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Elevation: 7,460 ft
GPS: 37.77386, -119.1288
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Shared By: kenr on Nov 3, 2016
Admins: Aron Quiter, Euan Cameron, Mike Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer Ski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes

Description Suggest change

The biggest tallest slab at Silver Lake -- leading to the highest summit in these sectors, which rises above the surrounding ground on all sides, "the Silverhorn" - altitude 7455 feet, GPS latitude longitude (N37.7738 W119.1290) - (Those who prefer German as their Swiss language might call it "der silberne Zahn").

The rock face is roughly 200 feet tall. Faces ENE.

Routes: In addition to single-pitch easy+moderate climbs, sector Moynier offers multi-pitch routes to the top of a (small) real peak, a fine picnic spot (when not windy) with a wonderful view.

Descent: Can make multiple rappels (because a 60-meter rope will not reach bottom). There is a rappel station on the summit ridge above the cliff face toward the north end above the route "High Right Face".

Or if finish the day's climbing to top of the summit ridge, could scramble down ten feet the other (west) side, then walk west about fifty feet to reach well-maintained hiking trail. Right down this gentle to access main June Lake Loop road. Nice if have a bike or second car "spotted" in advance -- otherwise could finish at the Silver Lake Store for a snack while waiting for another member of your party to get the car.

Or could hike down around the north side of the cliff back to the base of sector, but it's easy to get off track into unfriendly terrain. Expect some ups + downs + weaving. The climbers' herd track is fairly clear as of 2018, but likely will get overgrown if not many use it.
Key is to start wide north farther than expected -- 200 ft to around (N37.7743 W119.1293), at first steep-ish down (toward Family Wall), then long gentle past top of couple of steep rock chutes. Only then turn down east then southeast. When passing sector Secor, stay away from the rock. Then after the little uphill to reach sector Lewis, go along the base of the cliff. And just below Lewis, don't forget the little uphill right before going down on the well-beaten path.
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Top-Roping

Upper Part: To access the top of the upper part of this cliff, could lead one of the bolt-protected multi-pitch routes Least difficult is "Divine Martine" to "Voie Directe" - (The bottom of "Divine Martine" could be reached by scrambling up around left side of sector Melchsee, or by leading one of the bolt-protected routes in sector Melchsee -- easiest and closest is the route "Salamander").
Or could hike up around the right side. In detail ... go uphill diagonal Right following a rough trail about 200 feet NW out into open brush. Next turn Left and go up SW then S about 200 feet, then 100 feet roughly ESE to the Silverhorn mini-peak.

There are additional "facultative" anchors at gentler more easily reachable points above the obvious two-bolt anchors at the top of the steep rock: two-bolt anchors near the left and right ends of the summit ridge, and a natural rock horn near the center (bring a double-length sling).
. . (could also use trees or bushes below the west side of ridge as "natural" anchors).
So if bring an extra (non-full-length) rope or some long slings, could be "tethered" while climbing down from summit ridge to reach one of the cliff-top anchors to set up Top-Roping. Or if finishing a multi-pitch to enable following climbers to "top out" on the summit ridge, could use one of these "facultative" to protect them on the final moves above the "top of the steep" anchors.

warning: A 60-meter rope (doubled) will _not_ reach the bottom of the Lower part of sector 8 Moynier for lower-off or rappel (though it will reach the Mid-Level Ledge at the bottom of the Upper part).
. . (70-meter rope rope will just barely reach the bottom of the left side of the lower part, but _not_ the right side).

warning: The Upper part is fairly tall for Top-Roping. So if the belayer is at near the bottom of the climbing route, the elongation/stretching of the rope could be large -- so the climber could take a rather long fall (even though on close belay from above), and could hit a ledge or protruding rock, and get seriously hurt. Ideas for dealing with this dynamic-rope-stretch problem: (a) Have the belayer near the top instead of the bottom; (b) Use a special static or "semi-static" rope which will not stretch so much (but such a rope is not safe for first Leading to reach top); (c) Pull the rope extra tight when the climber is just three feet from the bottom, to take some of the stretch out, and keep it extra tight while climber continues up.

Lower Part: To access the top of the lower part of this cliff, can either go around to the left (south) side of sector 7, scramble up a bit, then climb "Left Low Chimney", then traverse north across that ledge to the 2-bolt anchor.
Or ... scramble up around the left (south) side of sector 7 Lewis onto the wide ledge (with standing dead tree) at top of that sector, then climb one of the sector 8 Moynier routes up from that a short ways to reach the ledge with the 2-bolt anchor above lower part of this sector.

The Mid-Level Ledge between the Lower and Upper parts of sector 8 Moynier has three two-bolt anchors, on its left, center, and right. So non-climbing members of a party can be attached to one of the anchors for safety. Or if bring an extra rope, could attach it horizontally between anchors, so more climbers could be conveniently "tethered" while waiting or while moving across the ledge.
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Name: John Moynier grew up Culver City, graduated UCLA. Found his way to the Eastside and managed the Rock Creek Lodge. Wrote the first comprehensive guidebook for backcountry ski mountaineering around the southern Eastside Sierra, with an enthusiastic tone that inspired many to get out and ski more places. Among several other books and articles, wrote an (enthusiastic and story-filled) guidebook of alpine rock and ice routes and climbing traverses of the high Sierra.
. . (Then demonstrated his creativity and versatility by switching to a completely different career).

warning: The rock in this sector has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber.

Getting There Suggest change

hiking approach: First follow the instructions on the Silver Lake area description page to reach the bottom of sector 7.
Go right (NW) from there a short ways to reach the bottom of sector 8.

- - > See where on this overview Photo
. . . . or this overview Photo

- - > See Access scrambles + trails, and Anchor locations on this Photo

climbing approach: Most of routes on the lower part around center or left can be reached by first climbing a route on sector 7 Lewis, then walking horizontally and scrambling up easily a shorr ways to reach base ot desired route on sector Moynier.
Routes starting low right (e.g. "Mamba" + "Right Low Corner") can be reached by first hiking to the right end of base of sector Lewis, then climbing the route "Right Edge" to the mid-way anchor at its 5th bolt, then scrambling up right a short ways to the "low right" base of sector Moynier.

close-ups:

- - > See route lines on this topo Photo

- - > See on this Photo of Low part | or this Photo of High part

Time + effort estimate: From north end of parking lot to the base of this sector is about +155 vertical feet over 0.15 mile distance (+47m over 0.25km), so typical range of hiking times 7-14 minutes.

GPS tracks for hiking/scrambling approaches and descents -- view (or download) on
- - > this Map of the Silver Lake crag

21 Total Climbs

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