| 2025 Sierra Challenge
August 1-10
Last Updated: Friday, 31-Jan-2025 15:38:27 PST
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| Motels
|
| Date | Peak | RT miles | Elev. gain |
|---|
| Fri, Aug 1 |
Matterhorn Peak |
13mi | 5200ft |
|---|
| Sat, Aug 2 |
Mt. Lyell |
28mi | 5100ft |
|---|
| Sun, Aug 3 |
Mt. Ritter |
18mi | 5800ft |
|---|
| Mon, Aug 4 |
Mt. Abbot |
14mi | 3900ft |
|---|
| Tue, Aug 5 |
Mt. Humphreys |
14mi | 4400ft |
|---|
| Wed, Aug 6 |
Mt. Darwin |
15mi | 7100ft |
|---|
| Thu, Aug 7 |
North Palisade |
17mi | 5900ft |
|---|
| Fri, Aug 8 |
Split Mountain |
12mi | 7600ft |
|---|
| Sat, Aug 9 |
Mt. Clarence King |
33mi | 10500ft |
|---|
| Sun, Aug 10 |
Olancha Peak |
21mi | 6600ft |
|---|
|
*Please note that all references to mileage and elevation gain are purely estimates and are subject to change.
The Sierra Nevada is the highest mountain range in the contiguous United States.The Sierra Challenge is a series
of ten consecutive day hikes to some of the most challenging peaks within the Sierra Nevada.
The term day hike is loosely defined here as a wilderness outing that can be completed within 24 hours,
starting from and returning to a predetermined trailhead. While the main objective of the wilderness outing
is to summit a designated peak, other forms of encouraged outdoor recreation include fishing or simply hiking.
The peaks for the 2025 event were chosen based on the 1st Sierra Challenge in 2001. All of them are Emblem Peaks from the Sierra Club's SPS list.
They average 19 miles of hiking/climbing and 6,200 feet of elevation gain. An average day is not unlike climbing
Half Dome, but with more off-trail hiking, more technically demanding scrambling, and longer exposure at higher elevations.
The Challenge is open to anyone who wishes to participate, whether for a single day or all ten. This is primarily a
wilderness experience, and as such there are serious risks involved that are the responsibility of each individual
participant to manage for themselves. There is no water, food, first-aid stations, emergency services or shelter
of any kind available to those in trouble. The Sierra Challenge is not a formal organization or event, but rather a
haphazardly chosen list of random peaks. Hence, there will be no official support structure available to participants
in case of emergencies If you are uncomfortable accepting such risks in any way,
you should not participate.
The Peaks
The first Sierra Challenges drew primarily from the Sierra Club's
SPS Peaks List. All of the selected peaks were located on or near
the Sierra crest in the High Sierra region, stretching from northern Yosemite
to the Golden Trout Wilderness south of Mt. Whitney. For the 2025 event, the
most iconic summits from the SPS list have been chosen, recreating much of the
1st Sierra Challenge in 2001, offering a challenging outing in beautiful
settings. For those new, or
relatively new to the Challenge, the rules allow you to choose alternative peaks
from the previous years that may be of higher interest or less technical risk to you while still
keeping you in the running for the
coveted jerseys.
The peaks selected range from class 2 to class 5
in technical difficulty and should include something of interest for almost any
peakbagger. Climbs are rated per the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS). Ratings are purely subjective
and can change from year to year depending on conditions. Most climbers require a rope for climbs
rated at class 4-5. Ice axes and crampons may be required for some of these outings, noted on the
individual pages for the peaks. If the individual peak page does not mention a need for a rope, ice
axes or crampons, that does not mean you will not require this additional gear. Many of these
peaks are rarely climbed and information regarding them is scarce, meaning the suggested guidance on
the individual peak pages may be incorrect. It will be up to the individual climber to evaluate acceptable
risks and determine what gear to take.
| Peak | Elevation (ft) | Class (YDS) | Location | Trailhead | Roundtrip Miles | Elevation Gain (ft) | Date
|
|---|
| Matterhorn Peak
| 12,279
| 2
| Toiyabe National Forest
| Twin Lakes
| 13
| 5,200
| Fri. Aug 1 (6a start)
|
| Mt. Lyell
| 13,114
| 3
| Yosemite National Park
| Tuolumne Meadows
| 28
| 5,100
| Sat. Aug 2 (5a start)
|
| Mt. Ritter
| 13,143
| 3
| Ansel Adams Wilderness
| Agnew Meadow
| 18
| 5,800
| Sun. Aug 3 (6a start)
|
| Mt. Abbot
| 13,704
| 3
| John Muir Wilderness
| Mosquito Flat
| 14
| 3,900
| Mon. Aug 4 (6a start)
|
| Mt. Humphreys
| 13,986
| 4
| John Muir Wilderness
| North Lake
| 14
| 4,400
| Tue. Aug 5 (6a start)
|
| Mt. Darwin
| 13,831
| 3s4
| Kings Canyon National Park
| North Lake
| 15
| 7,100
| Wed. Aug 6 (6a start)
|
| North Palisade
| 14,242
| 5
| Kings Canyon National Park
| South Lake
| 17
| 5,900
| Thu. Aug 7 (5a start)
|
| Split Mountain
| 14,058
| 3
| Kings Canyon National Park
| Red Lake
| 12
| 7,600
| Fri. Aug 8 (6a start)
|
| Mt. Clarence King
| 12,905
| 4s5
| Kings Canyon National Park
| Onion Valley
| 33
| 10,500
| Sat. Aug 9 (5a start)
|
| Olancha Peak
| 12,123
| 2
| South Sierra Wilderness
| Sage Flat
| 21
| 6,600
| Sun. Aug 10 (6a start)
|
*Please note that all references to mileage and elevation gain are purely estimates and are subject to change.
Why the Challenge?
Good question. I like the challenge of an endurance event, but I'm not so good with the sleep
deprivation that goes with some of the other challenges out there such as the California
14er record (set by Sean O'Rourke in just over 62hrs) and the Colorado 14er record
(set in 2015 by Andrew Hamilton in just under 10 days).
I figure there is no chance in hell I'm going to come close to either of these guys. I simply
must bow down to their superior skills and stamina. I don't have the will to climb for days on end
with little sleep, hiking way before sunup and way past sundown. I will leave it to others to chase
those dreams...
The Sierra Challenge opens to a wider audience some of the same experiences of these
marathon climbing events. I conceived it as a personal challenge that was at the edge of my own
abilities, and wanted to share the experience with others who might similarly enjoy a good
workout. Besides, suffering is more fun if you have someone to share it with. :)
Who is organizing this?
The Sierra Challenge is being primarily organized by Sean Casserly and
Bob Burd.
There is no legal
entity responsible for this event and no grants available for advertising, promotion, or funding.
It is being done on a volunteer basis (in terms of time, money, and energy), so please be kind to
the organizers. With families to support, they have limited time and resources.
How do I participate?
Send mail to casserly79@gmail.com. Let me know which peaks
you are interested in climbing. I will include you on a mail list for future info about carpooling,
meeting times, changes, etc. I would like to collect the following information about you as well
so that we can post it on this website. That will allow others to contact you for coordinating
hiking, climbing, and driving partners. If you would like information to be kept confidential,
please indicate this, and it will not be posted. If you're really worried about privacy, give
me as much info as you see fit, your email address being the minimum required amount. You are also
free to simply show up at the trailhead and join us, but it is helpful for planning purposes if you
can let me know in advance that you intend to join us. Send a photo of yourself (or point me to one
on the web) if you'd like your picture shown on your information page. It can prove useful to allow others to identify you at the trailhead or out on the trail.
Full Name
Email Address
Phone No.
Mailing Address
Which Peak Challenges do you plan to participate in?
Emergency contact info (name and phone #)
Age
You may also choose to climb these peaks following The Rules on days other
than those listed here. I will be happy to add your name to the finishers list provided that as
a minimum you post a trip report about your adventure. You can post it here (via email), or any
other place and simply pass along the URL for me to post on this website.
What does this cost?
Nominally, nothing. There are no entrance fees to participate in any of these hikes. You are
responsible for your own food, lodging, and gear. There is a nominal charge for T-shirts,
but there is no obligation to buy anything from the organizer.
How am I scored?
I attempt to track which peaks have been climbed by each participant, and how
long they were out on the trail each day. Peaks are categorized as Challenge
peaks, Bonus peaks (climbed in addition to the Challenge peak on the same day),
or Alternates (Challenge peak not climbed that day).
This is compiled on a spreadsheet
which is posted online daily during the event. Here's the
2007 stat sheet as an example. Times are measured
to the nearest five minutes. All participants are encouraged to aid me in
collecting this information (since I won't be at the TH to time your return).
A new rule was introduced in 2006 as it was acknowledged
that the list of peaks grows more obscure each year - any of the previous
years' Challenge peaks may also be climbed and count as a Challenge peak
providing you haven't already climbed it during a previous Challenge,
though it doesn't usually weight as high as the current year's peaks.
If you're starting from the same trailhead and the previous Challenge peak is
as hard, or harder than this year's, then it will carry equal weight in scoring.
Scoring is based on the number of Challenge peaks you successfully summit. There
is additional credit awarded for climbing "bonus" peaks. Roughly following the
model of the Tour de France, there are four jerseys or categories that are
tracked throughout the event.
Yellow Jersey - Overall Leader
This is the primary category, tracking the number of Challenge peaks
climbed throughout the ten days. One point is awarded if a Challenge peak is
climbed. The maximum is one point per day. The climber that reaches the most of this year's Challenge Peaks is the winner. If there is a tie, the jersey goes to the climber with the most Challenge Peaks. If there is still a tie, the climber with the least time overall time of the Challenge Peaks in common will be declared the winner.
Polka Dot Jersey - King of the Mountain
You are awarded one point for each peak climbed. If a Challenge peak is not
climbed that day, a maximum of two points can be awarded (this is to
discourage climbing a bunch of easy peaks). There is no maximum number of points
that can be awarded if a Challenge peak is climbed in combination. All
officially named peaks are eligible ("official" means recognized by the USGS
- most, but not all appear on the 7.5' topo map). Unofficially named peaks are
eligible if they are named in Secor's book and they have at least 260' of
prominence - this rule eliminates a number of the points
between Mts. Whitney and Muir, for example. Any summit with at least
500' of prominence
is eligible as a bonus peak whether named or not. Any summit
over 9,000ft with at least 260' of prominence
will be eligible as a bonus peak whether named or not.
White Jersey - Best Young Climber (under 25yrs)
This award goes to the young climber completing the most Challenge peaks.
Scoring is identical to the yellow jersey.
Green Jersey - Best Masters Climber (over 50yrs)
This award goes to the older climber completing the most Challenge peaks.
Scoring is identical to the yellow jersey.
In the event of a tie in any category, the participant with the most peaks from this
year's list will be the winner. A previous Challenge peak
starting from the same trailhead that is the same or harder in terms of
difficulty will be deemed equal to this year's Challenge peak. As has happened
at least once, the Yellow Jersey winner may not have climbed all of this year's
Challenge peaks. The event
organizer is the sole arbiter as to which summit is more challenging. You can
ask ahead of time if it's not obvious to you before starting out.
If a tie still exists, the total time on the
trail is used to determine the leader. Only total time for peaks from this
year's list will be used in the determination
(it would be unfair to compare times for say The Hermit
and University Peak, for example).
Red Number - Most Aggressive Route
This award derives from the Super Combativity award given during the Tour de France.
The red number is a subjective award that will be given to the most aggressive route.
Technical difficulty, length, creativity and aesthetic nature will all be taken into account.
There is also the daily Stage Winner, the person who gets to the day's Challenge
peak and back in the fastest time. No extra credit for bonus peaks here. If you can't win a jersey, you might at least take home a Stage Win. Or two.
All scoring decisions are made by the event organizer
and should be considered final unless I change my mind. This does not mean
that decisions cannot be influenced by participants. Scoring rules are always
subject to change.
What are the prizes?
There are no prizes. It is hoped that the enjoyment of participation is enough of a reward. There will
be recognition on this website for all participants and finishers. If
you were hoping for something more in the way of remuneration, please look elsewhere.
What am I in for?
Most of these peaks are usually climbed as multi-day trips. As day hikes these
climbs are all very strenuous. You should not attempt any of them without proper training and
experience. Only you can judge your level of preparedness, so no training formula can be given that
works for everyone. There are those that train for months and still fail to summit Mt. Whitney even
though a regular trail exists all the way to the top. There are others who because of outstanding
physiology or possibly sheer will might not train at all and still go out and climb the toughest of
these. I would expect that those with the best chances to succeed will have experience with long
hikes combined with much elevation gain ( 20+ miles, 5000+ ft), extensive cross-country travel, and
are comfortable climbing class 3 rock, snow, and ice.
You should not expect others to lead you to the summit or wait for you along the way. No one has yet
started out running on any of the previous Challenges, but the pace in the front is brisk, around 3mph
on the uphills. A fast pace allows participants to reach the summit before afternoon thunderstorms
may appear, as well as to get off the trail to start resting for the next day as early as possible.
You should carry a map and whatever other gear you deem appropriate to be self-sufficient, and be
familiar with the route (study it beforehand, and know how to read your map) in case you find yourself
alone because others didn't wait for you. That said, it is primarily a social experience. We would
rather hike as a group, climb to the summit together and return to town to eat and drink together
while reliving the day's adventure. If you aren't going to keep up, it's usually clear in the first
hour or so. If the technical difficulty is more than you're comfortable with, don't be afraid to
speak up for some additional guidance, or to turn back and call it a day.
Participants regularly turn back before reaching the summit but still enjoy a great adventure in the
mountains. There have been days where no one reaches the summit of the challenge peak.
Who do I sue if I get hurt?
No one. There is no official organization to ensure any level of safety any greater than you
have on your own when you venture into the Wilderness. If you are hiking or climbing with others
during this event, you do so the same as if you were out with friends. Don't expect anyone to
ensure the qualifications of another you are hiking or climbing with. If you have doubts,
you should find someone you trust, go alone, or choose not to participate.
For corrections or comments, please send feedback to:
snwbord@hotmail.com