We set up comfortable camp below Temple Crag, and climb two of these classic alpine routes in the Palisades area. Route options include the Celestial Arêtes on Temple Crag, Mount Robinson arêtes, and many more. These four days will be filled with as much climbing as you can handle and will certainly be a “dream trip” for the rock aficionado. Any of these routes are also offered individually as a custom trip. Just contact us for availability.

Sun Ribbon Arête – 23-pitch 5.9/10a

24 pitches of fun climbing complete with a Tyrolean traverse a third of the way up. The challenges start from the beginning with a 5.7 crack and chimney. Above the dihedral, we scramble on increasingly difficult 3rd class to the notch behind the first tiny tower. Six or so superb pitches on perfect rock lead to the Tyrolean traverse.

It is possible to rap/climb the gap but how often do you get a Tyrolean traverse partway up a climb? Plus it makes for great photos. There is spike of rock across the 20 foot gap that calls for ‘western techniques.” Once the spike is lassoed, we clip in with carabiners and slide across to the safety of a horizontal ridge leading to a 40′ rappel off a tower.

We traverse around the corner and to the big notch at the base of the 11th, crux, pitch. This is a 5.9/10a traverse across a steep face out of the notch. The next pitch is 5.8 and leads to more horizontal ridge climbing. At the 15th pitch there is a rappel, another good escape left into the gully. Otherwise nearly ten short pitches leads to the summit plateau. If this one does not tire you out we are not sure what will!

Moon Goddess Arête – 18-pitch 5.8

This is one of the area’s great classics, with up to 18 pitches of great climbing, fun exposure, and great position. From the end of the scrambling approach, six or seven fourth and easy fifth class pitches lead to the first real challenge, the first tower, which is passed on the right via an exposed 5.7 traverse. We climb over the tower and descend into the first notch. Above here the route looks very improbable, but we skirt right away from the massive “Ibrium Tower” via a traverse on a quartz ledge. One straight up pitch takes us to a huge jammed block and a great place to relax a while and have lunch. Three pitches, with one rappel, lead up the arête proper to the summit plateau. The summit is a half hour away from the plateau.

Venusian Blind Arête – 12-pitch 5.7

Venusian Blind is another classic, shorter than Moon Goddess but more continuous. We take the same approach as Moon Goddess then keep heading to the left to gain the next arête. We link together two arêtes on ever steepening terrain. Short jam cracks over blocks typify this section of the climb with ample big ledges to rest and recover on. We continue on the very crest of the ridge for four pitches including one section where the ridge is “missing” for about four feet to one last tower. A short crack that looks intimidating turns out not to be so at all and suddenly it is all over and we step onto the summit plateau.

Venusian Blind Arête is one of the farthest left on Temple crag and, at 5.7, is every bit as good a climb as the others. With only ten or twelve pitches it is less committing than Moon Goddess but a little more continuous.

Descent

For all routes we head down towards the South Fork of Big Pine Creek via faint use trails. We climb over a minor blunt ridge towards Mt. Alice and do a short half-rope length rappel into flat, sandy Contact Pass. For the final section back to the base of the routes we may have snow, which actually makes life easier as it avoids a very loose rock glacier (A rock glacier is a core of ice covered by rock and rubble.) It is still a glacier so it moves, albeit very slowly.

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Sun Ribbon

venusian temple crag

Venusian

moon_goddess

Moon Goddess

 

 

 

 

 

Mt. Robinson Arêtes

The arêtes on Mt. Robinson offer another alpine adventure with mostly 4th class climbing with sections of 5th class. These can be a good warm up for a more sustained route on Temple Crag.

Prerequisites

You need to be able to follow at the 5.7-5.9 level and have experience on traditional multi-pitch routes. Prior backpacking and mountain climbing experience is required as is experience at altitudes above 12,000’. This is a physically demanding trip and you should be in good physical condition and have the ability to traverse broken and uneven slopes with a moderately heavy pack.

Inclusions

Price includes guiding, permits, group climbing gear, tents, kitchen gear, breakfasts, lunches and dinners (you bring 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 an physical training in the “Resources” tab.