The Hardest Hike in SoCal: Iron Mountain to Mt. Baldy Traverse
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- Опубліковано 7 жов 2024
- The Iron Mountain to Mt. Baldy Traverse is known as one of the single hardest hikes in California, if not the entire U.S. Not only do you climb over 10,000FT to the summit of Mt. Baldy, but you scramble for miles on a class 3 and class 4 climb across the San Antonio Ridgeline traverse before you stagger your way up the steep face of West Baldy. Without a trail. This is a sufferfest at it's finest. If you're looking for one of the most challenging hikes in southern California, the I2B traverse is it.
#mtbaldy #hiking #californiahikes
ABOUT US
We’re Adam and Elise, a couple who believes that adventure is the best therapy. We’ve climbed Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro in gale-force winds, hiked Iceland’s famed Laugavegur trail in a sleet-storm, and run through Death Valley in 130 degree heat. Through it all we’ve laughed, cried, bled, bickered, and grown ever closer as a couple. Live Hard x Love Hard will inspire you to get into the wild and outside your comfort zone. - Спорт
These two are the real deal! I was on the peak of Iron Mountain with them on this day. I was done, and they were off to the traverse to Baldy. Incredible! Wow, those traverses looked scary. You are awesome!!!
Paul!! You guys were the best crew! Your energy and positive vibes fueled us all the way to the summit of Baldy. If only we could have brought you all along with us.... next time 😉
I love the subtle, "when we were climbing Kilimanjaro last year." hahahaha
Hey Bryan, no intent to be subtle about Kili, that was a transformative experience for us. We learned a lot on that mountain, especially about how to keep persevering through the most treacherous parts of a climb. Just wanted to share that with you guys.
This is so much fun to see. Thank you for doing the same wonderful crazy stuff some of us were doing back in the sixties and seventies. You are helping me ignore my age by taking me back to the haunts of my youth. Thank you and climb on kindred spirits. Keep sparking the magic of the mountains.
Wow Paul, that is seriously just what it’s all about for us. One of the best things about making these UA-cam videos has been connecting with people for whom our adventures bring back memories. Thank you so much for reaching out, it gives us pure joy! And please feel free to let us know if you’d like to see us do any epic adventures in the future, we occasionally do take suggestions! 😜
I'm sitting here at Mt. Baldy Lodge Restaurant, which is my favorite "remote office" and decided to re-watch this video (again!) because I have wanted to do a Baldy - to - Iron Mountain traverse for about 25 years, when I first heard about it. But recently, something occurred that threatened to kill that dream, and most of my other dreams of future adventures.
About 6 months ago it was discovered that my aorta was significantly larger than normal. If it were to continue to enlarge, there would be a life threatening situation which would require either a stint, or open heart surgery, to correct. I was told to limit strenuous activities and come back in 6 months for another echocardiogram to see if there was any change. My dreams and of high altitude adventures and trail running seemed to be vanishing, at age 63. I did continue to hike and run lightly, while monitoring my heart rate during that time, but running or hiking hard uphill would raise my heart rate higher than the doctor recommended.
So last week, I went in for a new echocardiogram, and there was there was no change! This probably means that the aorta is naturally larger than normal, but not increasing in size. I was told I could return to normal physical activities, and continue to be monitored every 6 months. I am looking forward to more trail running, climbing, and ultra-lite backpacking for as long as I am able. I am grateful for every footstep on the trail, every time I am out there. Every day is a blessing.
I love all your videos, they are inspiring and uplifting. In about an hour, I am going on a hike up here, somewhere wonderful! Cheers!
David this is incredible news! ❤️ 💪Congratulations. We're really happy for you. We both know what it's like to lose outdoor adventure even to short term injury, and hate that you had to face the possibility of a permanent loss. That really puts things in perspective, and you are just simply right: every day is a blessing. ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Amen. I am not done yet! Did a nice easy hike up and down Falls Road in Manker Flats. San Antonio Falls is roaring!
@@davidparker1746 Wonderful! ❤
Wow way to go , great video Baldy to iron mtn., it took me 2 days, you guys are awesome
Thanks David -- that's awesome you did it as a two-day trip! Where did you overnight?
Wow, that was kinda nutty bananas. Bravo to you guys, your physical toughness, your positive attitudes, teamwork, and spirit of adventure. That is definitely not a hike for the average weekend warrior.
Thanks so much Geoff! Yes, you're right, this is definitely a hike that people should work up to, probably doing Cactus to Clouds first to test their endurance, and at least some climbing either in a climbing gym or at least rock climbing in places like Joshua Tree. But with that said, it was hellaciously fun!! So glad you enjoyed it! Hope you like the adventures we have coming up this summer 😃
You guys make it look easy but I know it’s not! I was never afraid of heights until I became an old man and now I’m on the edge of my chair and squirming watching you guys climb. Man you two are in great shape to put on all those miles. Keep it going, thanks for videos!
Haha it’s funny you say we make it look easy because we both thought we looked like dying turtles on that last push to the summit 🤣 E has definitely gotten better about heights the more we do these climbs, it’s all about exposure therapy! So glad you’re enjoying the vids. Excited for what’s next, if CA can get some relief from these fires🤞
Wow, you guys brought back some memories of doing the back side Baldy and the devil's spine a few years back, awesome video...!!!
Baldy via Devil's Backbone was one of our first hikes together almost a decade ago -- great memories all around!
Wow very dangerous! I absolutely love it💪🏽
Haha thanks Jon! We absolutely loved this route. A total sufferfest, and yes scary in parts too. But wow is it fun and beautiuful!! ❤️
You each are such incredible hikers. I hike some of these trails, and I can honestly say I reach my limits at 4.5 K of elevation gain with 15 miles in distance. You guys do such hikes for breakfast and it's honestly so inspiring for people like me to continue pushing and exploring. Keep up these crazy adventures! I look forward to binge-watching the rest of your videos as well.
Thanks so much, Felipe! It's really an honor to hear we're inspiring you to keep pushing on these wonderful adventures. Very glad you saw this one -- it was definitely one of the hardest we've done -- and hope you enjoy all of the others as well! ❤️
Wow! This trip of yours takes me back. Long story coming: Back in 1992, I tried to go from Mt. Baldy to Iron Mtn with two friends on a warm Sunday in September. I remember the day very well because it was the day before our first quarter classes at Cal Poly. We left one vehicle at East Fork (west side of Iron Mtn) at 4am and then drove to Mt. Baldy and arrived at 5am or so. We hiked to the top of Mt. Baldy and I believe we reached the top by 8am or so. We were flying and made great time. Bombing down the side of West Baldy was super sketchy and fun, but as soon as we hit the San Antonio Ridge, we were met with thick, thorny bushes, which I saw a little bit of in your video. We were all wearing light jackets, shorts and Hi-Tec hiking boots (cheap Big 5 boots), but we ended up straddling the ridge to avoid the thorns. As we spent too much time straddling the ridge, instead of traversing it, we finally decided that we would need to go through the thorns, which was painful as heck and turned our white socks blood red within about 1 hour. By 4pm and the sun going down, we finally reached the base of Iron Mtn. We looked up at the Class 3 rocks and determined that we wouldn't be able to climb it due to sheer exhaustion and fear of falling to our deaths. Therefore, we reviewed our topo maps and created a new route by bailing off the south side of the ridge. It was definitely an adventure going "full cross country" as we found three old mines (Baldora Mine, Gold Dollar Mine, and Eagle Mine) which were really cool. We, then, reached the outskirts of Widman Ranch which had a huge, spray-painted sign stating, "NO HIKERS ALLOWED!". My topo map showed a trail to the north side of the town, but we couldn't locate it and so, we had to trespass through the ramshackle town with cobwebbed-filled trucks. We freaked out thinking this may turn into a scene from "Deliverance" if we got caught, so we sprinted through the town. We made it through the town and followed the river knowing that it would eventually connect with the East Fork River and back to our 2nd car. We had water and food but were physically drained from a hike that I thought may only take 6 hours and now it was almost 18 hours since we left the shuttle car at 4am. Thankfully, we had a full moon that night, because our mini-Maglite flashlights were not putting out enough light. We reached my buddy's car at about midnight and then drove back to Baldy Village to pick up my truck. We ended up getting back to Cal Poly at 2am. The next morning, when I woke up to go to class, my boots were completely destroyed. The entire sole of both boots from the heels to half the length of the boots, completely tore off from the boots, but I had no idea due to the suffer fest that we endured the day before. Our bare legs looked like Jesus' back from "The Passion of the Christ" as they were sliced beyond belief. To this day, I don't know how you can do this hike without slicing up your legs, so I have some questions for the both of you. Do the long gaiters work well through the thorny bushes on the San Antonio Ridge? Elise is wearing leggings and so how do you prevent them from being ripped to shreds? What kind of pants and gaiters does Adam wear?
Marc we freaking LIVE for these kinds of stories. Great, entertaining stuff -- thank you so much for sharing!! You guys were seriously badass to just make your own route back then. As for the gaiters -- they are absolutely crucial for getting through those thorns. We did get a little sliced up in a couple places when the thorns got up above the gaiters (and Elise was ultimately not able to save those leggings, but it was a small price to pay to the hiking gods). But for the most part, we were able to skirt the highest thorn bushes. Both of us wear Bluefield gaiters -- cheap and super effective. And Adam's running tights are from Craft -- a Scandinavian brand that specifically cuts for tall, lean people. They are not cheap, so he was glad the gaiters protected them!
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Thanks! I'll take a look at those gaiters. Do they lace around the bottom of the boots? If so, did the straps get torn up from the thorns and bush?
Our hike was a crazy adventure indeed. Our biggest bummer was that none of us brought a camera. This was 1992, before the ease of cell phone cameras, so none of us wanted to carry the weight of a camera and 35mm film. We weren't the brightest college students. All of us were using fanny packs too. Knowing what I know now, a small backpack would have been ideal for more water and gear. While descending into Coldwater Canyon, we found a Pennsylvania Oil can in very good condition and, at the time, we thought it may be an early edition of Pennzoil. That would have been a cool grab, but we didn't stay long and didn't have any room in our packs to carry it anyway. I do remember the mines having huge pulleys and cables still in place. I wonder what the mines look like now, 30 years later.
@@boyfester Those mines might be well worth a discovery adventure on our parts this summer! The gaiters have a strap around the bottom which does get a little torn up on rocks, but is still holding strong after more than a dozen hard uses. They fasten up the sides with velcro -- super convenient and easy to put on and take off.
As someone who lives in the eastern US and hiked up Baldy 3 times (the easy way ;-) ), this was a GREAT 👍🏻 adventure to follow…you 2 are meant for each other, keep it up…
Aw thanks so much! We’re so happy you guys back east are starting to see our videos. And awesome that you’ve climbed Baldy three times. Truthfully any route you Baldy isn’t easy coming from sea level. So good on you! Hope you get out here soon for some more climbing 🤗
Y'all are so brave! Doing all this climbing without so much as a pause. I couldn't do it even if my life wasn't in danger.
Haha yes we wouldn't really recommend this one to too many people. Like you say, 10,000 feet of climbing is no joke even without the danger element. But it's all about building up to it -- and speaking of, hope your 1000 footer went well!
I'm so glad that you finished this "sufferfest" without injury. The scenery is fantastic! It's amazing that there's such diverse beauty in So. Cal. Frankly, I don't think you could have finished the hike/climb without Pop Tarts and jelly beans. Adam, you're literally a walking advertisement for the Pop Tart brand. I'm sure that the manufacturer of "Jelly Belly" would love to get your endorsement, as well. Stay safe!
Haha Gar you are totally right about how essential the Pop Tarts and Jelly Beans were for this hike. First, of course, because it was a total sufferfest and we needed the glycogen. But second -- we find that in scary situations and/or situations where we're exhausted or in pain, there's something incredibly comforting about the snacks we loved when we were kids. Glad you got to see this vid -- we were really proud of this adventure, and the snacks were crucial (we shoulda brought more water, though!).
Oh my gosh you two are amazing,Iam so happy you accomplished such an incredible feat.You both had my heart rate ticking away for your safety,I thank GOD your both ok,and again for an incredible adventure.😊❤️
Thanks so much Joseph! Our hearts were firing as well during that scrambling haha. But one of the greatest adventures of our lives to date, so glad we captured some of it to share with you!
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Yes,thank you so much,you 2 are the best, many prayers for many more safe challenging exciting adventures,GOD BLESS😊❤️
The serenity that comes from being the only ones on top of the mountain peaks would be amazing. You guys are so inspiring. You teach us all.
You are absolutely right about the serenity. We literally will sit up there for twenty or thirty minutes meditating and giving thanks to our ancestors before even thinking about moving around or getting back down. Thank you so much for your encouragement! And by the way, we should have a very beautiful and serene one coming up for you next week ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHardThank you! can't wait!
What an amazing adventure to find a group of supportive hikers at the summit who've watched your channel! We're cheering you guys on both on the incredible hike and on the awesome progress of your videos. LOVE IT. We watched an ad to celebrate your monetization!
LOL you guys are the best! Haven’t seen ya in a while! Thanks for the encouragement. We realized one day that YT had started putting ads on our videos without us being monetized so it seemed kind of silly not to join their partner program. Hope you guys are doing well and having some great adventures!
wow! extremely dangerous but very impressive! be careful!
Thank you so much! Yes this one was a little dicey, but we are definitely working on taking good safety measures and practicing our climbing to make sure that we are really confident and secure even in places where there are a few cliffs.
'This looks so sketchy' was a bit of an understatement! 😂 Great fun getting out there making your own route, glad it all worked out, a day to remember for sure 👍🏃
Haha, sketchy certainly seemed to be the theme of the day! This climb has definitely got us thinking about what other crazy choose your own adventure type hikes we can create.... always hunting for that next big thing :D Thanks for watching!
Bravo, amazing journey!
Thanks Randy! This is a true SoCal adventurer rite of passage -- and it is a beast!! ❤️
I haven't watched your last few videos and catching up now and this one was crazy! You guys are nuts and I love it! Such awesome energy too and you are awesome in that you always find the humor even when suffering!
Thanks so much Brenda! Yeah, we have definitely found that laughter helps to ease the pain. Well, that and Advil 😂 really glad you’re enjoying the videos!
Wow. FEARLESS!!!!!!! Beautiful views and incredible skills!
Thanks Ariel! Glad you found this one -- it's a real right of passage for serious Southern California hikers, and we were super proud we made it through!❤️
Its delightful wicking up the thoughts of fellow channel-mates, there’s a noticeable loving theme from the emotionally invested -- your charismatic personalities are contagious!
On this journey for me - concern was rivaled by envy, apprehension quelled by your triumph, but I too felt my eyes engage in a debate similar to when you see young mountain goats scale the cliff sides of Zion 😉Stay safe my friends and thanks for sharing!
Haha thanks so much, Bill -- love the mountain goat metaphor! And we promise to stay safe. I've already improved my climbing skills a lot since the traverse, and am working on them weekly. I would definitely be more confident, competent, and thus ultimately safer if we did this climb now. ❤️ --E
and I now see why we lose so many people a year on these trails. I'm super glad you went up with knowledge and experience. We'll get people from the city that will atempt it who have never hiked cus it sounds like a "fun" outing. and..... splat.
Hopefully no one goes on this that hasn't done quite a bit of class 3/class 4 scrambling before because there were definitely some dicey moments up there.
Proud of you guys for doing this, but this is the first hike of yours that I am pretty sure I dont want to ever do lol
This year Im training my body to eventually hike Mt Whitney and/or do Cactus to Clouds. Your videos are definitely inspiration!
Aw well we love making you guys proud! 😌 and this hike is definitely not for everyone! But that’s the beauty of these vids- we can take you along without you ever having to do that treacherous scrambling haha. Whitney and C2C are both beastly though, sounds like an epic year ahead for you. We’re hoping to do Whitney again this year too!
you two are so inspirational keep on climbing!
Thanks Darla, that really means a lot to us! We will for sure keep on climbing, and have some big plans for 2022!
BEASTS!!!!
Haha, thank you!! This one definitely feels good :)
Just wow! 🙌💪
So glad you saw this one! It's definitely a SoCal rite of passage, and even still one of the hardest hikes we've ever done. ❤️
You both rock!
Thanks Gilbert! This one was a beast for sure, but so proud to have done it! ❤️
Well done you guys. Always such an inspiration ❤
Thanks Kevin! This hike was soooo freaking hard -- really glad you saw this one, and super happy it inspired you. ❤️
I was waiting for the outcome video! More power to you guys, we only made it to Iron Mt peak and back down!! I have to admit after we ran into you we were wondering how you were going to pull through such a challenge! You rock👍👍
We should have just brought you along with us! Iron is no joke though. Maybe this can be your next big climb :D
@@LiveHardxLoveHard right haha, maybe one of these days we will do that. Seems pretty rough though😅
Wow, you guys are in godly shape. I just did wheeler peak today and I couldn’t make it to the summit. I was shy by about 750 feet but I feel like I made the right choice because I started getting really dizzy and nauseated. there were some poor choices made that I will have to reevaluate. Took too many things in my backpack and didn’t carry quite enough water. There was multiple points when I was about 1500 feet or so from the summit where I started feeling like absolute shit. I got really nauseated and I couldn’t look down the hill because I would get real dizzy. Multiple times I thought to myself am I gonna have to call someone for help way up on this mountain? Of course that’s not an option so I had to walk my ass back down and that was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever dealt with in my life.. I think I’ve come to the realization that mountain climbing may not really be for me.
Good for you for turning around when you started to feel bad! Wheeler Peak is really high at over 13,000, and that's not an altitude to fool around with. Don't give up on mountain climbing yet, though! You might try acclimating at a high altitude (somewhere like Aspen CO is about 8000 feet) for a few weeks before you try it again, and see how that feels. I have a lot of trouble with altitude when I'm coming from lower down, but when I acclimate for a few weeks I can crush 14ers so hopefully it will be the same for you! --A
That was INSANE! I never got around to hike up Mt. Baldy even though I have lived in Southern California for over 55 years. You guys were really taking chances. I guess when you're young as I was we do anything crazy.
Haha yes this one got a little crazier than we thought it would -- probably because we took the wrong way around on a couple of those notches! But it was a good learning experience. And hey, it's never too late to climb Baldy! We know a guy in his 70s who does it regularly!!
Man, you guys are awesome.. !!
Thank you so much! We just keep setting goals and trying to improve every month 🤗
Genuine smiles of happiness is purely infectious.
There's nothin' quite like that mountain high, Mudius!!
You guys are kra-zee!!! I wish, lol. Would love to see a Q and A. You guys probably have the best hiking stories but it would be fun to hear about your life like how you met each other and your crazy life began. ❤
That's a fun idea -- we'll do a Q and A this winter once the storm season hits and we're stuck indoors! ❤️
You guys are the best. Love your wife’s hair and brother, I love your smile.
Thanks Rick! Sounds like you probably came of age in the '80s like I did. The first time I saw E's hair I was like, that is the best thing ever -- straight out of a late '80s movie or music video! Ten years and many adventures later, I still think it's the best. Very glad you're enjoying the channel. --A
the Pine/ Dawson / Baldy and back is also a super tough traverse. Rand out of water going back up Pine but survived
Oh heck yes, that is an excellent recommend! We will try it for sure. And totally feel you on running out of water. We've been trying to bring a lot more than we think we need lately to stop it from happening, but then we often end up carrying 5 extra pounds of water for no reason! But we've decided it's better safe than sorry when it comes to water, and pretty much always overshoot on it now after undershooting a few times in the past.
Y’all should have plenty more subscribers 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Thanks very much -- really glad you're enjoying some of these older classic SoCal adventures!! ❤️
You are the best testament that human bodies and minds are a miraculous machines !
Wow, thank you so much Ilia. This was definitely an adventure that we'd wanted to do for a long time, and preparation was the key. We waited until we'd acquired the right skills, and even so, as you saw, there were a few dicey moments. But, totally agree with you, where mind and body are willing, humans can do just about anything.
Wow! That was one of the craziest San Gabriel Adventures I've ever seen. Baldy is hard on its own, but also adding in San Antonio Ridge? That is some epic stuff. I will definitely check out your Baldy snowstorm video since I just did Baldy in the snow. Awesome stuff.
Hey, thanks so much! This trail was a beast for sure, but one of our all time favorites. Just checked out your channel and we are big fans! You are crushing it!
Amazing couples, cool hike! *Thanks for sharing - big thumbs up.*
Thanks so much! Seriously one of the greatest climbs of our lives, glad we could share it ❤️
Let me first say, CONGRATULATIONS! Now, if I’m your healthcare provider I would SERIOUSLY reevaluate your premiums😂. I was holding my breath & holding on to my desk as Elise successfully climbed thru those traverse pitches without fall protection gear. Candy is not what comes to my mind watching both of you, Lorazepam, yes😅 In all seriousness, please continue to exercise good judgment & thank you so much for sharing your wild & fantastic adventures.
Haha, well it’s a good thing Elise works in health care so they have no choice but to cover us! 🤣 Hope you didn’t need too much Xanax after that one 😜
Beasts. Seeing those people at that summit that watched your prior video probably gave you guys a solid second wind though.
Hey thanks Jared! It’s so true- when things got really rough we kept remembering how stoked everyone was at the summit to see if we could push on all the way to Baldy, and at that point we couldn’t let anyone down! 🤣🤗
U guys are incredible & awesome 😎
Thanks Juan! This hike was crazy hard, but so freaking fun as well. ❤️
Wonderful as always guys 👏👏❤️ #inspirational
Aw thank you so much! Happy we got to take you along on this one!
Your channel is breathtaking! Beautiful pictures, editing and always good mood. Impressive achievement! Thank you for taking me on your adventures.
Wow thank you so much! It’s encouraging comments like these that really keep us going. Can’t wait to share what’s ahead with you!!
Whoa! Amazing! I just love the mountains, and love living in a city where I’m surrounded by them and can escape to them whenever I want to. Thanks for sharing! Cool channel! I’m following!
We have not yet explored hiking in Tucson but you make it sound great! We also feel so fortunate to live so close to these beautiful mountains 😃
Amazing trail vlog. Wow, was low-key afraid for both of you 😂 glad you made it! Very scenic!
Thanks so much! Yeah, that one was a little bit dicey. We're planning to get back to the granite and away from the crumbly rock for a while after a couple of heart-stopping adventures in the San Gabriels!
You work very well together wish I was young again all this great info and talent. Keep on trucking
That’s so sweet Lisa, thank you so much! After ten years together, we have gotten pretty good at working as a team and maximizing each of our strengths. So glad we can share these adventures with you! ❤️❤️
So nervous watching!!! You two are incredible.
Haha thanks Tammy! I’m not gonna lie, I was a little nervous while doing this, but it was really good training for some of the climbs we’ve been doing since. Don’t want to make you too nervous, but can’t wait for you to see the epic scary climb we have coming up next week! ❤️ - E
Sooo cool to have met you two at the top of Big Iron before you guys took off... Certified BadAsses... my twins got excited that their mom was on your video😎
Peaches!!! Y’all are the greatest humans. Seriously lit our souls on fire and fueled us to the top of Baldy. The footage with you guys at the summit is our favorite, just love this community SO MUCH. Hope to see you AND your twins out crushing some trails soon!
Good idea 💡
So fun!!
Awesome video👍
Thanks! We really loved making and sharing this one, because it's such a rite of passage for SoCal hikers. ❤️
You two rock, I was watching and leaning forward while Boo-boo was doing the side rocks, like that would have helped, haha even my hand were sweaty for you. You two are seriously awesomeness
Haha thank you very much! Yes we definitely went the wrong way on that notch traverse, but thankfully made it across that sketchy part!! ❤️
I just again watched your ascent to mount baldy,it’s like reading a good book twice.You all deserve to have your own TV show entitled The Trail Blazers I absolutely love you guys,Iam asking in prayer everyday for my LORD to always protect Adam and Elise,I just love you 2 guys so much I only hope someday we can break bread together,keep up your great work you 2 are the best of the best😊😊😊😊❤️❤️❤️❤️🤣🤣🤣🤣
Thank you SO much Joseph! We would love to have our own show about trail blazing haha. We appreciate your support more than words can express. Take care of yourself ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard GOD BLESS YOU BOTH😊❤️!!!!
Wow, freaking amazing.
Thank you! This was definitely one of our favorite climbs ever!
Wow this was actually a crazy cool video. I've been out climbing around in the most rocky spots of the black hills in custer park and it was super nerve racking so I can imagine how you feel. I bet it felt like hanging on the edge of the earth the whole time.
Yes! Although since then we've done some even crazier climbs, so now looking back this one doesn't seem so bad. The really scary SoCal one was the Galena to Little San G traverse. Not sure if you've seen the ones we did in the Dolomites this summer, but some of those were even more nuts. Awesome that you did the Black Hills climbs. Would love to climb there one day, and def plan to do it when we do our cross-country hiking and climbing tour! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard I'll check out those videos right now. Thanks for writing back. Yeah if you ever get out to the black hills also check out the "badlands" about an hour or so east towards MN from the black hills. Its different terrain and maybe not the craziest overall but I bet you guys could have a hay day there with all the stuff you do you could make an especially cool video of scaling narrow ridge tops and such, its a really neat place.
@@steveklick Thanks, will do that for sure!
I just go to the water fall 😂the 1.4 mile one lol
Haha that sounds lovely, and especially right now -- the fall will be roaring after these rains!! ❤️
I just watched this video again and love it! What water jug is Adam using in that patch of snow? Can you post a link? Thanks!
So glad you like the video! That is a Salomon soft flask that Adam is using -- two of them come with the Salomon ADV skin vest that he's wearing (which Elise now has as well), and there's a link to it on the gear page of our website! ❤️
Oh my God, I'm so glad you're alive. That was a bit terrifying even to watch, roughly 7:00 minutes into the video. If I hadn't already known that you were all right, I would have really been scared watching that.
You went around the left (north) side of the second notch, when the easiest way is on the right (south) side. If you ever want to go back there, I'll show you the much easier and safer way to traverse the second notch. If I had gone the way you went, I don't think I would have made it.
I could FEEL we went the wrong way!!! When we got down off that I was like... I vaguely remember Yasha saying to the right is the best on the second notch, and of COURSE we went left. Glad to be alive too 🤣
Jelly beans & pop tarts, Yum! Views are beautiful. Do you ever see any mountain goats? You guys are great!
Haha yeah in general we try to eat healthy but sometimes in the middle of a sufferfest jelly beans and pop tarts are exactly what you need! And we have seen really awesome mountains mountain goats and even big horn sheep in glacier!
You two make me so nervous watching these climbs that you do. I find my pulse starting to race watching the technical portions of your climbs, hoping that errant rock you are relying on doesn't suddenly break away. YIKES!!! Love your videos and PLEASE be safe!!!!
Thank you so much-- we promise that we will be safe, and avoid too many of those crazy loose-rock verticals like this one and Galena Peak. We're not afraid of heights, but heights with a lot of loose rock scares us too!
Solid video. Great filming. Look beyond scary. Thank you for making this video so I can easily so NO to my friend that wants to hike this, pointing to this as evidence of WHY we can't do it. You probably saved two people's lives right there.
Haha thanks Jeremy! If it's any consolation, we figured out that we took the wrong line around gunsight notch, which is why it was so insanely dicey. Apparently if you go the other way around you can just kind of slide right over and down, and don't have to do that crazy traverse across the face. But there's no getting around the fact that whichever lines you take, it's still 10,000 feet or so of climbing! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Eeesh. You guys are "trail" blazes then. Haha.
Your mountains are so different from the Alps in Europe. But you are ready for the Watzmann traverse with that. You can find nice videos with "Watzmann Überschreitung". May be you like it. Nice done.
Wow Oliver that is a perfect recommendation for us -- thank you! It looks absolutely amazing, and we will definitely have to do it at some point. ❤️
Take what the mountain gives you, no more, no less.
That is about the best line of advice we could give to any mountaineer. ❤️
You guys killed it. Very nice camera shots. Ill have to try this one day with a partner.
Yes!! We hope you do this one -- it's def tough, but we felt so, so happy to have done it. It's a great SoCal hiker rite of passage!! ❤️
you are guys are insane. How old are you guys because you two seem to have unlimited energy!
Haha I'm only 32 and already getting too old for this stuff 😂 But not really -- we'll prob keep going til we drop! But this hike really does take it out of you. We were both destroyed by the time we got to Baldy summit! --E
Good job guys.If you want to step it up a notch try Whitney Mountaineers Route then come back down to summit Mt Russell or Mt sill. Shasta day summit is also a good one. The palisades, Williamson, Thunderbolt and Starlight are awesome.Just ideas Keep it up 🤘
Thanks Dan! We have a pretty cool vid of our Shasta in a day summit -- 80mph winds at the top! And all those others are great suggestions, and definitely on our list too -- hopefully several of them this year. Very cool idea to do Whitney and Russell in a day -- that would be a sufferfest for sure. ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard yeah those summits are tough but rewarding 🤘
Wow I am so stoked for this video. Proud of you guys. Now you got me pump up to considered doing this hike. We met on that same day doing iron mtn and you asked me if i wanted to do it. The name is Bao Lam and i do hope one of these days we might do a crazy hike in the future. It was nice meeting you guys and keep crushing it out there
Bao!! So great meeting you at the summit! We should have just brought you along with us 😂 but definitely if you're feeling pumped on this hike, we highly recommend! It's tough but if you felt good doing Iron it's definitely manageable. Let us know if you need any more info!
Brave is an understatement for you guys!Thanks for another fantastic video
Thank you, thank you! Delighted you enjoyed this one -- it was one of our favorite climbs and favorite videos ever.
Awesome! I gotta do this! I’ve done some crazy traverses recently you can see on my channel (e.g. Cucamonga Traverse) but keep putting off this one.
Awesome! Now that the massive snowstorms have started you might want to wait on this one until Spring, but it is definitely well worth doing. Very beautiful the whole way, and such a sense of accomplishment any time you can climb around 10,000 feet in a day!
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Hoping we get more snow, but I will definitely wait until the snow melts to do the San Antonio Traverse
Crystal may you rest in peace! Her legacy lives on! Mt Baldy has taken another life. You guys have done so many extreme hikes and know the risk. I know it is bad for filming, but may I reccommend helmets for those steep cliff climbs. With all the extreme snowfall and rain there will be alot rocks pushed out by ice and with the with the spring thaw they will be very loose. Please be careful!
Rest in peace, Crystal -- her passing is a terrible loss to the SoCal hiking community. Thanks for the reminder Ron and yes, we've already been getting more careful about helmets and this tragedy will definitely accelerate that process. 🙏❤
I hiked up Baldy and over to West Baldy last weekend and took a look down that ridge to Iron Mountain. Looks rather terrifyingly difficult to say the least
Ya it's mostly the insane elevation gain that makes it hard -- well, that and a couple of those crazy notch traverses!
I did this in my 20. 2015. I was in Shepardvill Kentucky and hiked Appalachia mountains that was beautiful
That is so awesome Frank! Adam's brother lives close to the Appalachian mountains so we have big plans to explore there whenever we can make it out!
@@LiveHardxLoveHard please visit Noah’s ark in Kentucky it was built by Amish. . I remember it was next to Cincinnati
I'm happy that I didn't know about that trail when I lived out there. I've been up ski hut trail a few times to the peak and that was hard enough for me. lol
Haha! Yes, once you know about this one it's hard to pretend like you don't ;) Ski hut is an awesome (and steep!) trail too though, just maybe not as terrifying as some of those notches!
Every time you encounter a seemingly dead end I love that Adam says “we can do this.” I use that same water filter that he uses, but I use it to fill my 3 liter bladder. Is that all of the water you guys carry? I got dehydrated by the six minute mark of this video. What planet are you two from!
Haha you are totally right -- we really underestimated our water needs on this one. There were really two factors: the weather was much hotter than forecast (like almost 20 degrees hotter!), and it took us longer than we expected to get through the traverse. Anyway, it was a good lesson to always bring more water than we think we'll need. Elise is better at that than Adam, but Adam is learning!
Loving your videos guys. Makes me want to get out and explore more often.
Thanks so much Lee! And that is SO awesome. One of our favorite things about sharing these vids is hearing about other adventures we've inspired out there :D Happy trails!
Holy smokes!! You two rock!! and....are multi talented!! You crush the climbs....and then you climb the walls; wow! I am really glad that at the point you said that you two are really tired that the technical parts were over.
Ha..."I'm going to celebrate so hard when we get over to Baldy"; time to down 5 pop tarts!!
I'm down for the long trail movements, as well as vertical gains of the trails going up to the passes or summits. But, the amount of more technical class 3 and 4 that you did would be beyond my limit. It is why I bring my dog....I have an out then hehehehe.
Safe travels!!
Haha thanks so much! We do like to climb the occasional cliff, although to be perfectly honest we would prefer if it didn’t have quite as much vertical exposure on dicey rock as we had to face on this one. It’s been good to be back up in the sierras lately where the rock is granite and the holds generally feel much more secure.
What kind of insanity have you two been getting up to?! I thought that ascent was crazy until I saw you inching your way back down! Great video - awesome views - keep pushing! Congratulations on 1K subs - all the best to you both! Well deserved!
Thank you so much! We’ve definitely been hunting for some insane adventures 🤣 now the question is how will we top this? 🤷🏻♀️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard I have complete confidence in your abilities to go bigger and crazier! Keep it coming!
Well right back at ya!!
So so awesome you guys did that crazy hike/traverse. I was just up at 12,500 on Mt. Elbert at a spot I love and it was awesome. Keep up the great videos.
Thanks so much, Douglas! We will keep it up and might very well attempt Elbert ourselves this summer! How was it up at 12,500? We haven't been that high in a while.
@@LiveHardxLoveHard It was a pretty epic day, the views as always are worth the hard work. I spend all of my spare time hiking these mountains. Mt. Elbert is literally in my back yard. I am very blessed to live where I live and I’m able to hike these amazingly beautiful mountains. You guys have such a positive attitude like I do and I love it. Love the videos.
Great videos!! The way you guys motivate each other is awesome!!
Aw thanks Leo! So glad you’re liking the videos. And you are totally right, on these real sufferfests, some interactive motivation is SO helpful. We’re both very grateful we’ve found a good hiking partner 🤗 wait til you see the one we have coming up this week, it’s crazy!
Y'all owe me a soda! Lol right when you started the final ascent I was like damnnnn bushwacking at it's finest like 2 seconds before Elise said it 😂😂
LOL great minds, Victor! If I ever run into you on the trail, I will definitely try to track you down a soda! Haha :) - E
Beast mode for sure! I saw your post on SoCal hikers. Congrats Adam and Elise! Whew! That looked so scary through those notches, my heart was pounding. Love your adventures.
You're the sweetest Casey! Those notches were definitely nerve racking, was stoked when we figured out we had finally made it through. Not sure if you're into these kind of hikes with scrambling, but man, it was one unforgettable adventure if you're up for the challenge ❤️ -E
@@LiveHardxLoveHard yes, I have done some class 3 scrambling. Sometimes it is the only way up, over or down, especially on some of the desert hikes. The past few hikes of the 100PeakChallenge there has been a lot of bush whacking and short class 2/3 scrambling. Nothing comparable to the Traverse Notches though. Gotta bag those peaks! I have a pair of bush whack gators similar to the ones you were wearing, they have saved my legs. Did you ever get new pair of trail runners?
Oh wow, we have got to get a good list of peaks from you. I personally love hikes with some scrambling and want to keep building up my skills/experience. These gaiters were a life saver. It was hard to show on camera but there was a really challenging patch of bushwhacking just past the notches that was incredibly painful. Was very glad to have had these along. And I keep meaning to take the time and try out some new trail runners but I haven't gotten around to it! I need to though before our big summer of climbing, these are so dead haha.
I would have a massive panic attack if I did that lol
Haha ya this one was a bit dicey in a couple of places, Joe, though we found out later that was mostly because we chose the wrong way around on a couple of the notches 🙈 Still, was a super fun adventure!
The Sky is so incredibly blue.
Yes this hike gives you incredible long views of mountains and plains blending into sky -- the camera can't even capture all of it, but to the eye it is truly dazzling. ❤️
You guys have such great energy. I absolutely love watching your videos! We go on similar crazy adventures like you guys and I have to say, I love the outdoors and all the great people who also challenge themselves to things outside their comfort zones ;) cheers you two! xx
Thank you so much Abbey! We’ve seriously met THE most awesome people out on the trails, we just love the hiking community! And you say you like crazy too? We might just have to pick your brain for other insane adventures like this. 🤗❤️
Rock Tested is as important as when driving we do shoulder check.
Yes! You said that perfectly. Testing every rock should just become a habit. ❤️
Nice route! Looks like fun 🤩
Hey Jimmy thanks so much! I think you may love this route 🤗✌️
Wow this is amazing and scary! You guys are such an inspiration.
There were definitely some terrifying moments, but wow such an incredible feeling to have done it. Thanks so much for watching and supporting! ❤️✌️
You should give Mt Williamson a try if you haven't already!
Yes Charles!!! Williamson is very high up on our list -- it looks like a beautiful and epically long sufferfest, and we've been wanting to do it for a couple of years now. Possibly this fall, after we get back from Europe!
@@LiveHardxLoveHard awesome. Williamson will test you but based on your resume you'll be fine!
Enjoy Europe and would be great to get a Williamson video if/when you both do it. Not a ton of great vids on that I was able to find before doing it.
@@charles2031 We will most definitely video it!
amizing i like it very lovle
So glad you liked this one -- it was one of the hardest hikes we've ever done for sure!!
You two are so fun. Would love to see a short video on types of gear you use.
Thanks so much Jerry! And that is a great idea for a vid. We've gotten a few requests now for a gear breakdown vid, so the next day we have some free time while not out on the trails, we'll give it a go!
What program/app do you use for your map at the start?
So we upload the GPX of our route into Google Earth desktop version and create our own tour :)
Nice, I wore out my knees doing those hikes. No regrets.
That is awesome, we plan to do EXACTLY the same thing! 😜
Definite Type 2 Fun. Your generation is blessed to be able to record your crazy sh*t, because even an honest retelling is less thrilling than the video. Strong, strong work! God bless the beautiful California Republic too!
Thank you so much! We were literally just talking about this, and totally agree with you. Not only is the video better than a retelling, but it’s often better than our own memories. Sometimes our memories of an adventure will fade, and then we’ll look back at the video and go “God, that was epic!” We really do feel blessed to have this technology and the ability to share it 🤗
Y’all are crazy but awesome!! Love your videos you two!!
Thank you so much! Honestly can’t think of a way we would prefer to be described than that. Really happy you’re liking the videos, and if you like crazy awesome, just wait until this week’s! 🤗
@@LiveHardxLoveHard can’t wait!! Hope to run into you at the beach one day :) (you won’t catch me doing what you do, EVER! Hehe only some light hiking)
Haha that would be awesome! Do you go to Santa Monica beach?
@@LiveHardxLoveHard sometimes! Mainly for biking
You definitely have to stop us and say hi if you ever see us out there! Love that bike path :)
Awesome video thanks!!! We are gonna try this exact hike in a couple weeks hopefully now snow... those class 3 scrambles look scary though!!!!
No way, that is so awesome! To be fair, we found out after we got down that we definitely took the wrong routes across some of the notches. When you get to the second notch (the scariest looking one in the vid, where Adam and I were saying that we didn't think we could get back up and around) we took the left side, which meant we had to climb across that wall. We heard from a fellow hiker that the right side should be safer and closer to class 3 rather than class 4. Gunsight notch, the last notch, is doable, it's just challenging because you have to find your footing going backwards. But you got it! Let us know if you need any other beta :)
Guys, after finishing watching this episode, my adrenal gland said "I'm outta adrenaline!"
Hahaha that's exactly what ours were saying when we got through all the notches!!! It was definitely a little dicey in places, but looking back on it we wouldn't trade this hike for anything -- even all these months later, we still remember every part of it like it was yesterday. It's like a rite of passage for hardcore SoCal hikers, and we're really glad we did it.
Wow 😯 scarry great job guys.
Thanks so much Genevieve! This was definitely a little nutty even for us 😂