Olancha Peak

October 13th, 2024 at 6:40 AMSouth Sierra Wilderness, CA

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Stats

Distance21.6 mi

Elevation gain6,600 ft

Route typeOut & back

Duration10 hr

CruxClass 2

Quality8/10

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Trip report

To get to the Olancha Pass Trailhead from Highway 395, turn onto Sage Flats Road and drive west for five miles. The road is paved for the first three miles, after which it passes through a well-marked private ranch that is completely surrounded by the Inyo National Forest. Greeted by swarms of mosquitos at the trailhead, I backtracked a couple miles and parked at a clearing next to an old corral where I spent the night.

Olancha Pass Trailhead.

Entering the South Sierra Wilderness.

Ascending a canyon.

The Olancha Pass Trail is used to herd cattle over 3,000 vertical feet from Sage Flat to Summit Meadow. As a result of the high volume of traffic, sections of the trail are wide and unconsolidated.

The turnoff for the cattle trail (left), which ascends the canyon directly. Olancha Pass Trail, while 1.3 miles longer, offers a gentler, more scenic approach.

Turning right to stay on the Olancha Pass Trail.

Approaching a small saddle (left of center) where the Olancha Pass Trail merges with the cattle trail and crosses over into an adjacent canyon.

After the saddle, climbing up this slope to gain the Sierra Crest at Olancha Pass.

View back from just below Olancha Pass.

Olancha Pass. The trail continues on the right, maintaining elevation for about two miles as it passes Summit Meadow.

View back toward the pass.

Summit Meadow Camp.

A fork in the trail (which I somehow missed on my approach, resulting in me having to cut through the open country to stay on route). Keep right for the northbound PCT.

Joining the PCT, headed north.

Sign at the PCT junction.

The PCT gains elevation immediately.

Entering a meadow. In the dry fall months, the creek on the right may be the last chance to get water. There was just a trickle on this day in mid-October of an average snowpack year.

View back.

The trail flattens out around the 10,000-foot mark.

Emerging from the forest, expansive views to the west.

View back toward Monache Meadow.

First glimpse of Olancha Peak from the PCT.

Leaving the PCT for Olancha Peak's east slope.

Steep, but stable terrain.

View back.

The slope gets rockier with increasing elevation. Here, I'm contouring ever-so-slightly north.

Another view back.

Above the tree-line, Olancha Peak's summit comes into view.

Start of Class 2.

View back the talus slope below Olancha Peak's summit.

Class 2/3 below the ridge crest.

Gaining the ridge crest. View south toward Ed Lane Point (left of center) and Monache Meadow (right).

Passing several solar panels on the south side of the summit.

Olancha Peak summit. Facing northeast.

View down Olancha Creek into Owens Valley.

View north toward Mount Kaweah (left) and Mount Langley (right).