Peak 13,172 (0.6 mi ESE of Mt. Lamarck)

Overview

Peak 13,172 (aka UTM528173) is an unnamed California Thirteener just 0.6 miles east of Mt. Lamarck. Based on the contents of its register, this peak is climbed less than once per year, despite it being only a class 2 scramble from the lake below Lamarck Col. Silently, each summer day this peak watches several climbers pass through the drainage at its feet.

Getting There

The obvious access is from North Lake via the "cross country" route to Lamarck Col. Take 395 to Bishop, then 168 (Lake Sabrina Road) west for 17.8 miles. Turn right on the North Lake Road, follow this to its end, drop your gear and buddies at the trailhead, retreat 0.8 miles to park your car, and then jog back before you get ditched.

Take the Lamarck Lakes trail to Upper Lamarck Lake, then continue on the use trail (obvious for nearly its entire length) to the lake immediately below Lamarck Col. Scramble up the easy class 2 slopes southeast of the lake to the saddle and then take the class 2 west ridge to the summit.

I highly recommend R. J. Secor’s The High Sierra, Peaks Passes & Trails (now in its third edition). This is the definitive climbing guide to the Sierra and was the source for many of the details on my SummitPost pages.

Red Tape

Like most places in the Sierra, you need a Wilderness Permit for overnight camping in the summer. North Lake gets a fair amount of use, so book early.

Detailed information on permits, regulations and trailhead access can be found on Matthew Holliman’s excellent Eastern Sierra logistics page.

Camping

I usually spend a night above Upper Lamarck Lake on the day I drive in rather than car camp. From there, it’s easy to move camp up to the lake just below Lamarck Col (best campsites are above and northeast of the lake) and bag Peak 13,172, Mt. Lamarck and “Northwest Lamarck” all in the same day. Although this area is treeless and somewhat desolate, it’s still a nice place to return to from a big climbing day, particularly after the sun heels over.

Images

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