coming from Young Lakes, but not nearly as many from Saddlebag.
Byran

climber
Merced, CA
Jul 6, 2012 - 05:46pm PT
There was a party in the corner when we climbed it, so we started out on the face to the left of the corner. This variation was excellent and I think is the preferred line (though maybe slightly harder, like 5.7 instead of 5.6).

It's a pretty indistinct route. Just pick a way and start climbing. It's all sub-5.9
GDavis

Social climber
SOL CAL
Jul 6, 2012 - 11:43pm PT
I followed a trail to the top lake, then once I got on it kind of went a bee line with losing as little elevation as possible. I think a really fun way to do that peak would be to backpack to Roosevelt lake and camp beneath its hulking massif :)))
gonzo chemist

climber
Fort Collins, CO
Jul 6, 2012 - 11:50pm PT
HOLY F*#K! Dingus, there's NO SNOW up there! WTF? A friend and I climbed the Harding Route on the SW Face last August, and you couldn't believe how much snow was up there at that time.
John M

climber
Jul 6, 2012 - 11:58pm PT
Last year we had 200 percent of normal snowfall with some places even higher. This year we had 50 percent of normal.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Oct 8, 2012 - 11:55pm PT
I'm glad I stumbled onto this thread.

Nature's correct. Nothing but net.

hoipolloi's assessment and comments reflect the common opinion of the approach from Young Lakes.

Khanom's got exactly the right attitude. They are all good if the weather is and it generally is. Except in bad weather.

Dingus gets the high five.

I love to caress
The flanks of my own success
On ramblin' Conness.

I'd sleep with Conness, I confess.

I think Dingus should write a hell of a lot more, but he may just be shy.

Angus y Dingus es la cosa (thingus) reale.--Juan Dominguez

Oh, and "more pictures."--Brokedownclimber

ladyscarlett

Trad climber
SF Bay Area, California
Oct 9, 2012 - 01:17am PT
mmmm...

I was just thinking about this route...

and pow! This thread shows up.

Oh man, makes my fingers and toes tingle!

Cheers

LS
Fletcher

Trad climber
Fumbling towards stone
Oct 9, 2012 - 01:18am PT
Me and ole Conness... let's say we have a history. No time for all the details here (catch me at a campfire) but let's just say I've up and down and all around that peak...EXCEPT for the W. Ridge which usually has been the objective.

Many tales of woe and intrigue. Regretted none of them. One of these days the mountain will allow me up the W. Ridge. All in time.

Love that area.

Eric
splitclimber

climber
Sonoma County
Oct 9, 2012 - 12:49pm PT
i really liked the approach from Young. you get to backpack into a beautiful location, pretty easy approach (1.5 hrs) and you can descend directly south on a climber trail down into a bowl with a small lake/marsh, then wrap around back to young lakes. what's not to like. :)

ladyscarlett

Trad climber
SF Bay Area, California
Nov 6, 2012 - 12:44am PT
bump

But mostly I love that feeling of uninhibited freedom I get when dancing on granite above the clouds. And I love doing it with a close friend and kindred spirit. When it works right, good partners feed off one another's strengths and watch each other's backs to cover the weaknesses. It all works out to climbs accomplished, memories treasured and smiles earned.

A memorable bit.

I only wish there were some signature DMT pics in this one...

or a shaky video shot...shucks!

Conness has been past calling and now moved to haunting. It's closer to the top of my list than anything in the Valley right now, so hopefully it'll get ticked off next year...if I don't get too fat this winter! Ha!

Cheers

LS
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Nov 6, 2012 - 01:56am PT
One of the funnest climbs ever!

I have a question about the approach- On the way in from Carnegie have any of you climbed along the ridge on the left of this photo from the sandy plateau on the lower e. ridge?? or do you just go all the way up the sandy slope towards the summit plateau? I climbed along the ridge & it was fun but realized at one point that it was probably not the usual approach. When i reached the notch before the final sandy slope to the summit plateau it seemed most ppl just slog up the entire thing from the lakes.


More W.Ridge love.




Nice TR DMT!! Next time i get a chance i'd like to give that trifecta a shot!

ANd this was perfect Mouse

I love to caress
The flanks of my own success
On ramblin' Conness.

I'd sleep with Conness, I confess.
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Nov 6, 2012 - 11:00am PT
Thanks for the info Khanom, I guess that would be it, I came up the drainage to the first lake then instead of angling up the sandy slope to the left I went straight up to the east ridge via a second class slope that finished with a 3rd class gulley/chimney that gains a sandy plateau with a small weather station on it then followed the ridge up to the final slope with the trail you speak of, It's a nice position with saddlebag & conness lakes on your right & the basin u just climbed out of on the left. If I approached that way again I'd probably do the same, cheers.
ontheedgeandscaredtodeath

Trad climber
SLO, Ca
Nov 6, 2012 - 12:06pm PT
It's sort of unusual to have such a tricky approach to a feature you can see from miles away. I've done it the young lakes way and would not do so again- too much hiking!

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