Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Rockwell variation

Bob R, could you tell me more about the Rockwell variation for Mt Russell. Does it eliminate some of the ridge traverse? is it class 111? have you done this in snow ? a few first timers will be going , in your opinion would it be better to do the east ridge for their first time? Thanks Dave

Dave - Check this thread out

http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000720

Bob talks about the route and has a link to some great pictures.

It doesn't eliminate any of the Russell East Ridge traverse; it just gets you to the start (Russell-Carillon Pass) a different way. And, except for a few possible class 3 moves through a rock band, it is all class 2.

I have some pictures taken going up the "Variation" on a climb of Mt. Carl Heller in 2002. See pictures 009 – 022. There are many ways to get through the rock band at the bottom of the final couloir, and all are class 2 with perhaps some having a few moves of easy 3. You just have to look around.

The advantage of the route over the usual one up the slope from UBSL is that there is "only" a few hundred feet of looseness vs. ~1500'. But it is important to stay high and left as much as possible; if you stay in the middle of the couloir it is loose pretty much the whole way up. Actually, the blue line in the picture below, taken from the summit of Whitney, is drawn too far out to the middle.

Everyone I have talked to, who have done both this way and the usual way, say this way is much better. And I have heard people say this way was terrible, but I don't know if they have gone the usual way before for comparison, and I don't know the details of how they went up the couloir (some people just blindly charge up things without a clue how to finesse).

I haven't done it in snow. A couple of months ago, two friends and I tried to repeat the Russell climb of 2003-06-28 but were stopped by soft snow going through the rock band. We were post-holing (too steep for snowshoes) and it would have taken too long, so we turned back. I bet it would be just fine, now. Probably better, with snow over the loose part higher up the couloir.

First timers sometimes are amazingly poor at route finding on even simple terrain. Claw up a slab when there is an obvious path 5' to the side. The only "tricky" part on the whole route is about 100 vertical feet through the rock band. As long as you have one person along who is good at it, you shouldn't have a problem.

But I wouldn't take novices on the East Ridge, on the north side above Russell-Carillon Col, until the snow is gone. Russell is not too difficult in summer, but is a very serious undertaking in winter conditions. I would prefer the South Face route; it's in the sun most of the way. And take a short rope for the steep last part.

By the way, I didn’t name this "Variation." The route wasn't in R.J. Secor’s first edition, so I wrote him about it. I was surprised to see my name attached to it in his second edition.

The red line in the picture is a "variation" on the "Variation." I went that way once and it was fine. But there is about 20' of easy but steep class 3 at the top that some may not like.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1157/1315842404_56f7070198_o.jpg

Hey Bob,
Looking through your album, you mentioned the little climbed mountain, Peak 4225m(or soemthing like that), is just due west of Russell and that it still has an original entry from Norman Clyde. Do you know if this is still there? I would think it should be removed and placed in the Sierra Club archives before some unscrupulous climber makes it his own or the register is struck by lightning.
When was the last time you climbed this peak and do you recall when the party before you climbed it?

It's Peak 4245 on the 7.5-minute topos or 13,920+ on the 15-minute ones, about 1/2 mile west of Mt. Russell. Class 2 or very easy 3. I was last there in August 1998. The peak gets climbed so seldom, I rather doubt that the jokesters have been there.

I don't remember the last party to climb it. It's probably frequented once a year or less.

The question of whether old registers should be removed to be preserved, or left in place for the enjoyment of future climbers. Big question, and I really don't know how I feel about it. The Williamson summit register has the old one, going back over 100 years - but it is a Xerox copy. Seems to be a middle road.

One thing is sure: The way to encounter old registers is to go for remote, relatively unpopular peaks. Personally that's what I like to do. So why am I on Whitney, Thor, etc. so much? I like to do them, too!

Bob

I'm confused now, which isn't too unusual these days. Are these the routes you are talking about?

<img src=http://members17.clubphoto.com/_cgi-bin/members/compact_slide_show.pl?album_item_id=55559385>

OK, that didn't work. I'll try it again.

<img src=http://a2.cpimg.com/image/32/7D/31684402-5170-02000180-.jpg>

Nope, this is a picture of the twin summits of Russell from the south. The west one is higher, so is "the summit of Russell." Peak 13,920+ is about 1/2 mile west of there, way left and out of the picture, and is reached by going over to the Tulainyo Lake side and climbing its north slopes.

The blue line in your picture is the normal South Face, right side, route of Russell. The red line chute is harder. I haven't tried it but some friends did last year, said when it got to about mid-5th class they turned around. (They took only a light rope and couple of slings, since they expected a short pitch of 4th class.)

Just to the left of your red line is the Fishhook Arete.

Bob I was not referring Peak 13920+ but your variation route to Russell. By the way did you get my e-mail about the June hike?

The summit register issue is a real controversy.

They are real historical documents. I've never failed to be amazed by what I read in them.

I remember that when Bob mentioned that he had attended a wedding on a Sierra Peak, I thought back to last year, when I led a group to climb Siretta Peak, only to find an account of the event.

It seems reasonable to remove them when full for safe-keeping, returning a copy to the summit, for new summiters to read.

But, as RJ Secor writes:
"It is worth remembering that the first summit registers in the High Sierra was placed by William Brewer...on top of Mount Brewer on July 4, 1864. It remained there until 1895, when it was removed from the summit and placed in the headquarters of the Sierra Club in San Francisco for safekeeping. In 1906, the headquarters of the Sierra Club was destroyed in the San Francisco earthquake and fire".

It seems that the ability to protect from fire is now vastly superior to that in the past, and I find it maddening that people are stealing the registers off the summits.

I agree Ken, and it is not just the big name peaks who's registers are being stolen or defaced, smaller more obscure peaks are facing the same issue too.

I've lost count of how many registers I have come across that were either left open or totally missing papers and pen on peaks that most people don't even know about. It is my opinion that if there are any more peaks, like the one that Bob mentions, that have registers of historical meaning that they should be removed and placed in the archives. It does no one any good if some ya-hoo comes along, finds one of these important registers and makes a place for it on their bookshelf.

Bob, what kind of a climb is it to peak 4245m from the Whitney-Iceberg Col?

Thanks for all the info, I may have to stick to the approach I did once before to eliminate any new route finding with first timers, my first trip from UBL to the Russ/Carillon pass was not bad, there seemed to be some breaks in the talus by working up the slabs to the sides. We stopped at the east summit and head home like babies, I need to go back and do it this year! Thanks Dave.

Spinefxr, sorry for the misunderstanding. The way we climbed Russell was first up the route from UBSL shown below to the crest:

<img src="http://a1.cpimg.com/image/E3/49/22350051-b45a-02000180-.jpg"width=480>

Then, after crossing over, we joined the route which you show above in blue.

I guess I didn’t get your e-mail. Or maybe I got it but couldn't go, responded negatively, and forgot about it. At any rate, it’s not on my calendar for June (I am committed for every weekend except 5/6, but there are a lot of weekdays free). Can you refresh my memory?

Stryder, I've never considered that. Secor doesn't mention climbing it from this side, but look at the far left in the picture below. Peak 13920+ is barely visible. Looks like there may be a not-too-difficult way up it. Wanna try for a FA?

<img src="http://a3.cpimg.com/image/41/E9/16037953-dcc8-02000180-.jpg"width=480>

Dave, good luck. I know it is important to achieve what you set out to do. Fortunately, I live close enough, and have the time and motivation, to just go up and play around a lot. But most people are not that lucky.

Ken, last year, on Lone Pine Peak - a popular and well-known objective - the summit register was missing. Last week, on Kid Mountain - a much-ignored but easy-to-get-to objective - the summit register was gone. Last year also, the 40 y/o summit register on Thor disappeared. The problem seems to rise now and then, then go away for a few years, like an epidemic.

Bob, what is the common practice for replacing or adding to a register? I had heard trip reports a while back about people not finding a register on Mt Starr which we were planning to hike. We did the snow hike ( or sink) Mar 20 and I took an ammo box with a register to leave behind. The Snow kicked our butts and we hit the ridge too far North missing our objective by a distance we were not able to handle safely at days end. Not prepared to bivouac we came down making it a twelve hour day, and of course not leaving a register. I had checked with the SPS of the Sierra Club and they did not maintain a register there, so who does ? Here is some pics of our trip. http://community.webshots.com/album/128715130larjks

Dave,
Nice pics of Little Lakes Valley, it looks like there is still a ton of snow down there. It's been years and years since I was last in LLV. The last time I was there I had a fine climb of the Hourglass followed by a great first ascent of Mt. Dade, what a wonderful trip that was. I also made a trip up over Mono Pass and down to Fourth Recess Lake many years ago when I was a teenager, that was a slog.

Anyway, my question is, what's the deal with the guy in the hut? Is he there to collect money for the snow park or is it just a guy who likes camping in the snow near trailhead bathrooms?

Bob R, have you ever traversed the ridge from pk 4245 to the Russell summit? It looks like a 1/2m class 11 with a short serious end climb to the summit. SS, the hut is owned and rented by RC Lodge, its at Mosquito Flat in winter only and allows back country hikers to haul climbing gear and leave the stoves, tents, pots, fuel, candle lanterns, etc at home. plus its 6m in to the LLV from the closest parking.

RJ Secor says it is class 3 if you stay well off the ridge when difficulties are encountered. In the summit register, Claude Fiddler said it was high 5th class if you stay on the ridge. Looking at Russell from Pk. 4245, I can certainly believe Fiddler! If Secor is also correct, you would have to drop down quite a way, especially when close to Russell.

Here are some resources...

http://www.summitpost.org/mountains/route_link.pl?route_id=4032&object_id=383

P.S. Hi Bob!