Backcountry
The Sierra Nevada contain some of the highest peaks in North America. Outside of Colorado, Washington and California are the only states in the lower 48 that have any summits over 14,000 feet. The Eastern Sierra is home to Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48, as well as a host of other equally imposing mountains. A summit of any one of these peaks, in any season, is an accomplishment. Renowned ski mountaineers Cody Townsend and Bjarne Salén, along with the legendary climber Tommy Caldwell, recently completed what is likely the first winter traverse of the 13 highest peaks in the Sierra Nevada range. Over the course of eight days, the trio traveled a little over 100 miles and 40,000 vertical feet through a combination of mountaineering, technical rock climbing, and of course, high-consequence ski descents.
For Townsend, the traverse was about partnership as much as performance. “It was an adventure that pushed me beyond ways I thought possible. It was an adventure of three buddies leaning on each other’s different skill sets to complete. It was an adventure I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Townsend wrote on his website, The Fifty+. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Townsend led the often treacherous ski descents, including an icy descent of the North Face of Mt. Whitney, while Caldwell led the rock climbing pitches. Salén documented the trip, and a full-length film about the traverse is expected in the coming months.
The fifth day of the trip was the longest, at more than 22 miles, and the vast majority of the days were over 12 miles. Attempting a winter traverse meant that all of the trails were buried under the Sierra snowpack, adding route finding complexity to the endeavor. “Being out there was a lot of ‘What’s the best way forward?'” Townsend told the San Francisco Chronicle. “We had to make decisions on the fly about how to get around. That’s what makes it an adventure — the question marks that don’t have answers.” Only five other people have completed the traverse — all in the summer months. Mt. Whitney is climbed by more than 20,000 people each year, but Townsend, Caldwell, and Salén’s journey reminds us that more adventures can be found just over the next ridgeline. Or, in their case, the one after that, and the one after that.
The 13 summits, south to north, are:
1. Mt. Langley, 14,026 feet (Day 1)
2. Mt. Muir, 14,012 feet (Day 2)
3. Mt. Whitney, 14,508 feet (Day 2)
4. Mt. Russell, 14,088 feet (Day 2)
5. Mt. Williamson, 14,373 feet (Day 3)
6. Mt. Tyndall, 14,019 feet (Day 3)
7. Split Mountain, 14,058 feet (Day 6)
8. Middle Palisade, 14,012 feet (Day 7)
9. Mt. Sill, 14,153 feet (Day 8)
10. Polemonium Peak, 14,120 feet (Day 8)
11. North Palisade, 14,242 feet (Day 8)
12. Starlight Peak, 14,240 feet (Day 8)
13. Thunderbolt Peak, 14,009 feet (Day 8)
Mt. Muir, Mt. Whitney, and Mt. Russell all in one day! Awesome. Actually, the entire trip was amazing, kudos to you all.