I’m so appreciative of you taking us along on these hikes/climbs. Locations like this are off limits to a lot of us because we don’t have the training to navigate the gnarly spots. It’s nice to enjoy the view from the safety and comfort of home.
Thanks very much, and you're absolutely right about the gnarly spots. This climb was pretty easy class 3 for 95% of it, but then there were those spots at the bottom and the top that truly did require experience and technique to be done safely. For us even that vertical chimney to the summit wasn't too bad, but for anyone who doesn't regularly train their rock climbing skills it would be scary AF! ❤️
Thank you -- so glad you saw this one! Yes the Sierra has many classic views, but looking down from this summit at lakes in every direction is definitely one of the best we've experienced. Really happy to share it with you! ❤️
Yes Joseph! The lower hike was so nice, and camping by Bench Lake would be wonderful and then just climbing up the lower slabs to get those amazing views of the lakes below. Highly recommend! ❤️
Your videography is stunning! And what a climb. My only beef is how much your videos make me miss being able to do this stuff... Seriously though, thanks again, and much love to you both!
Thanks Jeff -- we absolutely love taking you back up into the Sierra, and will keep on doing it for as long as we can until some combination of knees, backs, and hips says no more! ❤️
It is an unbelievable string of clear days luck with these two. Kearsarge Shepherd is it for Peaks. Palisades is too but way wilder. They are King of SOCAL.
Amazing in so many ways! ♥ Adam still has the little boy in him, wanting to climb the tallest tree and the highest mountain. Very Beautiful, thank you.
Haha you are so totally right about that. He has really managed to keep his inner child alive in many ways, and I think most of them are very healthy. He just lives for exploration and adventure (and Pop Tarts 😂), and all the stories his aunts tell make it very clear that he was that way from the very beginning. ❤️
Absolutely!, that's part of what makes these videos so fun to watch - the innocent joy and the Pop Tarts! What is Adam's favorite Pop Tart Flavor? ( Don't say Birthday Cake because we won't believe it. )
Wow, I climbed University Peak about 25 years ago with my climbing friend. I remember the feeling of never ending climbing for so long, and some very sketchy areas near the ridge and that traverse to the real summit. This brought back memories. Thanks for another gorgeous video and I love the music!
Thanks Ted! It was one of the most amazing views we've ever had in the Eastern Sierra -- we had no idea we were going to see all the way down into the Kearsarge basin, and it blew us away. ❤
Take that for another ten thousand foot nemesis accomplishment for Adam! Guys we should be counting each one of these 10,000+ foot climbs Adam has conquered from the beginning all along! That’s some achievement just on its own. Spectacular photography as always! 🙌🏻 Jellybean you’re getting to close to the edge, not just on top, but all along the way. I loved Adams advice to you when nearing the summit in that gnarly spot. “Just do what you have to do” I think is what he said. SAY WHAT???#%&! This reminded of some of your earlier rocky and gnarly climbs from years ago and you guys still got it! Woohoo!!!! ❤️
Thanks LB! Yes that final chimney to the top was pretty scary, especially coming down. But luckily Adam always goes first and spots me on those downs so it worked out fine. So happy we could show you these views from the top -- some of the best I've ever seen anywhere in the Sierra. Hope you're doing great!! ❤️--JB
Thanks so much! I have to give Adam credit for that thumbnail -- he's getting really good at seeing the spots that could work as a great still and then having me pause while he really lines up the shot. ❤️ --E
Thanks very much, and so happy you liked the music! Truly some of the best views we've ever had in the Sierra -- would recommend this climb on that basis alone. ❤️
Love the clarity of your videos. I've been up University twice and both times I couldn't see a thing! The first time it was in early June '97 and was too foggy/cloudy on top. We traversed over to University Pass after summiting and had a fantastic glissade down. Snow conditions were perfect. Second time was in the month of July 2000 and it was too smokey from the Mather Fire. Going up from Bench Lake is impressive! Both times I went up University it was from the Robinson Lake side. Robinson Lake is a nice place to spend a night, then go up the next day.
Oh my gosh that's so cool you've been up twice, and I'm sorry you were denied those amazing views both times! The Robinson Lake route looks fun, and we would love to do it the way you did with a night of camping first. That is for sure something we plan to do in the future! ❤️
You two are absolutely amazing! What incredible views. Thanks for taking me along. FYI, Colorado 14'ers got a snow yesterday. It will melt but shoulder season is slowly creeping up on us. Don't know if you still have plans to come out this way? You two have had a fantastic summer of adventures. I can't believe summer is almost over......
Oh my gosh I can't believe it already snowed! Yes our plan is to come out for late September and all of October -- I hope it won't be too late to pursue some of our dream CO 14ers!! ❤️
Yes Thomas! The weather was utterly perfect the whole day, which made the lakes look absolutely incredible to the eye. The down climb was pretty rough -- we ended up on our butts a collective total of 8 times (Elise 5, Adam 3). But still, totally worth it! ❤️
Hi Elise, I met you and your dad yesterday at the top of Mt Tallac. I’m a fan for years watching you and Adam. I started hiking for health and therapy after 36 years of marriage ended. Even though I can’t do what you guys do, watching your adventures is like I’m there, too. I was so surprised to see you in person. You look beautiful in person and so friendly. Thanks for chatting with me and taking a photo with me. Isabella
Oh my gosh Isabella! That was so fun meeting you! You and your friends were so sweet, and thanks for getting our little photo too. It was so fun to show my Dad how friendly and awesome the hiking community is. I hope you make it over to the Dolomites for some hiking adventures. Keep in touch ❤️🫶
Amazing !!! You guys make it looks so easy. Thank you for sharing. All those shaking and unstable rocks... Happy you get down safety . Down is always even more risky. wish you Many many more happy moments
Thank you very much, and you're so right about the down. It was much scarier than the up, but at least we had a plunge in that beautiful lake to look forward to! ❤️
I just now had breakfast at the Mount Whitney Cafe in Lone Pine. As I walked back to my motel, the Mount Whitney motel, I gazed up at Mount Russell. This of course refers to one of your previous features. I looked at it, and it's prominence along the Lone Pine skyline. I had this to say... " That is a friggin' dorsal fin!" Just that specter alone convinced me... Better you than me! I'd much rather slum the two or three bars in Lone Pine. By the way, The Seasons Restaurant makes a great "Old Fashioned!" Tomorrow I leave Lone Pine, and make my way back to Washington State. The Goodwill Tour has been Grand. Thank you for your inspiration!
Congrats on finishing the Goodwill tour, Randy! And LOVE that you are visiting the small-town bars. We haven't talked about it much on the channel, but that is one of Adam's favorite hobbies. If we see a really great-looking dive bar in the middle of nowhere, he feels compelled to go in, have a drink, and meet the locals. We've had a lot of fun adventures that way! ❤️
Thanks Andrea! We really did have a blast on this one, and you are right about the loose rock. It took full attention going both up and down, so we literally stopped and sat whenever we wanted to check out the views (which fortunately was pretty often!). ❤️
08:01: That little(?) traverse would give me the absolute screaming meemies. I have a definite fear of heights. Much of this route looks more like class 4 than 3 to me.
Yes I totally see why it looks that way. We focused in the edit on the most interesting parts, which were usually the class 4 bits or the places with steep exposure. In truth about 90 percent of the climb is very straightforward class 3, but that just doesn't look as cool on camera. So when you actually climb it, most of it isn't too scary except for the start of the face and then when you get to that chimney to the summit! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard BTW, believe I neglected to mention how much I enjoyed your great documentation of the climb. I have first-hand knowledge of how hard it is to capture the glory of the High Sierra.
At the risk of being boringer, one of my first trips into the area was with my daughter and a friend into Lake Charlotte. Whole anecdote there, no room to discuss here. Hooever, the evening when we were eating at the cafe in Independence, before driving up to the trail head, the lady at the counter was convinced I was going to kill my 14 yr-old daughter on that little jaunt. ^^
We felt the same way, Jessica! As the sun got higher in the sky, the water in the lakes just kept getting bluer and more spectacular and we kept seeing more and more lakes. By the time we reached the top were were pretty much flabbergasted! ❤️
Very impressed with your skills & fearless attitude. I climbed Pikes Peak in Colo. decades ago & this seemed harder & way more scary. You guys are so tall with long arms you can find handholds that don’t work for some of us. Also great camera skills.
Thanks very much, Paul! Yes you are right about the long arms -- it is extremely helpful when climbing outdoors, and especially when down climbing go be able to lower from a good handhold to a foothold farther below than most people can reach. Length has bailed me out more than once! --A
Haha thanks Marc! Really glad you're enjoying. We're having so much fun now that we have a bit more time to really do the adventures we want to do, and love sharing it all with you guys! ❤️
You guys are becoming Onion Valley experts! I just love how you guys dive deep into your interest of an area and explore every aspect of it, something I like to do
Yes Jack! You are right about our tendency to do that -- both with the Eastern Sierra and also with hard European via ferrata climbs. We're totally obsessed with both, and want to become genuine go-to experts on both. Glad to hear that you are the same way! ❤️
Although incredible to watch I don't see how you so guys do these very difficult climbs and even more going down and the balance needed even on the summit. Don't think there are any YT channels with this amount of continual challenges. Thanks much for taking us with you but please be careful and safe!
Thanks Tom! Yes the going down is definitely the most challenging part balance wise, and I'm not gonna lie -- we got a little scraped up on the way down from this one! But still, totally worth it for all the beauty and adventure, and we promised to always keep being safe! ❤️
So happy to share these views with you, and thank you for watching from all the way down under! And here's hoping that you will be able to come over at some point and experience our beloved Sierra first hand -- everyone we've ever talked to who has made that trip has been very glad they did! ❤️
What a stunningly beautiful adventure!! The Sierra’s have it all. Thank you guys for taking us there. Doesn’t get any better. An amazing playground for sure! Watching you climb is like watching a graceful ballet. Your skills have just gotten magical🏜️ Thanks soooo much for the video🌈
Thanks so much, Mary, and we totally agree with you about the Sierra. The views from University were utterly insane in person. We stayed up there for almost an hour just soaking it in, especially the view down into the Kearsarge basin which was totally incredible! ❤️
For a minute I thought you all had salamander legs and feet...lol Great views from the summit and now, oh no we have to get down. Thx Elise and Adam for the experience. You guys rock.
What a beautiful hike and great job hanging in there when the going gets tough, the view from the summit was amazing, I have never hiked this peak, love your attitude! Thanks so much Larry Owens
Thanks Larry! I You'd probably really like this one because the summit views are so unique. We still have no idea where the summit box is, but the summit we finally decided on was a fantastic and comfortable place to relax and look out over the whole area. ❤️
Another amazing adventure. I love all your Eastern Sierra adventures, it's inspired me and I am doing my own week long trip out there in 2 weeks. I am so excited to explore them in person.
That is so wonderful to hear!!! Oh my gosh, you're going to love it! Do you know which hikes you're going to do yet? You can't go wrong starting at the Onion Valley trailhead, that's for sure! ❤️
@LiveHardxLoveHard I plan to spend a couple days in Yosemite doing Cathedral Lakes and Clouds Rest and a few days camping near Bisop and going to Big Pine Lakes, Little Lakes Valley with a couple lazy days mixed in and maybe Kearsarge Pass depending how my legs hold up. Also looking for some hot springs, so if you have any recommendations I'd love to hear them. 😊
@@Shine13373 That sounds like a wonderful itinerary! The most beloved hot springs in the area you'll be in is Wild Willy's, which is between Bishop and Mammoth and easy to access before it snows. It could be crowded on weekends -- except in winter, when it's only accessible by showshoe! -- so try to go on a weekday. There is also BLM land right near it for camping if you want to camp there for free. Have an amazing trip!! ❤
Wow !! That is amazing, what a superb watch! You guys seem to have no fear and if you have you dont show it. Alway give a positive vibe and hike with a smile. You even put spider man to shame 😅Thankyou for taking us along to heaven love love love ❤❤❤
Thanks so much, Tony! I'm not going to lie -- we were a little bit afraid coming down that final chimney to the summit 🙈. Other than that though, it really was a day full of joy and great vibes!! ❤️
Thanks Jose! Yes there were a couple of spots on this one where the fear of heights definitely came into play -- especially climbing that final chimney up to the summit! ❤️
Thanks Jules! Yes it really is interesting when climbing these things to realize how few people over the centuries have stepped where you're stepping. ❤️
It's our pleasure, James! You know we love showing you guys the truly epic views, and this climb had them in every direction. We've been excited the whole last two weeks to show it to you! ❤️
Thanks Bruce! Really happy to share those views with you -- some of the best we've seen on any hike in the Sierra, and well worth the effort of getting to the summit! ❤️
Such a unique name for a peak, not the norm haha!, stoked for you guys! also another summit, got me on the edge of my seat at home here haha! stay safe and keep exploring :)
Thanks Carl! Yes we really like the name University Peak, and now that we've gone up the face we feel we've graduated from University -- Summit Cum Laude! ❤️
Thanks Patrick! We would have loved to see you on Baldy, but no worries -- next year we're going to do one right here in the Sierra, maybe even something in Onion Valley where this climb is! ❤️
Great job you 2 ,University is one of my favorites and I remember mentioning that to Adam at Whitney. By the way it took me me over 1 hr to find that correct summit Gladys and I were almost about to turn back when I decided to go up one more peak and luckily we found it. Congratulations
That's great to hear, Anthony -- I hope this vid pushes you to hit the go button on the hike. The views are absolutely spectacular, and other than a couple of class 4 sections near the bottom and one right at the top it is not technical at all. Well worth it! ❤️
Really glad you enjoyed it. We had been wanting to do it for years, same as Russell, and it has been an incredibly cathartic summer to be able to do those two plus the Rae Lakes ultra. Now we gotta come up with some new and even harder Sierra goals to train for! ❤️
Another great video! I’m so happy I found your channel, I’ve really been enjoying it. The quality of the videos is superb and the music goes so well. Have you ever thought of climbing one of the big peaks, like in the Himalayas?
Jennifer that is wonderful to hear -- we're really happy you found us as well! Yes we are definitely thinking we'd like to keep climbing bigger and bigger peaks, and ultimately maybe even the highest Himalayan ones. But we're taking it a step at a time to make sure we can handle higher and higher altitudes. So far our highest is Kilimanjaro at around 19,500 and even that altitude was a huge challenge, so we will def need to prepare a lot to go 10,000 higher than that for something like Everest! ❤️
Loved watching Russell, but this feels more like an achievement. They need to get a summit box up there and fill it with summa cum laude diplomas! Those views are majestic. Can't wait to see the down.
So glad to help end your day on an up-note! Yes the summit really was a bit scary, not so much on top but getting to it up that final chimney. The camera really didn't quite show how steep that chimney was! ❤️
Just watched guy go up Tyndall smoke but man the shot of University from summit mind blowing. Probably most dramatic 360 in Sierra. Russelll is crazy view because everything is so close. And Lake T.
Sorry for my late comments Elise, had to stop at my Ex apart to pick up some spaghetti sauce she made me and while there I had dinner with a bottle of wine and came to my apart late.. So just saw your nice video now.. Can't imagine theses massive rock formation are really degragating fast and becoming very unstable... Dangerous to me.. But I must say congrats you got to win every time and views are just awesome WOW.. Now will get back to my regular tv and with a glass of wine for relaxing before fixing dinner. Cheers 😘👌🍷
Thanks Serge! Yes this one really was a big interesting pile of rocks, though luckily at least the rock quality was good and not breaking off in our hands or anything! Hope you have a lovely and relaxing weekend! ❤️ --E
It truly was some of the best Sierra views we've ever seen -- the view over into Kearsarge basin on top of all the others just put it totally over the top into an all-timer. ❤️
Yes John you sure can! In fact, we were thinking that next time we do it we might try the Robinson route because ultimately we'd like to know all the different variants to climbing the great Sierra peaks! ❤️
Thanks Doug! Yes it is very hard to beat the Sierra for spectacular vertical terrain. The only place we've been that even comes close is the Dolomites in Italy. ❤️
The still screen shots from this video are amazing! A literal manual on summits of the area. Gould Dragon 🐉 ♥️ 😍 Pinnacles. The ridge of University both sides. The backside mind blowing. Junction? Tyndall Williamson Big B. Bubbs Creek canyon and Bullfrog Lake. Incredible reminds me of Russell, which has Whitney just in your face. North and Northwest Peaks. SIERRA NEVADA ARE IT! User friendly too.
Thanks so much, Raj! We actually just posted the down climb in the members section -- and you are right that it was hairy. We wound up on our butts 8 different times before we made it back to that un-named lake! ❤️
Nicely done, thank you for sharing your adventure!!! I've reached the summit on my second try while first time could not make it to the top due to some nasty icy crusty snow patch on the north side and eventually on my second try spending the night at one of the Kearsarge lakes and then reaching the summit through the back side. Still want to go back and attempt to summit again from Robinson Lake....How was the trip down??? 😎😎😎
Congratulations! What a fun trip that must have been sleeping at those gorgeous lakes and coming up the back side. We want to do the Robinson route too. The down climb was pretty fun -- once we got off the slabs we went left and scree-skiied a lot of it. Landed on our butts a lot, but it was fast. ❤️
Yes Catherine, it has a real moonscape feel to it up high, but then of course you get to look down at all those gorgeous blue lakes and know that you're going to be plunging into them later! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Yes, the view down to those lakes (and all of them at once, too) was incredible. Did you plunge them all? (I know I need to join the membership to get insider info on that 😀)
@@catherinewatson5519 Haha we were certainly tempted to plunge them all! But we ended up doing one long (6-minute) cold plunge in that lovely un-named lake you saw on the way up. We thought it might make us less sore the next day, and it worked!
Awesome vid! Interested in doing Middle Pal on Saturday, 9/21? Thinking about grabbing a cabin at Glacier Lodge that can sleep up to 5. Did Russell in about 7.5 hours car to car a few weeks ago, and hoping to knock out one more 14er this season.
Wow congrats on Russell! Such a fun climb, and that's a really fast time! We're planning to be in Colorado by the 21st, but please let us know how it goes on Middle Pal. That's definitely a climb we're looking forward to doing at some point! ❤️
Loved it and the views ! How was the way down, did it took more,less or even time to descend the technical piece to the lakes ? I love so much watching what you are doing, that gives me ideas for my next trip, this one though I will not attempt the summit but maybe this place just higher the lakes for the view 😊
Blandine we're so happy to hear that this is giving you ideas for a similar trip! Yes getting up above the lakes for the view is in our opinion the best way to do any hike, whether or not you decide to summit. The down wasn't too bad once we got off the slabs. We went left into a very steep scree field and basically skied down a big part of it, which was fast but did land us on our butts a few times! ❤️
That was amazing! And Elyse, great vocals again... Do you have a CD or MP3 release? Regarding my Goodwill Tour, today was laundry day in Lone Pine. Tomorrow I go to Onion Valley, hike Kearsarge Pass, and turn around when the beer runs out. By the way, I figured out how to tell how late in the day it is. Because I'm familiar with the cardinal directions where you're at, I check your shadow as the video progresses. Keep up the great work/play!
That is awesome, Randy! What a great itinerary -- hope you have a great time in Onion Valley, our favorite spot!! I don't have a CD but you can definitely download a lot of the songs on Band Camp. So happy you like them!! ❤️ --E
Just was running slideshow University in snow photos cycled That mountain is absurdly huge. Just getting to shoulder is a hump over monster rock at bottom. The first one Elise pops up over onto flat top Adam scraping sticks. It's a beastly deal as opposed to Tyndall. Tyndall is a long approach up Anvil Camp to Pass. Now Gould is easy. Getting put ridge towards Dragon isn't probably easier ways to view Rae Lakes. UNIV is epic 360 peak. EPIC. Even from the lower ridge from Kearsarge Pass.
Hahaha Adam definitely does not generally practice safe snacks -- though I did get a shot of him dangling his feet over a drop while tethered to a via ferrata when we were in France, so I guess that qualifies! ❤️
Such an awesome climb! You guys are amazing. I haven’t looked into this summit at all, but from the video, I was surprised you guys went without helmets. Did the beta suggest they weren’t necessary?
Great question, Colby! The route we took has very little rockfall danger unless they are kicked by a person, so as long as we were out there alone and climbing in parallel and/or one at a time we felt good with no helmets. However, we talked to a ranger and she told us there are other routes (Class 5) up the face with lots of natural rockfall where helmets are virtually mandatory. We went early and fast so weren't worried about having anyone above us kicking rocks on our route, but if there had been we would have felt more comfortable with helmets. So thinking of it that way, even though as it turned out we wouldn't have ended up wearing them maybe we should have brought them anyway, just in case there had been people up above us. ❤️
Our thoughts exactly, Joseph! Mostly easy class 3, but a couple of places at the start and then right at the top that were class 4 or maybe even low class 5. But the views were magic! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard it's interesting how University Peak's east face is the border of Tulare county as well as being the border for Sequoia/Kings canyon national park. Was there signage at all up there for park boundaries?
This looks like amazing fun (except maybe some of the slabs, I hate slabs). I have a stupid question though. Only because everyone in California must know this but being from Canada its not obvious. If you go into the Sierra from the East is not that busy? I can't stand too crowds and hiking past someone every 10 feet. But it seems like you guys start early and don't see too many people on this Eastern side. How bad is it?
Yes Alison that's right. The east side is far less busy than Yosemite and Sequoia, because the hikes tend to be much more challenging in order to get the beautiful view payoffs. And if you start early and do the really hard off-trail things like this one, you often don't see anyone at all. We only ran into one other person the whole day, and she was a park ranger who had camped up at Bench Lake! I think you would love the Eastern Sierra! ❤️
Haha that is an important question, Victoria, and the answer is...Jelly Beans!!!! I love them, and the pure sugar is very helpful for maintaining glycogen up there above 12,000 feet! ❤️ --E
So it sounds like many Sierra summit registers are still missing? Years ago I noticed registers missing on North Palisade and Cirque and Olancha just to mention a few. Not just the little summit books but in some cases they tore off the nice aluminum register holders that were placed by the Sierra Club. These had the name of the summit on them and sometimes the elevation. It is my understanding that someone considers the registers to be "litter" and has taken it upon themselves to clean up the mountains. We had replaced the one on Cirque with an ammo can but it soon went missing also. Ah, the good ol' US of A, where a small minority like to impose their values on everyone else. Same type that chop bolts. 😕
Oh my gosh, that would definitely explain why there was no summit register! We felt pretty certain we were in the right place, so that makes a lot of sense. ❤️
That looked a brutal climb guys, well done :) Sketchy Central in some parts Should've taken parachutes or wing suits for the return journey ! 😁 ☀️ 🦅🦅 ❤ 🗻
Adam swears that that day is going to come, John. I always catch him watching paragliding videos, so it is definitely on his mind and this would probably be a really good one to glide down from! ❤
Nice job! I never found the summit either. Which way did you go down? I went along the other side of the ridge and took some really steep chute back down. Twisted my ankle too. Fun day 😆
Thanks very much! Yes we're thinking someone must have removed the summit box, because we're pretty sure that that top after climbing up the chimney is the official summit -- at least it sure felt like it. We went back down the upper slabs the way we came up, and then veered left into a scree chute and just scree-skied the rest of the way down. Ended up on our butts quite a few times, but thankfully no injuries and a joyous swim in the unnamed lake after making it down! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard When I saw that lake on the way up, I was tempted to just chill there the entire day instead LOL. Glad you caught it on the way back! I took the southeast ridge towards University Pass and down the shortcut variation to Robinson Lake; crazy steep!
Thanks, and ya the down climb definitely got us a little dusted up. But worth it. The gloves are our via ferrata gloves -- they're not super warm, but they have really good grip and can protect your hands from sharp rocks while still giving you good grip for scrambling. ❤️
I always keep a can of V8 juice in my pack for electrolyte replacement. It saved my bacon in 110 degree heat while visiting Pool Rock in the San Rafael Wilderness in Santa Barbara County. That area has excellent examples of Chumash Rock Art. Have you considered doing a Podcast?
Oh my gosh Adam loves V8 -- he buys it to drink in the car and always orders it on airplanes too! We've not considered doing our own podcast, but we love going on other peoples'! ❤
You're absolutely right, George. Down climbing that chimney from the summit was the sketchiest part of all, and it took us a while just to be safe and make sure we didn't make a mistake! Then once we got off the slabs we went left into the scree and sort of skied down a lot of the remainder, which was fun but did land us on our butts a few times. ❤️
I’m so appreciative of you taking us along on these hikes/climbs. Locations like this are off limits to a lot of us because we don’t have the training to navigate the gnarly spots. It’s nice to enjoy the view from the safety and comfort of home.
Thanks very much, and you're absolutely right about the gnarly spots. This climb was pretty easy class 3 for 95% of it, but then there were those spots at the bottom and the top that truly did require experience and technique to be done safely. For us even that vertical chimney to the summit wasn't too bad, but for anyone who doesn't regularly train their rock climbing skills it would be scary AF! ❤️
Great job to you both, thank you
Wow Ken that is so extremely kind of you. Thank you -- you really made our whole night!! 🙏❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard , this was definitely one of your best trips, I loved being taken along with you both, so I wanted to show my appreciation.
@@kenjohnson4423 Really happy you enjoyed it, and thank you again!
FEARLESS! I am all smiles, that was epic.
Yay! Super glad you enjoyed it -- it really felt epic to us when we were on it as well, the way those crazy views just kept opening up! ❤️
Fear is there for a reason.
Outstanding video. The views over the lakes looked beautiful . Thanks for sharing another great adventure.
Thank you -- so glad you saw this one! Yes the Sierra has many classic views, but looking down from this summit at lakes in every direction is definitely one of the best we've experienced. Really happy to share it with you! ❤️
What a clear beautiful day you two had! Nice views! I would enjoy the lower hike!
Yes Joseph! The lower hike was so nice, and camping by Bench Lake would be wonderful and then just climbing up the lower slabs to get those amazing views of the lakes below. Highly recommend! ❤️
Your videography is stunning! And what a climb. My only beef is how much your videos make me miss being able to do this stuff... Seriously though, thanks again, and much love to you both!
Thanks Jeff -- we absolutely love taking you back up into the Sierra, and will keep on doing it for as long as we can until some combination of knees, backs, and hips says no more! ❤️
It is an unbelievable string of clear days luck with these two. Kearsarge Shepherd is it for Peaks. Palisades is too but way wilder.
They are King of SOCAL.
Amazing in so many ways! ♥
Adam still has the little boy in him, wanting to climb the tallest tree and the highest mountain.
Very Beautiful, thank you.
Haha you are so totally right about that. He has really managed to keep his inner child alive in many ways, and I think most of them are very healthy. He just lives for exploration and adventure (and Pop Tarts 😂), and all the stories his aunts tell make it very clear that he was that way from the very beginning. ❤️
Absolutely!, that's part of what makes these videos so fun to watch - the innocent joy and the Pop Tarts!
What is Adam's favorite Pop Tart Flavor? ( Don't say Birthday Cake because we won't believe it. )
Wow, I climbed University Peak about 25 years ago with my climbing friend. I remember the feeling of never ending climbing for so long, and some very sketchy areas near the ridge and that traverse to the real summit. This brought back memories. Thanks for another gorgeous video and I love the music!
Yes David! We'll never forget that traverse either. So cool that you did this one -- the views are pretty unforgettable too! ❤️
Beast. Never went all the way up. Regret it now.
You are scaring me walking out on that point. Yikes. Great job to you both. What a view!
Thanks Ted! It was one of the most amazing views we've ever had in the Eastern Sierra -- we had no idea we were going to see all the way down into the Kearsarge basin, and it blew us away. ❤
Take that for another ten thousand foot nemesis accomplishment for Adam! Guys we should be counting each one of these 10,000+ foot climbs Adam has conquered from the beginning all along! That’s some achievement just on its own. Spectacular photography as always! 🙌🏻 Jellybean you’re getting to close to the edge, not just on top, but all along the way. I loved Adams advice to you when nearing the summit in that gnarly spot. “Just do what you have to do” I think is what he said. SAY WHAT???#%&! This reminded of some of your earlier rocky and gnarly climbs from years ago and you guys still got it! Woohoo!!!! ❤️
Thanks LB! Yes that final chimney to the top was pretty scary, especially coming down. But luckily Adam always goes first and spots me on those downs so it worked out fine. So happy we could show you these views from the top -- some of the best I've ever seen anywhere in the Sierra. Hope you're doing great!! ❤️--JB
E! That thumbnail was unreal! A! That snack spot was extraordinary! Incredible adventure guys!!
Thanks so much! I have to give Adam credit for that thumbnail -- he's getting really good at seeing the spots that could work as a great still and then having me pause while he really lines up the shot. ❤️ --E
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Perfecto 👍!!
Great pick! Tough climb, & View! Wow! Nice music on peak push ;- )
Thanks very much, and so happy you liked the music! Truly some of the best views we've ever had in the Sierra -- would recommend this climb on that basis alone. ❤️
Love the clarity of your videos. I've been up University twice and both times I couldn't see a thing! The first time it was in early June '97 and was too foggy/cloudy on top. We traversed over to University Pass after summiting and had a fantastic glissade down. Snow conditions were perfect. Second time was in the month of July 2000 and it was too smokey from the Mather Fire. Going up from Bench Lake is impressive! Both times I went up University it was from the Robinson Lake side. Robinson Lake is a nice place to spend a night, then go up the next day.
Oh my gosh that's so cool you've been up twice, and I'm sorry you were denied those amazing views both times! The Robinson Lake route looks fun, and we would love to do it the way you did with a night of camping first. That is for sure something we plan to do in the future! ❤️
I have so much admiration for your courage.
Thanks Michelle! That really means a lot to us!! 💪❤
Thank you both for all the great content!
It's truly our pleasure -- we absolutely love sharing views like the ones from the top here. Pure joy! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard and it shows. I wish I could keep up with you. Ha
You two are absolutely amazing! What incredible views. Thanks for taking me along. FYI, Colorado 14'ers got a snow yesterday. It will melt but shoulder season is slowly creeping up on us. Don't know if you still have plans to come out this way? You two have had a fantastic summer of adventures. I can't believe summer is almost over......
Oh my gosh I can't believe it already snowed! Yes our plan is to come out for late September and all of October -- I hope it won't be too late to pursue some of our dream CO 14ers!! ❤️
Thanks!
Thanks so much, Paul -- your kindness and support always buoys us even during a long day!! ❤️
The long range views of your route are simply stunning. And such a clear day for your climb! The climb DOWN must have been true torture.
Yes Thomas! The weather was utterly perfect the whole day, which made the lakes look absolutely incredible to the eye. The down climb was pretty rough -- we ended up on our butts a collective total of 8 times (Elise 5, Adam 3). But still, totally worth it! ❤️
Hi Elise, I met you and your dad yesterday at the top of Mt Tallac. I’m a fan for years watching you and Adam. I started hiking for health and therapy after 36 years of marriage ended. Even though I can’t do what you guys do, watching your adventures is like I’m there, too. I was so surprised to see you in person. You look beautiful in person and so friendly. Thanks for chatting with me and taking a photo with me.
Isabella
Oh my gosh Isabella! That was so fun meeting you! You and your friends were so sweet, and thanks for getting our little photo too. It was so fun to show my Dad how friendly and awesome the hiking community is. I hope you make it over to the Dolomites for some hiking adventures. Keep in touch ❤️🫶
Amazing !!! You guys make it looks so easy.
Thank you for sharing. All those shaking and unstable rocks... Happy you get down safety . Down is always even more risky.
wish you Many many more happy moments
Thank you very much, and you're so right about the down. It was much scarier than the up, but at least we had a plunge in that beautiful lake to look forward to! ❤️
Incredible views and a top snack spot! Thanks for taking us along.
Thanks Monte! Ya I was super psyched about that snack spot -- love when there's a comfortable dangle right on the summit like that!! --A
I absolutely love the two of you. But PLEASE be safe out there.
Thanks very much, and we promise we will always be safe! ❤️
I just now had breakfast at the Mount Whitney Cafe in Lone Pine. As I walked back to my motel, the Mount Whitney motel, I gazed up at Mount Russell. This of course refers to one of your previous features. I looked at it, and it's prominence along the Lone Pine skyline. I had this to say... " That is a friggin' dorsal fin!" Just that specter alone convinced me... Better you than me! I'd much rather slum the two or three bars in Lone Pine. By the way, The Seasons Restaurant makes a great "Old Fashioned!" Tomorrow I leave Lone Pine, and make my way back to Washington State. The Goodwill Tour has been Grand. Thank you for your inspiration!
Congrats on finishing the Goodwill tour, Randy! And LOVE that you are visiting the small-town bars. We haven't talked about it much on the channel, but that is one of Adam's favorite hobbies. If we see a really great-looking dive bar in the middle of nowhere, he feels compelled to go in, have a drink, and meet the locals. We've had a lot of fun adventures that way! ❤️
Fabulous view, those rocks are loose and scary, hope you two had a blast ❤💯👍🏼🙏
Thanks Andrea! We really did have a blast on this one, and you are right about the loose rock. It took full attention going both up and down, so we literally stopped and sat whenever we wanted to check out the views (which fortunately was pretty often!). ❤️
08:01: That little(?) traverse would give me the absolute screaming meemies. I have a definite fear of heights. Much of this route looks more like class 4 than 3 to me.
Yes I totally see why it looks that way. We focused in the edit on the most interesting parts, which were usually the class 4 bits or the places with steep exposure. In truth about 90 percent of the climb is very straightforward class 3, but that just doesn't look as cool on camera. So when you actually climb it, most of it isn't too scary except for the start of the face and then when you get to that chimney to the summit! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard BTW, believe I neglected to mention how much I enjoyed your great documentation of the climb. I have first-hand knowledge of how hard it is to capture the glory of the High Sierra.
At the risk of being boringer, one of my first trips into the area was with my daughter and a friend into Lake Charlotte. Whole anecdote there, no room to discuss here. Hooever, the evening when we were eating at the cafe in Independence, before driving up to the trail head, the lady at the counter was convinced I was going to kill my 14 yr-old daughter on that little jaunt. ^^
@@inyobill Lake Charlotte is lovely -- it's great in winter too as a snowshoe adventure!
@@inyobill Thank you!
HOLY moly that is terrifying. Very impressive; thank you for these beautiful views. And please, please, take care of yourselves!! ❤
Adrian! We miss you guys!! Don't worry we will be super careful. And also will be watching for more of your awesome singing videos!!! ❤️
The view was unreal the entire time, but also kept getting better? What a wild climb!
We felt the same way, Jessica! As the sun got higher in the sky, the water in the lakes just kept getting bluer and more spectacular and we kept seeing more and more lakes. By the time we reached the top were were pretty much flabbergasted! ❤️
Wow! You guys not only keep rocking, but upgrade it even more every time! Happy to see how you've graduated from this University...
Haha yes! Now if only we'd paraglided down, we could have graduated with honors 😂❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Yes, with flying colors :)))
Very impressed with your skills & fearless attitude. I climbed Pikes Peak in Colo. decades ago & this seemed harder & way more scary. You guys are so tall with long arms you can find handholds that don’t work for some of us. Also great camera skills.
Thanks very much, Paul! Yes you are right about the long arms -- it is extremely helpful when climbing outdoors, and especially when down climbing go be able to lower from a good handhold to a foothold farther below than most people can reach. Length has bailed me out more than once! --A
You guys getting better and better, the level of Alex Honnold, wow!!!!I love your videos…..
Thanks always for sharing!!! ❤
Haha thanks Marc! Really glad you're enjoying. We're having so much fun now that we have a bit more time to really do the adventures we want to do, and love sharing it all with you guys! ❤️
You guys are becoming Onion Valley experts! I just love how you guys dive deep into your interest of an area and explore every aspect of it, something I like to do
Yes Jack! You are right about our tendency to do that -- both with the Eastern Sierra and also with hard European via ferrata climbs. We're totally obsessed with both, and want to become genuine go-to experts on both. Glad to hear that you are the same way! ❤️
Although incredible to watch I don't see how you so guys do these very difficult climbs and even more going down and the balance needed even on the summit. Don't think there are any YT channels with this amount of continual challenges. Thanks much for taking us with you but please be careful and safe!
Thanks Tom! Yes the going down is definitely the most challenging part balance wise, and I'm not gonna lie -- we got a little scraped up on the way down from this one! But still, totally worth it for all the beauty and adventure, and we promised to always keep being safe! ❤️
I love the views!!! so much better than anything we have in Australia.
So happy to share these views with you, and thank you for watching from all the way down under! And here's hoping that you will be able to come over at some point and experience our beloved Sierra first hand -- everyone we've ever talked to who has made that trip has been very glad they did! ❤️
What a stunningly beautiful adventure!! The Sierra’s have it all. Thank you guys for taking us there. Doesn’t get any better. An amazing playground for sure! Watching you climb is like watching a graceful ballet. Your skills have just gotten magical🏜️ Thanks soooo much for the video🌈
Thanks so much, Mary, and we totally agree with you about the Sierra. The views from University were utterly insane in person. We stayed up there for almost an hour just soaking it in, especially the view down into the Kearsarge basin which was totally incredible! ❤️
Great video, the weather looks absolutely stunning and so do the views
Thank you, and you are right -- the weather was absolutely perfect the whole day, and made all the lakes just glisten like sapphires! ❤️
Nice way to spend the day! Congratulations. Quite the achievement!
Thanks Rob -- it truly was a gratifying use of the day! ❤
For a minute I thought you all had salamander legs and feet...lol
Great views from the summit and now, oh no we have to get down.
Thx Elise and Adam for the experience. You guys rock.
Haha thank you so much, and yes the down was definitely an adventure. Let's just say we ended up on our butts a lot!! ❤️
What a beautiful hike and great job hanging in there when the going gets tough, the view from the summit was amazing, I have never hiked this peak, love your attitude! Thanks so much Larry Owens
Thanks Larry! I You'd probably really like this one because the summit views are so unique. We still have no idea where the summit box is, but the summit we finally decided on was a fantastic and comfortable place to relax and look out over the whole area. ❤️
Another amazing adventure. I love all your Eastern Sierra adventures, it's inspired me and I am doing my own week long trip out there in 2 weeks. I am so excited to explore them in person.
That is so wonderful to hear!!! Oh my gosh, you're going to love it! Do you know which hikes you're going to do yet? You can't go wrong starting at the Onion Valley trailhead, that's for sure! ❤️
@LiveHardxLoveHard I plan to spend a couple days in Yosemite doing Cathedral Lakes and Clouds Rest and a few days camping near Bisop and going to Big Pine Lakes, Little Lakes Valley with a couple lazy days mixed in and maybe Kearsarge Pass depending how my legs hold up.
Also looking for some hot springs, so if you have any recommendations I'd love to hear them. 😊
@@Shine13373 That sounds like a wonderful itinerary! The most beloved hot springs in the area you'll be in is Wild Willy's, which is between Bishop and Mammoth and easy to access before it snows. It could be crowded on weekends -- except in winter, when it's only accessible by showshoe! -- so try to go on a weekday. There is also BLM land right near it for camping if you want to camp there for free. Have an amazing trip!! ❤
Wow !! That is amazing, what a superb watch! You guys seem to have no fear and if you have you dont show it. Alway give a positive vibe and hike with a smile. You even put spider man to shame 😅Thankyou for taking us along to heaven love love love ❤❤❤
Thanks so much, Tony! I'm not going to lie -- we were a little bit afraid coming down that final chimney to the summit 🙈. Other than that though, it really was a day full of joy and great vibes!! ❤️
that was amazing!! i felt my fear of heights with that view.
Thanks Jose! Yes there were a couple of spots on this one where the fear of heights definitely came into play -- especially climbing that final chimney up to the summit! ❤️
Wowser! Impressive you two ! Just to think how unique your route !
Thanks Jules! Yes it really is interesting when climbing these things to realize how few people over the centuries have stepped where you're stepping. ❤️
Amazing. Well done, thanks for sharing.
It's our pleasure, James! You know we love showing you guys the truly epic views, and this climb had them in every direction. We've been excited the whole last two weeks to show it to you! ❤️
Well done guys. AWESOME views.
Thanks Bruce! Really happy to share those views with you -- some of the best we've seen on any hike in the Sierra, and well worth the effort of getting to the summit! ❤️
Such a unique name for a peak, not the norm haha!, stoked for you guys! also another summit, got me on the edge of my seat at home here haha! stay safe and keep exploring :)
Thanks Carl! Yes we really like the name University Peak, and now that we've gone up the face we feel we've graduated from University -- Summit Cum Laude! ❤️
Y’all continue to amaze. Wow🥵💞✨
Thanks so much! Really glad you enjoyed this one -- we had a heck of a time on it! ❤
wow.. another amazing adventure, you guys!
Thank you! Really happy to share the crazy views from this one with you guys!! ❤️
Love your hikes! You guys inspire me!
Thank you so much -- that is just what we needed to hear today!! ❤️
What ascension and hard
the Wiew is incredible thanks to sharing with us see you soon with big pleasure Gerard
Thanks Gerard! Really happy to share this with you, and next time we're going to be doing a via ferrata in the South of France!!! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard which via ferrata will you do I made some it's all very interesting see you soon
Lots of awesome new adventures in the Eastern Sierra's. I am so mad I missed the Baldy Fan hike. Damn! Looking good, you two.
Thanks Patrick! We would have loved to see you on Baldy, but no worries -- next year we're going to do one right here in the Sierra, maybe even something in Onion Valley where this climb is! ❤️
We are exhausted after watching you two, can't imagine doing it 🙌🏻🙌🏻 that was epic 😀😀
Thanks very much! It really does have some epic view payoffs up there!! ❤️
What an adventure!! You guys rock!!
Thanks very much! This one was such a blast, and really fun to film as well with all the great views! ❤️
Great job you 2 ,University is one of my favorites and I remember mentioning that to Adam at Whitney. By the way it took me me over 1 hr to find that correct summit Gladys and I were almost about to turn back when I decided to go up one more peak and luckily we found it. Congratulations
Thanks Jose! Yes I remember you telling me you loved it, and now I totally see why. Absolutely unbelievable views from up there!! --A
I’ve had my eye on University peak for a while, nice video.
That's great to hear, Anthony -- I hope this vid pushes you to hit the go button on the hike. The views are absolutely spectacular, and other than a couple of class 4 sections near the bottom and one right at the top it is not technical at all. Well worth it! ❤️
Congrats on the climb and great video!
Thanks David! This one had been on the bucket list for a long time, so it felt fantastic to do it!! ❤️
That view over your shoulders of the Kearsarge basin is mesmerizing.
We felt the same way -- it was such a cool thing to see it from up there! ❤️
Wow..amazing. Thanks again for this wonderful adventure…
Really glad you enjoyed it. We had been wanting to do it for years, same as Russell, and it has been an incredibly cathartic summer to be able to do those two plus the Rae Lakes ultra. Now we gotta come up with some new and even harder Sierra goals to train for! ❤️
Now I want to go!!!! Thanks for sharing!
That is great to hear - please let us know if you do it! The views are pretty much unmatched!! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard I've climbed Mt Whitney twice, and I'm like you, every time I see a peak, I think, "Oh! I want to climb THAT!" So many peaks!!!
Another great video! I’m so happy I found your channel, I’ve really been enjoying it. The quality of the videos is superb and the music goes so well. Have you ever thought of climbing one of the big peaks, like in the Himalayas?
Jennifer that is wonderful to hear -- we're really happy you found us as well! Yes we are definitely thinking we'd like to keep climbing bigger and bigger peaks, and ultimately maybe even the highest Himalayan ones. But we're taking it a step at a time to make sure we can handle higher and higher altitudes. So far our highest is Kilimanjaro at around 19,500 and even that altitude was a huge challenge, so we will def need to prepare a lot to go 10,000 higher than that for something like Everest! ❤️
Loved watching Russell, but this feels more like an achievement. They need to get a summit box up there and fill it with summa cum laude diplomas! Those views are majestic. Can't wait to see the down.
Haha love it, GW -- summit cum laude!!! ❤️
I get vertigo just watching you on top. Good job!!! I love the sierras!
Thanks Cheryl! Yes that top block was really spectacular, and such a great vantage point to see and celebrate the whole eastern Sierra! ❤️
Wow wow WOW 🤩 🤩 Amazing!!!!!
Thanks Cristina! So happy to share those epic views with you -- University is a really special peak! ❤️
Amazing to end my day watching this moonscape. And that summit looked scary with the sound of the wind and not-level ground!
So glad to help end your day on an up-note! Yes the summit really was a bit scary, not so much on top but getting to it up that final chimney. The camera really didn't quite show how steep that chimney was! ❤️
Wow what an awesome hike!
Thanks Mateo! Yes this one was a real beauty, and the views from the top were pretty much unmatched in our experience of the Sierra! ❤️
Just watched guy go up Tyndall smoke but man the shot of University from summit mind blowing. Probably most dramatic 360 in Sierra.
Russelll is crazy view because everything is so close. And Lake T.
Sorry for my late comments Elise, had to stop at my Ex apart to pick up some spaghetti sauce she made me and while there I had dinner with a bottle of wine and came to my apart late.. So just saw your nice video now.. Can't imagine theses massive rock formation are really degragating fast and becoming very unstable... Dangerous to me.. But I must say congrats you got to win every time and views are just awesome WOW.. Now will get back to my regular tv and with a glass of wine for relaxing before fixing dinner. Cheers 😘👌🍷
Thanks Serge! Yes this one really was a big interesting pile of rocks, though luckily at least the rock quality was good and not breaking off in our hands or anything! Hope you have a lovely and relaxing weekend! ❤️ --E
You show us the power, drama and beauty of Mother Earth in all her glory!
Thank you so much -- we love thinking about what we do in that way!! ❤️
Incredible views!
It truly was some of the best Sierra views we've ever seen -- the view over into Kearsarge basin on top of all the others just put it totally over the top into an all-timer. ❤️
fantastic... u both r in top fitness condition... very impressed
Thanks so much! We had lost some of our altitude acclimatization before doing this one, but will soon get it back! ❤️
Great job. 👏. Awesome
Thanks Jeff! We absolutely loved this one, and the ability to see all around some of our favorite places from the top! ❤️
Adam and Elise, utterly amazing;
MN Dave 😊
Thanks Dave! Stoked to show you some serious Sierra mountains!! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard can't wait!
Anything out of O.V. Is epic, can’t you reach that peak from Robinson lake?, as always excellent job and thanks for bringing us with you!!!
Yes John you sure can! In fact, we were thinking that next time we do it we might try the Robinson route because ultimately we'd like to know all the different variants to climbing the great Sierra peaks! ❤️
Congrats on yet another mountain conquered!!
Thanks pops! Can’t wait for you to conquer yours next week!
@@LiveHardxLoveHard xoxo
That looks like fabulous terrain!
Thanks Doug! Yes it is very hard to beat the Sierra for spectacular vertical terrain. The only place we've been that even comes close is the Dolomites in Italy. ❤️
Our favorite two super heroes training❤
Haha thank you! We lost our superhero altitude powers a bit by staying at sea level a week or so before this one, but we will regain them soon! ❤️
The still screen shots from this video are amazing!
A literal manual on summits of the area. Gould Dragon 🐉 ♥️ 😍 Pinnacles. The ridge of University both sides. The backside mind blowing. Junction? Tyndall Williamson Big B. Bubbs Creek canyon and Bullfrog Lake. Incredible reminds me of Russell, which has Whitney just in your face. North and Northwest Peaks. SIERRA NEVADA ARE IT! User friendly too.
University has the best views of the other peaks and lake basins for sure! ❤️
Great Video!
Thanks very much -- so glad you enjoyed it! Was really a fun one to make with all those amazing views to choose from. ❤️
Awesome summit guys! You should also post the downhill climb video, as it may be even more hairier than going upstairs.
Thanks so much, Raj! We actually just posted the down climb in the members section -- and you are right that it was hairy. We wound up on our butts 8 different times before we made it back to that un-named lake! ❤️
Nicely done, thank you for sharing your adventure!!! I've reached the summit on my second try while first time could not make it to the top due to some nasty icy crusty snow patch on the north side and eventually on my second try spending the night at one of the Kearsarge lakes and then reaching the summit through the back side. Still want to go back and attempt to summit again from Robinson Lake....How was the trip down??? 😎😎😎
Congratulations! What a fun trip that must have been sleeping at those gorgeous lakes and coming up the back side. We want to do the Robinson route too. The down climb was pretty fun -- once we got off the slabs we went left and scree-skiied a lot of it. Landed on our butts a lot, but it was fast. ❤️
Fantastic !! 🙂
Thanks Petr! Some of our favorite views in a long time!! ❤️
What amazing landscapes - wild and beautiful! To me - who has never been anywhere like that - it almost looks like a rock desert - very bleak!
Yes Catherine, it has a real moonscape feel to it up high, but then of course you get to look down at all those gorgeous blue lakes and know that you're going to be plunging into them later! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Yes, the view down to those lakes (and all of them at once, too) was incredible. Did you plunge them all? (I know I need to join the membership to get insider info on that 😀)
@@catherinewatson5519 Haha we were certainly tempted to plunge them all! But we ended up doing one long (6-minute) cold plunge in that lovely un-named lake you saw on the way up. We thought it might make us less sore the next day, and it worked!
Awesome vid! Interested in doing Middle Pal on Saturday, 9/21? Thinking about grabbing a cabin at Glacier Lodge that can sleep up to 5. Did Russell in about 7.5 hours car to car a few weeks ago, and hoping to knock out one more 14er this season.
Wow congrats on Russell! Such a fun climb, and that's a really fast time! We're planning to be in Colorado by the 21st, but please let us know how it goes on Middle Pal. That's definitely a climb we're looking forward to doing at some point! ❤️
Loved it and the views ! How was the way down, did it took more,less or even time to descend the technical piece to the lakes ? I love so much watching what you are doing, that gives me ideas for my next trip, this one though I will not attempt the summit but maybe this place just higher the lakes for the view 😊
Blandine we're so happy to hear that this is giving you ideas for a similar trip! Yes getting up above the lakes for the view is in our opinion the best way to do any hike, whether or not you decide to summit. The down wasn't too bad once we got off the slabs. We went left into a very steep scree field and basically skied down a big part of it, which was fast but did land us on our butts a few times! ❤️
That was amazing! And Elyse, great vocals again... Do you have a CD or MP3 release? Regarding my Goodwill Tour, today was laundry day in Lone Pine. Tomorrow I go to Onion Valley, hike Kearsarge Pass, and turn around when the beer runs out. By the way, I figured out how to tell how late in the day it is. Because I'm familiar with the cardinal directions where you're at, I check your shadow as the video progresses. Keep up the great work/play!
That is awesome, Randy! What a great itinerary -- hope you have a great time in Onion Valley, our favorite spot!! I don't have a CD but you can definitely download a lot of the songs on Band Camp. So happy you like them!! ❤️ --E
Just was running slideshow University in snow photos cycled
That mountain is absurdly huge. Just getting to shoulder is a hump over monster rock at bottom.
The first one Elise pops up over onto flat top Adam scraping sticks. It's a beastly deal as opposed to Tyndall. Tyndall is a long approach up Anvil Camp to Pass.
Now Gould is easy. Getting put ridge towards Dragon isn't probably easier ways to view Rae Lakes.
UNIV is epic 360 peak. EPIC. Even from the lower ridge from Kearsarge Pass.
It really was epic, Dan -- was SO stoked looking down into the Kearsarge basin as part of the 360!! ❤
Does Adam believe in practicing safe snacks? So glad this video means you got down in one piece from your high. Amazing couple
Hahaha Adam definitely does not generally practice safe snacks -- though I did get a shot of him dangling his feet over a drop while tethered to a via ferrata when we were in France, so I guess that qualifies! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard In France, the part that'd be unsafe is his common choice of snax, not his favorite positions🐸
Such an awesome climb! You guys are amazing.
I haven’t looked into this summit at all, but from the video, I was surprised you guys went without helmets. Did the beta suggest they weren’t necessary?
Great question, Colby! The route we took has very little rockfall danger unless they are kicked by a person, so as long as we were out there alone and climbing in parallel and/or one at a time we felt good with no helmets. However, we talked to a ranger and she told us there are other routes (Class 5) up the face with lots of natural rockfall where helmets are virtually mandatory. We went early and fast so weren't worried about having anyone above us kicking rocks on our route, but if there had been we would have felt more comfortable with helmets. So thinking of it that way, even though as it turned out we wouldn't have ended up wearing them maybe we should have brought them anyway, just in case there had been people up above us. ❤️
definitely class IV in some spots. So much work! Compensatory views though!!!
Our thoughts exactly, Joseph! Mostly easy class 3, but a couple of places at the start and then right at the top that were class 4 or maybe even low class 5. But the views were magic! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard it's interesting how University Peak's east face is the border of Tulare county as well as being the border for Sequoia/Kings canyon national park. Was there signage at all up there for park boundaries?
@@JosephTMyers No signage at all, but it really is a cool border.
That giant flat looking bowl is insane. Williamson? University is literally almost same height as Gould. Vastly different views.
Views from University were truly special, though the Dragon/Gould views are world class too! ❤️
This looks like amazing fun (except maybe some of the slabs, I hate slabs). I have a stupid question though. Only because everyone in California must know this but being from Canada its not obvious. If you go into the Sierra from the East is not that busy? I can't stand too crowds and hiking past someone every 10 feet. But it seems like you guys start early and don't see too many people on this Eastern side. How bad is it?
Yes Alison that's right. The east side is far less busy than Yosemite and Sequoia, because the hikes tend to be much more challenging in order to get the beautiful view payoffs. And if you start early and do the really hard off-trail things like this one, you often don't see anyone at all. We only ran into one other person the whole day, and she was a park ranger who had camped up at Bench Lake! I think you would love the Eastern Sierra! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard One other person. Nice. My kind of hike.
Well, that was incredibly nerve-wracking to watch!
There were definitely a few dicey spots, Caroline! Hope you loved the views from the top though -- they were truly something special!! ❤️
This was intense!
You two are awesome 😊🥾Question: we know Adam’s fave snack is Pop Tarts what is Elise’s fave?
Haha that is an important question, Victoria, and the answer is...Jelly Beans!!!! I love them, and the pure sugar is very helpful for maintaining glycogen up there above 12,000 feet! ❤️ --E
So it sounds like many Sierra summit registers are still missing? Years ago I noticed registers missing on North Palisade and Cirque and Olancha just to mention a few. Not just the little summit books but in some cases they tore off the nice aluminum register holders that were placed by the Sierra Club. These had the name of the summit on them and sometimes the elevation. It is my understanding that someone considers the registers to be "litter" and has taken it upon themselves to clean up the mountains. We had replaced the one on Cirque with an ammo can but it soon went missing also. Ah, the good ol' US of A, where a small minority like to impose their values on everyone else. Same type that chop bolts. 😕
Oh my gosh, that would definitely explain why there was no summit register! We felt pretty certain we were in the right place, so that makes a lot of sense. ❤️
That looked a brutal climb guys, well done :)
Sketchy Central in some parts
Should've taken parachutes or wing suits for the return journey ! 😁
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Adam swears that that day is going to come, John. I always catch him watching paragliding videos, so it is definitely on his mind and this would probably be a really good one to glide down from! ❤
Nice job! I never found the summit either. Which way did you go down? I went along the other side of the ridge and took some really steep chute back down. Twisted my ankle too. Fun day 😆
Thanks very much! Yes we're thinking someone must have removed the summit box, because we're pretty sure that that top after climbing up the chimney is the official summit -- at least it sure felt like it. We went back down the upper slabs the way we came up, and then veered left into a scree chute and just scree-skied the rest of the way down. Ended up on our butts quite a few times, but thankfully no injuries and a joyous swim in the unnamed lake after making it down! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard When I saw that lake on the way up, I was tempted to just chill there the entire day instead LOL. Glad you caught it on the way back! I took the southeast ridge towards University Pass and down the shortcut variation to Robinson Lake; crazy steep!
Good one! Must have been a gnarly downclimb. What are those gloves you had at the summit?
Thanks, and ya the down climb definitely got us a little dusted up. But worth it. The gloves are our via ferrata gloves -- they're not super warm, but they have really good grip and can protect your hands from sharp rocks while still giving you good grip for scrambling. ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Thanks! What brand are they?
I always keep a can of V8 juice in my pack for electrolyte replacement. It saved my bacon in 110 degree heat while visiting Pool Rock in the San Rafael Wilderness in Santa Barbara County. That area has excellent examples of Chumash Rock Art. Have you considered doing a Podcast?
Oh my gosh Adam loves V8 -- he buys it to drink in the car and always orders it on airplanes too! We've not considered doing our own podcast, but we love going on other peoples'! ❤
yay, "hiking" up this pile of rocks is one thing, but getting down, omg!
Yes Lothar! We landed on our butts quite a few times on the down climb, but it was still totally worth it! ❤
Impressive "day" hike. I bet down was more difficult than up through those rocks and chutes.Clearly two hands required for safety.
You're absolutely right, George. Down climbing that chimney from the summit was the sketchiest part of all, and it took us a while just to be safe and make sure we didn't make a mistake! Then once we got off the slabs we went left into the scree and sort of skied down a lot of the remainder, which was fun but did land us on our butts a few times. ❤️
Sick!! 💪🏻👏🏻
Stoked you enjoyed it!! 💪❤️