High Sierra Guidebook

Vitaliy Musiyenko and Roger Putnam on top of Mount Thor

The Sierra Nevada is a world-renowned climbing destination for alpine climbing in some of the most favorable conditions of any mountain range on the planet. After almost six years of effort, Vitaliy Musiyenko and my guidebook to technical rock and ice climbing in this region has finally been published. This close-to-comprehensive guidebook covers technical free climbs, alpine big walls, ice climbs, and selected scrambles in the High Sierra. It is the essential reference for any climber exploring the “Range of Light” between Cottonwood Lakes in the south and Sonora Pass in the north.

These guidebooks may be purchased from Kevin Daniels Publishing (click here for link).

Cover of volume 1 of the high sierra guide.

Volume 1

This book, Volume 1 of a three-volume series, covers peaks on and west of the crest south of Shepherd Pass and the southernmost regions of the Kern-Kaweah Divide. The following regions are included, and much, much more:

  • Tuttle Creek & Lone Pine Peak

  • Mount Chamberlin & Mount Hitchcock

  • Arctic Lake Wall

  • Mount Whitney Massif

  • Mount Russell Massif

  • The Cleaver & Mount Barnard

  • Mount Carl Heller & Tulainyo Tower

  • Mount Tyndall & Shepherd Pass

  • Spring Lake Wall & the Wall Above Big Five

  • Castle Rocks

  • Eagle Scout & Granite Creeks


Guidebook at a glance:

  • 368 pages

  • 312 routes

  • 81 topos

  • 66 overlays

  • Full color

  • Vignettes written by the following characters of the Sierra: Alex Honnold, Doug Robinson, John Moynier, Jesse McGahey, Ben Hatchett, Leo Pantilat, David Harden, Mark Westman, Cameron Burns

Cover of volume 2 of the high sierra guide.

Volume 2

This book, Volume 2 of a three-volume series, covers peaks on the northern part of the Kern-Kaweah Divide, the Great Western Divide, and on and west of the crest between Shepherd Pass and Bishop Pass. The following regions are included, and much, much more:

  • Angel Wings & Valhalla

  • Tamarack Creek & Saber Ridge

  • The Watchtower & Tokopah Valley

  • Bubbs Creek Wall & Charlotte Dome

  • Mount Clarence King Area

  • Tehipite Valley

  • Gorge of Despair

  • Lake Basin

  • Temple Crag & the Palisades

  • Langille Peak & the Citadel


Guidebook at a glance:

  • 416 pages

  • 313 routes

  • 95 topos

  • 73 overlays

  • Full color

  • Vignettes written by the following characters of the Sierra: Alex Honnold, Doug Robinson, John Moynier, Jesse McGahey, Ben Hatchett, E. C. Joe, Brandon Thau, Dave Nettle


Cover of volume 3 of the high sierra guide.

Volume 3

This book, Volume 3 of a three-volume series, covers peaks between Bishop Pass and Sonora Pass. The following regions are included, and much, much more:

  • Picture Peak & the Evolutions

  • The Bishop Skyline

  • Merriam Peak & Seven Gables

  • Bear Creek Spire & Rock Creek

  • The Minarets, Mount Ritter, & Banner Peak

  • Convict and McGee Creeks

  • The Cathedral Range

  • Mount Conness & the Third Pillar of Dana

  • The Incredible Hulk & Little Slide Canyon

  • Northern Yosemite & the Juggernaut

  • Flatiron Butte & the Watchtower


Guidebook at a glance:

  • 384 pages

  • 297 routes

  • 81 topos

  • 72 overlays

  • Full color

  • Vignettes written by the following characters of the Sierra: Alex Honnold, Doug Robinson, John Moynier, Sean O’Rourke, Urmas Franosch, Steven Porcella, Jesse McGahey, Ben Hatchett