Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Cloudripper Info

Hello All,
Planning a trip for the last weekend of July with a mixed group of friends. Some greenhorns, some with experience. My goal is to get people to fall for the mountains, like I have but get them home safe. I found Cloudripper as an option, was wondering if anyone has any useful info on it. I am looking for a scenic hike with light scramble at the top.
Thought about starting at Little Lakes Valley out of Rock Creek Lake but all the peaks seem to have advanced level summits with Class 4 on tap. Thought about Langley, maybe Tyndall.
Any suggestions? Fourteener, Thriteener, scenic is important.
I have done Whitney, Langley, Russell, Ritter, so not one of those.
Thanks for any help or input.

The view from Cloudripper is really nice. You might want to look into Mount Agassiz via Bishop Pass or Mount Morgan via Francis Lake. Both of those have wonderful views and are not too difficult. Mount Morgan is probably the easiest if you pick up the use trail at Francis Lake and don't go into the gully. It's the wonderful views that often hooks people - that's what hooked me and keeps me going back. This year will be especially scenic because of all the snow.

Mt. Gould would be a good option as well. It is an easy scramble from Kearsarge Pass, with a fun class-3 summit block. Great views from the top.

Cloudripper is anything but a light scramble. We spent all day getting to and from it using Big Pine Lake #4 as a base camp. There are a couple different ways up from the saddle above BPL #7. We took the hard way up and the easier way down. There are as series of cairns from the saddle to Cloudripper. Everyone in our group had a bunch of experience.

It was a fun peak with a cool name.

If you do Cloudripper from Green Lake, it's mostly a hike. There's a bit of a scramble to go over Vagabond (Peak 13,374'), and then a little scramble to get up the rocks to the summit of Cloudripper. All Class 1 and 2 that way.

Info: http://kathywing.smugmug.com/California-...#92900964_8qwdV

Thanks for those pics wingding. Am looking to do Cloudripper this summer myself and your pics and map are super helpful.

Btw, do you know whether it is feasible to drop off the west side of Cloudripper's summit into the Chocolate Lakes basin without climbing gear or would that be kinda sketchy? Looks like it might make for a more intersting loop.

-Rico

The West Chute is solid class 3+, doable without gear if you really like scrambling. Much more enjoyable as an ascent route, and one of the nicest sustained scrambling routes I have found in the High Sierra.

Good info CH. Thanks much.

-Rico

Thanks for the info guys. Wingding, nice pics of the route.
Couple of questions. What is the mileage from South Lake Trailhead to Green Lake? From Green Lake to Summit of Cloudripper? I am assuming Green Lake would be a good place for camp.
I saw a profile somewhere that showed 8 miles roundtrip from South Lake? That seemed too short. Also, is the trail fairly worn, or is it cross country most of the way?
Thanks again.

what is the snow situation right now to cloudripper from green lake?how bout bishop pass snow?I would imagine from south lake to bish pass would be snow as well?

If the conditions are anything like 2006, which was a very big snow year you are going to need winter gear into July or August.

We went up 4th of July weekend. Saddlerock Lake, Bishop Lake and Ruwau Lakes were all still frozen. You needed fangs and axe to negotiate Bishop Pass. There was solid snow from Ruwau Lake through beyond Bull Lake. When there wasn't snow the trail was under water. The snow was solid ice in the morning.

My guess is conditions will be very much the similar this year into mid to late July.

Green Lake is oriented the same as the Chocolate Lakes.

thanks wb and kathy for cloudripper info.I will definetely make that a backpack trip.That or mt agassiz.Is it too dangerous to do either solo with limited exp?

Cloudripper via Green Lake is about 14 miles round trip. It's about 3.5 miles with 1600' elevation gain and 300' elevation loss to Green Lake. It's about 3.5 miles with 2800' gain and 400' loss to Cloudripper from Green Lake. The elevation gain and loss is about 4,700' over the entire 14 miles. It can be done as a long day trip or as an overnight trip with camping at Green Lake.

There is a trail to Green Lake and then from Green Lake to the wilderness boundary. You leave the trail near the wilderness boundary and hike on easy terrain until the base of Peak 13374 (Vagabond Peak), then you scramble over Vagabond Peak on a jumble of rocks that are easy Class 2. Once you are over Vagabond, you continue to the base of Cloudripper and scramble up the rocks to the summit of Cloudripper. I can't remember anything more than Class 2 terrain on the scramble over Vagabond or up to the summit of Cloudripper.

Mount Agassiz can also be done as an overnight trip or as a long day trip. It's a trail hike all the way until Bishop Pass and then it's a scramble to the summit from there. You just have to be careful on the loose and steep terrain.

I haven't been in the Sierra that far north recently; so I don't know first-hand about snow conditions. Based on reports it sounds like there's still tons in most of the Sierra. By August snow won't be as much of an issue.

I did both Agassiz and Cloudripper solo with limited experience; so I guess it can be done by someone who is solo and has limited experience scrambling around on Class 2 terrain.

The words "limited experience" are subjective though.

Just be careful and always try to know where your feet are going to go next if what you step on doesn't hold.

Here's the route (more or less) I took up Agassiz from Bishop Pass:

http://kathywing.smugmug.com/California-...413_K7yS8-L.jpg

Wingding,thanks for that useful info. I appreciate it.

From Big Pine Lakes, its a slog to the saddle above Lake 7. Then, it's picking your way through the rocks. The ability route find is a plus...having a GPS is also a help with the false summits. There isn't a lot of room on the summit.

If you choose to Agassiz, another peak that is there for the taking is Mt. Goode. It's a fun Class 2 climb.