On July 18, 2020, we did a 4-day trip to explore the Darwin Canyon. The view on the Lamarck Col was stunning and was worth waiting for the sunset. Mount Goethe area also had stunning views and worth a visit.
We also summited Mount Lamarck via the col. On the way up, we picked up the eastern ridge. Very soon after started, we realized this was a Class 3 route that needs to climb over big boulders, one after another! It was exhausted and dangerous. On the way back, we chose to descend from south slope, which was a lot easier. It took us less than an hour to get to the col, where we waited for sunset. There was a tarn under the Lamarck Col. We camped there for the last night. It was convenient to get down from Col to the camp after watching sunset.
Descending from the Col to Darwin Canyon needs some attention. There is no clear trail to descend. You need to pay attention to the cairns and avoid big boulders. If you do it right, it should be all class 1. Otherwise, you may run into talus. There would be no fun with heavy backpack.
Hiking from east side of the Darwin Canyon to west side was not as easy as I expected. There are a few places one has to hop on boulders. If you plan to summit Mount Goethe, it is better to camp near to it.
My GPS track, Mount Lamarck.gpx, can be downloaded from GPS Tracks Collection.
Sunset at Larmarck Col
Panarama view on top of Mount Lamarck
Darwin Canyan Looking West at Sunset
Reflection at Lakes below Mount Goethe
Darwin Canyan Looking West with Clouds