A daring adventure through a natural lava chute

Statistics

0 - 1

hrs

74

m

811

m

37

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Difficult

Description

Hole in the Wall is a backcountry ski route that will challenge even advanced skiers, located in the out of bounds area at the back of Mammoth Mountain.

It’s a geological rock formation created from cooled lava, which through a process of natural erosion formed a chute in the cliff.

So where lava once flowed, now intrepid backcountry skiers shoot down a rocky tunnel.

Begin at the Gondola at the top of Mammoth Mountain California.

Traverse down through the woods, being aware of hazards such as rocks and roots, as the route down is on the sunny south facing side of the mountain so tends to have patchier snow coverage than the rest of the resort.

The entrance to the Hole in the Wall is extremely steep and prone to ice, so scout out the rough patches before whizzing down this awesome chute.

To get back you need to ski down in the direction of Twin Lakes and do a short spurt of cross country to get yourself back to Tamarack Lodge (1-760-934-2442) and catch the Orange line bus which departs every half hour during the day and will take you right back to the resort.