Mount Ritter, Mountain peak in Madera County, California
Mount Ritter is a summit in the Ritter Range, located in Madera County, California, within the Ansel Adams Wilderness. The mountain is made largely of metavolcanic rock, which gives its faces a dark and rough texture that sets it apart from the granite peaks nearby.
The peak was named by Josiah Whitney, who led the California Geological Survey, after Carl Ritter, a geographer based in Berlin in the 19th century. The name reflects the close ties that American scientists of that era maintained with European academic circles.
A summit register at the top holds entries from climbers who have made the ascent over many decades. Reading through the pages gives a sense of how many people have been drawn to this remote peak.
Reaching the top calls for technical climbing skills and proper safety gear, as some sections of the route are steep and exposed. The most common starting points are near Agnew Meadow and the camping areas within the Ansel Adams Wilderness, so it is worth planning the approach in advance.
John Muir wrote about one of his most frightening climbing moments on the rocky face of this mountain, describing how he froze on the rock and had to summon all his will to continue. That account became one of the most read passages in American nature writing.
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