The Fourteeners

There are fifteen peaks in California that exceed fourteen thousand feet in height. We won't try to climb them all in the course of these for days, but we will certainly ascend acouple of the most technically difficult of them, namely those along the Palisade Crest

We start from the South Fork of Bishop Creek, cross Bishop Pass, and set up camp high above beautiful Palisade and Dusy Basins at Thunderbolt Col. From here we will choose between Thunderbolt, Sill, Starlight, North Palisade, or Polemonium peaks and ascend two or three of these over the next two days. This is a fairly busy schedule and while not technically difficult it does require stamina and fitness. The technical crux of several of these mountains is the tiny summit block, but with a pair of rock shoes you will be standing on the very top of the Sierra's most spectacular peaks. For North Palisade we generally choose the Le Conte route, first ascended by Joseph Le Conte in 1903, and which involves a spectacular and exciting traverse across a steep slab. From North Palisade we can traverse to Polemonium, which from the top of the U-Notch offers low fifth class climbing for two hundred feet to the summit and a rappel descent.

The climb of Thunderbolt starts directly from camp at Thunderbolt Col and ascends a steep snow gully to the crest before tackling the summit block via a well-protected and safe fifth class face. Starlight is perhaps the most involved with a devious climb of the west chute to the “Milkbottle” summit and the various rope shenanigans necessary to reach the summit. From camp Mount Sill is perhaps the easiest peak to climb in the technical sense, but involves a long approach around the head of Palisade Basin to the low angle class two slopes of the west side, making for a very long day.

Itinerary
Day One: We will meet in Bishop, drive to the South Lake trailhead and head for the Bishop Pass With a 2,000' gain over four miles the walk to Bishop Pass is moderate, but the high altitude makes the difference. We leave the main trial at the Pass and travel cross-country to Thunderbolt Col. This will take most of the day and travel here can be difficult with some large talus to cross. We can camp at the Col or we can drop down to a small tarn a few hundred feet below. (This is the place to be if the weather if at all iffy since the Col, while beautiful is very exposed to bad weather and wind).

Days Two and Three: These days are similar in that they share an early start for any of the attractive objectives in the area, described above. Depending on the weather and objectives of the group we may make the third day a rest day, or we may put the pedal to the metal and try to climb three big peaks in three days, a quite ambitious objective for anyone.

Day Four: We pack up and head out, aiming for a mid afternoon arrival back at the vehicles.

This is our video description of what it is like to go up the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek with SMC to approach the Mountaineers Route, the East Face, the East Buttress and Mt. Russell.

For better quality video you can go to our YouTube Site and click the "watch in higher resolution button".

Notes
Other than the summit blocks none of these peaks are extremely difficult but they all require roped travel and possibly the use of crampons and ice axes.

Guidebooks include Secor's “The High Sierra; Peaks, Passes and Trails” and “Climbing California's Fourteeners” by Porcella and Burns.

Return to Summer Mountaineering Programs