Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Olancha Peak

Anybody been to Olancha Peak? It seems like people backpack in from the South and that it takes 2-3 days. Any experiences would help.

I've never been, but here's a good link from Climber.org that has a trip report and a link to driving directions:

http://www.climber.org/TripReports/1997/246.html

Would like to try Olancha myself sometime.

I did Olancha in a day climb in June, 1985. I enjoyed that hike so much! It's some 22 miles with 6,500' gain round trip. Trail most of the way. You start at Sage Flat (5,300') and climb to Olancha Pass, then connect with the PCT. Head north a few miles, then climb up a long talus slope to the summit. For backpackers, you can camp at Summit Meadows, or thereabouts.

The terrain is true Southern Sierra, not as spectacular as the rest of the High Sierra. Cows, and grazed meadows, at least back then. I saw an eagle fly by, closely eyeing me while I was on the top. Be sure to bring lots of water. I took 4 or 5 liters, and would have been parched except for a lone snowpatch.

A couple of thoughts about Olancha Peak. This is indeed a great training hike. But it is very exposed in the lower sections and extremely hot with almost no shade. If you start this hike, begin early in the morning. There is also a 5-6 mile drive over a dirt road to the trailhead. This would be no problem for 4-wheel drive vehicles, but would be a little tough for just a regular car. The road is uneven and bumpy.

Finally, there is no trail to the peak in the last section. You have to scramble over rocks and this can be slow going.

But as a training hike, this is fantastic for Whitney, as long as you start it early in the morning, it is brutally hot.

Yes, Candace is right. I started at 5:30 a.m. in the morning, but was able to climb quickly to Olancha Pass (9,200+). From up there, it's nice. There's some shade from thin forests, but if it's a hot day with overhead sun, it can be brutal. Why I recommend taking lots of water. There is a creek up there, but you'll need a filter or stove.

In 1985, I had no problem getting to Sage Flat with my little Datsun 210, but the road can be worse now. Check with the USFS.

The summit slope is class 2, but I found it easy and quick. No scree run or anything, but it's a glorious view, and counts as an "Emblem Peak," with the SPS. Olancha Peak stands out from the Southern Sierra, and the southern part of the Owens Valley.

If you do it, you may find the Whitney Trail a breeze.

Thanks for the info, especially the H20 recommendations, and the exposed hot areas, and the dirt road. The climbers report was also interesting.... I took a look at Olancha from trail peak and have imagined hiking it many times as I drive up to Lone Pine. For me it would be worth doing, not as a preparation for Whitney, but as one of the other peaks in the area worth going to. Coming from the south, it seems like Olancha is the start of the big Sierra Peaks. When I drive past it I always feel excited....like I am back...to the Sierras again.

We backpacked it June of last year, our first trip of the year. It was dry, and we carried 30 lbs water for 2 of us.

We set up camp at the turnoff to Olancha Peak. No water nearby, so we were glad we carried it up. Sunday morning we found a trickle of water in a meadow on the way to Olancha Peak. We stayed at the summit longer than we expected (great views), and hiked out in the dark. We came back with 10 oz water that we stashed on the way up. It was a great trip!

This year we'll do something a little easier for our first trip (in 2 weeks!).

Photos on my website: <a href="http://www.snow-nymph.com"> Snow Nymph Website </a> (go to hiking/backpacking and scroll down to June 2002 "Olancha Peak Backpack"

Snow Nymph: great pictures...you have an awsome colection of summits. I liked that photo of you on Olancha with you sitting there sporting that ranger type hat and multiple large water bottles. I also checked out your Boundary Peak (Nevada's highest)photos. Seeing it from the top of White Mountain, across the ridge, I have kind of always wanted to go there. What I saw sounds just like what I expected...a rocky desert peak for sure.