Trip Report
Matterhorn Peak
Tuesday February 15, 2011 11:07pm
So here goes for my first one, alittle old but o well.

Back in December I was looming over whether to give the Capitan a try or head to the Eastside for some mountaineering. The storm the previous week kept me from going to the valley, so after finals me and 3 other buddies headed out to bishop!

top left corner top right corner
Buttermilks!
Buttermilks!
Credit: Sonic
bottom left corner bottom right corner

Got in pretty late, but school was over so I didnt really care. And it was BEAUTIFUL!

top left corner top right corner
Twin Lakes!
Twin Lakes!
Credit: Sonic
bottom left corner bottom right corner

Got up early the next morning and ate at Schatts! Always best to start a mountain off with a danish! I had never driven north of Mammoth, so it was an awesome experience. We met up with one of my buddies in Bridgeport and hashed out all the gear.

top left corner top right corner
Credit: Sonic
bottom left corner bottom right corner

We then drove back into Twin lakes to start the approach. It was probably the best mountaineering weather I've ever been in. For some strange reason when ever I head out there it gets below zero and dumps snow on us, but Mountaineering in tee-shirts is quite nice!

top left corner top right corner
Credit: Sonic
bottom left corner bottom right corner

We got into basecamp pretty quickly, settled down for dinner and prepared the normal stuff for an early morning start!
top left corner top right corner
Credit: Sonic
bottom left corner bottom right corner
It was definitely nice starting the morning off with only a thermal and a softshell! The hike up was pretty straight forward, plus the set of footprints made by the previous climbers.

There's just something about getting up early on a wintery mountain. Its likes an addiction. Plus the scenery helps too!
top left corner top right corner
Credit: Sonic
bottom left corner bottom right corner
top left corner top right corner
Credit: Sonic
bottom left corner bottom right corner

The route was pretty incredible, even the somewhat adventurous summitblock. From reading route descriptions it seemed like a pretty straightforward send, but when we got to the top it ended up being a 4+/5- traverse in crampons! Always a good time!
top left corner top right corner
traverse
traverse
Credit: Sonic
bottom left corner bottom right corner

Matterhorn Peak is definitely an aspiring line. I cant wait to get back on the climb in the summer. Ended up blowing out my ACL for a second time on the way back, so that was quite fine. But I have my surgery set for March, and will be ready to head back into the mountains come end of summer!






  Trip Report Views: 4,833
Sonic
About the Author
Sonic is a trad climber from Folsom, California.

Comments
Dapper Dan

Trad climber
Redwood City
  Feb 15, 2011 - 11:10pm PT
very nice TR . Sorry to hear about the knee . What is the projected recovery time after a surgery like that ?
Sonic

Trad climber
Golden, Co
Author's Reply  Feb 15, 2011 - 11:33pm PT
My first one was 6 to 9 months for the physical recovery. Took me about a year to trust my knee.

This time its looking like 5 to 6 months! Bought a fingerboard and already installed it!
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
  Feb 16, 2011 - 12:42am PT
Bump for a fine TR, and to wish you a speedy and complete recovery.

Thanks much.

John
ShibbyShane

Trad climber
Sacramento, CA
  Feb 16, 2011 - 01:32am PT
Did you blow the ACL in the same knee? How often does that happen?
Sonic

Trad climber
Golden, Co
Author's Reply  Feb 16, 2011 - 01:51am PT
Yah, my right one. First time was playing soccer in High School. Then surgery. Then somewhat hurt it again playing soccer first year college, hence I dont play soccer anymore. Then I was climbing this last november and did a drop knee. The knee cap dislocated, but I was able to reset it. And then just coming back to the car it dislocated again, but this time worse!

So I had surgery at the beginning of January to fix a torn meniscus, and now Im going back in March to fix the ACL.

usually the graphs are pretty strong, I was just unfortunate.
Captain...or Skully

climber
Boise, ID
  Feb 16, 2011 - 08:48am PT
Good TR Sonic. TFPU! Hope your surgery goes well.
eurotrash

climber
Denmark
  Feb 16, 2011 - 09:00am PT
which route did you do?
pix4u

climber
Sonoma, CA
  Feb 16, 2011 - 09:44am PT
Another view with Matterhorn Peak
Sonic

Trad climber
Golden, Co
Author's Reply  Feb 16, 2011 - 09:55am PT
Southeast Slope,
http://www.summitpost.org/southeast-slope-from-horse-creek-pass/155666
Josh Nash

Social climber
riverbank ca
  Feb 16, 2011 - 11:32am PT
like
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Feb 16, 2011 - 12:15pm PT
Nice job Sonic!! Good pictures, well done.

It's magic out there eh?



CLIMBING BUMP!!
Sonic

Trad climber
Golden, Co
Author's Reply  Feb 16, 2011 - 12:20pm PT
This was probably my favorite photo. I took it from the summit. Its looking down into Tuolumne Meadows.

It was pretty awesome to see the Matterhorn blasted with frost.
Nohea

Trad climber
Living Outside the Statist Quo
  Feb 16, 2011 - 12:43pm PT
very cool walk in the park, looks like a a lot of fun so thanks for sharing!

Aloha,
will
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
  Feb 16, 2011 - 07:14pm PT
Beautiful.
Zander

climber
  Feb 16, 2011 - 08:11pm PT
Nice post.
Nice pics. It is beautiful up there right now.
Best of luck with the knee.
Zander
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Feb 18, 2011 - 05:30pm PT
Gneiss pics!
thetennisguy

Mountain climber
Yuba City, CA
  Feb 18, 2011 - 06:59pm PT
Thanks for the TR, we did this last year in May and we didn't enjoy these views due to a storm on the mountain. I'm glad you did! Hope your knee heals quickly.

Regards ...

also checkout http://www.meetup.com/Sierra-Mountaineering-Group/

most of us are in / around Sacramento ... the mountaineer that started the group moved to SD temporarily for work so that's why it has SD on it ...
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Feb 18, 2011 - 07:25pm PT
Nice report! I have done this one last summer..my first solo dayhike. What a beautiful area for that! I also thought that class 4 section to the top wasn't as easy as it was supposed to be. Maybe it is cuz we left our crampons on or something or there is an easier way perhaps...)

First photo is Basin and Humphreys, no? They are quite a way away! : )
Sonic

Trad climber
Golden, Co
Author's Reply  Feb 19, 2011 - 07:11pm PT
Thetennisguy,

Thats awesome, Ill definitely check out that site. Ill be good to go by end of summer!
Brandon-

climber
The Granite State.
  Feb 19, 2011 - 07:34pm PT
Strong work!!

What's the Sawtooth traverse go at? There's some sort of doodad in the middle,right?
Sonic

Trad climber
Golden, Co
Author's Reply  Feb 19, 2011 - 08:45pm PT
Activity Type: Climbing
Nearby City: Bridgeport
Elevation Gain: Minimal
Trail Type: Unspecified
Skill Level: Grade VI, Class 5.9
Local Contacts: Yosemite National Park; Inyo National Forest, John Muir Wilderness
Local Maps: USGS Matterhorn Peak, Buckeye Ridge
Topo Map: Sawtooth Ridge Traverse: Blacksmith Peak to Matterhorn Peak Topographic Map
Guide Book: Climbing California's High Sierra Guide Book


Here's a TR from someone who did it,

http://climber.org/reports/1999/516.html


Kalimon

Social climber
Ridgway, CO
  Feb 19, 2011 - 10:45pm PT
Nice TR, hope all is well with your injury.
Fritz

Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
  Feb 19, 2011 - 10:51pm PT
Great Adventure. thanks.
gonzo chemist

climber
the east coast, for now.
  Feb 20, 2011 - 01:17am PT
Cool TR! Thanks for posting up. Incidentally, when you had surgery to fix the torn meniscus, how long did it take to heal up? To regain confidence? I've been dealing with a problematic knee and I suspect some sort of tear or partial tear of the medial meniscus. Of course I still have to see a physician about it to find out for sure what the issue is.
pc

climber
  Feb 20, 2011 - 01:19am PT
Excellent!
Melissa

Gym climber
berkeley, ca
  Feb 20, 2011 - 01:21am PT
Good luck with your surgery. I blew my ACL trying to keep a bag of kitty litter from falling out of my truck bed. You way sounds more exciting, if it had to happen at all. Thanks for sharing your TR.
Sonic

Trad climber
Golden, Co
Author's Reply  Feb 20, 2011 - 02:14am PT
The meniscus surgery wasn't bad at all. I partially tore my medial, so there was a piece keeping my knee from straightening completely. Had surgery early January, was walking without crunches bought 5 days after. I had what was left of my acl removed, he also cleaned the canal where the acl sits and filled it with bone. So when I have my actual surgery they'll drill a new canal and graft it in.

I was mountain biking (xc) about 3 weeks after surgery, still taking it easy, hard to say with confidence, I'm feelin really good right now
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
  Feb 20, 2011 - 03:55am PT
hey there sonic.... wow, neat report.... wow, i love the twin lakes pic.... *others have not downloaded, yet, so i will come back to see them when i have more time... :)


say, hope the knee keeps getting well...'
:)


thanks for the nice share, with all the pics...
:)

*edit: wow, pics just came in, did not have to come back, later... :))



that must be the matterhorn peak, you mentioned...
veryyyyyyyy great and special looking, it is!!
:)


*edit:
pix4u... wow, thanks for the added picture... :)
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Dec 19, 2011 - 05:27pm PT
LOL When I was starting mountaineering (first part of last year), I read about how Matterhorn is supposed to be a straight forward 3rd class climb (east couloir). So I went up there to dayhike it alone in early June or something. Took the couloir, got to the top and did not find a way to the top without doing a short section of 4th. Was exciting for me too, being a noob, and being up there alone haha. Nice pictures of twilight..
jfailing

Trad climber
PDX
  Dec 19, 2011 - 05:30pm PT
Was exciting for me too being a noob, and being up there alone haha.

That's freaking rad!

Great TR - I did this climb a few years ago and it's a good'un! Keep gettin after it!
philo

climber
  Dec 19, 2011 - 05:53pm PT
Really nice! Glad this got bumped.

How is the knee doing?
Sonic

Trad climber
Golden, Co
Author's Reply  Dec 19, 2011 - 06:23pm PT
Knee's doing awesome. Climbed all summer in tuolumne and am back to fulltime biking and running. Moving to Colorado in late January and am hoping to get on some mountains out there.
Sonic

Trad climber
Golden, Co
Author's Reply  May 2, 2012 - 05:05pm PT
Missing the Sierras Bump!
Aaron Johnson

climber
Bear Valley, CA
  May 2, 2012 - 05:22pm PT
Anybody know the current conditions up there?
KabalaArch

Trad climber
Starlite, California
  May 2, 2012 - 07:53pm PT
Thanks for the fine TR. The Sawtooth is one of my favorite subranges of the Sierra. Rock almost as good as Cathedral Pk granite, but no feldspar knobs, and just a bit looser. And Steep!

Maybe I'm drawn to this area because it was the stage set for my first mountaineering (epic). We 3 had absolutely no idea where a route might lead. Rick got ahead, and so John and I followed his footprints to the base of a loose sandy couloir- steep 3/4, not realizing tha Rick had retraced his footsteps, and had ascended the couloir paralleling the 3rd Class Couloir, a bit to the north.

So, we scrambled up this scree chute, only to get cliffed out by a tottering headwall about 500 feet up. Only one option (we thought): traverse left onto a small ledge which was the summit of a buttress.

Definately loose 4th, a couple more 100 feet brought us to the end of that escape, in the form of a 100 foot back and foot chimney, vertical and loose. I was so gripped at its overhanging capstone, that I decided then and there to kiss the ground, wait for John to top out, then descend the scree into Spillar Creek.

Lonely and bored after about 5 minutes, I decided to go ahead and follow the NW Ridge to the summit.

This has got to be the FA of some route or another, because anyone who knew what they were doing wouldn't have gotten themselves into that position in the first place. The line shows at the left of the panorama shot, about midway between the pair snow couloirs, and the left hand skyline.

When I topped out on our "line," I swore I'd never do it again.

By the time we were back at the car, I was already making plans.
Go