Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Arc Pass

Whenever I've stayed at Trail Camp over the past couple of years, I've found my eyes drawn to the smooth sweep of Arc Pass to the South. On my trusty Whitney Zone topo, it looks like there's a pretty straightforward traverse from Mt. McAdie across the pass to Mallory and/or Irvine, with access from Horsewhoe Meadows via New Army Pass and, probably Sky Blue Lake. I'd like to take a shot at it, probably late in August.

Any advice from board veterans? Is there an existing thread describing something similar that I missed? Are the slopes that appear gentle on the map actually a jungle of boulders and scree?

As always, thanks to all the helpful posters out there in WPSMB-land.

Phil

Here are some pictures from a trip two years ago, that covers some of the terrain you are asking about: Candlelight, Mallory, McAdie

It's a pretty benign area, as you surmise, except there is a dangerously loose section on McAdie, below the summit.

Yes, you can get there from Sky Blue Lake, and it's a nice way to go if you have the time. If not, you can ascend Arc Pass from Consultation Lake. The traditional way is up at the far left of the pass, then traverse over to the middle toward the low point of the pass. But much of it is very loose.

In my mind, a better way is to go up an obvious zigzag system that starts directly below the low point. It's still a little loose, but not as bad as the left side. The snow in the picture below (taken June 23) outlines it nicely.