Technical difficulty
Snow and ice to 80-90 degrees and 5.6 rock
Physical difficulty
Strenuous
Length
3 days,
2 nights
Dates
Custom programs at any time.
Price
Custom guiding rates
Ratio
1 guide; 2 participants
Prerequisites
Climbers must be in good physical condition for these routes, have the ability to climb 5.6 rock in mountain boots and have some experience on moderately technical ice and snow. U-Notch to the top of North Pal is often a sixteen hour round trip from a high camp.
Inclusions
Price includes guiding, permits, group climbing gear, tents, kitchen gear, breakfasts, lunches and dinners (you bring hot/cold drinks and snack items). Scheduled dates include USFS trail fees. Private programs do not. Local accommodation is not included.
We offer these climbs as a custom program. The scheduled version of this is our Palisades High Peaks Camp and we often find that it is worth adding in another climb and maximize the climbing to hiking ratio.
These are the two most well known gully climbs in the Sierra. Mainly snow climbs in early season, they turn to ice as summer progresses and offer great challenges. U-Notch averages about 45 to 50 degrees in steepness, and V-Notch is a little steeper at 50-55 degrees, especially near the top. On both routes the crux can often be crossing the large crevasse at the start of the routes that in some years can cut off access totally. V-Notch leads to the top of Polemonium Peak and from the top of U-Notch there are two short, steep pitches of climbing and a long traverse to the top of North Palisade, the high point of the region at 14,242 feet.
Itinerary Day One: We will meet at the Glacier Lodge trailhead, pack, do an equipment check and head on up the trail to the Palisade Glacier.
Our packs are gong to be trimmed to the bare minimum and we should be able to head up the trail fairly easily. Our goal will be to camp at the moraine camp on the edge of the Palisade Glacier due west of the lake at the terminus of the Palisade Glacier. This is a climb from about 7800 at Glacier Lodge to 12,400 so you had better arrive to the climb well acclimatized.
Day Two:
Climb our Notch.
Day Three:
Head out, arriving at the trailhead by late afternoon.
U Notch
The bergschrund is often the biggest obstacle and in some years can be very overhanging, sometimes requiring aid late in the season. But we usually cross easily on the right hand side. We emerge into the main gully and move up this along the right side generally belaying on rock. The gully widens and divides and we often do a couple of ice screw belays before the gully again narrows and we are back to rock belays. Once we reach the top of the chute there is a chimney/dihedral on the right, rated 5.4. We take the chimney to the summit ridge, dropping briefly into a small bowl and then up boulders to the exposed summit of North Palisade. The crux is a gap to cross just before the summit. The traverse to the summit can be tricky especially early season if there are patches of snow around, and it is surprisingly longer than most expect.
Our descent is the exact reverse of our ascent but this time with rappels.
V Notch
Again the bergschrund is thought to be the crux of the climb and mostly we take it slightly left of center but be prepared to climb a short section of near vertical neve or ice. We follow the left side of the couloir for the first 4 pitches, and then cross to right side heading to the top. There are around 8 pitches in total. Once at the top we can scramble along the ridge to the summit of Polemonium Peak. Now we have a long traverse towards Mt. Sill we gain the Starr Route of Sill. We descend the ridge some and then turn east onto the shadowed North Face. Some downclimbing and a rappel or lower takes us to the sub peak of Sill, known as Apex Peak. This is the peak that projects from Mt. Sill to Sill's north, just under 14,000' in height. A ledge system quickly brings us to the top of the L-shaped Snowfield. The L-shaped snowfield has melted out over the years and is often more properly names the I-shaped snowfield. We pick up gear and head on down back over Glacier Notch to camp.
Notes Guidebooks include Secor's “The High Sierra; Peaks, Passes and Trails”, “Sierra Classics” by Moynier and Fiddler. Peter Croft's “The Good, The Great, and the Awesome”.
Get the latter from Maximus Press.
We highly recommend that you spend at least one night at moderate altitude (higher than 8,000') just prior to the trip. Spending a night in Mammoth would do the trick or better yet, camped at an even higher trailhead, such as one of the campgrounds in Big Pine Creek for a night just before the trip. Glacier Lodge is also a good lodging option. Please refer to our Planning for Success info sheet for more info.
Physical difficulty
