VABM PAHRUMP (5740') . . . . . 5 January . . . . . . . . (Solo climb) "Campy" A small private climb of Pahrump the prior weekend was unsuccessful because I forgot the route and led everybody past the summit to explore other pinnacles to the N. My deserved "Pahrump sanction" was then narrowly averted by Nancy Gordon's offer of a 6-pack of beer, which she had carried all the way up in an ice-filled bag. I returned the following weekend to search for the proper route and climb the mountain in running form. Mountain running is a new form of deprivation and suffering in which the climber does his thing in light gear and running shoes. Of route again! Ran up the wrong canyon. Finally worked out a Cl. 3 approach from the N, taking 2 hrs. including errors. The way to make the climb is as follows: Drive Inyo Co Route 178 E of Shoshone. At marker 5360, take gravel rd NE to its end in a canyon (Stewart Vly 15' topo applies but the road is not shown). A VW can go all but the final 1/4 mi. Start up this cyn. Note occasional ducks and traces of trail. Change to the major side-cyn N at 3750' altitude (marked by a large cairn). Then take an unmarked side-cyn S at 4000'. This one was missed before and it cost us the mtn. Climb past a group of cairns on L side and stick to the faint trail. It crosses below a small, pinnacle to a narrow cyn to the L, which is then followed to the ridge. The final effort is a short ridge run from the S. This probably is the only Cl. 2 route to Pahrump's summit. STEPLADDER MTN (2951'), CHEMEHUEVI PK (3697') . . 19-20 January . . . "Campy" Both of these interesting low-desert peaks were climbed by 14 people during a scheduled DPS trip. We met early Sat, at the Turtle Mtn Rd intersection with Hwy 95, about 23 mi S of Needles. After consolidating in 4 husky trucks and vans, we drove SW on the graded rd for 9.5 mi. A faint track was taken N (see AM San Berdoo Co map and Stepladder Mta 15' topo) to its apparent end in the broad Chemehuevi Wash. Following the wash, we approached the impressive Stepladder pinnacles until just short of the saddle at the head of the wash. As we climbed upward on the volcanic breccia Barbara Reber remembered the proper gully to be taken. Two dihedrals visibly leading to a notch were reached and the one on the L was the obvious one to be followed to a series of short ledges and ramps, It is Cl. 2 to the notch N of the summit and up the short scramble to the summit fin. The small summit, necessitating a Cl. 3 move, can hold only 3-4 people at a time. We were threatened by rain showers during the morning but were fortunately spared undue wetness. After brunch on the mtn we returned to the vehicles, 5 hrs. total time. We then drove to our camp near Chemehuevi Pk. We followed the power line rd until a sandy rd took off E toward the pk. this track gave out after 1/2 mi and we settled in for a pleasant evening in camp with a warming fire and stimulating conversation. It turned windy during the night. Starting out at 8 am, we hiked up the cyn leading to the ridge just N of Chemehuevi and followed the ridge to the summit. The wind drove away the threat of rain and it did calm down a bit during the climb. Again, brunch on the summit and a return to the cars after about 5 hrs of climbing. There was talk of speeding to Barstow to catch the Pro-Bowl game on TV. Barbara Reber provided the much appreciated assist and the good directions to the peaks. MATURANG0 PK (8839') . . . . 17-18 November . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Campy" Saturday on the Naval Weapons Center's N Range was spent viewing Little Petroglyph Cyn, with its thousands of Indian rock doodles, visiting the El Conejo Mine, and making a comfortable camp at Junction Ranch. Sunday, 19 people climbed Maturango Pk (3 mi, 2700' gain). Three others went instead to bag Parkinson Pk (8724'). Ten who were not doing the pks drove N to examine another large group of petroglyphs. My next semi-annual trip will be on 10-11 May (see Schedule).

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