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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 1, 2011 - 09:47pm PT
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What are your favorite routes in the Palisades (North Fork of Big Pine Creek), or which ones would you recommend over others?
Temple Crag would be a whole different topic : )
V-notch couloir?
U-notch couloir?
Doors of Perception?
Clyde Couloir? (with several different variations possible)
NW ridge of Thunderbolt?
Swiss Arete?
Starlight Buttress?
Starlight Buttress?
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 2, 2011 - 04:10pm PT
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no one likes any of the routes there? : (
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Gene
climber
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Hard to beat Swiss Arete.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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I have done most of those you mention but I would have to say NONE are amongst my favorites in the Sierra. The rock is a bit funky & loose but the place is spectacular for certain.
Swiss Arete - just OK. Lost of slogging uphill to get to a short bit of roped climbing.
U-Notch - OK as a mountaineering route but it's a long way to hike for a short section of ice/snow couloir. the pitch out of the notch was steep & fun.
The best peak I've done in the Palisades was Norman clyde Peak. A real good one!
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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I've done the U notch three times, but all the peaks from the other side.
Camp Gayley is pretty disgusting and throws a damper on the whole experience. Stay at Sam Mack if available.
From the west side you have the whole range to yourself.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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I've had terrible luck with weather in the Palisades or, was by myself when the weather was good, and so have done precious little there. I've had much better luck on Temple Crag or in the South Fork.
Like Levy said, Norman Clyde looks awesome (some day). Also, the E. Face of Middle Pal I think is quite good. That doesn't help much with your original query, but there you go.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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The Clyde route on Middle is great also.
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Interesting perspectives.
It IS a long hike in to those peaks. I tend to treat that as part of the adventure. Rather than going light and fast -- sort-of an option, but then rope and hardware and ice gear by themselves make quite a load -- I plan on a week, maybe more, break the load down into several manageable 40-pound chunks, and start yo-yoing them up the trail. You can do that, BTW, while you're still negotiating a wilderness permit, or waiting for a weekday when the quota's low.
When you're tired of humping loads, there are diversions. Right off the trail at Cienega Mirth is a cabin built in the 1920s by Lon Chaney, the silent movie's man of a thousand faces, when there was a big Hollywood influence in the Eastern Sierra. I like to imagine Chaney and Norman Clyde before the baronial fireplace, sipping whiskey and telling stories.
Another good one is Monday Afternoon Slab, aka Third Lake Slab, with TRs or leads from 5.7 to 5.10.
Or you can set up camp and start drinking
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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And here I thought I was the only one crazy enough to lug martini glasses into the backcountry. Well worth the effort though. Nothing like a post climb cocktail, though I once had three of them after a long day on the Mt. Gilbert couloir and got absolutely sh#$faced. At least I wasn't driving.
BTW, I love the Chaney cabin too, and that lush area surrounding it, Cienaga Mirth is it?
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Funny the comment on perspectives.
What I remember most about the Cienega Mirth section of trail is that it is pounded into six inches of sand for a half mile or so by the passage of countless feet and hooves.
Torture on returning feet beat up by a week of too tight boots.
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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I had to look it up again:
Cienaga, n. (Spanish) A swamp or marsh
That's where the trail ducks into the aspens and little meadows, with occasional mud and lots of flowers.
That deep sand is on either side of Cienaga Mirth. Man, you really have to plow through those parts.
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Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA
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Thunderbolt for that summit alone.
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Good one!
And Starlight, for that summit
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 2, 2011 - 09:27pm PT
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So far I have only done East face of Middle Pal, Swiss Arete, NW ridge of T-bolt, and Bolton Brown (on a tough 2 day traverse of Tinemaha, Split, Prater, Bolton Brown, and Birch, from desert floor). So far like Swiss Arete most out of that. NW ridge also interesting but long if you keep to the crest. E face is fine as long as no one is kicking rocks at you from above.
Dingus I saw a photo of you on Palisade glacier in Eastern Sierra Ice climbing guide by SP Parker. They say you had some epic up there.
I really want to check out Clyde couloir, that line looks sweet, and I need to get on that milk bottle block, looks like cherry on top). But from reports seems like not too many people summit when they do that route.. : (
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east side underground
Trad climber
Hilton crk,ca
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few of my favs are:
venusian blind- way better than moongoddess IMO
u-knotch- descent w/ ski/board
Clyde coulior / starlight peak
3rd class ridge on Wiinchell-very fun
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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You asked about the Doors of Perception. Beautiful rock, but after all only a 3-pitch climb. All I really recall from the FA was flailing in an offwidth section, probably right in the middle, backing off and watching Steck lieback right past it. Impressive!
Not the best shot, but it's handy
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 3, 2011 - 11:00am PT
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Really? I can't imagine what picture that might be or what epic to which it refers. You sure it was me, brah?
Yes, sure it was you unless there is another "Dingus Milktoast" going around.
this book right here..Photo of you (or someone) walking on Palisade glacier. Epic is supposedly about snow storm in the middle of summer or something. The book is not mine, so I have to look it up again..
http://www.rei.com/zoom/999986.jpg/440
Are you saying you didn't know there is a photo of you published?! HA! That's years of bragging to waste! (jk)
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 3, 2011 - 11:06am PT
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Actually I found it.
http://people.cs.uchicago.edu/~mamiller/docs/rec/climbing/ice/easternsierra.pdf
check out page 34
"epic summer ascent of V notch"
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BuddhaStalin
climber
Truckee, CA
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Twilight Pillar, Norman Clyde Peak
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Branscomb
Trad climber
Lander, WY
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Twilight Pillar on Clyde Peak, good climbing, wonderful summit, few people. Also liked the E Ridge of Mt. Winchell a lot.
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