Re: Summiting Mt Lyell

Hey everyone!

I am looking for information about Mt Lyell.

I'm going to be in Yosemite with a group of friends in August and we plan to climb the glacier and summit Mt Lyell.

Can you guys provide any helpfull info on gear, routes, or any other advice that might be usefull on our hike?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Are you comfortable with class 2-4 ascents? Experience with glacier travel?

Have a look at Summit Post.

Yeah, you'll find loads of info on Lyell elsewhere.

I wrote about it here, imbedded in another thread:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,28505,28751#msg-28751

Most of the people going up Lyell do it from the canyon itself and
bring crampons and an ice axe. I used and carried neither.
Look at my pictures and you will see why.
You def want to do it from the Lyell-Mac col. With calling yourself
intermediate I honestly think that you will so no way....
Mt. Maclure is easier with many routes that you can build your own.
If you give up on Lyell maybe give that a go. The glacier
has become less of itself over the years. But def. has grown in
recent years so don't just look at the pictures I posted and decide
via them. And certainly do not follow the Hell Hole route.

Have fun and be safe

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Did Lyell about 20 years ago or so...group of 8, one ice ax, no crampons, via the Lyell/McClure col. Lots of backpacking experience but not so much true climbing experience in the group. The ice ax came in handy cutting steps in the glacier in one spot above the bergschrund, but we probably would have been fine without it. I would bring the ice ax just in case, and always some basic emergency gear including a climbing rope. Use your head and be careful and you will probably not even need the ice ax. Get up there early to enjoy as much of the sunrise view as you can.

A good view of the climb is at minute 1:50 here :

Yosemite Nature Notes - Glaciers

(and the whole video will help whet your appetite for the climb!).

Thanks for the info guys!

My buddies and I are each bringing and ice axe and crampons. I wasn't planning on bringing a rope (wondering if we should now).

I have personally done plenty of technical climbing so i'm fine with class 4 ascents. I'm sure the others in my party will be as well.

We will be starting the hike from tuolomne meadows. chick-on........what is Lyell-Mac col?

And by the way Bearproof....that video is what inspired us to do the hike to mt Lyell!

I just looked at your profile. Intermediate. Thus some of my comments.
If you are comfy with class 4 stuff Lyell will be no problemo whatsoever.
I highly doubt you will have any use for a rope on this ascent.

It's
Mt. Lyell
Mt. Maclure (not McClure)
So the Lyell-Mac col was just short for Lyell-Maclure Col

My picture set of my trek there is here along with the route I ended up going:
https://picasaweb.google.com/yosemite.chick.on/Lyell

Have fun (you will)

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/2012 09:59PM by chick-on.

I agree with Chick-on, should be no problem for your group...and I always have a rope with a group when going cross country or even class 3 climbs...but thats just me.