Lee Vining  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Elevation:  6,781' Lat, Long:  37.9575, -119.1219 Map Page Views:  14,776. Good page?    Administrators:  Aron Quiter, Euan Cameron, Adam Winters, M.Morley, Sam Vanderhyden, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  chad umbel on Jun 3, 2007 Make this area a Favorite What's New  Printer View Add Area  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

Climber on a lower formation (yellow jacket, upper...

Description 

Lee Vining Cascade is a great ice climbing area that is located just outside of Mammoth. There are plenty of routes to climb, from single pitch to three pitch classics such as Chouinards, Spiral Staircase, The Heel Toe, and the Bard Harrington. The area recieves shade pretty much all day and starts forming usaully aroung Early November.

You can go online and type in Lee Vining ice conditions for weekly updates on how fat the ice is. The website is Sierra Mountain Guides and they post conditons for all of the classic routes. It will also tell you how to drive in from where ever you may be. There are a few nice little places in town that you can rent rooms for reasonable prices. One is called Murphys' which I usually prefer because you can get a room with three beds for about 40 to 60 bucks. Make sure you tell them your there to climb because they give ice climber discounts!

Getting There 

Lee Vining Cascade is located in the town of, you guessed it, Lee Vining. You can get exact directions on Mapquest.

Lee Vining ice. Feb 2008. Bard-Harrington out due to fixed leak in water main. Rumor has it the pipe might spring another leak sometime soon. Submitted By: mschlocker on Feb 27, 2008

The Classics

Featured Route For Lee Vining

Cave Man WI5  CA : Sierra Eastside : ... : Main Wall

Cave Man start towards the right side of the Main Wall. It starts up a nice 50 foot pitch of slightly non vert ice to a bolted station to the right. It is totally possible to link this with the meat of the route which is the obvious popsicle in the middle of the wall. This section is steep and sustained. You will find a fixed anchor with knots, stoppers and pins to belay. Step left off the anchor to gain some thin ice and rock depending on how fat the ice is. Continue to the top and belay. You c...[more]   Browse More Classics in CA

Photos of Lee Vining Slideshow

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Lee Vining ice. Feb 2008. Bard-Harrington out du...	Two obscure classics, Red Rocks prolific first asc...	Dave Sorrick below Spiral Staircase in mixed condi...
Tomas Huber rockin' out at the world famous Lee Vi...	Aspens in Lundy Canyon	Mono Lake tufas
Early morning light on the Dana Plateau while wait...	BETA PHOTO: Taken from Tioga Road on Dec 23, 2011. Formations ...	BETA PHOTO: These two formations are just below Ellery Lake. S...
BETA PHOTO: Tioga Pass was open so easy hike down from route 1...	BETA PHOTO: Map of Lee vining area showing approach hike.	Mono lake, pink-flowering bush, and Sierra