virginiapine - Dec 31, 2022 9:44 am Date Climbed: Jun 21, 1997
Direct Clyde Couloir & NE. Face of Summit Pyramid
Climbed directly up the Clyde Couloir above the Palisade Gl, over 2 ice-covered chockstones along the way. Moved L onto the prominent high snowfield, then climbed directly up the broken face to the summit. Descended to the U-Notch and downclimbed the couloir (top 50m were bare blue ice), What a fabulous day...my 31st birthday, in fact....
Superb climbing from Starlight to finish the traverse from Thunderbolt. A great high traverse, one of the (if not the) best in the Sierra.
Matt Lemke - Sep 29, 2019 5:13 pm Date Climbed: Jul 13, 2019
Palisade Traverse Thunderbolt, Starlight and N Pal
Beautiful Traverse. We did the 3 peaks over a course of two days with a high bivy directly below the summit pinnacle of Starlight Peak. There was still a ton of snow!
Lenny72 - Oct 22, 2018 12:44 am Date Climbed: Sep 13, 2018
Too Late...
...in the season. We hiked past all the beautiful lakes and made camp in Sam Mack Meadow on 9/12. We then went for it on 9/13 and got close to the bergshrund on the Palisade Glacier just below the U-Notch but it was too late in the season; it was far too wide and impassable.The glacier itself was sun-cupped and hard making travel more difficult. So we hiked back down to camp and the next day we did some rock climbing in the meadow. We hiked back out on 9/15. This was a very physically demanding but extremely beautiful climb. I would advise attempting this before the month of August begins.
wdimpfl - Dec 23, 2017 12:52 am Date Climbed: Jul 15, 1970
U-Notch from the East
Exact date uncertain. Climbed with Chuck Mims, a colleague graduate student in the chemistry department at UC Berkeley, introducing Chuck to mountaineering. Ascended to the right of the rocks in the U-notch couloir. We descended the other side, which was much easier. Earlier I had attempted a solo ascent of that route, but decided to not proceed without a belay after crossing the bergschrund. Descending I carved my first bollard in the snow above the bergschrund to rappel back over the bergschrund. On the way back to the Bay Area I picked up a girl hitch hiking on the east side of Tioga pass. I joined her boyfriend for dinner at a campground on the other side of the park. I remember her stating that she was "amoral" I have wondered from time to time what adventures would have been offered if I hadn't decided to continue on my drive back to the Bay Area that evening. They introduced me to John Muir's book on self maintenance of VWs, which I used to start doing my own work on my "bug."
utclimber - Aug 30, 2017 10:57 pm Date Climbed: Aug 26, 2017
Palisade Traverse
Did the Palisade traverse from Thunderbolt to Sill as a day hike from South Lake. I used a rappel in the notch between Starlight and N Palisade.
Simkin - Jul 8, 2017 1:19 am Date Climbed: Jul 1, 2017
Free solo
Via U-notch and chimney. Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NASwdKPOz-M
Fairweather - Oct 17, 2015 7:40 pm Date Climbed: Aug 29, 2013
West Chute
From campsite just South of Thunderbolt Col, with Todd & Tom. Beautiful clear day.
CameronGround - Oct 12, 2015 8:58 pm Date Climbed: Oct 11, 2015
W Face
Challenging route in places for my soloing tastes, didn't look at anything other than Secor and thought the fifth class was limited to the start...it wasn't. Still a decent amount of snow in some places from last week's storm, slowed progress considerably in steep spots as I didn't bring proper gear. All in all a good, tough climb.
bennovak - Oct 2, 2015 12:51 pm Date Climbed: Sep 28, 2015
U Notch from West
Day trip with Kurt from SMI. Long day, great route, and hell of a way to close out the summer.
With Paul K and Marianne S. We took the Moore ledges (at approximately 13,800' and ascended into a chute one or two reach arounds early with good class 4 rock and one short section of 5.3, which put us right at the bottom of the summit bowl. On the way down we stayed to the right and hit the ledges bypassing the class 4 route we had taken up, and had three reach arounds to get back to the main chute. This is when we realized we didn't go far enough to gain the main ascent chute (some where above the notorious chock stones found in the Le Conte route). Our chute worked well for us, though, as the rock was good and was free of the loose crap found every where else on this climb.
DukeJH - Aug 15, 2014 5:24 pm Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2014
LeConte Route
Link up with Polemonium via the LeConte Route on a beautiful day.
Luke Swanson - Oct 24, 2013 5:34 pm Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2013
TBolt to North Pal
Southwest chute number 1 up thunderbolt and traversed to Starlight and North Pal. Went down the west side of the u-notch in the dark.
douggranger - Sep 12, 2013 9:00 pm Date Climbed: Aug 30, 2012
U-Notch from West
via Le Conte ledge
cab - Sep 9, 2013 11:59 am Date Climbed: Sep 7, 2013
LeConte Route
A long day with Mark starting from South Lake, traversing to Polemonium after North Pal, then back to our bivy at Thunderbolt Pass. Glad to get the CA 14ers done, but a tough day thinking about our friend Pat Hadley who was supposed to join us on this trip.
Donno - Aug 12, 2013 11:05 am Date Climbed: Aug 25, 2000
U-Notch
Climbed u-notch couloir and Clyde variation with Reza. Almost killed by rockfall rappelling the couloir. Had done the couloir the year before.
1994: attempt with Doug. Exhausted after 9hr hike to glacier. Henceforth, rode horseback to glacier turnoff.
westhegimp - Aug 11, 2013 7:55 pm Date Climbed: Sep 26, 2009
Traverse from Tbolt
So Seacor says "go left of large gendarm." But in the distance I see this crack on the right. So I go to the base of this thing and climb it. It was very cool. 10a ish. The problem was it leaves you on a small ledge just to the west side of the large chock stone in the huge chimney. I probably could have broad jumped to the boulder but instead I climbed over. It's like 10' of 10+. No problem except all the holds are vertical no horizontals at 14k. :) Anybody know what this crack is?
rdesota - Oct 8, 2012 12:18 pm Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2005
Via U- Notch
Great classic climb up the snow of the U-Notch, then up to the summit ridge and summit. Long day and great follow-up to a failed prior attempt.
Quick stop as we carried on from Thunderbolt to Sill. The overhanging block was a fun little short rap between Starlight and North Pal.
First climbed in August 2008 when a late season and little snow made the U-notch from the front a bad option, so over Bishop pass and up the back. Took the chimney from there, then Polemonium before the decent.
virginiapine - Dec 31, 2022 9:44 am Date Climbed: Jun 21, 1997
Direct Clyde Couloir & NE. Face of Summit PyramidClimbed directly up the Clyde Couloir above the Palisade Gl, over 2 ice-covered chockstones along the way. Moved L onto the prominent high snowfield, then climbed directly up the broken face to the summit. Descended to the U-Notch and downclimbed the couloir (top 50m were bare blue ice), What a fabulous day...my 31st birthday, in fact....
wmolland - Jul 25, 2022 9:50 pm Date Climbed: Jul 23, 2022
Last stop on our traverse from ThunderboltSuperb climbing from Starlight to finish the traverse from Thunderbolt. A great high traverse, one of the (if not the) best in the Sierra.
Matt Lemke - Sep 29, 2019 5:13 pm Date Climbed: Jul 13, 2019
Palisade Traverse Thunderbolt, Starlight and N PalBeautiful Traverse. We did the 3 peaks over a course of two days with a high bivy directly below the summit pinnacle of Starlight Peak. There was still a ton of snow!
Lenny72 - Oct 22, 2018 12:44 am Date Climbed: Sep 13, 2018
Too Late......in the season. We hiked past all the beautiful lakes and made camp in Sam Mack Meadow on 9/12. We then went for it on 9/13 and got close to the bergshrund on the Palisade Glacier just below the U-Notch but it was too late in the season; it was far too wide and impassable.The glacier itself was sun-cupped and hard making travel more difficult. So we hiked back down to camp and the next day we did some rock climbing in the meadow. We hiked back out on 9/15. This was a very physically demanding but extremely beautiful climb. I would advise attempting this before the month of August begins.
wdimpfl - Dec 23, 2017 12:52 am Date Climbed: Jul 15, 1970
U-Notch from the EastExact date uncertain. Climbed with Chuck Mims, a colleague graduate student in the chemistry department at UC Berkeley, introducing Chuck to mountaineering. Ascended to the right of the rocks in the U-notch couloir. We descended the other side, which was much easier. Earlier I had attempted a solo ascent of that route, but decided to not proceed without a belay after crossing the bergschrund. Descending I carved my first bollard in the snow above the bergschrund to rappel back over the bergschrund. On the way back to the Bay Area I picked up a girl hitch hiking on the east side of Tioga pass. I joined her boyfriend for dinner at a campground on the other side of the park. I remember her stating that she was "amoral" I have wondered from time to time what adventures would have been offered if I hadn't decided to continue on my drive back to the Bay Area that evening. They introduced me to John Muir's book on self maintenance of VWs, which I used to start doing my own work on my "bug."
utclimber - Aug 30, 2017 10:57 pm Date Climbed: Aug 26, 2017
Palisade TraverseDid the Palisade traverse from Thunderbolt to Sill as a day hike from South Lake. I used a rappel in the notch between Starlight and N Palisade.
Simkin - Jul 8, 2017 1:19 am Date Climbed: Jul 1, 2017
Free soloVia U-notch and chimney. Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NASwdKPOz-M
Fletch - Sep 11, 2016 11:51 pm Date Climbed: Sep 10, 2016
Sweet peakGood times!
Fairweather - Oct 17, 2015 7:40 pm Date Climbed: Aug 29, 2013
West ChuteFrom campsite just South of Thunderbolt Col, with Todd & Tom. Beautiful clear day.
CameronGround - Oct 12, 2015 8:58 pm Date Climbed: Oct 11, 2015
W FaceChallenging route in places for my soloing tastes, didn't look at anything other than Secor and thought the fifth class was limited to the start...it wasn't. Still a decent amount of snow in some places from last week's storm, slowed progress considerably in steep spots as I didn't bring proper gear. All in all a good, tough climb.
bennovak - Oct 2, 2015 12:51 pm Date Climbed: Sep 28, 2015
U Notch from WestDay trip with Kurt from SMI. Long day, great route, and hell of a way to close out the summer.
jdmorehouse - Sep 15, 2014 1:16 pm Date Climbed: Sep 13, 2014
Moore's VariationWith Paul K and Marianne S. We took the Moore ledges (at approximately 13,800' and ascended into a chute one or two reach arounds early with good class 4 rock and one short section of 5.3, which put us right at the bottom of the summit bowl. On the way down we stayed to the right and hit the ledges bypassing the class 4 route we had taken up, and had three reach arounds to get back to the main chute. This is when we realized we didn't go far enough to gain the main ascent chute (some where above the notorious chock stones found in the Le Conte route). Our chute worked well for us, though, as the rock was good and was free of the loose crap found every where else on this climb.
DukeJH - Aug 15, 2014 5:24 pm Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2014
LeConte RouteLink up with Polemonium via the LeConte Route on a beautiful day.
Luke Swanson - Oct 24, 2013 5:34 pm Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2013
TBolt to North PalSouthwest chute number 1 up thunderbolt and traversed to Starlight and North Pal. Went down the west side of the u-notch in the dark.
douggranger - Sep 12, 2013 9:00 pm Date Climbed: Aug 30, 2012
U-Notch from Westvia Le Conte ledge
cab - Sep 9, 2013 11:59 am Date Climbed: Sep 7, 2013
LeConte RouteA long day with Mark starting from South Lake, traversing to Polemonium after North Pal, then back to our bivy at Thunderbolt Pass. Glad to get the CA 14ers done, but a tough day thinking about our friend Pat Hadley who was supposed to join us on this trip.
Donno - Aug 12, 2013 11:05 am Date Climbed: Aug 25, 2000
U-NotchClimbed u-notch couloir and Clyde variation with Reza. Almost killed by rockfall rappelling the couloir. Had done the couloir the year before.
1994: attempt with Doug. Exhausted after 9hr hike to glacier. Henceforth, rode horseback to glacier turnoff.
westhegimp - Aug 11, 2013 7:55 pm Date Climbed: Sep 26, 2009
Traverse from TboltSo Seacor says "go left of large gendarm." But in the distance I see this crack on the right. So I go to the base of this thing and climb it. It was very cool. 10a ish. The problem was it leaves you on a small ledge just to the west side of the large chock stone in the huge chimney. I probably could have broad jumped to the boulder but instead I climbed over. It's like 10' of 10+. No problem except all the holds are vertical no horizontals at 14k. :) Anybody know what this crack is?
rdesota - Oct 8, 2012 12:18 pm Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2005
Via U- NotchGreat classic climb up the snow of the U-Notch, then up to the summit ridge and summit. Long day and great follow-up to a failed prior attempt.
mrchad9 - Sep 24, 2012 1:44 pm Date Climbed: Sep 23, 2012
2xQuick stop as we carried on from Thunderbolt to Sill. The overhanging block was a fun little short rap between Starlight and North Pal.
First climbed in August 2008 when a late season and little snow made the U-notch from the front a bad option, so over Bishop pass and up the back. Took the chimney from there, then Polemonium before the decent.