Deerhorn traverse NE Ridge up and NE Buttress down. The NE Ridge is just amazing and the final pitch from the knife edge to summit is fun. On the way down I found a box with a register and a memorial of a climber who died exactly one year before my trip in 2016 (A. Kwok???). I was the first one to leave a note in that register.
YEM - Aug 30, 2020 2:46 pm Date Climbed: Aug 19, 2020
NE Buttress
I used the excellent summitpost route description and encountered the Kwok Memorial near the bottom of the scramble. Quite sobering to say the least. In addition to this, it started drizzling on the way up. By the time I was on the summit, thunder rumbled a short distance away and the summit register started clicking from the static build up!!! I got out of there after 5-10 minutes taking care on the way down not to slip. The route is enjoyable, once you get there, mostly class 2-3 as advertised. Such a gorgeous area!
Deb - Oct 1, 2018 10:24 am Date Climbed: Sep 28, 2018
NE Buttress
Dayhiked from Onion Valley with bivy gear. We summitted at 5:30PM then had whiskey and dinner next to a Vidette lake. Perfect weather before the hellish winds arrived the next day.
Romain - Jul 15, 2016 1:28 am Date Climbed: Jul 29, 2011
NE Buttress
Very nice scramble, with R. Zeithammer. Then went and climbed the lower horn. Trip report
CameronGround - Aug 11, 2015 2:32 am Date Climbed: Jul 5, 2015
NE Ridge
Excellent class 3-4 scramble up the NE Ridge, from camp at the Vidette Lakes. One move in particular stands out in my memory, just above the fun knife edge. After making the exposed side step move, I was greeted by the sight and smell of a beautiful bunch of Sky Pilots right in my face.
Had planned to loop over to Stanford, first by trying the SE ridge, and when that got too hard attempted to drop down into the basin below Ericsson. I recalled one of the chutes being class 4, but I took the wrong one as both the main chute and a southern side chute cliffed out a painful 100 feet above the basin, after descending many hundreds of feet. So I retreated back up top, took one look down the nasty NE couloir, and proceeded to descend the NE Buttress.
A really fun climb of the NE Buttress after climbing Mt. Stanford the day before. Nice, solid Class 3 for most of the upper part of the route.
mrchad9 - Aug 20, 2013 6:58 pm Date Climbed: Aug 17, 2013
West Ridge
After my partner flaked on me I ended up on a solo trip from Harrison Pass. First up Stanford and Caltech before heading over to Ericsson via the east ridge/slope. Descended to Lucys Foot Pass and then up Deerhorn to cap off the day. West ridge involved a bit of routefinding (thanks to some not entirely accurate information in Secor's book) and was a bit slow as well as I was trying to delay while some storms dispersed. Finally got up in early evening and then returned the same way. Ended up being a fun scramble and I suppose the misinformation made it even more interesting.
Daria - Aug 8, 2013 10:26 pm Date Climbed: Aug 5, 2013
NE ridge
This peak was a GOOD scramble!! with a bit of challenge... bit of route finding on the way up, easier on the way down as Holliman states, I share his sentiments exactly!
Solo dayhike from Onion valley.
Michael Graupe - Sep 9, 2009 8:03 pm Date Climbed: Aug 4, 2009
NE Buttress
Dayhike from Onion Valley in combination with Caltech Peak. It was a very long day. 2009 Sierra Challenge.
Bob Burd - Sep 8, 2009 6:58 pm Date Climbed: Aug 14, 2009
NE Ridge / Buttress
With Sean and Adam, on Day 8 of the Sierra Challenge. We went up the NE Ridge (fun), down the NE Buttress (less fun). Trip Report
derbilly - Aug 22, 2009 3:51 pm Date Climbed: Aug 14, 2009
Challenge day 8
A very long day from Onion Valley.
seano - Aug 18, 2009 12:41 pm Date Climbed: Aug 14, 2009
NE Buttress
The start of a long Sierra Challenge day. Fun class 4.
bcd - May 10, 2009 12:08 pm Date Climbed: May 7, 2009
NE Couloir
Up and down the NE couloir. Excellent snow!
bechtt - Aug 31, 2008 1:38 pm Date Climbed: Aug 29, 2008
NE Buttress
Nice day hike with Brian F (of Marie P fame). On the way back, Brian eyed East Vidette as a diversion (I've done) and I eyed West Vidette (he's done) so in the end, we just hiked back to the trailhead. Great rock on this route -- definitely need to go back and do the NE Ridge.
Route Climbed: NE Buttress Date Climbed: Sep 11, 2004
Deerhorn-West Vidette dayhike out of Onion Valley. Thanks to route-finding differences, I found the NE Buttress to be more like very spicy class 4 on the way up, and very easy class 2-3 on the way down--I guess it averages out to be class 3? Deerhorn was fun, West Vidette wasn't.
kleberr - Sep 24, 2021 12:22 pm Date Climbed: Sep 14, 2017
One of the best Sierra scramblesDeerhorn traverse NE Ridge up and NE Buttress down. The NE Ridge is just amazing and the final pitch from the knife edge to summit is fun. On the way down I found a box with a register and a memorial of a climber who died exactly one year before my trip in 2016 (A. Kwok???). I was the first one to leave a note in that register.
YEM - Aug 30, 2020 2:46 pm Date Climbed: Aug 19, 2020
NE ButtressI used the excellent summitpost route description and encountered the Kwok Memorial near the bottom of the scramble. Quite sobering to say the least. In addition to this, it started drizzling on the way up. By the time I was on the summit, thunder rumbled a short distance away and the summit register started clicking from the static build up!!! I got out of there after 5-10 minutes taking care on the way down not to slip. The route is enjoyable, once you get there, mostly class 2-3 as advertised. Such a gorgeous area!
Deb - Oct 1, 2018 10:24 am Date Climbed: Sep 28, 2018
NE ButtressDayhiked from Onion Valley with bivy gear. We summitted at 5:30PM then had whiskey and dinner next to a Vidette lake. Perfect weather before the hellish winds arrived the next day.
Romain - Jul 15, 2016 1:28 am Date Climbed: Jul 29, 2011
NE ButtressVery nice scramble, with R. Zeithammer. Then went and climbed the lower horn. Trip report
CameronGround - Aug 11, 2015 2:32 am Date Climbed: Jul 5, 2015
NE RidgeExcellent class 3-4 scramble up the NE Ridge, from camp at the Vidette Lakes. One move in particular stands out in my memory, just above the fun knife edge. After making the exposed side step move, I was greeted by the sight and smell of a beautiful bunch of Sky Pilots right in my face.
Had planned to loop over to Stanford, first by trying the SE ridge, and when that got too hard attempted to drop down into the basin below Ericsson. I recalled one of the chutes being class 4, but I took the wrong one as both the main chute and a southern side chute cliffed out a painful 100 feet above the basin, after descending many hundreds of feet. So I retreated back up top, took one look down the nasty NE couloir, and proceeded to descend the NE Buttress.
cab - Sep 15, 2014 12:00 pm Date Climbed: Sep 14, 2014
NE ButtressA really fun climb of the NE Buttress after climbing Mt. Stanford the day before. Nice, solid Class 3 for most of the upper part of the route.
mrchad9 - Aug 20, 2013 6:58 pm Date Climbed: Aug 17, 2013
West RidgeAfter my partner flaked on me I ended up on a solo trip from Harrison Pass. First up Stanford and Caltech before heading over to Ericsson via the east ridge/slope. Descended to Lucys Foot Pass and then up Deerhorn to cap off the day. West ridge involved a bit of routefinding (thanks to some not entirely accurate information in Secor's book) and was a bit slow as well as I was trying to delay while some storms dispersed. Finally got up in early evening and then returned the same way. Ended up being a fun scramble and I suppose the misinformation made it even more interesting.
Daria - Aug 8, 2013 10:26 pm Date Climbed: Aug 5, 2013
NE ridgeThis peak was a GOOD scramble!! with a bit of challenge... bit of route finding on the way up, easier on the way down as Holliman states, I share his sentiments exactly!
Solo dayhike from Onion valley.
Michael Graupe - Sep 9, 2009 8:03 pm Date Climbed: Aug 4, 2009
NE ButtressDayhike from Onion Valley in combination with Caltech Peak. It was a very long day. 2009 Sierra Challenge.
Some Photos.
Bob Burd - Sep 8, 2009 6:58 pm Date Climbed: Aug 14, 2009
NE Ridge / ButtressWith Sean and Adam, on Day 8 of the Sierra Challenge. We went up the NE Ridge (fun), down the NE Buttress (less fun). Trip Report
derbilly - Aug 22, 2009 3:51 pm Date Climbed: Aug 14, 2009
Challenge day 8A very long day from Onion Valley.
seano - Aug 18, 2009 12:41 pm Date Climbed: Aug 14, 2009
NE ButtressThe start of a long Sierra Challenge day. Fun class 4.
bcd - May 10, 2009 12:08 pm Date Climbed: May 7, 2009
NE CouloirUp and down the NE couloir. Excellent snow!
bechtt - Aug 31, 2008 1:38 pm Date Climbed: Aug 29, 2008
NE ButtressNice day hike with Brian F (of Marie P fame). On the way back, Brian eyed East Vidette as a diversion (I've done) and I eyed West Vidette (he's done) so in the end, we just hiked back to the trailhead. Great rock on this route -- definitely need to go back and do the NE Ridge.
Matthew Holliman - Sep 13, 2004 12:57 am
Route Climbed: NE Buttress Date Climbed: Sep 11, 2004Deerhorn-West Vidette dayhike out of Onion Valley. Thanks to route-finding differences, I found the NE Buttress to be more like very spicy class 4 on the way up, and very easy class 2-3 on the way down--I guess it averages out to be class 3? Deerhorn was fun, West Vidette wasn't.