P 13,355, South Face, Mount Whitney Area. Attracted to this large wall so close to the Whitney region, yet still unclimbed, Bill St. Jean, Alan Bartlett and I found ourselves on this face last June. Our route follows a line left of center, beginning with a full pitch of strenuous off- width above 12,400 feet, and going five pitches to the lower left end of a gold band high on the face. One pitch along the “Golden Traverse” led to the final rope-length up cracks and over a roof to the summit ridge. NCCS III, F9.

Alan Pietrasanta, Buff Alpine Club