North Palisade: the U-Notch Couloir
What an absolutely amazing adventure this was!
North Palisade offers the gamut of high alpine mountaineering challenges, from glacier travel to ice climbing to technical rock, making it not only one of the most challenging Sierra fourteeners, but also one of the most rewarding.
I had wanted to climb this route for some time, but simply didn’t have the skills or the mindset to try to solo it.
Of course I’ve also wanted to ski in the Palisades, but again I was intimidated by the terrain’s obvious technical character.
North Pal was simmering on my back burner this year when a Bishop guiding company, Sierra Mountain Guides, contacted me. That lead to my first guided trip, with North Pal being the obvious objective. The experience proved to be overwhelming positive. I learned a great deal, had a lot of fun, and got a chance to scout a number of ski descent possibilities for next year. I also got the pants scared off me (by some of the technical rock).
Let me just say a big Thanks to my guide, Neil Satterfield (who also provided additional photography for the TR), and the entire SMG crew. You can bet I’ll be back to try something like this again!
Full Trip Report here: North Pal via the U-Notch.
Shasta - Hotlum-Wintun Ridge
Tyndall - North Rib
North Peak - North Couloir
Bloody Mtn - Bloody Couloir
Thermarest Dreamtime
