Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Palisades as a Whitney warm up

Okay, I confess. I'm not climbing Whitney this year. But I successfully did it two years ago so I'm asking for your indulgence for a quick question. If I was going up this year, wouldn't the Palisades be a good warm up? Next week I'm going to the Palisades Glacier to see it before it melts. We'll be going in from North Fork, Big Pine Creek trail and will camp somewhere around Sam Mack Meadow if there's good camping spots. Some people climb Mt. Sill from there (another Fourteener). I'm wondering if it's a reasonable rock scramble up Mt. Sill from there or does it require more technical gear and knowledge? I understand crampons may be advised for the glacier, but then we have to rent plastic boots too and I'm not sure we want to use those for the regular hiking trail. We're in our 50s and reasonably fit. We're not rookies, but not experienced mountaineers either. Any opinions about Mt. Sill? Is that maybe a little too ambitious or is it doable for rock scramblers? Thanks much,
Mike F.

Mike,

I've been up Whitney several times via the Main Trail and the Mountaineer's Route. I have summited two of the Pallisades' fourteeners, Thunderbolt and Split. I am a part of a group that will be attempting the remaining five peaks this August (North Pal, Starlight, Polemonium, Sill, and Middle Pal). Next week I'm planning to summit Mt Russell, Whitney & Muir as a warm up for our trip to the Pallisades next month.

I suggest that Mt. Sill should not be considered a "warm-up" for Whitney. The Pallisades are in a an all together different league compared to the Whitney Trail. A scramble up to Sill may be one of the less technical Pallisade fourteeners, but one should be prepared for, glacier travel, third, fourth, or even fifth class climbing depending on which route is selected.

If your primary objective is to see the Palisade Glacier, the North Fork Big Pine Creek Trail will get you there without requiring too much technical mountaineering preparation. If you are considering travel up the glacier, keep in mind that with the low snow fall last winter, higher than usual temperatures, and an early melt, the glacier is not displaying the most human-friendly conditions this summer. Recent reports indicate that the glacier is 4 to 6 weeks ahead of the typical seasonal melt cycle. This includes exposed solid ice, waist deep sun-cups, open crevases, and possibly an un-crossable bergschrund at the transition from ice to rock.

I would recommend doing some home-work by checking out available information in Secor's "Peaks, Passes & Trails", in Cameron/Burns' "California Fourteeners", and SummitPost.org.

Enjoy the mountains safely,
-Rick F.

It seems to be a very common misconception that because Whitney is the tallest, it must be the most difficult to climb. But in fact, with the exception of Langley and White, Whitney is the easiest 14'er in California to summit. Palisades are in fact the most difficult. (This is assuming you are taking the easiest route on each mountain.) If you have already done White and Langley and are looking for other mountains in California to prep for Whitney, check out Summitpost.org, as Rick suggested: especially the Sierra peak list
http://www.summitpost.org/list/202353/sierra-peak-section-peak-list.html

I've climbed both mountains many times. I agree with the above opinions that Mt. Sill is harder than Whitney. You are correct that you'll need crampons to get accross the glacier. Currently it looks like it normally does in September because of our low snow year this past winter. The surface will be hard and sun cupped.

You will also appreciate having crampons for the L Shaped Couloir. Above the couloir it is 3rd class but it is much more difficult 3rd class than the Mountaineer's Route on Whitney. The moves are harder and there is more exposure. Many more people use a rope on this route than they do on the MR.

All that being said Mt. Sill is a very enjoyable climb and one of the all time Sierra classics. Just be sure you have the right equipment and skills to pull it off.

If you have several days to spend in the Whitney area, you might consider a 2-day to the glacier. You'll be satisfied with doing just the glacier sans climbing any peaks - there's enough scenery and workout up to that point to keep you busy. Sam Mack Meadow is a good choice to spend the night. There are limited places there to camp out of the wind, but since most people camp at the lakes it should not be crowded. I had the meadow all to myself on a mid-week night last August. On the second day take a morning hike to the glacier for a late breakfast, and you can pack out in the afternoon. You can loop to take a different route through the lakes area up and down, and be sure to pass by Second Lake, as I think it is the prettiest one. There is some class 2 travel going up above Sam Mack to the glacier bowl and descending into the bowl to get to the icy lake (worth it). I did this trip on short notice last summer when my union staged a 2-day strike and it sure beat walking the picket line.

[img] http://www.sovinec.net/html/palisadeshostedphotos.html[/img]

Thanks for all your info folks. I think I'll be content just tooling around the Glacier area and lakes. I did not mean to leave the impression I thought Mt. Sill itself might be a warmup to Mt. Whitney, but the area and elevation below the crest would be the warmup. I actually have read all I can find on the Palisades and know that most routes to the high peaks are tougher than climbing Mt. Whitney. I read of one route up the Southwest slope of Mt. Sill which is rated class 2 that seemed the best possibility for marginal mountaineers like me. However it seems there's not an easy route, given our age and experience, from the Glacier basin where we intend to go. I think I'll take the leisurely route this time and not carry the appropriate technical equipment needed to go to the top. It's great to get current opinions from the many more experienced climbers on this board. Many thanks.
Mike F.