Start the route as you would start Mendenhall couloir. Climb up the 4th class steps including the crux chimney before you get to a fork about 2/5ths up. At the large red rock bend continue going straight and right towards a prominent rib. Mendenhall Couloir will be to your left. On your right will be a steep vertical drop off to another gully. As you start up the rib at some point the climbing will get steeper. And you will reach a few headwalls. There will be one easier one, and one a bit harder. Exposure at the headwalls is great. One involves stepping on a fairly unstable flake to climb that headwall. I broke the top half of it in order to create a semi stable foot hold. Continue up the rib. Keep on the crest at all times when possible. Climbing is really fun, scenic, and exposed. Most of the rock is actually solid, but use your best judgement. This is a great alternative to the regular route. Great for some cardio. Whole thing took me 4 hours car to car without being in any hurry.

East Rib - North

Mendenhall Couloir

Hai'nanu

This is the huge gully on the east face of Laurel Mountain, easily visible from the hot tubs down in Long Valley. The route starts at the Convict Lake parking area. Take the lake trail around the north side of the lake. At the far end of the lake there is a junction, stay straight (right) as the lake trail drops down to the left. After half a mile or so, the trail crosses an old creekbed. You can see it leading up to the gully above to your right. Follow the creekbed to the gully, and proceed up the gully. Depending on season the bottom of the gully may or may not be full of snow. I had to bypass the snow and ice by climbing choss on the gully's right side. Eventually, I was able to come down to the bottom of the gully again. The rock in the bottom of the gully is quite good, blue limestone, very unusual for the sierras. The climbing comes in steps... 20 feet of steep (though always easy) rock, then flat for a while, then another rock step. After a while, the gully steepens but stays easy. It winds to the left and then back to the right again, shooting straight for the summit to the right of a very steep buttress. Eventually the gully opens out onto the scree slopes that lead to the summit proper. Whew! Descebd to the north, then down snow and scree slopes to the east, eventually picking up a faint trail through the brush that leads south back down to Convict Lake. Now buy yourself a beer and go soak in the hot tubs!

The Paiute Indians call Convict Lake "Wutsunupa" - lake in a dent in the ground; or an old legend names it "Tuvaimawiye'e" - lake that follows the enemy. Hai'nanu, a Paiute boy disrespected the lake and challenged its power. The lake chased him up into the mountains and Hai'nanu escaped the high water only by jumping through a hole in the sky.

The route follows weaknesses up the right side of the main wall of the Sevehah cliff and then a long ridge to the summit.  There are three bolts on route. All the belays are at stances and most are well protected from loose rock.

Pitch 1

- Move up and left over black 3rd class slabs to the corner where the black and white rock meet. Moderate but hard to protect climbing up the corner eventually pinches down and steepens. Traverse right at this point to a sloping ledge with a bolt for the belay. 40m

Pitch 2

- Traverse left back into the corner system and follow it up until an option to move right into a steep crack on the face. Spectacular sustained climbing eventually eases off to a small ledge for the belay. 65m

Pitch 3

- Climb up and right into a right facing corner. Steep climbing leads to an amazing hand crack in the dihedral. Belay at obvious ledge above the dihedral. 55m

Pitch 4

- Traverse right along a sloping ledge to another corner. Climb in the corner either using the crack in the back or the crack on the face to the right. After 15m this eases off to an easier angle. Belay on the largest ledge at the start of a massive right facing dihedral. One bolt on the ledge. This would make a spectacular bivy. 55m

Pitch 5

- Climb the dihedral until a small ledge with a bolt. This is probably the crux pitch. 50m

Pitch 6

- Traverse right over sloping ledges into a shallow corner. Moderate climbing leads up to a point where the corner steepens and there are choices to move left, stay center, or traverse right onto white rock; move right on the steep blocks. Belay at a good stance above the blocks. 60m

Pitch 7

- Easy terrain off the belay steepens into hard to protect but moderate face climbing on the left side of a very deep gully. When possible traverse into the upper part of the gully aiming for the notch with the suspended chockstone. Belay where practical. 65m

From the top of pitch 7, traverse right into a large gully and make for the ridge. Follow the ridge for 3000' (this is approximate linear distance, not vertical climbing) passing the 5 pillars of Jenga along the way making for the summit. The ridge is mostly 3rd class with some 4th and occasional 5th.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Laurel Mountain