How To Fall Off A Mountain

Rich Benbrook

Using the Maps

Mount Whitney

Monarch Lake

Vidette Meadow

Cottonwood Lakes

Onion Valley to
Whitney Portal

Symmes Creek to
Mineral King

Mount Tyndall

Whitney Group

Mount Shasta

Mount Williamson

Palisades

Middle Palisade
Revisited

Thunder Mountain

Middle Palisade
Try Again

Middle Palisade
Take Three

Mount Sill

Thunderbolt Peak
Climbing Up

Thunderbolt Peak
Climbing Down

Thunderbolt Peak
Rescue

Aerial Photos

National Park Service Search and Rescue

Links

Palisades

maps:

We now had just the seven peaks in the Palisade group remaining unclimbed. In July 1994, just before the end of our self-imposed 12 month window, we parked a car at Bishop Pass, drove to Taboose Pass, and started up the trail. Taboose pass is similar to Shepard Pass, starting at a low altitude on the valley floor. We've learned a simple way to beat the desert heat, and began our hike just after sunset. We arrived at our camp a little after midnight, close enough to the top of the pass that we could make it over in the cool morning air.

Our first summit was Split Mountain (14,058'; 9 of 15), formerly known as South Palisade and an easy walkup. On our way down from Split Mountain, we walked by a shallow depression in the rocky soil. The sunken area resembled a gravesite, and even had a small monument of rocks stacked in what could have served as a headstone. Here, we made what superstitious folks might call a grave mistake (pardon the pun.) In turn, each of us lay on our backs in the depression, arms crossed over our chests and eyes closed as we posed for photos. As it was to turn out, our good luck and 100 percent success rate were about to come to an end.

We spent a rest day practicing our rope skills, as we next faced Middle Palisade. This peak concerned us. The route was rated at only class 3, well within our capabilities, but the guidebook also warned that staying on route was difficult, and class 5 climbing would be encountered if we got off route.

Five days into the trip, we set up camp at Palisade Lake at the base of our intended route up Middle Palisade. On this peak our concern was justified. We indeed could not find the route. After hours of struggle and frequent backtracking in an attempt to find where we had gone wrong, we found we could not continue. Although it was a difficult decision, we accepted our failure and sadly returned to camp.

With this defeat, our goal to climb all 15 high peaks in twelve months was no longer attainable. In some ways, however, we felt a little relieved. Now that we weren't going to reach our goal, we no longer had to climb every peak on schedule. We could climb what we wanted, when we wanted.

We packed up camp and moved one day's hike to a large lake on Glacier Creek near the base of Mount Sill. On our first evening at this new camp, as we were taking a sunset walk around the lake, we observed a bear slowly meander through camp. Still stinging from the bear encounter of the previous year, we worried that our precious food supply was once again in jeopardy. This time, though, the bear kept going, ignoring us as though we didn't exist.

We climbed two peaks the following day. After reaching the summit of Mount Sill (14,162'; 10 of 15), we traversed west toward Polemonium Peak. Although not really necessary, we put on our climbing shoes and harnesses, and roped up for the final push to the top of Polemonium. This was mostly for practice, as we expected to need this gear later in the trip when we climbed North Palisade. Upon reaching the summit of Polemonium Peak (14,080'; 11 of 15), we could look over and see North Palisade, practically within touching distance. However, for us to get there we would have to climb back down the way we came, return to camp and move to the Barrett Lake basin. This we did.

Tim arrived at Barrett Lakes late in the day, and joined Kelly and I for dinner. Although we had arranged this rendezvous, I was quite surprised that it actually came together as planned. Tim had hiked all day, covering a distance most hikers would tackle in two days, and reached us exhausted just before sunset. We shared dinner, and the three of us looked forward to climbing North Palisade.

We started our climb early in the morning, ascending moderately at first as we crossed the talus at the base of the mountain, then more steeply as we entered the south coulier. Soon we reached, and successfully traversed, a narrow, exposed ledge known as the catwalk. The next significant obstacle was a chockstone wedged into a particularly narrow part of the chute. Earlier climbing parties had left behind some rope and slings anchored at the top of this boulder, so we cheated a bit and used the existing aid devices to assist our climb.

From the top of North Palisade (14,242'; 12 of 15), we could look north to the summit monolith of Thunderbolt Peak. A solo climber was on the peak, trying without apparent success to surmount the final 20 feet of solid rock and achieve the summit. Starlight Peak was even closer, and since we were already here, the opportunity to climb this peak seemed too good to pass up. Kelly and I donned our ropes and climbing shoes once again, and attempted the traverse over to Starlight. Unfortunately, we encountered conditions much more difficult than we had expected. After an hour we had made little progress, so we retreated back to rejoin Tim, still waiting for us on North Palisade. We abandoned any further hope of climbing Starlight Peak, or neighboring Thunderbolt Peak, on this trip.

The descent from North Palisade was exciting, as Tim and I each got to experience our first backcountry rappel. Stepping backward off a near-vertical cliff, trusting our lives to our equipment and knowledge, was an exhilarating experience.

Tim's Trip Report