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Mt. Chamberlin Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in Mt. Chamberlin

L › R R › L A › Z

	Asleep at the Wheel T 5.12- 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a R
	Bean Pole T 5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Safety First T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
	Sword in the Stone, The T 5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c

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Elevation:	11,464 ft	3,494 m
GPS:	36.53777, -118.31063 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	5,015 total · 101/month
Shared By:	Christine Spang on Feb 15, 2021 · Updates
Admins:	Chris Owen, Lurk Er, Mike Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer Ski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes Page Updates (admin only)

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Access Issue: Certain Peaks: Access limited from May to October every year Details

Some of the peaks in this area are restricted (not all). See the Inyo National Forest's Mount Whitney Zone regulations webpage fs.usda.gov/detail/inyo/pas… for current information. Access is usually limited from May to October of every year from the highest elevations of most of the Lone Pine Creek watershed.

Description

Mount Chamberlin is one of the best backcountry walls in the High Sierra. WIth rock on some routes rivaling the Incredible Hulk, if you love rock climbing on alpine granite and are willing to hike a bit to get there, Chamberlin is well worth a visit. There is pristine camping underneath at Crabtree Lakes, and you are sure to have the place to yourself.

Getting There

There are 2 main ways to get to the Crabtree Lakes basin and Mt. Chamberlin. Both involve getting a permit for the Whitney Trail, which might be the crux of the whole matter. Start at Whitney Portal. If heading directly for Chamberlin, the shortest approach is to take the Whitney Trail to Trail Crest and then cut cross-country directly down scree slopes into the Crabtree basin. ~12 miles, though keep in mind that while most of this approach is on one of the cushiest developed trails in the Sierra, the last part is on no trail at all.

Option 2: Do as above, but continue on the JMT down the other side of the crest into the Hitchcock Lakes basin. Continue past Guitar Lake. At Crabtree Ranger Station, leave the JMT and head up a much less developed trail into the Crabtree Lakes basin. ~17 miles, with ~5000 feet of vert overall. This is the best way if you're planning to climb routes on Hitchcock along the way. It's also the way I'd recommend hiking out, unless your idea of fun is schlepping up scree that slides with every footstep with a huge pack on your back.

Option 3: Come in over Cottonwood Pass, and head north on the PCT or take an off trail shortcut thru rock creek basin. Much easier to get a permit for this, but the trek is even longer then the JMT over Whitney option.