In June I topped out Thompson Variation #2 which is an alternative approach to Mount Russell's classic East Ridge.
Unfortunately I needed to turn around after completing the variation, and thusly I was thwarted for the second time.
Most people use the traditional sand-slog from Upper Boy Scout Lake to approach Russell, but the Thompson route bypasses a lot of sand for "slabbier" class 3 alternatives.
When I snagged Doug Thompson Sr.(the eponymous pioneer of the variation) in the Whitney Portal Store he showed me the route and asked me to photograph it and post a TR and Route Description (apparently most who have asked him ended up in the sand)if I managed to find it.
So for the down-to-business type, you can find the direct (if not loquacious) description
here. However in the spirit of making a good TR and sporting a bit of self-evaluations and photography the complete TR from my attempt last year, and my attempt this year, plus the route description, you can find it
here. I hope you enjoy/will find this useful.
