Crystal Crag- North Arete
Rock Climbing– California
Total Time: 5:50
Distance: 4.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 700′
Crux: 5.7
Pitches: 5
Protection: Doubles to BD #3, nuts, slings, 70m rope
Companions: Holly
Trailhead: Lake George, bathroom and trash in nearby campground
Crystal Crag is a prominent summit within Mammoth Lakes basin, and features a relatively classic beginner’s alpine climb via the North Arete 5.7. Although considered a fairly easy route and having been to the summit of Crystal Crag years before via the West Face, it was still quite high on my To-Do List with Holly, an iconic feature in our second home. However, child care for our daughter was hard to come by on the East Side, finally finding a long and cold September weekend to make it happen. It being the shoulder season, we found the Crystal Crag trailhead mostly empty when we arrived, and we shouldered our packs and started up the trail towards Crystal Lake. The views across Lake George and the Mammoth Lakes basin opened as we climbed higher with the North Arete of Crystal Crag lying in shadows above.
We quickly reached and crossed the outlet of Crystal Lake and followed an excellent use trail along the shore line before cutting into the woods. The use trail continued, winding up slabs to the boulder fields along the base of the north arete, dropping us at the start of the first pitch shortly after 9:30 AM.
The line was entirely in shade and although typically done in 4 pitches, I hoped to link them together to get into the sun faster on the ridgeline. I started up the obviously 5.7 chimney at the top of a ramp, finding the rock quite solid despite the reputation for loose rock on the route. I trended slightly right as I climbed higher, trying to keep Holly out of my rock fall line below with some smaller rocks scattered along the ledges. Above the chimney, the climbing was quite easy, ranging from 3rd to low fifth class, and I quickly passed the small tree marking the traditional first belay, climbing to just below broken corner a full 70 meters to build the first belay station.
Holly started up, climbing quickly in hopes to warm up but still needing her down puffy when she reached me. Looking at the topo, we were just below the chimney that finishes the end of the second pitch, and I cut right to a small pine tree and started up the wide chimney. Easy climbing led to what I thought was the crux of the route, a series of broken and slanted cracks in the back of the wider chimney.
Although the moves were not overlying challenging, the rock quality was less than perfect both for placing protection and the actual climbing, and I cautiously pulled on each flake and seam, leading me to a talus and scree ledge and the start of the namesake Crystal Corridor. The granite we had been climbing was replaced by a band of solid quartz.
It was very unique, although in reality the climbing was basically over, with a class two ramp leading directly to the ridgeline, passing by a giant solid quartz boulder to the north summit. We were able to do the entire 4 pitch route in two rope-stretching 70 meter pitches, and I brought up Holly as quickly as I could to be in the warmth of the sunlight on the summit ridge.
Having made such good time on the route, we decided to tag the higher true summit to the south, although agreed to stay roped up for the ridgeline, ranging in difficulty from third to low fifth class. From the north summit, I downclimbed into a notch onto the west face, traversing ledges back up to the middle summit, now with a deep notch separating us from the higher south summit. I belayed here to avoid rope drag, and Holly I debated as to whether to downclimb into the notch or rappel, with some newish looking cord and webbing around a boulder near the summit. The downclimb was rated fourth class, exposed but not difficult, and we decided Holly would downlead it, building an anchor in the notch and placing a piece of pro at some of the trickier spots for me.
Both in the notch, I swung onto lead, climbing directly up the ridgeline on what was the most solid rock of the day. Although the ridge was mostly third class, I was surprised by a few tougher spots, including a step across a gap as well as an airy traverse right around a gendarme. From the notch, I was just able to reach the summit with my 70 meter rope and very extended placements along the way. I slung a boulder and brought Holly up the final pitch, similarly surprised by the handful of low fifth class moves on the final ridgeline.
Pitching out the ridgeline had actually taken more time than the North Arete route itself, and we took a short break before starting our descent, utilizing a series of third class ledges down the West Face directly off the summit, obviating a need to drop back into the notch via the ridgeline. This led us to the wider sandy gully splitting the north and south summits and down to the sandy benches above Crystal Crag Lake. A straightforward use trail led back to the base of the climb and our packs, and we packed our gear and headed out, the trail now full of dayhikers.
After the short uphill out of Crystal Crag Lake, we made a rapid descent back to the trailhead, getting back to our condo to see Avery before a belated anniversary dinner at Parallax that night.