Hiked to where the glacier trail crosses the creek from 4th Lake, then skinned to the apron below the N Couloir. Climbed to the highest point the snow went to on the NE ridge and stashed my ski and snow climbing gear, then on to the summit. My plan was to lasso the summit block and use a micro ascender for backup, but the wind was too strong and I was throwing the rope right into it. Without the wind, I might have just soloed it, but wind added to exposure has a tendency to knock my confidence down a notch or two. Plus, I was behind schedule, so took a pass on the block.
Lassoed the summit block on the first try! The move to get atop is spicy for sure. 5.9 at 14k feels extra hard, but oh so worth it.
Matt Lemke - Sep 29, 2019 5:15 pm Date Climbed: Jul 12, 2019
Palisade Traverse, Thunderbolt, Starlight and N Pal
Beautiful Traverse. We did the 3 peaks over a course of two days with a high bivy directly below the summit pinnacle of Starlight Peak. There was still a ton of snow!
dshoshone - May 31, 2018 7:30 pm Date Climbed: Sep 15, 2008
SW chute
Fun climb
utclimber - Aug 30, 2017 10:54 pm Date Climbed: Aug 26, 2017
Palisade Traverse
Did the Palisade traverse from Thunderbolt to Sill as a day hike from South Lake. For Thunderbolt, I managed to lasso the summit on my second try and prusik to the summit.
dstevenson0204 - Oct 11, 2014 11:47 am Date Climbed: Sep 1, 2014
SW Chute #1 and Traverse Attempt
Made it to the summit of Thunderbolt in hopes to get to Starlight and North Pal. Didn't quite have the gusto / daylight to commit to the other 2. We were about 200 - 300 ft shy of Starlight. Bailed down SW Chute #2 and barely made it off the mountain before the sun went down. Good call on bailing for us!
bennovak - Aug 26, 2014 12:12 am Date Climbed: Aug 24, 2014
SW Chute
That summit block isn't quite like the 5.9s in climbing gyms. Wouldn't have made it up without the guidance from the awesome folks at SMI.
DukeJH - Aug 15, 2014 5:23 pm Date Climbed: Aug 6, 2014
Traverse from Starlight
Traversed from Starlight to Thunderbolt, which lived up to it's name during monsoon season.
iditarod81 - Aug 4, 2014 3:52 pm Date Climbed: Aug 2, 2014
SW Chute #1 to Starlight
The 12th CA 14er for me and my husband! Thanks to guides Zach and Trevor for great leading up the SW chute and the famed summit block. Headed out along the ridgeline to summit Starlight afterwards and reached the top of the milk bottle right as the afternoon thunderstorms started rolling in...
Climbed up from camp in Palisade Basin with coworkers. Since it was a work-sponsored trip, we had a guide lead the summit block for us and we toproped the awesome 5.9. I intend to return for the entire traverse and am eager to do the daring lead myself.
Luke Swanson - Oct 24, 2013 5:44 pm Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2013
SW chute #1 to North Pal
Threw a rope over the summit block and climbed the 5.9 side with a prusik self belay. Traversed to Starlight and North Pal and came down the west side of the U-notch.
douggranger - Sep 12, 2013 9:26 pm Date Climbed: Aug 28, 2012
SW Chute #1
Summit block was tough, no hope without a lead by Z.
westhegimp - Aug 11, 2013 7:45 pm Date Climbed: Sep 26, 2009
Tbolt pass to Npal.
Camped at Tbolt pass, in the morning I went up and traversed to Npal and met my friends there. We down climbed the gully to the west and back to camp. Good times. I remember being glad I brought my climbing shoes up. :)
To climb the summit block, we used a system of prusiks which we found much easier to use than tying loops in the rope.
We tossed both ends of the rope over the block and tied each side off to large boulders. Then, we attached one regular prusik to each rope and a Texas Prusik to one of the ropes for our feet. We used this system to climb the rope like you would in a crevasse rescue situation. Having two strands of rope over the summit block was key so that we could slide at least one of the prusiks up when the other strand of rope was pressed against the rock.
Fairweather - Nov 17, 2012 12:31 am Date Climbed: Sep 5, 1987
SW Chute #1
With Suzi & Dave Syracuse from camp in Dusy Basin.
rdesota - Oct 8, 2012 12:21 pm Date Climbed: Aug 23, 2004
Stormy Summit
Great trip from the westside. Started raining and snowing as we started the low 5th class portion. Lassoed the summit block and batmaned up. A great day.
First step on the Palisade Traverse after being shut out by weather comng from the other direction two weeks earlier. Started out with Underhill Couloir and then across the regular traverse with a great group.
First climbed it in August 2008 up the southwest chute after climbing N. Pal and Polemonium the day before.
Climbed SW Chute #1 to the notch. After some searching we eventually found a route that would probably be considered class 3 (go over the notch then traverse right through the next chute until easier climbing is found above). Used a rope ladder to climb the summit block. North Palisade the following day.
Sarah Simon - Aug 17, 2012 2:48 am Date Climbed: Aug 13, 2012
SW Chute #1
From camp in Palisade Basin, ascended the SW Chute #1 to the notch. Class 4 out of the notch? We found no such thing, but did use a bocky, awkward 5th class line. Royally enjoyed the summit monolith. I am a pathetic rock climber, and was climbing above my paygrade on this summit block...if I can muscle my way up there, so can you! What a sensation being on top of this peak!!!
midi510 - Jul 12, 2023 9:18 pm Date Climbed: Jul 11, 2023
Skied The N Couloir After SummitHiked to where the glacier trail crosses the creek from 4th Lake, then skinned to the apron below the N Couloir. Climbed to the highest point the snow went to on the NE ridge and stashed my ski and snow climbing gear, then on to the summit. My plan was to lasso the summit block and use a micro ascender for backup, but the wind was too strong and I was throwing the rope right into it. Without the wind, I might have just soloed it, but wind added to exposure has a tendency to knock my confidence down a notch or two. Plus, I was behind schedule, so took a pass on the block.
wmolland - Jul 25, 2022 9:43 pm Date Climbed: Jul 22, 2022
Start of the Palisade TraverseLassoed the summit block on the first try! The move to get atop is spicy for sure. 5.9 at 14k feels extra hard, but oh so worth it.
Matt Lemke - Sep 29, 2019 5:15 pm Date Climbed: Jul 12, 2019
Palisade Traverse, Thunderbolt, Starlight and N PalBeautiful Traverse. We did the 3 peaks over a course of two days with a high bivy directly below the summit pinnacle of Starlight Peak. There was still a ton of snow!
dshoshone - May 31, 2018 7:30 pm Date Climbed: Sep 15, 2008
SW chuteFun climb
utclimber - Aug 30, 2017 10:54 pm Date Climbed: Aug 26, 2017
Palisade TraverseDid the Palisade traverse from Thunderbolt to Sill as a day hike from South Lake. For Thunderbolt, I managed to lasso the summit on my second try and prusik to the summit.
Fletch - Sep 11, 2016 11:50 pm Date Climbed: Sep 8, 2016
SW ChuteTalusades!
dstevenson0204 - Oct 11, 2014 11:47 am Date Climbed: Sep 1, 2014
SW Chute #1 and Traverse AttemptMade it to the summit of Thunderbolt in hopes to get to Starlight and North Pal. Didn't quite have the gusto / daylight to commit to the other 2. We were about 200 - 300 ft shy of Starlight. Bailed down SW Chute #2 and barely made it off the mountain before the sun went down. Good call on bailing for us!
bennovak - Aug 26, 2014 12:12 am Date Climbed: Aug 24, 2014
SW ChuteThat summit block isn't quite like the 5.9s in climbing gyms. Wouldn't have made it up without the guidance from the awesome folks at SMI.
DukeJH - Aug 15, 2014 5:23 pm Date Climbed: Aug 6, 2014
Traverse from StarlightTraversed from Starlight to Thunderbolt, which lived up to it's name during monsoon season.
iditarod81 - Aug 4, 2014 3:52 pm Date Climbed: Aug 2, 2014
SW Chute #1 to StarlightThe 12th CA 14er for me and my husband! Thanks to guides Zach and Trevor for great leading up the SW chute and the famed summit block. Headed out along the ridgeline to summit Starlight afterwards and reached the top of the milk bottle right as the afternoon thunderstorms started rolling in...
theflyingmountaineer - Aug 4, 2014 3:07 am Date Climbed: Aug 2, 2014
SW Chute #1Climbed up from camp in Palisade Basin with coworkers. Since it was a work-sponsored trip, we had a guide lead the summit block for us and we toproped the awesome 5.9. I intend to return for the entire traverse and am eager to do the daring lead myself.
Luke Swanson - Oct 24, 2013 5:44 pm Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2013
SW chute #1 to North PalThrew a rope over the summit block and climbed the 5.9 side with a prusik self belay. Traversed to Starlight and North Pal and came down the west side of the U-notch.
douggranger - Sep 12, 2013 9:26 pm Date Climbed: Aug 28, 2012
SW Chute #1Summit block was tough, no hope without a lead by Z.
westhegimp - Aug 11, 2013 7:45 pm Date Climbed: Sep 26, 2009
Tbolt pass to Npal.Camped at Tbolt pass, in the morning I went up and traversed to Npal and met my friends there. We down climbed the gully to the west and back to camp. Good times. I remember being glad I brought my climbing shoes up. :)
cab - Jul 22, 2013 3:22 pm Date Climbed: Jul 20, 2013
Southwest Chute #1To climb the summit block, we used a system of prusiks which we found much easier to use than tying loops in the rope.
We tossed both ends of the rope over the block and tied each side off to large boulders. Then, we attached one regular prusik to each rope and a Texas Prusik to one of the ropes for our feet. We used this system to climb the rope like you would in a crevasse rescue situation. Having two strands of rope over the summit block was key so that we could slide at least one of the prusiks up when the other strand of rope was pressed against the rock.
Fairweather - Nov 17, 2012 12:31 am Date Climbed: Sep 5, 1987
SW Chute #1With Suzi & Dave Syracuse from camp in Dusy Basin.
rdesota - Oct 8, 2012 12:21 pm Date Climbed: Aug 23, 2004
Stormy SummitGreat trip from the westside. Started raining and snowing as we started the low 5th class portion. Lassoed the summit block and batmaned up. A great day.
mrchad9 - Sep 24, 2012 1:40 pm Date Climbed: Sep 23, 2012
2xFirst step on the Palisade Traverse after being shut out by weather comng from the other direction two weeks earlier. Started out with Underhill Couloir and then across the regular traverse with a great group.
First climbed it in August 2008 up the southwest chute after climbing N. Pal and Polemonium the day before.
ckerth - Sep 20, 2012 9:52 pm Date Climbed: Sep 1, 2012
SW Chute #1Climbed SW Chute #1 to the notch. After some searching we eventually found a route that would probably be considered class 3 (go over the notch then traverse right through the next chute until easier climbing is found above). Used a rope ladder to climb the summit block. North Palisade the following day.
Sarah Simon - Aug 17, 2012 2:48 am Date Climbed: Aug 13, 2012
SW Chute #1From camp in Palisade Basin, ascended the SW Chute #1 to the notch. Class 4 out of the notch? We found no such thing, but did use a bocky, awkward 5th class line. Royally enjoyed the summit monolith. I am a pathetic rock climber, and was climbing above my paygrade on this summit block...if I can muscle my way up there, so can you! What a sensation being on top of this peak!!!