Piper cherokee pilot reported ATC vectored the aircraft toward high terrain in the vicinity of vny.

Attributes
ACN	1645019
Time
Date	201904
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	VNY.Tower
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Descent
Route In Use	Vectors
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Function	Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Private
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20 Flight Crew Total 200 Flight Crew Type 180
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Miss Distance	Horizontal 2000 Vertical 3000

Narrative:

I had been practicing IFR approaches into oxr and were vectored home through van nuys airspace on the north side; approximately 5 miles off vny. I was descending down to 3000 ft prior to entering class D for whp with 2000 ft altitude pattern.I was skirting the mountains fairly close; and fairly low to the ground; at about 120 knots.I was vectored to a left 135 heading. I stated to the controller from vny 'that is into the mountain!'he retorted back; 'I suggest you climb.' my CFI took over from that point. It is her aircraft and she flies it easier than she walks. She went full power; and found a sliver into the mountain range; which allowed for a steep ascent. Because flying in VFR conditions with full afternoon light I could easily see the mountains that are over 4000 ft tall; and jagged.had it been night time; had I been disoriented and didn't know what I was... I would have taken those vectors into the mountain.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Piper Cherokee pilot reported ATC vectored the aircraft toward high terrain in the vicinity of VNY.

Narrative: I had been practicing IFR approaches into OXR and were vectored home through Van Nuys airspace on the north side; approximately 5 miles off VNY. I was descending down to 3000 ft prior to entering Class D for WHP with 2000 ft altitude pattern.I was skirting the mountains fairly close; and fairly low to the ground; at about 120 knots.I was vectored to a left 135 heading. I stated to the controller from VNY 'That is into the mountain!'He retorted back; 'I suggest you climb.' My CFI took over from that point. It is her aircraft and she flies it easier than she walks. She went full power; and found a sliver into the mountain range; which allowed for a steep ascent. Because flying in VFR conditions with full afternoon light I could easily see the mountains that are over 4000 ft tall; and jagged.Had it been night time; had I been disoriented and didn't know what I was... I would have taken those vectors into the mountain.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.