High Sierra Topix

TITLE: King Col

GENERAL OVERVIEW: This pass leads between Gardiner Creek and an unnamed basin West of the King Spur.

CLASS/DIFFICULTY: Class 2

LOCATION: Kings Canyon National Park along the far Western ridge of Mt. Clarence King

ELEVATION: 11,700

USGS TOPO MAP (7.5'): Mount Clarence King HST Map

ROUTE DESCRIPTION: From Gardiner Creek you will begin up a steep section of hill side that has the option of either taking steep grass slopes or class 3 rock faces. Once you reach the top of this the grade levels out significantly as you make the final climb on class 1 terrain.

The Col. itself is a very steep mess of terrain with hard packed dirt scattered along crumbly granite faces. There are small rocks that make the slope even more unstable to stand on. Every step down is an exercise in how close your willing to come to being smashed into sausage as you tumble down the slope. The cliff walls offer some hand holds but generally do not offer any more comfort. Lower down the dirt briefly softens up so that you can sink your feet in. Leaving the Col. you still encounter intermixed talus with slick sand that demands caution.

I personally cannot recommend that anyone use this route. In my opinion it is too unsafe. If you want to anyway I would recommend the use of an ice axe even if snow is not present.

I did this pass a couple of years ago and was shocked when I gazed down the steep northern side. The class 1 ramp on the south side kind of sets one up for the shock of the steepness of the northern side. I have done Pants Pass, Milly's Foot Pass, Lucy's Foot Pass, Pyra Queen Col, Milestone Pass and Longley Pass ( with the cornice) but , this one gave me the heart-in-the-throat and sweaty palms. We navigated it with no events but, I was constantly aware that disaster was always close at hand with one wrong slip. The remoteness of the basin below is a beautiful reward for crossing this pass. I would not bother with King Col in a snowy year because it might be choked with ice on the northern side. I would not recommend it if you are not comfortable with really steep, loose, rocky slopes.

Best views I've seen yet of this frightening descent. Pass. OK after first 50 feet or so, gut top is super-sketch.

I was there in a heavy snow year and there was no way to avoid the ice.

I went over King Col last week and have a few thoughts to share. It would serve everyone on this site if we stop calling King Col a class 2 pass. I would rate it 3+. I enjoy class 3 passes like Echo Col and scrambling class 4. I pretty much hated descending King Col. The firmness of the dirt and the slope angle make this a very precarious descent. The best footing I found was in the thin channels of choss that slid downhill but provided some STABLE footing. While a fall would not be fatal, it certainly would hurt and could lead to a serious injury. Going up the northside wouldn't be much fun but it would be safer than going down that side. Gravity has the advantage when we are are going downhill. Stay safe out there.

I thought that since I'm very comfortable rock climbing, even free soloing easier 5th class pitches, I wouldn't have any trouble with this. I was wrong. Unlike most 5th class pitches, the rock is so loose and crumbly that you can never get a secure hand or foothold. Even the rocks embedded in the scree crumble to choss when you grab them.
After spending an hour trying to find the least sketchy way down my group decided we would rather detour all the way back over 60 lakes col to the JMT than try to get down those first 60 feet.

Some photos from a distance, taken in mid-August 2024, an average snow year. I didn't cross the col.


Rocks to the west. I don't know if they can be used to bypass some of the worst parts: