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Name of Pass Above Upper Boy Scout Lake?

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:19 pm
by PellucidWombat
I assume that pass is called Boy Scout Pass? All I could find in Secor was an arrow pointing to that area saying "don't go here".

I went there and found a more direct way to access Mt Russell's SE & SW faces that seemed like a nice alternative to the standard pass above Iceberg Lake.

Re: Name of Pass Above Upper Boy Scout Lake?

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:47 pm
by Kahuna
Nope.

Has No official USGS name. According to one of the local Whitney Area guru's who has been in the area for over 60 plus years, at one time a proposed name of Arctic Lakes Pass was in the mix. But it never was followed through on back in the late 70's by the initiator, old Alan Bartlett. The same Alan Bartlett that authored most of the routes you mentioned accessing. Seems Galen had a part in the proposal as well.

BTW, that "pass" is pretty much inaccessible in the winter due to some very extreme avy conditions.A large windblown cornice has been known to build up right smack dab on/in that pass.

It can be seen very clearly in the lower L/H center below:
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Re: Name of Pass Above Upper Boy Scout Lake?

PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:33 am
by PellucidWombat
Thanks for the thorough answer! For now I've just been referring to it as 'Boy Scout' Pass, in quotes. Also good to know about the cornice in winter. It almost doesn't look like it goes, but if you climb right and then traverse along the SE face, it is a nice cl. 2 slope right over the crest.

It is a very scenic way to go, btw.

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You arc around and aim for the break in the ridge just left of the triangular block.

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Re: Name of Pass Above Upper Boy Scout Lake?

PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 4:19 am
by Bob Burd
I came down that way some years ago after reading a TR on climber.org. Rockwell went that way in 2003 and called it the "Lazy L Col". Name hasn't seemed to stick, though. Secor calls it "Sakai Col" on pg 77 of his 3rd edition.

Re: Name of Pass Above Upper Boy Scout Lake?

PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 5:33 am
by PellucidWombat
Interesting to see that they took the alternate route that we had considered. We jogged back a bit earlier, following more solid rock up to the bench, although the price to pay was much more traversing at higher altitude on annoyingly loose sand. Their way was probably not as enjoyable to climb up, but reached the bench near the end of the sandiest section.