Welcome to SP!  -

Thunderbolt Peak Climber's Log

Sort By:


[ Sign the Climber's Log ]
Viewing: 1-20 of 120 « PREV 1 2 3 4 5 6 NEXT » 

Matthew HollimanRoute Climbed: SW Chute #1 Date Climbed: Sep 4, 2005  Sucess!

Matthew Holliman

Really not as bad a slog as I'd expected, with mostly fairly solid footing. The little class 4 scramble out of the notch was exposed, a bit tricky, and seemed like it could be called 5th class without too many quibbles on my part.



But what really sticks in my mind is the summit block. That thing is way cool and was a blast to climb... at least with a toprope! The 5.8 route on the backside seemed surprisingly easy for the rating. Climbed with Glenn and Curt on our way to North Pal, as a dayhike out of South Lake.
Posted Oct 5, 2005 3:07 am

uwjennieRoute Climbed: SW Chute #1 Date Climbed: 8/8/04

uwjennie

I still have about 15 feet to go... Next time I'm up there I'm climbing the summit block. Headed up from T-bolt pass up the chute and back out to the cars on Sunday. Then, drove home to OC. It was quite a long day.
Posted Aug 17, 2005 7:16 pm

Brian KaletRoute Climbed: Southwest Chute number 1 Date Climbed: August 13, 2005  Sucess!

Brian Kalet

There's still snow in the chute.
Posted Aug 15, 2005 3:01 pm

cgclimberRoute Climbed: Southwest Chute Date Climbed: May 03, 2003  Sucess!

cgclimber

A lot of snow this year, got to love the burn! Felt good once I got high enough that I wasn't sinking in to my nuts. Guess I should've brought skiis;)
Posted Jul 23, 2005 1:21 am

cp0915Route Climbed: SW Chute #1 Date Climbed: July 16, 2005  Sucess!

cp0915

Excellent. Had a great time with Rick.
Posted Jul 19, 2005 1:05 pm

Rick KentRoute Climbed: SW Chute #1 Date Climbed: July 16, 2005  Sucess!

Rick Kent

Climbed SW Chute #1 and then did the 4th class variation up and around the front side of the peak. At least 4 groups were en route to the summit via the chute. The group of three ahead of us (and the first to summit) was lead by SMC guide Ed Boddy who was kind enough to belay my partner Courtney and I on the 5.9 summit block before they headed down. We didn't end up using any of the gear we brought except for harnesses. Note, there's no cheater sling on the summit block right now.
Posted Jul 18, 2005 11:54 am

cottersnowRoute Climbed: North Coulior Date Climbed: 08/04  Sucess!
Fun fourth class coulior. A convenient snow bridge across the schrund. The summit block had a cheater sling ----yea
Posted Apr 22, 2005 11:53 pm

ripper333Route Climbed: northwest ridge Date Climbed: sept 2004
thunderbolt to sill. 3am or so to 11pm.

Posted Oct 24, 2004 4:58 pm

asmrzRoute Climbed: Right Underhill Couloir Date Climbed: August 8th, 2004  Sucess!

asmrz

Penelope May and I climbed Thunderbolt Peak via the right Underhill Couloir on August 8th, 2004. We started from the edge of the Morraine below Mt.Gailey where we camped. There is little if any water in this, the traditional camping spot. All the sources of water have dried out. I had to hike some 400-500 feet down toward Third Lake to get our water supply. The glacier in early Agust looked like the glacier I remember from my October visits, hard ice, dry glacier, almost no ice in the "V" Notch and blue ice all the way in the "U" Notch. The Underhill Couloirs have a lot of loose scree and that caused us some difficulties on the way down. But the upper part of the route from the notch up is really nice. We started rather late from our camp and got cought by darkness some sixty feet above the schrund on our way down. In the dark, I could not find any rock anchors (in the rubble) and not having even one ice screw, I didn't want to commit us to downclimbing the schrund unroped, so we bivied on a small ledge just above the schrund. I totally endeared myself to Penelope for providing her with her first ever unplanned bivi. In the morning, frozen stiff but safe, we downclimbed the ice easily to the glacier.
Posted Sep 19, 2004 7:17 pm

GlennGRoute Climbed: SW chute Date Climbed: August 17th, 2004; September 5th, 2005  Sucess!

GlennG

August 17th: Weather was less than desireable with a little rain and hail right around the time we summited about 1pm. Came up from Dusy basin, and got a late start, but the view was incredible, can't wait to go back and hit the whole traverse over to Starlight and North Pal.

September 5th: Went back and dayhiked T-bolt, Starlight, and North Pal. out of South Lake with Matthew Holliman and my little bro Curt. Actually did the summit block this time after Curt freed the west face and set up the rope for Matthew and I.
Posted Sep 15, 2004 12:48 pm

peakbagger75Route Climbed: southwest chute Date Climbed: August 21 2004  Sucess!

peakbagger75

Summited Thunderbolt Peak around 2pm after a very long hike in from Bishop's pass. We did it in a day, but it would have been a little easier on the legs to camp somewhere along the route. There must be a dozen slings around the chokestone, it seems everybody adds one for "extra" protection on the rappel.
Posted Aug 27, 2004 7:18 pm

MishaRoute Climbed: Northwest Ridge (from Winchell Col) Date Climbed: August 9, 2004  Sucess!

Misha

First summit on our mini Palisade traverse. We scrambled up Winchell Col from Dusy Basin (West) and followed the ridge (5.5) unroped to the top of Thunderbolt. Do not underestimate the length of this route, it is plenty long and features a rappel half way up. Very much a classic!



Click for the trip report.
Posted Aug 16, 2004 11:25 am

rgmackieRoute Climbed: SW Chute #1/RH UH Couloir (descent) Date Climbed: July 14, 2004  Sucess!
Day hiked solo using the South Lakes TH approach and climbed the SW Chute #1. Departed via the RH UH Couloir then to Glacier Lodge. Used a sling found on summit block. Descended summit by way of the chimney, the bottom 20’ of which didn’t look good for a free climb. Climbed back up about 6’ and transitioned over to the slabs for an easy descent to the notch.
Posted Jul 16, 2004 12:27 am

GuiltyRoute Climbed: Southwest Route #1 Date Climbed: July 3, 2004  Sucess!

Guilty

'Monkey climb' to the top of the summit block with a sling we put up. And yes, we removed it when we left.

On the descent, we where hit by a freak hail/snow/rain storm.
Posted Jul 6, 2004 9:14 pm

mtnfotoRoute Climbed: North Couloir all 3 times Date Climbed: May 1976 May 1978 June 1981  Sucess!
Skied the North Couloir the second time, and free climbed (bouldered) the summit block in my old leather double boots (great edging boots!)
Posted Jan 26, 2004 6:01 pm

GuiltyRoute Climbed: Southwest Chute Date Climbed: 08/22/99  Sucess!

Guilty

Started from Bishop Lakes. Very rocky chute.

Saw a bear later that night at the lakes where we fried some Golden Trout.
Posted Oct 7, 2003 11:22 pm

darinchadwickRoute Climbed: SW Chute #1 Date Climbed: July 2003  Sucess!

darinchadwick

Good times Bad times, you know we have our share.



Good: Some kind and gracious soul left a long knotted cordelette clipped into the bolts atop the summit spire. Thus, by doing a shoulder stand we were able to clip the lowest loop and skip the lassoing shenanigans.



Bad: Ahead of us was a party of nine, led by one professional, and courteous guide, and two other guides who were some of the worst I've ever seen. Not only were they arrogant and impatient, they were incompetent as well, getting off route twice and jerking their clients around. I'm so tempted to name the company, but lets just say that it sure wasn't PSOM.



But they left, and we had the summit to ourselves. What a joy, we glanced over at Starlight, the only 14er in California we still have to climb......
Posted Aug 30, 2003 3:46 am

depclimbRoute Climbed: East Face Date Climbed: august 9, 1993  Sucess!

depclimb

Day 3 of the Palisade Crusade, we had to get out of camp because my partner was eating all of the food. The route was just fine and the soon to be Himalaya hardman led the summit block.
Posted May 9, 2003 5:29 pm

asmrzRoute Climbed: Underhill Couloirs Date Climbed: May 1994  Sucess!

asmrz

Brian Johnson and I climbed the peak via the right Underhill Couloir in May 1994. We were forced to wait just bellow the notch for about an hour, because we were a bit early (9:30am) and the temperature was so low, we were worried about frostbite. This was my second time on Thunderbolt Peak.
Posted Nov 14, 2002 3:19 pm

asmrzRoute Climbed: Underhill Couloirs Date Climbed: August 22, 1982  Sucess!

asmrz

In August of 1982, Miguel Carmona and I climbed the right Underhill Couloir unroped from our camp on Mt.Galey morraine. We got to the summit at 09:00. Downclimbed the same route.
Posted Nov 13, 2002 8:03 pm

Viewing: 1-20 of 120 « PREV 1 2 3 4 5 6 NEXT » 
[ Return to 'Thunderbolt Peak' main page ]