Climbed the West Face from Evolution Lake. The final approach is quite tedious but the climb starts very well. The first pitches are solid class 3 on good rock but the middle part of the chute is loose and rather annoying. The final ascent to summit plateau was great again. I climbed all the way to ridge and found some nice and exposed scrambling. Unfortunately I wasn't very well prepared to make it to the true summit. I guess I should have studied some trip reports to learn how to get there....
YEM - Jul 27, 2020 12:16 pm Date Climbed: Jun 16, 2020
Darwin Snowfield
Spectacular camp in Darwin Canyon and a great trip up the snow to the west ridge. The snow on the gully leading turned super soft on the descent, providing much more of a challenge than expected. I returned to North Lake via Alpine Col and Piute Pass. Such an amazing area to explore!
midi510 - May 29, 2019 1:52 pm Date Climbed: May 14, 2019
Skied the North Couloir/Face
I checked the successful box because we made it to our intended high point, which was the top of the North Couloir. I was literally just a couple feet short of the summit plateau, and we climbed to to top of the little spur next to the couloir. It would have been a serious detour and quite a bit of extra time to go to the true summit block. As it was, we made it to our intended camp above the lake south of Alpine Col just as the sun slipped behind Mt. Goethe.
Romain - Jul 25, 2018 10:53 am Date Climbed: Jul 21, 2018
West Ridge
West Ridge, with René Renteria. Getting to the notch is loose and circuitous, but the ridge climb is very pleasant and the summit block spectacular. Trip report
Turtleggjp - Aug 29, 2017 12:00 pm Date Climbed: Aug 26, 2017
West Ridge
Dayhike from North Lake via Darwin Glacier and West Ridge with Iris Ma. Long day (17 hours 10 Minutes), but lots of fun. Good route finding above the glacier, a bit loose in places climbing up to the west ridge, but no serious issues. Fun scrambling along the ridge itself, plenty of ducks to guide us. The summit block was a little tricky since we had 2 pieces of beta telling us to go around the right side (Secor, and this website), but I could find nothing that looked good. Makes me wonder if something has fallen down in recent years. The left side was much easier. Just drop down less than 50 vertical feet into the chute, then traverse clockwise around the summit block, climbing another chute with a chockstone at the top. That brought us to the final class 3 moves on the back side that let us finish the climb. Got to do a little glissade down the glacier on the return too!
My video is here:
https://vimeo.com/234528934
Fairweather - Oct 18, 2015 12:28 pm Date Climbed: Jul 31, 1989
East Face Right Side
With Suzi from Midnight Lake.
Fun route, nice summit.
CameronGround - Sep 30, 2015 1:21 am Date Climbed: Sep 27, 2015
NE Ridge / E Face
Dayhike from N Lake, started up NE ridge but even after the spicy start a whole lot of it looked harder than class 4, so ventured out onto the east face. Eventually ran back into the top of the ridge and crossed over to gain the summit plateau. Down via N face (the east rock rib, not the ice chute), where I was treated to one of the best sunsets I've ever seen, without even being able to see the sun itself.
bechtt - Nov 17, 2014 9:39 pm Date Climbed: Jul 21, 2007
West Face
From Evolution Lake with Gordon. Did Mendel in the afternoon.
BobD3 - Oct 31, 2014 12:43 pm Date Climbed: Jul 18, 2014
Standard route
From upper Darwin Lake. Climbed the summit block via dropping to a small "V" chute on the left side. Felt like class 3.
Climbed with Hakan yalcin, Vladimir ulyashin , and Mike Chen, via Lamarck Col. Most difficult was climbing the nasty chute from Darwin glacier to the West ridge, probably class 4. We belayed the summit pinnacle from the nearest side via a 5.6 finger crack.
Vitaliy M. - Aug 31, 2013 12:23 pm Date Climbed: Aug 24, 2013
Evo
27 hour c2c climb of Evolution Traverse.
Donno - Aug 12, 2013 11:31 pm Date Climbed: Jul 29, 2005
N. Face
Climbed snow/ice to 50deg w/ Chris, Reza and Sung
ajberry - Oct 27, 2012 4:26 pm Date Climbed: Sep 14, 2009
Darwin at 200
With Dunbar Carpenter. Camped at Evolution Lake, up & down via W Face gullies. A tribute to Chas Darwin on his bicentenary. Summit block was a bit of a challenge for me, but none at all for Dunbar...
dshoshone - Jun 13, 2012 3:30 pm Date Climbed: Jun 11, 2012
West Ridge
The ridge was fun cl. 3 The chute above the glacier was an interesting mix of snow and ice, not bad going up,coming down a little sketchy
tb00957 - Aug 25, 2011 4:51 pm Date Climbed: Aug 22, 2011
West ridge
need ice axe/crampon to the notch. Wish we brought a rope for the summit block, very exposed.
seano - Aug 18, 2011 8:41 pm Date Climbed: Aug 17, 2011
North face/rib
From Tom Ross for the Sierra Challenge. A bit of loose stuff, but mostly fun class 3. The snow couloir would have been better, but I had neither axe nor spikes. Trip report
cool summit block, cool summit plateau. traverse via mendel and peak 13385 (north ridge aka evolution ridge); 8 hours from base of route with doug
Vitaliy M. - Jun 28, 2011 4:27 pm Date Climbed: Aug 22, 2010
cool place
climbed with Chad via west ridge
mrchad9 - Aug 30, 2010 1:10 pm Date Climbed: Aug 22, 2010
West Ridge
Very enjoyable climb with a lot of variation. Needed crampons for the glacier, route finding not too difficult up to the ridge, and climbing along the ridge enjoyable. The summit block was a nice little problem, went via the exposed route to the right side to reach the top.
kleberr - Sep 24, 2021 3:38 pm Date Climbed: Sep 7, 2019
West face to summit plateauClimbed the West Face from Evolution Lake. The final approach is quite tedious but the climb starts very well. The first pitches are solid class 3 on good rock but the middle part of the chute is loose and rather annoying. The final ascent to summit plateau was great again. I climbed all the way to ridge and found some nice and exposed scrambling. Unfortunately I wasn't very well prepared to make it to the true summit. I guess I should have studied some trip reports to learn how to get there....
YEM - Jul 27, 2020 12:16 pm Date Climbed: Jun 16, 2020
Darwin SnowfieldSpectacular camp in Darwin Canyon and a great trip up the snow to the west ridge. The snow on the gully leading turned super soft on the descent, providing much more of a challenge than expected. I returned to North Lake via Alpine Col and Piute Pass. Such an amazing area to explore!
midi510 - May 29, 2019 1:52 pm Date Climbed: May 14, 2019
Skied the North Couloir/FaceI checked the successful box because we made it to our intended high point, which was the top of the North Couloir. I was literally just a couple feet short of the summit plateau, and we climbed to to top of the little spur next to the couloir. It would have been a serious detour and quite a bit of extra time to go to the true summit block. As it was, we made it to our intended camp above the lake south of Alpine Col just as the sun slipped behind Mt. Goethe.
Romain - Jul 25, 2018 10:53 am Date Climbed: Jul 21, 2018
West RidgeWest Ridge, with René Renteria. Getting to the notch is loose and circuitous, but the ridge climb is very pleasant and the summit block spectacular. Trip report
Turtleggjp - Aug 29, 2017 12:00 pm Date Climbed: Aug 26, 2017
West RidgeDayhike from North Lake via Darwin Glacier and West Ridge with Iris Ma. Long day (17 hours 10 Minutes), but lots of fun. Good route finding above the glacier, a bit loose in places climbing up to the west ridge, but no serious issues. Fun scrambling along the ridge itself, plenty of ducks to guide us. The summit block was a little tricky since we had 2 pieces of beta telling us to go around the right side (Secor, and this website), but I could find nothing that looked good. Makes me wonder if something has fallen down in recent years. The left side was much easier. Just drop down less than 50 vertical feet into the chute, then traverse clockwise around the summit block, climbing another chute with a chockstone at the top. That brought us to the final class 3 moves on the back side that let us finish the climb. Got to do a little glissade down the glacier on the return too!
My video is here:
https://vimeo.com/234528934
Fairweather - Oct 18, 2015 12:28 pm Date Climbed: Jul 31, 1989
East Face Right SideWith Suzi from Midnight Lake.
Fun route, nice summit.
CameronGround - Sep 30, 2015 1:21 am Date Climbed: Sep 27, 2015
NE Ridge / E FaceDayhike from N Lake, started up NE ridge but even after the spicy start a whole lot of it looked harder than class 4, so ventured out onto the east face. Eventually ran back into the top of the ridge and crossed over to gain the summit plateau. Down via N face (the east rock rib, not the ice chute), where I was treated to one of the best sunsets I've ever seen, without even being able to see the sun itself.
bechtt - Nov 17, 2014 9:39 pm Date Climbed: Jul 21, 2007
West FaceFrom Evolution Lake with Gordon. Did Mendel in the afternoon.
BobD3 - Oct 31, 2014 12:43 pm Date Climbed: Jul 18, 2014
Standard routeFrom upper Darwin Lake. Climbed the summit block via dropping to a small "V" chute on the left side. Felt like class 3.
gordonye - Jul 7, 2014 10:47 pm Date Climbed: Jul 5, 2014
West ridge from Darwin glacierClimbed with Hakan yalcin, Vladimir ulyashin , and Mike Chen, via Lamarck Col. Most difficult was climbing the nasty chute from Darwin glacier to the West ridge, probably class 4. We belayed the summit pinnacle from the nearest side via a 5.6 finger crack.
Vitaliy M. - Aug 31, 2013 12:23 pm Date Climbed: Aug 24, 2013
Evo27 hour c2c climb of Evolution Traverse.
Donno - Aug 12, 2013 11:31 pm Date Climbed: Jul 29, 2005
N. FaceClimbed snow/ice to 50deg w/ Chris, Reza and Sung
ajberry - Oct 27, 2012 4:26 pm Date Climbed: Sep 14, 2009
Darwin at 200With Dunbar Carpenter. Camped at Evolution Lake, up & down via W Face gullies. A tribute to Chas Darwin on his bicentenary. Summit block was a bit of a challenge for me, but none at all for Dunbar...
ripper333 - Sep 9, 2012 8:56 pm Date Climbed: Sep 7, 2012
traverse fr mendelexciting climbing
dshoshone - Jun 13, 2012 3:30 pm Date Climbed: Jun 11, 2012
West RidgeThe ridge was fun cl. 3 The chute above the glacier was an interesting mix of snow and ice, not bad going up,coming down a little sketchy
tb00957 - Aug 25, 2011 4:51 pm Date Climbed: Aug 22, 2011
West ridgeneed ice axe/crampon to the notch. Wish we brought a rope for the summit block, very exposed.
seano - Aug 18, 2011 8:41 pm Date Climbed: Aug 17, 2011
North face/ribFrom Tom Ross for the Sierra Challenge. A bit of loose stuff, but mostly fun class 3. The snow couloir would have been better, but I had neither axe nor spikes. Trip report
zoomloco - Aug 13, 2011 1:12 am
via evolution ridgecool summit block, cool summit plateau. traverse via mendel and peak 13385 (north ridge aka evolution ridge); 8 hours from base of route with doug
Vitaliy M. - Jun 28, 2011 4:27 pm Date Climbed: Aug 22, 2010
cool placeclimbed with Chad via west ridge
mrchad9 - Aug 30, 2010 1:10 pm Date Climbed: Aug 22, 2010
West RidgeVery enjoyable climb with a lot of variation. Needed crampons for the glacier, route finding not too difficult up to the ridge, and climbing along the ridge enjoyable. The summit block was a nice little problem, went via the exposed route to the right side to reach the top.