| Welcome to the homepage for the Western States Climbers (WSC). We maintain a list of notable peaks to climb within a day's drive of the cities of Northern California and Western Nevada. This "WSC Peak List" covers a variety of mountain ranges throughout California, including the Sierra Nevada, the Great Basin (high desert), and Southern Oregon (Cascades). While we now have limited coverage in the Western States, the list could be expanded to other areas if knowledgeable climbers identify an appropriate set of worthy peaks to climb elsewhere within the west. | |
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In addition to the WSC Peak List, we keep copies of three other, more specialized lists, which cover; Lake Tahoe area peaks (the Tahoe Ogul Peak List), California Coastal Range peaks, and northern Sierra Nevada gorge scrambles (the SGS list). Due to extensive interest, we continue to maintain and award emblems and list completion status for the Tahoe Ogul Peak List. As for the California Coastal Peaks List, while we do not award recognition for climbing peaks on this list as of this writing, we will make suitable updates to this list as requested. As for the SGS List, if this sport would become popular again, we would welcome participants to join us in reactivating this list by proposing updates and awarding emblems as discussed under "History" below. These lists offer a worthy set of objectives for those seeking adventure, solitude, and the opportunity to explore some of the most interesting and spectacular areas in the northern Sierra Nevada and California's Coastal Ranges. |
Climbing peaks on these lists will involve moderate to very strenuous hiking,
and a few climbs require specialized skills such as rock climbing.
Gorge scrambling requires a related set of specialized skills such as
hot weather hiking and swimming. These activities can be dangerous,
and help may not be available in the remote areas where they take place.
Hence, the novice adventurer should avoid pursuing the more remote and
difficult objectives without guidance from more experienced climbers.
Many fine courses are available which can provide applicable training,
and several organizations sponsor trips led by experienced climbers.
Mountaineering is a dangerous sport that kills hundreds of people every year,
and the authors of this site assume no liability whatsoever for any information presented here.
Before going into the mountains, it is your responsibility to obtain the necessary experience, skills, and gear.
To acquire information on how to improve your
skills and gain experience, whether you are a novice or an expert, we suggest:
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Some members of this group liked water as much (or more) than the high mountain air, and they also put together a list of worthy Gorge Scrambles in the northern Sierra Nevada. This rather unique activity is described in detail on the SGS Gorge List. These people called themselves the Sierra Gorge Section and, together with the NAS, formed the Peak and Gorge Section of the Sierra Club, Mother Lode Chapter. Sierra Club, Mother Lode Chapter
About a decade later, a few members of the group put together a more limited list of notable and worthy peaks in the area around Lake Tahoe, all which could be done as day hikes from their base in Sacramento. They called this list the Tahoe OGUL List, which is the Washoe Indian Tribe's name for the Mountain Sheep who once roamed the mountains in the Lake Tahoe area. This list was somewhat more successful, in that a number of members of the group completed the list by reaching the summit of every peak on it.
After another decade, the group published a list of peaks to climb in the California Coastal Ranges. However, this California Coastal Peak List was never approved by their membership at large, due to concerns that some of these peaks were on private land.
Unfortunately, membership of the Peak and Gorge Section declined over the years. When several core members moved out of the area, interest in these activities faded to the point that its members voted to disband this section in 1998. The Mother Lode Chapter consequently relegated the Peak and Gorge Section to "Inactive Status". About the same time, Peak and Gorge member John Sarna, in coordination with other members of the Section, designed a set of webpages with the NAS, SGS, Ogul, and Coastal Peak Lists, along with the Section's recognition lists, and published them on a private internet server to make them, to the extent possible, generally available to the public.
The Western States Climbers (WSC) was formed in the year 2000 to continue the tradition and promote the diverse hiking and climbing experiences these peaks offer. The webpages were redesigned and published courtesy of Climber.Org. They have been intermittently updated with better information presented by other climbers - under the direction of an Executive Committee formed in 2013, who also review applications for emblems and list finisher status before being listed on these webpages.
Note - Neither the webpages nor the WSC itself is still affiliated with the Sierra Club.
The Western States Climbers recognize significant accomplishments in reaching objectives on the WSC Peak List by inclusion on the "WSC Internet Recognition List" of Emblem Holders and List Finishers. To obtain a place on this list, you must have climbed a specified number of peaks. Those who qualify can be awarded Emblem Status, Super Emblem Status, and List Completion Status. While the WSC does not maintain the Tahoe Ogul or SGS Gorge List, it will record the names of those who claim to have met the applicable qualifications on the WSC Internet Recognition List. Previously, a patch was awarded, at cost, to those who achieved emblem status on the WSC Peak List and the SGS Gorge List, and an OGUL T-Shirt was awarded, at cost, to those who have achieved emblem status on the Tahoe OGUL Peak List. However, these awards are no longer available.
The process for obtaining recognition is specified under "process" on the WSC Internet Recognition List of Emblem Holders and List Finishers.
Those who have been recognized for significant accomplishments on the WSC Internet Recognition List can be found at:
Please send any comments on this page to the WSC Executive Committee.
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This page was last updated Jan 2015