California · Rock climbing · Mammoth Lakes

East Face

East Face in California has 9 routes with 8 difficulty grades.

9 routes
5.10a – 5.12b
Alpine

Is East Face open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Inyo National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Inyo National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit East Face

Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    41° / 17°

  2. Feb

    41° / 18°

  3. Mar

    45° / 22°

  4. Apr

    51° / 27°

  5. May

    60° / 35°

  6. Jun

    70° / 42°

  7. Jul

    78° / 49°

  8. Aug

    77° / 47°

  9. Sep

    71° / 40°

  10. Oct

    61° / 30°

  11. Nov

    49° / 23°

  12. Dec

    41° / 17°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA, 4.6 mi away at 7,804 ft. The station sits about 1,500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

East Face is an alpine climbing area in California's Inyo National Forest, within the Mammoth Ranger District. It sits about 0.7 miles from the community of Lake Mary, which makes it an easy base for a day of climbing. The area's routes run the gamut from 5.10a to 5.12b on the YDS scale, with most of the 9 routes falling in the 5.10 to 5.12 range. They are all alpine routes, and a handful have named first ascents, including Grim Reality by Marty Lewis and Kevin Calder and Lickety Split at 5.12b. For a climbing partner, the North Face sits just 0.1 mile away and Lake George is 0.2 mile off. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Mammoth Lakes show July highs around 78°F with lows near 49°F, while winter highs sit around 41°F. That station sits about 1,500 feet lower than the East Face, so temperatures on the face run cooler. Lake George Campground is 0.5 mile away and Lake Mary Campground is 0.9 mile away for overnight stays.

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