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    Sierra Mountain Center

    4.5 (40 reviews)
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    Eliot H.

    My friend and I just returned from our climb up Mount Humphries in the Eastern Sierra. We had a fantastic trip. Our guide Ryan Huetter was professional and courteous and made sure to push us to reach our goal while keeping the trip fun and, above all, safe. Our guide made the smart decision to turn us around 120 feet from the peak due to ominous clouds. Lo and behold, an hour before we hit the parking lot massive hail and rain storm hit us. In other words, had we made a summit attempt we would have been in a pretty bad situation on the mountain. Great value, great guide company, and great guide. We're already thinking about our next trip.

    At the top of Mt Whitney.

    Took a custom version of their snow skills class that was essential for a successful summit of Mount Whitney in the shoulder season. The instructor Paloma was very patient and did a great job of training us. Highly recommend their classes

    I hiked the JMT from Red's Meadow to Yosemite Valley with Sierra Mountain Center in July 2022. This was a backpacking trip with mule support, so we carried a lighter day pack each day. This was the most incredible travel experience I have had in years! Emma was fantastic helping with scheduling and answering all of my many questions. Our guide, Larry, was fantastic and made the trip so memorable through his knowledge of the surrounding areas, as well as his enthusiasm and cooking skills. He knew we wanted to experience a bit of safe rock scrambling during our rest day and took us to a spot outside our Cathedral Lakes campground with amazing views of Clouds Rest and Half Dome in the distance. He is very helpful explaining backpacking and camping since I was new to the experience. His energy is contagious, and he was as excited for all of us to experience this trip as we were. I loved that he anticipated the group's needs for breaks or when we could push on to make the next day easier. All of our camp spots were incredible, and our cowboy, Tom, was wonderful with the mules. Overall, a wonderful team and experience, and I would love to join another SMT trip!

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    9 years ago

    The guide was great, but I was overcharged and mislead by the office staff. I feel ripped off.

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    6 years ago

    This is an amazing establishment run by really great people. I highly recommend Sierra Mountain Center.

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    Ask the Community - Sierra Mountain Center

    Review Highlights - Sierra Mountain Center

    Larry always asked if he could help us with our tents or anything else.

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    Sage To Summit - Yup!!! Rent your microspikes!!!

    Sage To Summit

    5.0(25 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Such an awesome spot. All of their employees are soooo nice and helpful. They have really popular…read moreand reliable gear and even a clearance section with is cool. The employees are locals and familiar with a lot of cool runs/hikes. I definitely recommend this place and will visit when passing through Bishop!

    I've been hiking around the Bishop and Mammoth Lakes area the past couple days and finally needed…read moreto get some hiking poles and microspikes/crampons for the Sabrina Lake to Blue Lake Trail. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the great assistance and information provided by Mike and Sarah Re: gear. (FYI - They have tons of variety for your outdoor needs AND even have a climbing wall and gym) Purchasing the Leki trekking poles and renting the Snowline microspike/crampons $6/day was FABULOUS! With my poles and the microspikes I felt like an invincible SpiderGirl walking up and down hard packed snow and ice! I LOVED the hike to Blue Lake SO much, I hiked it twice in a row!!! YUP! I'm talking 2 days SAME trail! One of my all time FAV hikes and I've hiked in Patagonia, South Island NZ, Canadian Rockies, etc. If you want some hiking fun at this time of year, drop by Sage to Summit! Buy your trekking poles and rent your microspikes! Totally worth it! I'm thinking of hiking this trail one more time it is THAT cool to hike thru packed snow and ice with those microspikes. FYI - Hike to Blue Lake is about 7.15 miles RT based on how much exploring you want to do! Luckily, I hiked in twice in a row to shoot some photos in different sections. It's a HUGE lake and unfortunately, I don't like waking up early, so still wasn't able to hike further to the middle of the lake area due to lack of daylight hours at this time of the year. Thanks Mike and Sarah! I will return to your shop and recommend you guys too! :0)

    Photos
    Sage To Summit - Yup!!! Same idea! Trekking poles and microspikes totally NEEDED to cross this waterfall/stream!

    Yup!!! Same idea! Trekking poles and microspikes totally NEEDED to cross this waterfall/stream!

    Sage To Summit - ALTRA lonepeak 4.0

    ALTRA lonepeak 4.0

    Sage To Summit - Yup!!! You need these trekking poles in conjunction with the crampon rental!!!

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    Yup!!! You need these trekking poles in conjunction with the crampon rental!!!

    Sierra Mountaineering International

    Sierra Mountaineering International

    4.8(28 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Amazing experience summiting Mount Whitney via the Mountaineers Route with Sierra Mountaineering…read moreInternational! Kurt was an exceptional guide- knowledgeable, professional, and fun to climb with. He made the entire experience feel safe and well-supported while also teaching us new skills along the way. Highly recommend SMI.

    Horrific and Traumatizing Experience with SMLGuides - Guide Kurt…read more I recently participated in a guided Mt. Whitney hike with SMLGuides, and it was, without question, one of the most distressing and disappointing trail experiences of my life. What should have been an empowering and memorable climb instead became an experience marked by poor leadership, lack of professionalism, emotional distress, and equipment negligence. To begin with, the backpack I rented from Kurt was completely inappropriate--it was a men's backpack, not sized or fitted for me, and it caused immediate and ongoing issues throughout the hike. I had to stop repeatedly to make adjustments, relying on another guide, Ben, to help me manage the situation. These delays were not due to my fitness or preparedness but solely due to being provided improper gear. Supplying correctly fitted equipment is a basic responsibility of any guiding service, and this failure directly impacted my hike. What followed at the trailhead was even more troubling. After arriving with excitement and anticipation, I was subjected to an invasive and humiliating experience when Kurt went through each of my personal belongings from the rental backpack--handling and examining items that were clearly private--before abruptly tossing the bag into the van. This behavior was unnecessary, intrusive, and deeply uncomfortable, and it immediately set a tone of disrespect and intimidation. Despite my clear and repeated communication--both prior to the hike and in person--about my extensive hiking background, including summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, completing Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim, finishing the Triple Crown Hike in Virginia, and numerous Appalachian Trail hikes, Kurt continuously questioned my ability in a way that was demeaning and demoralizing. This was not constructive guidance; it was discouraging and dismissive. Rather than offering solutions, encouragement, or leadership, Kurt repeatedly suggested that I should quit. At no point did he attempt to properly address the gear issue or support me in continuing. I felt pressured, unsupported, and frankly treated as an inconvenience. It genuinely felt as though he had his own agenda and was eager to drop hikers rather than guide them. Ultimately, I turned back--not because I lacked the physical capability to summit, but because my equipment failed me and my guide failed me. The mountain did not defeat me--the leadership did. This experience stands in stark contrast to my Rim-to-Rim hike, where teammates stayed with me, encouraged me, and supported me through challenges. That is what real leadership and camaraderie look like. That is what hikers deserve--especially on a trail as demanding as Mt. Whitney. Additionally, we were informed there would be four guides, yet only three were present. There was no explanation provided. In contrast to Kurt's behavior, Ben was kind, patient, and genuinely helpful, doing his best to assist me with the oversized backpack and offering the support that was otherwise missing. I left this experience emotionally drained, shaken, and traumatized. I was forced to turn around under circumstances that could and should have been prevented with proper gear, professionalism, and support. Given that I could not complete the hike due to these failures, I am requesting a full refund. I sincerely hope SMLGuides takes this feedback seriously. No hiker should ever be made to feel disrespected, intimidated, or abandoned on a guided expedition. Future participants deserve competent leadership, properly fitted equipment, transparency, and basic human decency.

    Photos
    Sierra Mountaineering International - Hiking to the ice in Lee Vining

    Hiking to the ice in Lee Vining

    Sierra Mountaineering International - Ice climbing lessons

    Ice climbing lessons

    Sierra Mountaineering International - Returning to the Portal from a successful climb.

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    Returning to the Portal from a successful climb.

    Owens River Gorge

    Owens River Gorge

    5.0(2 reviews)
    6.9 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Owens River Gorge
    Owens River Gorge
    Owens River Gorge

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    MetalMark Climbing & Fitness - Fun & scary. Definitely doing it again

    MetalMark Climbing & Fitness

    4.4(71 reviews)
    84.5 mi
    Walk-ins welcome
    LGBTQ friendly

    I came to MetalMark Climb & Fitness last week during a week long trip in Fresno and had an absolute…read moreblast! I haven't climbed since 2014 but was luckily was able to shake off the rust fairly quickly. It was a Wednesday so there wasn't much of a crowd at all. It almost felt like we had the place entirely to ourselves! I'd like to take a moment to shoutout their amazing staff. I'm currently drawing a blank on her name and since she kindly wore a mask for the safety of her customers, I'm having a hard time deciphering between two staff members from their website. So Sienna or Caroline, you absolutely rock (no pun intended)!!! My fingers were starting to become very sensitive as I didn't bring my own chalk. When I requested to purchase some, she handed me a pouch that was well, chalk full of chalk, for no charge! It saved my hands and allowed me to climb for at least another hour and change. If the people in my group weren't getting hangry, I could have spent the entire day there!

    Some of the people who work at the front desk tend to be on the younger side and lack basic social…read moreskills when interacting with people who come into the gym. It can feel like people are just there to hang out and do not give a welcoming experience in the gym. Juun in particular is pretty standoffish.

    Photos
    MetalMark Climbing & Fitness
    MetalMark Climbing & Fitness - A sneak peak.

    A sneak peak.

    MetalMark Climbing & Fitness - Prices as of December 24. 2022 *Early bird price is for weekdays

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    Prices as of December 24. 2022 *Early bird price is for weekdays

    Summit Adventure - HQ or Base Camp

    Summit Adventure

    5.0(1 review)
    64.2 mi

    Wonderful experience and plan to return. I went on a weekend expedition to the Ansel Adams…read moreWilderness by Yosemite. It was absolutely incredible. I went with a church group with 10 other men and we were greeted late at night by two guides that had the best attitudes even though we arrived super-late. They had everything ready to go at the campsite so we didn't have to worry about any gear and just go right to sleep. They took care of all of our meals, too. The next morning we took a 6-mile hike and went swimming in a mountain lake all the while discussing meaningful things in our lives to connect with one another. It was a real bonding and growing experience. We later did a 3-hour solo trip to be alone for 3 hours and really enjoyed it. The next day we went rock climbing and learned a great deal from the experience, much more than just rock climbing. We were only there for about 36 hours in total, but loved every minute of it. Some other things about the company: They have multiple pre-packaged "courses" in addition to the ability to create customized courses which is what we went on. Their pre-packaged courses include Father-Children courses, Leadership development courses, single parent courses, among many other adventure courses. All of the courses are aimed at giving a God-centered educational experience that you will not forget. Activities include camping, hiking, rock climbing, swimming, among other activities. They are headquartered in a cool cabin in Bass Lake, CA, but operate all over the world. Adventure sites include some of the most beautiful places in the world like Mt. Rainier, Yosemite, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Holy Land and South America among other places. Super helpful guides and instructors who obviously love their jobs (I'm candidly a little jealous). From the website: "Our focus is providing custom programming using service, adventure and experiential education as tools to strengthen relationships with God and others......Since 1973, Summit Adventure has used wilderness and adventure as tools to facilitate transformation, build compassion, strengthen relationships and deepen faith. These processes take place through time-tested and proven strategies that Summit Adventure has used over the past four decades." The adventures are reasonably priced. Summit Adventure is a not-for-profit organization.

    Photos
    Summit Adventure - Rock climbing with guide. Safety first!

    Rock climbing with guide. Safety first!

    Summit Adventure - Yosemite and the Sierras!

    Yosemite and the Sierras!

    Summit Adventure - Breathtaking scenery guaranteed

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    Breathtaking scenery guaranteed

    Sierra Mountain Center - climbing - Updated May 2026

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