Mt Whitney Zone
Posted By: BFR Langley conditions - 06/27/19 04:48 PM
Has anyone been up NAP or OAP this season?
Thx
Posted By: Steve C Re: Langley conditions - 06/27/19 08:33 PM
Found these pics from Andrew S on FB from last weekend (June 22, 23):

"This route looks treacherous from the bottom. It's pretty tough, but much more doable once you're on it."


"Setting up our tents to get some sleep before summit day."


"Almost to the top of New Army Pass. We used crampons for this relatively short section. This is just before the vertical climbing section shown in another pic."
Posted By: bobpickering Re: Langley conditions - 07/06/19 07:49 PM
BFR and I dayhiked Langley by New Army Pass yesterday. The trail below the pass is completely covered in snow, and the cornice is overhanging everywhere. However, it was easy to ascend the rock and sand to the left of the pass all the way up. We did it all using hiking poles, and rarely used our hands on the rock. Class 2. It’s a bit out of the way and higher than the actual pass, but it beats turning around. Though you will have to cross some snow, crampons, ice axe, and gaiters are not necessary.

I took a look down Old Army Pass on the way down. I didn’t see a cornice, so I think it would go with crampons and an axe.
Posted By: AdventureUSA Re: Langley conditions - 07/31/19 09:02 PM
Anyone have an update on New Army Pass? Going up there on Saturday and debating bringing trail runners or actual boots.
Posted By: SBanks Re: Langley conditions - 08/02/19 01:54 PM
I went over NAP on 6/24 and 6/28 on my way to/from Whitney. I wore trail runners and was fine, but YMMV. On my way out, the trail was still covered with snow at the very top, plus a cornice.

On the way up, meaning toward Langley, what I and others were doing to avoid that top section was to traverse right, just before the trail runs out. There are some small cairns and definitely footprints. Keep going to the right, then there will be sharp left where you can easily hike up a crack, up between the rocks and top out. You end up to the right of the trail/sign, but head back left and it is that way. Headed back out to Cottonwood Lakes, go left at NAP sign along the ridge, there will be a few small cairns indicating where to head down.

I don't know what the conditions are on Langley, as I did not go there, but headed down to the Rock Creek Trail.
Posted By: AdventureUSA Re: Langley conditions - 08/06/19 08:27 PM
NAP only has snow at the very top as of 8/4. The cornice is still there. You can avoid the snow and the cornice with a short scramble once you reach the section at the top covered in snow. Your target is a large boulder that is split down the middle. You can't miss it if you follow the trail. Some people went through the crack in the boulder, but my group went around to the right of it between the snow and the rock. Very little exposure. I did the hike in trail runners.
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