Distance

no info yet

Elevation

no info yet

Vertical

no info yet

Time

no info yet

Saturday. My "just got laid-off" mountain climbing tour continues in the Sawtooth Ridge area of the Eastern Sierra. Specifically, I set my sights on Matterhorn Peak, being an SPS Emblem Peak and generally just looking awesome. I got an early start at Twin Lakes, The original plan was to climb the East Couloir from the Matterhorn Glacier, but like a noob I absent-mindedly ascended not one but TWO drainages to the east towards Twin Peaks. While the scenery was stunning, it wasn't going to get me to the summit, so I sat down on a moraine with a good view of the surroundings and studied the map and the landscape. It seemed like a high traverse to the west would take me to Horse Creek Pass, where I could access the peak's SE slopes. I set off across steep snow until I reached a point on a 60 degree slope with a nasty, rocky run-out. Caution forced me to descend 400-500 ft down to the standard pass route. From the pass I climbed the snow-covered scree and talus to just below the peak. Here I found steep class 2 over an exposed snow slope, but by now the snow was soft that I felt confident to make the traverse and climb the peak from the south. Descent was a straight-forward plunge stepping affair over scree and snow and a relaxing hike down to Twin Lakes.

Descending the final snow-filled cirque, I encountered some backpackers precariously attempting to descend the steep and still-frozen snow (the cirque was in the shadows of the canyon walls all day) with full packs and trekking poles. I rolled up from behind, plunge-stepping and glissading down in no time at all, reflecting on what a simple and effective tool the ice ax is and how essential it is for safe and efficient travel over snow.

Route name

Horse Creek pass

out-and-back
Obstacles

routefinding, snow on route

Key gear

ice axe, crampons

seancasserly

I would do the exact same thing if I were in your position