You have to admire anyone brave enough to write a guidebook. Having collected 5 theories on how to climb the summit pinnacle of Darwin for a trip a couple of weeks ago, no two the same, I thought maybe one or two others would get a kick out of the range of variation--or maybe even pick up useful information. In chronological order:

1954 Sierra Club Climber's Guide (Hervey Voge):
Recounts the 1908 first ascent, by means of a "monstrous icicle" in a chimney "east of the arete between the summit [plateau] and the pinnacle" then continues:
"Ascent of this chimney fortunately does not depend on the existence of the icicle. It is a rock scramble permitting several variations, exposed just enough to warrant a belay for the unsteady."

1976 Sierra Club Climber's Guide (Steve Roper):
"A short chimney on the northern side of the pinnacle provides a class 3 route."

John Moynier in the 2d edition of Climbing California's High Sierra (2002 revision of 1993 Sierra Classics):
"At the eastern edge of the plateau, descend into the notch between the plateau and the summit pinnacle. A crack on the west side of the exposed pinnacle leads to the top (Class 3)."

R. J. Secor, Peaks, Passes and Trails, 2d ed 1999, recommends:
"[C]limbing down off the plateau and traversing around the pinnacle on its right side to a chute. Descend . . . a short distance, and then climb another chute to the far southeast side of the summit block. Climb either of two cracks that lead to a narrow ledge about 6 feet below the top . . . "

Bob Burd in the SP route description:
"Climb down to the saddle between the summit massif and the detached pinnacle. . . . It is most easily climbed from the back side, which can be reached by going clockwise or counterclockwise around the pinnacle. . . . Secor was smoking crack when he wrote his description, . . . On the counterclockwise side, . . . there are two crack systems. . . . If you continue around to the back side, you find even easier climbing that allows you to avoid the difficult cracks."

So, take your choice--the north, west or southeast side of the pinnacle (Bob stays away from compass direction); arete or notch between the plateau and pinnacle; chimney, crack or neither. We went down into the notch and more or less directly up the facing side of the pinnacle--good holds, 2 mantels, probably class 4, did use a rope, I wouldn't have called it a crack or chimney . But don't quote me!

Guys who said they did it first probably lied based on their description jk...

As you are standing on summit plateau facing the summit block you will down-climb into the notch between them via a class 3 down climb. You can pick whatever variation you want there, but I thought the way where you climb down is obvious. Than we proceeded on the right side (south) of the summit block. You walk around it on an exposed ledge and reach some boulders on an edge. The drop off on the other side of these ledge is vertical 2000ft straight down. On that side there is a crack with great holds (class 4). You downclimb the crack (about a body-length) and transfer yourself to a dirty sloping ledge (crux). From there it is a climb straight up via some class 3 rocks to the top of summit block (by this point you are entering it from it's back side.
Supposedly if you go left of summit block you can descent a dirty chute and than ascent another loose chute up to the 3rd class summit rocks from the back. I have not gone this way however.

Good luck! Post some photos when you are back.

Long post -> hard to read to the end. We summited 8/27. I posted the descriptions because I'd already looked them up, and thought it was fascinating (and perversely amusing) that 5 pretty credible sources each had a different route--plus it may save someone the trouble of repeating my "research".

Since you asked, here are a couple of shots of getting up the pinnacle (see last paragraph of original post for description).





My guess is that there are many ways up the pinnacle, roughly equally hard, so people hunt around until they find the place where the exposure scares them the least. The trade-off between difficulty and exposure is subjective, so no route has commanded consensus.

'weeks ago' should have caught my attention : )

I believe you guys took a variation in Croft's book. I believe a 5.6 he describes it, but yea 4th class in Cali hehe nice pics. I like the clouds. When I was there it was also a bit cloudy.

This was actually my favorite photo from the trip: climbers near right starting the pilgrimage to the distant shrine in the early am light--we started from Midnight Lake a hair before 6.

fogey wrote:My guess is that there are many ways up the pinnacle, roughly equally hard,

Maybe so, but that route in your photos isn't among them. Definitely more involved than the route I went, which was barely class 4.