El Gaucho
El Gaucho in California has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: docentjoyce, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 6 routes
- 5.8 – 5.10c
- Trad · Sport
Is El Gaucho open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Inyo National Forest.
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in Effect
Agency alert covering Inyo National Forest · Order 05-04-50-26-23 · USFS · Inyo National Forest
Help Halt Golden Mussel Invasion
Agency alert covering Inyo National Forest · USFS · Inyo National Forest
Ansel Adams and John Muir Wilderness Campfire Restrictions
Agency alert covering Inyo National Forest · Order 05-04-50-25-04 · USFS · Inyo National Forest
Golden Trout and Hoover Wilderness Campfire Restrictions
Agency alert covering Inyo National Forest · Order 05-04-50-25-05 · USFS · Inyo National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Inyo National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
El Gaucho is a climbing area in the Mt. Whitney Ranger District of Inyo National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing walls and trails, with Whitney Portal campground and the Meysan Lakes hike just 0.2 miles away. The area has six routes, five of which are trad and one is sport. The YDS grades run from 5.8 to 5.10c, with the median at 5.10a. Omer's Route is the easiest at 5.8, and We Stand Corrected is the hardest at 5.10c. The sport route is the only one in the group, and the rest are all trad. Roadwork Wall and Solstice Celebration Wall are both within a quarter mile, and Premier Buttress is about 0.3 miles away. Whitney Portal campground is the closest place to camp.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
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