Sierra Nevada

Sierra Nevada can be considered the most beautiful and longest mountain system in America's. Although It is much smaller than the Rocky Mountains, but much more holistic and dominates the western part of America's massive mountain range. Even though Sierra has only 11 peaks over 14 000 feet (compare to Colorado’s 54), and only Mount Whitney rises higher than the highest summits in the Rockies, it can still claim to be the highest range in the 48 states. It is also much more of a climber's range than most others in the American west, with a huge variety of technical rock routes and fair number of summits where ascents require serious mountaineering skill by the easiest route. The only serious mountain element lacking in the Sierra is real glaciation. The most popular part of the range is the area extending through Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. Yosemite Valley is a canyon known for its sheer granite walls: Half Dome and El Capitan are its best-known climbs, 2,000 and 3,000 vertical feet respectively.

Sierra Nevada Mountains is a very popular among American tourists and mountain climbers. Has an elongated shape of the ridge, with high increases from north to south. Rising from 1500 to 2400, then to 2700 in Lake Tahoe area and up to 4000 in Yosemite National Park. Then the height gradually decreases, although there are several large peaks, such as peak 3,781 m Florence and Olancha Peak 3695 m. The southern third of the Sierra Nevada is the highest, with eleven peaks topping 14,000 feet. This area is known as the High Sierra, and is well known for its startling beauty and contrasts. There are over one hundred Sierra Nevada peaks about 13,000 feet, and 13 of California's 15 fourteeners.

Sierra Nevada ridge extends along the west coast of the United States and throughout almost the entire eastern part of the State of California. Bounded in West by the California valley, on the eastern side by Great Basin.

The highest point of Sierra Nevada mount Whitney is located just 123 km west of the lowest point in North America - Badwater depression (86 m below sea level) in the Valley of Death and rises to a height of more than 3300 m from the nearby Owens Valley.

 

Ridge has a name of Spanish origin, literally meaning "snowy mountains."

 

  ... Read more

• Why you should go there http://www.peakbagger.com/range.aspx?rid=126