Amazing. Climb…read more Probably one of the best multi-pitch rock climbs I have ever done. We started very late and ended up going down in the dark. I don't recommend this for one main reason: The descent is not straight-forward by headlamp. I found the description from SuperTopo to be a bit confusing, so here's my description (in case you don't heed my advice and try to roll this sucker late in the day): You are going to want to down-climb the last 10-15 ft of the summit pinnacle. The section you JUST climbed up to reach the tiny summit. Down-lead this (or better yet, just leave your pro in from the ascent) and build an anchor at the base. (I know this seems like a stupidly short "pitch" to build an anchor for, but, TRUST ME. The rope drag is heinous if you try to go around the corner and then anchor-in.) Then do a running belay/simul-climb around the corner (you are now going AWAY from the face you just climbed up). Once around the corner, go slightly right (skier's right). Once you've done this, just keep going left and down, gradually, on easy 3rd class terrain (we took the rope off at this point). When it starts to look easy to go right, traverse right until you pop out on the other side of the mountain. You'll probably do some minor bush-whacking, just try to keep hopping on those big granite boulders! The SuperTopo seems to say that you hook back right a lot sooner (after going down-left), the terrain there looked like very run-out/, 5th class slab (read: skeery), so we did not do this. OK, now that we've talked about the boring part (getting down), let's talk about the FUN part: climbing up. It's 5 pitches of 5.6-5.7 on glorious granite with ample spots for pro. You can run it out with ease, knowing there is always going to be a place to get your nuts in. This is the complete opposite of "Snake Dike" on Half Dome in that regard. We did the far-left (climber's left) variation. I think it's variation "A" in the guide book. We decided to simul-climb the first two pitches, this was a good call. The beginning of pitch 1 is very easy (low-5th and even 4th class) by the time it gets more difficult, the leader will already be at the 2nd anchor and the second can be belayed up. If you're a strong climber you could even keep going and link all three of the first pitches! Every pitch is fun, with great moves and great positioning. I'd make sure you are not wearing a pack or gear sling for the start of pitch 4, as the chimney is kinda tight in the beginning. Or maybe I'm just getting fat? I lead the last two pitches by headlamp, a new experience, and shockingly more fun that scary. If you do this, I'd start either insanely early or insanely late, in order to avoid the crowds. Have fun!

Cathedral Peak is arguably the most beautiful peak in Yosemite National Park. Despite its beauty,…read moreand despite the fact that the trailhead is at the edge of Tioga Road and easy to find, there are no crowds. During my hike on this 7 mile round-trip trail, I encountered, at most, only twenty other hikers. The trail is an easy hike for adults and for little kids. There are no cliffs near this trail. This means that, unlike some of the trails leading to or from Hawkins Peak at Pinnacles National Park and unlike the fabled Kalalau Trail in Kauai, there is no danger rocks falling from above, and no need to worry about tumbling over the edge of any cliff. Once you have reached the 3 1/2 mile mark, you will be rewarded with a splendid view of Cathedral Peak, which is photogenic from any angle, and which provides a variety of photogenic rewards at different times of day. Near Cathedral Peak is a meadow with little streams, and orange-colored bedrock near one of the streams. Also in this area, is an exposed granite dome, similar to nearby Lambert Dome. My photographs show: (1) Me posing on a granite dome located next to a meadow. This meadow is just to the south of Cathedral Peak, (2) The trail marker sign next to Tioga Road, (3) The orange-colored exposed bedrock, and (4) Two photographs of a little stream that winds its way through a meadow, with Cathedral Peak in the distance.

Everything was great from booking the half day to the climbing. Clay was our instructor and was…read moregreat. He is a great guide and coach. I would recommend Ground Up for anyone who is new to climbing and wants a fun day outdoors. I took my 11 year old son and he had a blast. If we come back to Mammoth I will be booking another climbing adventure with Ground Up.

Just had an Amazing weekend in Alabama Hills, Lone Pine CA!! Ground Up programs are a great way to…read moreget outside & climb. Clay is very knowledgeable & experienced (not to mention easy going guy). He made our weekend sooo much fun & educational. I can't wait to climb w/ Ground Up(Clay) this summer in Mammoth!!!

This is a great hike along the Owens River. The path is paved for about 80% of the way, then it's a…read moredirt path that slightly narrows. It's an incline down, and you definitely feel the grade when heading back up, but it's totally doable. I wouldn't suggest going when the weather is warm, as it's quite exposed. We went on Dec 30th, and it was chilly, slightly breezy, and perfect really! Parking lot is a decent size. Cool old power plant buildings that are now in ruins. Leave no trace =)

We spent 2 days climbing here for Memorial Day weekend. It's the first I've been here. On our…read morefirst day, we climbed at the All You Can Eat wall, which had a challenging approach. To get to the climbing area, you're going down, down, down into a canyon. Now, keep in mind that in order to get back to the car, you have to go up, up, and up, which was quite a workout. Anyway, back to the wall. There are climbs of various levels here. I started on a 5.8 climb (can't remember the name of it) that totally kicked my butt! It was clearly not a warm up climb for me. I was on top rope and managed to slip once. Once I was "warmed up", I decided to go for a supposedly easier climb, which was only a 5.6. Yes, this climb was also difficult for me, but not as bad as the 5.8. After that, I did 2 climbs that were rated higher, but somehow seemed easier to me. Go figure! We didn't stay too long as the heat was soon unbearable, so...we headed back to our car, which was sooo far away. The hike back to the car took probably a good 45 minutes of uphill without a trail. We were basically walking up rock after rock after rock. By the time we got to the top, we were huffing and puffing and catching or breath. Of course, the heat didn't help any. The second day found us at The Great Wall of China, which had an easier approach as part of it was on trail. The climbs here weren't any easier than the other wall. At least it was less crowded. All You Can Eat wall was very busy as there were a lot of climbers and we had to wait for some climbs. We had The Great Wall of China mostly to ourselves, which was rather nice. The climbs on this wall are pretty pumpy as well, and my upper body is pretty strong! We did a few climbs here and then proceeded to walk down the canyon to another area to do one last climb. Now, this was the best climb of the two days. It was a long, exposed 5.9 climb that scared me at the beginning, but once I got the fear out of my system, it was one heck of a fun climb! All in all, I highly recommend Owens River Gorge for some sport climbing. The routes are more pumpy then I would like, but at least I get to work on my upper body. There is a bit of an approach to get to the climbs, so be prepared to do some hiking. And, I recommend that you bring lots of water and sunblock as it does get hot seeing that it's mostly exposed.

I almost died here…read more I was climbing Snake Dike for the first time. At the point where you are supposed to traverse left, off of the dike you've been climbing on pitches 1-3, and onto another one...I didn't. I just kept "riding the dike". This route is called "Snake Dance" and goes at 5.9R. Long story short, the first bolt must've been 90-100 ft above the anchor. I had climbed up 80-90 ft, could see the "first" bolt but was getting pumped out trying to reach it. I started shaking, was filled with terror and then...then I was falling. I was cheese-grattering down the granite slabs, and I was oddly at piece. I remember thinking "well, I had a good run, I guess now I know how it's going to end." I tried to keep my feet in front of me as I was coming up on a ledge. I thought it would be better to break my legs than my FACE. As I neared the ledge my clothes had shredded through down to my skin (it was cold day, wearing a shoftshell probably saved me from even more sever road rash) and the, suddenly, the rope caught! I didn't know what injuries I may have sustained but at least I wasn't going to die. I mean, as long as my belayer held on. And she did, boy did she ever. I had fallen all the way down to the one of the previous anchors. How...convenient. I had my climbing partner hold the rope tight and I swung over to the anchor. I had her rappel down to me and...her hands were very very badly burned from the rope. But, she held on, and she saved my life. We limped out and eventually got to an emergency room. Her hands would have to be in bandages for weeks, but they are all better now. Luckily, I got away with just a cracked rib, bruised heels, and road rash along my arms, thighs, and butt (sorry bro). We came back 6 months later, stayed on-route and had a great time. A summit has never tasted so sweet. The "actual" Snake Dike route is till VERY run-out in places. There are spots where there is only 2 or ever ONE bolt on the entire pitch. But, most of the climbing is in the 5.4 range, so it's not anywhere near as heady as 5.9 slab. (yeah, I'm a punter, 5.9 slab with epic runouts gets me real skeered, especially now...seriously, my hands are sweating all over my keyboard as I type this...) Best part of Snake Dike is that you don't need a permit. I don't expect it will be like this for much longer, get it while it's hot!

Amazing experience with knowledge instructors. Great climbing location! Friendly and helpful…read morestaff during the booking process. Even helped us get accommodations nearby. Would totally do it again!!

Spent three days climbing with guides from Yosemite Mountaineering School. I'm sure all the guides…read moreare spectacular, but I can personally recommend Chase and Jake. Highly professional, impressively safe, and personable, not to mentioned astonishingly strong climbers. Chase and I spent a day cragging gearing up for a run up Half Dome's southwest face via Snake Dike. The end of our 12 hours together had much less talking, but Chase helped make the 6+ mile hike in much more enjoyable (as much as it could be of course) passing the time with fun stories and fun facts. We told some jokes, saw some nature, passed some hikers, and were first on the crag, setting us up for an awesome day! Jake and I climbed the 1100-foot East Buttress of Middle Cathedral and when my foot slipped while scaling a lie back crack and my life flashed before my eyes, I felt the rope tighten and stopped safely (only falling 6 or 8 feet of the 800 feet we had climbed thus far). Awesome day with Jake! Both Chase and Jake were excellent on meeting me where I was in my climbing ability, being a confident 5.10 leader, able to climb middle 5.11 but without much experience on Yosemite's granite I had a few tricks to learn to be successful. I highly highly highly recommend YMS to anyone new to the valley or wanting to safely experience what Yosemite has to offer!

A delightful day out. I would have given this route 4 1/2 stars if Yelp let me do half stars. It…read morewas the urine on El Cap Tower in Camp 6 that made it lose a half star in my book, but still worthwhile overall. Some other unexpected highlights include onsighting the Texas Flake and the Great Roof. Second go on the King Swing and Changing Corners. Getting passed by Hollywood Hans made me feel like I was part of history. I have to say I was pretty disappointed with the pitches getting up to sickle ledge but after I swung into the Stove Legs it was smooth sailing on impeccable granite for days. I'd say that at least 20 of the 32 pitches would have been five star single pitch top ropes. After watching recent free ascent videos on LT11 I became concerned that there was much less fixed mank than shown in Dean Potter's ascent in Masters of Stone. My worries were for naught, as the route remains well protected with tat. My motto is always "Clip and go." I would strongly recommend The Nose of El Capitan to any motivated individual looking for a classic route on solid rock. If you have any questions feel free to PM me, Olin Morchiba, on Facebook. Thanks, happy climbing.

I recently returned from a 7-day IAG backpacking trip to summit Mount Whitney in the High Sierra in…read moreCalifornia, my first trip with this company. The scenery was beautiful and our guide was very good. That said, based on my experience, I personally would not choose to use this company again. I am an avid backpacker and trekker and have had very positive experiences with other backpacking and trekking companies over many years, so my expectations were based on those past experiences. On this trip, I noticed a few issues, including some around food and sanitation that I also saw mentioned in other reviews. For me, the most significant concern had to do with how health, safety, and communication were handled. These were matters that left me feeling uncomfortable. I raised my concerns directly with the company's owners and we had lengthy discussions by phone and email. Ultimately, we had different perspectives and did not come to agreement. I'm sharing this review to reflect my own experience and in case it may be helpful to others considering a trip with this company.

These folks may provide a great service when everything goes as planned, but don't count on IAG to…read moretreat you fairly or follow through on their promises if something goes wrong. I had a medical emergency two days before I was scheduled with IAG. I knew the contract I signed had a strict no-cancelation policy, so I prepared to attend while in recovery from emergency surgery. But I got lucky: when I contacted IAG about my physical discomfort, I learned someone wanted to take my spot! Two different employees at IAG informed me (one in writing, one via voicemail) that because they had someone lined up to replace me they would be able to issue me a refund that day. Several days later, when the refund still hadn't cleared my bank, I reached out to follow up. Only then did IAG inform me that they had decided to stick with the contract and deny me a refund. They made this decision without informing me--and without giving me an opportunity to adapt my plans and receive the service I paid for. I've sent several polite emails to IAG to seek resolution. IAG has taken every possible path (explaining how their business model works, reminding me of their service to the outdoors community, recommending I purchase travel insurance next time, telling me I'm ruining the possibility they will assist future clients in similar circumstances) except the ethical one, which is simply to give me the refund they said they would. Last week (5/30), I sent IAG my voicemail transcripts and documentation of their agreement in writing to refund me in full. I made it clear I intend to contest these charges with my bank and the BBB. Today (6/4), IAG agreed to issue me a partial refund ($117 out of roughly $375), but state they will not refund me fully unless THEY get reimbursed from a third party. I'm disheartened that a local, outdoors-focused business would rather fight, gaslight, and stall than do the right thing. Bottom line: Based on my experience, I would not trust this company to treat you well if your adventure includes an accident, injury, or any other unforeseen circumstances. Expect them to communicate poorly, protect themselves first, use loopholes to duck responsibility for their actions, and shame/blame you for self-advocating. Proceed with caution. UPDATE: As of 6/10, IAG is agreeing to refund me in full provided I cancel the chargeback I made through my bank (IAG states that their credit card processor will not allow them to refund me as long as the chargeback remains open). My bank has rightly pointed out that if/when I cancel the chargeback I will lose the ability to self-advocate if there are further complications with the refund. It's a catch-22 that could have been avoided if IAG simply issued the refund on 5/16, when they said they would! At present, I am still working toward resolution with IAG. - P.S. IAG may respond to this review. I won't engage with them here, but I recommend potential customers read through IAG's responses on other low reviews and note the patterns of outright denial and blaming their clients. If you choose to work with this business, DOCUMENT EVERYTHING.

Jen was so kind and helpful, I wish I could force her to be my next door neighbor. We rented two…read moree-bikes for a half day. Jen gave us great directions on where to go to see the best scenery. It was lovely. We went up the hill to Twin lakes, George and Mary lakes, and many more. So pretty. Prices were good, but service was outstanding! We had a wonderful time and even stopped at Mammoth Brewing for a beer, like Jen had suggested. Great time. Super fun day. Thanks Jen, you rock!

The most unprofessional and greedy ski shop I've came across in my 7 years of snowboarding. I…read morebrought a friend to rent here and she got the demo snowboard package. It came with very old looking bindings and they claimed that it was all they had. Day 2 on the slopes, front binding became loose and back binding ankle strap couldn't click in. My friend was stuck on the mountain without safe equipment to get down, so she had to call ski patrol to get her down with downhill lifts. A fun blue bird day was cut short for her. When returning the gear and asking for a refund for the second day, the shop had the audacity to deny responsibility and claim that the gear was working when it was rented out and that my friend should've brought the gear back while being stuck on the mountain. They ended up offering a 5 dollar discount, when the old equipment they rented out wasn't even worth the 2 days demo price was that was charged. This shop does not belong in the ski industry. It showed zero concerns about the safety of their patrons and zero responsibility for the garbage equipment that they rented out.

Easy and seamless process to rent skis. Boots were the most comfortable I've ever worn! A bit…read morepricey (around same price as renting on mountain, at least the more "pro" ski package). They have a great selection of

I took my bike for brake and gear adjustment 4 days ago. I was told it would be ready the next day…read morefrom the time I left the bike for service. Yesterday, I stopped by to ask whether the bike is ready, and was simply told " we haven't looked at it yet" It seemed that my question annoyed the individual, he said it would be ready the next day in the first place. Terrible customer service.

Not only does the shop have everything, but the owner is one of the coolest guys you would ever…read moremeet in your whole lifetime. He's got a huge store down in Orange County and opened up the shop in Mammoth a few years ago. I won't go anywhere else...

Pat and Alex were fantastic! After a long drive from So Cal with a couple of cars full of family…read moreand many pit stops we made it to The Green Room just in time to pick up rental snow boards for the next days riding. It was beyond nice that we had wonderful service to help get us set up with equipment. We were sized right and efficiently helped and out the door asap. I was a lil skeptical when I saw the rush of picking up equipment since they have a 5:30 pm deadline and there was a line, however it went FAST and they were SUPER helpful and NICE! Also this was a super busy time of year right after New Year's Day and some fresh powder was hitting. The Green Room is located conveniently on Main St between Shat's Bakery and Puerto Vallarta Restaurant. So you can grab some grub before or after. They have plenty of parking and large street signage so they are easy to find. The prices are more than fair and competitive so definitely come here if you are looking for Great Equipment, wonderful service, and any stuff you may want to buy to use on the mountain too - they have a great layout and a lot of stuff you are looking for and need to make your experience that much better.