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Good basecamp location in high Sierras?

Original Post
Eric D · · Gnarnia · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 235

Hi all - Looking for recommendations on a place to base ourselves for 5 days in the high Sierra backcountry, from which we can access many long routes.  Kind of like the Iceberg Lake area under Whitney.  I've been to the Hulk and Whitney but am looking to mix it up.

Any thoughts?

Aaron Liebling · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 952

Lots of options!

https://kdanielspublishing.com/cart/index.php/guide-books/high-sierra-climbing-volume-1.html

Alex S · · Bishop CA · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 707

What kind of grades are you looking for, and how long are you willing to hike?

for longer easy routes, North fork of Big Pine set you up to run laps on Temple crag, and offers access to the Palisades (swiss arete, sill to T-bolt traverse, ect...)

If you like long brutal bushwacks ending in beautiful wall of good granite, heading up George creek gets you access to mt barnard, carl heller, tulonio tower, all with awesome but seldom done routes.

If you're looking for hardman lines without the crowds of the hulk, check out mt chamberlain, or mt goode and trapeziod peak have gotten a bunch of new hard routes in the last few years.

Cherokee Nunes · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2015 · Points: 0

Tuttle Creek. Bring your adventure pants! (literally)

Gerald Adams · · Sacramento · Joined May 2019 · Points: 0

Middle Fork of the Kings below Tehipite Dome would probably be the most seldom visited with the longest routes .

Eric D · · Gnarnia · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 235

Thanks everyone.  If anyone else has thoughts keep them coming.

Brian Prince · · reno · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 2,893

For west side - Hamilton plus tamarack lakes is hard to beat. Bubbs creek is another great option.

Alex S · · Bishop CA · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 707

Thought of another one, Flat iron butte, if you dig up the AAC trip reports, there's at least a dozen lines up the face, and the camping at the base is super plush.

@cherokee I think Tuttle would be poor for a base camp.  Maybe high in the south fork in the cirque between Langley and Corcoran, but the rock quality up there is mediocre.  And as awesome as the giant routes on the south face of LPP are, the standard descent from most of those, excluding red baron tower or MSMR, end up spitting you out all the way at the bottom of the canyon near where you parked.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northern California
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