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16 Jul 25 - Trip Report: Mt Russell via East Ridge & Mt Carillon
July 20, 2025 3 min read
Making the most of their 3 days off, our co-owners set up base camp at Upper Boyscout Lake, then ascended the East Ridge of Mt Russell and Mt Whitney via the Mountaineer's Route on the day after. Here's what they found doing Mt. Russell and Mt. Carillon!
Note: This is NOT a hike!
Trip/Conditions Report:
Current As Of: 16 July 2025*
Activity During Report: Off-trail travel & 3rd class scrambling at high altitude
The Trip:
We started on July 15, in the heat of the afternoon - it was hot even at 10,000 feet!
Read our report of the Mountaineer's Route of Mount Whitney, to learn about the hiking conditions from Whitney Portal to Upper Boyscout Lake (and further).
To approach the East Ridge of Mount Russell, we opted for the "regular" route up the steep scree and talus field just below Upper Boyscout Lake. It is steep indeed! Not the worst scree slope we've ever seen, but certainly not a walk in the park.
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It's not as bad as it looks
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At the top of that slope, things go a lot easier as we crossed a slanted plateau to reach Russell-Carillon Pass.
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Mt Russell on the left, Russell-Carillon Pass straight ahead
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From here, the view over Tulainyo Lake is fantastic! At 12,829 ft elevation, it is one of the highest and at the same time largest lakes of the High Sierra.
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Tulainyo Lake, seen from Russell-Carillon Pass
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Now we turned left to ascend the East Ridge, the famous 3rd class route. Lots of people who we talked to beforehand mentioned that this was their favorite 3rd class route in the High Sierra, and it did not disappoint!
The route is VERY exposed and has a few no-fall zones, but it is a beautiful scramble with fantastic views. It is 3rd class if you carefully pick your way through it. You can certainly make this harder as well.
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The East Ridge of Mount Russell
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Once we reached the East summit of Mount Russell, there was another short scramble to get over to the West summit - which is higher by a few feet. From here, you have a full view of Mt Whitney to the South, and in general some of the best views of the High Sierra.
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On the summit of Mt Russell (14,094 feet)
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After a nice lunch break on the summit, we gently backtracked our steps.
After reaching Russell-Carillon Pass again, we decided to give Mt Carillon a go as well. It’s just a quick detour and mostly 2nd class, so we tagged summit #2 of the day. When in Rome...
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Mount Carillon
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Need Hiking Gear? If you're in need of sleeping bags, hiking boots (Men/Women), trekking poles, crampons, ice axes, or other gear (backpacks, tents, etc.) for your adventures, you can rent or buy everything that you would need with us here at Eastside Sports.
Got a More Specific Conditions Question? As always, don't hesitate to call us at store (760-873-7520) if ever in need of adventure ideas or conditions information!
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*All conditions reports are subject to change, increasingly so with each passing day since the observation(s) were made. They are provided as a tool to assist your adventuring, not to replace your own risk management and decision-making. No information in any trip or conditions report published by Eastside Sports should be considered definitive in its information or directive in its recommendation. Never go beyond your abilities and always acclimatize, plan and prepare properly.
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