The Palisades Traverse

$2,495

Palisade Traverse
Palisade Traverse

Dates

The Palisade Traverse is for those of you who have alpine experience and are ready to take on one of the great Sierra Nevada traverses Thunderbolt Peak to Mt. Sill. Tag five California fourteen-thousand-foot summits and experience an en-route bivy.

Prerequisites

You need to be able to follow efficiently at the 5.6 level and have experience on multi-pitch routes. You should be in good physical condition, have prior backpacking experience, and have the ability to traverse broken uneven slopes with an overnight pack. Prior experience at altitudes above 12,000’ is required. Previous experience with travel on snow and talus is highly recommended, including the use of crampons and ice axe. This is the longest and most complex climb we guide. This is a long traverse, with extensive up and down climbing, while carrying an overnight pack. Your gear needs to be lightweight and fine tuned for alpine climbing. If we have not climbed together before we strongly suggest adding a warm up climb of Crystal Crag the day before heading into the Palisade Area. This will allow us to access your level, and will aid in your acclimatization.

Inclusions

Price includes guiding, permits, group climbing gear, tents, kitchen gear, breakfasts, and dinners (you bring lunches, hot/cold drinks, and snack items).

Acclimatization & Physical Training

For proper acclimatization, we suggest spending at least one night at a moderate altitude, higher than 8,000 feet, just prior to the start of the journey. See our detailed tips on acclimatizing and physical training in the “Resources” tab.

The longer a trip is in the mountains, the more vague the itinerary need be. We have built some slack into the program to accommodate changes in weather, etc. It is possible to complete the climb in a shorter time but in the mountains it is always better to have more time than less.

Day 1

We will meet at the SMC office in Bishop, pack, do an equipment check and head to the trailhead. We start at the Bishop Pass trailhead and climb past alpine lakes to the pass. From here we head off the trail. Our goal will be to camp high below the Thunderbolt Couloir on the west side or if there is snow for meltwater, higher up on the crest of the Sierra.

Day 2

We start climbing from the north end of the traverse, ascending Thunderbolt. The summit block on T’bolt (14,003’) is the hardest rock climbing on the whole traverse but we do not need to carry packs up and over this so it will not be too bad.

Then it is down the ridge to the top of the Underhill Couloirs. If the weather turns this also gives us a good point to get off the ridge. (No, we do not want to be here if there is any chance of an electrical storm). The ridge continues up to Starlight Peak with a few sections of 5th class climbing, but primarily 4th class. The summit “milkbottle” of Starlight (14,200’) is also a little tricky to gain, but we know the tricks here. The summit of North Palisade looks not far off and it is not. But unfortunately we have to drop several hundred feet over technical terrain and then reascend to get there. What, on flat ground, would be a short stroll will take us a couple of hours. North Palisade’s summit (14,242’) is no problem at all and then we traverse, downclimb and spend the night in the west bowl of the peak where there often is water.

Day 3

We climb back up to the col at the head of U-notch. We will be here early so the plan is to drop packs and head off over Polemonium to Sill with just day packs. There is some 5.6 climbing right out of the notch and then we can drop packs and scramble to the exposed summit of Polemonium (14,100’). Once again easy ground is ‘just over there” but we have to put in a lot of work to get “over there” by retracing our steps rappelling into a gully and re-ascending. The remaining terrain is easy. We traverse above the top of V-notch and over to the top of Mt. Sill’s North Couloir. We can drop packs again (since we will be back soon) and head up to the top of Mt. Sill (14,153’). This peak has perhaps the best view of anywhere in the Sierra and we can see north to the Mammoth area and south to Whitney. But too soon it is time to go down so we pick up packs and head back to our overnight gear at the top of U-Notch. Then it is down a gully and either camp wherever we like, or return to our first camp near Thunderbolt Col.

Day 4

Head out back over Thunderbolt Col, arriving at the trailhead around midday.

Distances and Elevations

Trailhead to low camp: 7.1 miles, 3300’ of gain, 800’ of descent

Low camp to bivvy along crest: 0.9 miles, 2250’ of gain, 500’ of descent

Bivvy to low camp: 2.2 miles, 1050’ of gain, 2750’ of descent

Low camp to trailhead: 7.1 miles, 800’ of gain, 3300’ of descent

Rental Equipment

We have rental equipment available at checkout.

Reviews

Jason, Palisase Traverse

“What a fantastic trip put together for us by the Sierra Mountain Center. From the start Emma was fantastic and professional in the coordination efforts for our Palisade Traverse trip. My son and I had a 1:1 guide ratio and the guides, Dave Stimson and Tyler Logan, were exceptional. Exceptional in their knowledge of the route, their efficiency with rope craft and their trailside manner – despite the exhausting climb we had such a fun time. We are already planning next year’s outing with SMC.”

Chris, Mt. Whitney via the Mountaineer’s Route

“I went on the Mt Whitney via the mountaineers route with Sierra Mountain Center. Our guide Louie made sure we were safe while helping us reach our goal of getting to the summit. Everything was explained clearly beforehand. I’ve never done rock climbing before and Louie did a great job of providing the needed instruction and coaching. Best of the best – highly recommended!”

Fred, Mt. Whitney via the East Buttress

“Used SMC for a climb of the East Buttress of Mt. Whitney June 17, 2024. Great experience all the way around. Dave was my guide and I highly recommend choosing them for your Sierra adventure!”

Related Trips

Length

4 Days

Technical Difficulty

Technical rock up to 5.8, at high elevation, with extensive up and down climbing, while carrying an overnight pack.

Distance

17.5 Miles

Mike Mourar

Mike is originally from Pennsylvania where he learned to ski on the icy mountains of the Northeast. He moved to Northern California soon after high school and received degrees in Outdoor Adventure Education from Feather River College and later Southern Oregon university. He has worked in outdoor education for over 15 years, leading wilderness education expeditions all across the world and the American west. Mike currently ski guides and teaches avalanche education courses in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. He loves to ski steep narrow couloirs on warm sunny days in the Sierras! When not guiding on skis, Mike can be found kayaking the rivers in the Pacific Northwest. 

Heather Shaw

Heather grew up in the Bay Area and has many fond memories of backpacking and camping in the Sierra as a kid. She moved up to Oregon to attend Lewis & Clark College and obtained a degree in Environmental Studies focusing on education and food systems. While living up in Oregon Heather fell in love with the Cascades and began guiding her peers on backpacking trips, cross-country skiing and even local mushroom foregoing. Following her passion for guiding and the outdoors she spent the summers guiding children on backpacking trips and adults in sea kayaking. Heather enjoyed living in the Portland area, skiing on Mount Hood and doing lots of cycling but eventually she decided it was time to come back to sunny California. For the past couple of years she has been spending summers and fall in California guiding students in backpacking, river trips and day hikes. She is excited about guiding backpacking trips in the Eastern Sierra this summer. Heather is a Wilderness First Responder and Leave No Trace Trainer.

Robert "SP" Parker

Robert “SP” Parker, hails from the picturesque landscapes of New Zealand. His journey into the realm of mountaineering began during his days at the University of Auckland, where he delved into the world of climbing alongside the university tramping club (akin to “backpacking” for our American counterparts).

He relocated to Yosemite Valley in 1979. He traveled the US climbing in all the great places: Yosemite, Tuolumne, Colorado, Joshua Tree, Devils Tower, Canada. In 1996, he joined forces with Todd Vogel to found Sierra Mountain Center. SP has over 40 years of full-time professional mountain guiding experience. He has earned IFMGA certification in Rock, Ski, and Alpine disciplines and has served as a past director of the AMGA.

As the torch of ownership at SMC passes into the capable hands of Emma, his passion for guiding in the breathtaking Sierra region continues to burn bright, and he eagerly supports Emma in her new role.

Larry Gumina

Larry is a native of the New Jersey shore. Raised as an ocean lover, Larry spent his early days surfing and being in the water as much as he could. Through an active involvement in scouting, as well as an adventurous friend group, Larry found a passion for the mountains. Naturally, this passion had him trade his surfboard for a snowboard, and he went west! Larry graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with degrees in Environmental Studies as well as Atmospheric and Oceanic Circulation. In Colorado, he fell more in love with the mountains. After graduating, Larry moved to Alaska to explore the wilderness of the last frontier through backpack and canoe guiding. When COVID struck and found Larry abroad in Central America, he came back to the states hoping to get back to Alaska, but discovered the Sierra along the way. And the high peaks and the fairer climate of California was as far as he made it. Larry now resides here in Bishop, where he spends his time exploring the mountains via roped climbing, splitboarding, and hiking. When not guiding, Larry enjoys traveling and climbing the high, glaciated peaks of Central and South America. Larry’s favorite trip to lead in the Sierra is the Bishop to Mammoth backpack as the variety of the terrain offers tremendous opportunities for natural and human history studies! Larry holds a certification as a Wilderness First Responder, a Leave No Trace Trainer, and a AIARE Level I.

Tyler Logan

Tyler grew up hiking in the Sierra Nevada before being introduced to rock climbing as a teenager. Since that time, he has climbed extensively in this same mountain range, including Yosemite (he has climbed El Capitan multiple times) as well as various other crags and mountain ranges throughout the West. Much of this climbing happened during spring, summer and winter breaks while working as a high school English teacher in southern California. After more than ten years in the classroom, Tyler made a career change and began guiding in 2016. He loves being able to make use of his teaching background while working outdoors and helping people achieve their goals. While climbing is his first passion, Tyler also enjoys hiking, backcountry skiing, running, cycling, and a bit of fly fishing now and then. He lives in Bishop with his wife, Mona.

Louie Allen

Louie began guiding with Sierra Mountain Center in 2015 after falling in love with the people and places of Bishop, CA, and the Sierra Nevada mountains.  He grew up climbing and backpacking in the southeastern US and moved West to pursue bigger mountainous terrain.  He is a passionate and dedicated climber in all of its forms and has backpacked extensively across the Sierra.  It is a joy for him to share his favorite peaks and trails with visitors.  Louie is an equal-opportunity cookie lover and die-hard Cincinnati Bengals football fan.  He travels to the eastern US often in order to pursue world-class rock and ice climbs, but always finds his way back to the Sierra.

Louie is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide and is pursuing Alpine Guide certification.  He holds an MS in Recreation and Sport Sciences and a Graduate Certificate in Sport Coaching.  He works as a guide, strength trainer, and climbing coach to help developing climbers and hikers achieve meaningful goals in the mountains.

Anouk Erni

Anouk grew up on the glaciers and peaks of Switzerland where her family is from and currently resides. Anouk has had an appreciation for the elevated outdoors from an early age. She has lived in Europe, America’s east coast, and finally, she came to the west coast in her teens, and never left. Even though she calls the Eastern Sierra her home, she began her guiding career in the Pacific Northwest, where she worked on glaciated peaks such as Mt Rainier and Mt Baker, and rock guided during the summers. However, having learned to rock climb in California and frequenting the Eastern Sierra during her years living in Los Angeles, she ultimately returned to California eight years ago and has been guiding here year round. In the summers, Anouk guides rock and alpine trips, and during the winter seasons, she ski guides and teaches avalanche courses. She sees her guide work as a way to increase and infuse passion and knowledge into the outdoor community – her way of giving back after having been fortunate enough to receive solid mentorship during her initial years climbing in California.

 

Anouk is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide, Apprentice Ski Guide, and Apprentice Alpine Guide, as well as an AIARE avalanche course leader and AAI course leader.

Dave Stimson

Dave is originally from Alberta, Canada, but has traded in his Canadian passport for his American one, lured by clean Sierra granite and perfect California weather. He graduated from Mount Royal University in 2007 with an undergrad in Ecotourism & Outdoor Leadership and has been working ever since as a ski patroller and avalanche forecaster in Canada during the winters. Dave has been climbing since 2003 and has climbed in Squamish, the Canadian Rockies, The Bugaboos, the Tetons, Red Rock, Indian Creek and Peru, to name a few destinations. His first time climbing in California was in 2103 in Yosemite Valley and was instantly in love. He has been with the SMC team since 2015 and is excited to continue climbing and guiding in the Range of Light. 

Dave holds a Wilderness First Responder certification, and a Canadian Avalanche Association Level 2. He began the AMGA program in 2014 and has become a fully certified IFMGA Mountain Guide.

Emma Gasman

Emma joined the Sierra Mountain Center team in early 2021 as the Program Director. Fast forward almost three years, and she has now taken the reins, becoming the proud owner of the company previously helmed by the legendary Robert “SP” Parker. Emma is passionate about making the marvels of the mountains accessible to individuals of all skill levels. Emma grew up backpacking and skiing in the western Sierra Nevada, where her personal connection to these majestic landscapes began. While attending college in Oregon she discovered rock climbing and skiing touring, which ultimately led her to the Eastern Sierra. Emma is ready to carry forward the rich legacy established by SP back in the 1990s, eager to nurture and expand upon the successes of the company.

Barb Bemis

Barb began working for SMC in the summer of 2016 as a backpacking and climbing guide. After 4 summers, she began working as an adaptive sports instructor and program coordinator with Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra in Mammoth Lakes. Fast forward to 2024 and Barb is back in the office at SMC. She enjoys organizing all the trip details and other behind-the-scenes tasks to help guests get outside and enjoy the Eastern Sierra. She has always been involved in the outdoors in a variety of ways: hiking, climbing, mountain biking, running, and more. Moving to the Eastern Sierra was a great choice!