Mount Mendel
Mount Mendel is a high peak in Fresno County, California, inside Kings Canyon National Park in the Sierra Nevada. It is part of the Evolution Region, near Mount Darwin. The summit reaches 13,716 feet (4,181 meters) and has a prominence of 550 feet.
Named for Gregor Mendel, the father of modern genetics, Mount Mendel sits among other Evolution Peaks like Darwin, Fiske, Haeckel, Huxley, Spencer, Wallace, and Lamarck. The surrounding area is known as Evolution Basin, Evolution Valley, Evolution Meadow, and Evolution Creek.
The first ascent was on July 15, 1930, by Jules Eichorn, Glen Dawson, and John Olmstead. The easiest way to the top is an exposed scramble (class 3), not a technical climb.
Mount Mendel is famous for two very difficult ice climbs on its North Face: Ice Nine and The Mendel Couloir. Ice Nine is a demanding ice climb rated around WI5 (with extra grades like AI4), and The Mendel Couloir is a mixed route rated around 5.6 rock with ice grades around WI3.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 10:31 (CET).