Hi Bee,
I'm hoping that there is another route other than the west face. I have what I think is the west face marked by a red X here.
http://picasaweb.google.com/tfdietz/Whitney0709#5511835744841095570The path that I hope to go up is straight up Arc Pass and then up one of the smaller chutes. on the ridge between Irvine and Mallory.
From this site:
http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/151355/mount-irvine.html"Norman Clyde first climbed Mt. Irvine in June 1925, and named this peak and neighboring Mt. Mallory that year in honor of the famous mountaineers who died while climbing Mt. Everest--George Leigh Mallory and Andrew Irvine. Mt. Irvine has outstanding views of Mt. McAdie and one of the best views of the east side of Mt. Whitney. There are several routes up Mt. Irvine:
two class 1 routes (the North Slopes and Arc Pass routes (the route Clyde first climbed)); three class 2-3 routes (the East Chute, Traverse from Mallory, and West Face Routes); the class 4 East Couloir; and the East Buttress V, 5.9. It is a good peakbagging doubleheader with nearby Mt. Mallory. See R.J. Secor, The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes, and Trails, or Steve Roper, The Climber's Guide to the High Sierra, for additional information on routes."
