The Citadel is an 11,738-foot-elevation (3,578-meter) mountain summit located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in Fresno County of central California, United States.[3] It is situated in northern Kings Canyon National Park, 20 miles (32 km) west-southwest of the community of Big Pine, and 2.4 miles (3.9 km) south of Langille Peak. Topographic relief is significant as it rises 3,400 feet (1,000 meters) above Le Conte Canyon in approximately one mile. The long approach to this remote peak is made via the John Muir Trail. The Northeast Arête, also known as Edge of Time Arête, is considered one of the classic climbing routes in the Sierra Nevada.[5]
| The Citadel | |
|---|---|
 The Citadel viewed from the northeast, on the John Muir Trail in Le Conte Canyon | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 11,738 ft (3,578 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 298 ft (91 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Peak 12020[2] |
| Isolation | 0.54 mi (0.87 km)[2] |
| Coordinates | 37°03′55″N 118°36′40″W / 37.0652267°N 118.6111447°W[3] |
| Geography | |
  The Citadel Location in California  The Citadel The Citadel (the United States) | |
| Location | Kings Canyon National Park Fresno County California, U.S. |
| Parent range | Sierra Nevada[1] |
| Topo map | USGS North Palisade |
| Geology | |
| Type of rock | granite |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | June 24, 1951[4] |
| Easiest route | class 2, from Ladder Lake[1] |
Climate edit
According to the Köppen climate classification system, The Citadel is located in an alpine climate zone.[6] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Sierra Nevada mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the range (orographic lift). Precipitation runoff from this mountain drains into the Middle Fork Kings River.
Climbing edit
Non-technical routes:[7]
- West Ridge – class 2 – First ascent June 24, 1951, by Richard Searle, William Wirt
- Northeast Face – class 4 – FA by Donald Goodrich, Robert Means also on June 24, 1951
- North Wall – class 4 – FA by Locker, Albright, G. Hufbauer, and K. Hufbauer
Established rock climbing routes:[8]
- North Face – class 5.7 A3 – FA 1968 by T. M. Herbert, Don Lauria, Dennis Hennick
- Edge of Time Arête – class 5.10+ – 14 pitches – FA 1991 by Dave Nettle and Jim Howle
- Quality Time – class 5.10b – 9 pitches – FA 2003 by Urmas Franosch, Peter Mayfield
- Wild Kingdom – class 5.11- – 16 pitches – FA 2019 by Katie Lambert, Ben Ditto
Gallery edit
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The Citadel with cascade -
The Citadel (centered) and Wheel Mountain (behind, left)
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d "The Citadel, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
- ^ a b "Citadel. The - 11,738' CA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
- ^ a b "The Citadel". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
- ^ Katie Lambert, Climbing.com
- ^ John Moynier, Claude Fiddler, 1993, Sierra Classics 100 Best Climbs in the High Sierra, Chockstone Press, ISBN 9780934641609, page 174.
- ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.
- ^ Alan M. Hedden and David R. Brower, A Climber's Guide to the High Sierra (1954)
- ^ The Citadel Rock Climbing, Mountain Project
External links edit
- Weather forecast: The Citadel
- The Citadel Rock Climbing: Mountainproject.com
- The Citadel and Ladder Lake photo: Flickr
- Summit view video: Flickr