Palisades Traverse | Thunderbolt to Sill - Eastern Sierra Rock Climbing
We'll tackle the following objectives:
- Climb five of California's 14ers via one of the classic ridge traverses in the Sierra. Take your alpine climbing to the next level on Thunderbolt Peak, Starlight Peak, North Palisade, Polemonium Peak, and Mt. Sill
Here's the schedule for your trip:
- Day 1 - Arrival & Hike to Camp - 8:00 am meetup with your guide in town. We'll do a quick gear check and review the plan for the day. Your guide will discuss the route up to camp and we'll make any final adjustments before we caravan to the trailhead. The rest of the day will be spent hiking to camp and learning about camp craft.
- Day 2 - Start of the Climb - We'll get an early start, having breakfast with hot coffee or tea, and preparing food for the day before gearing up and heading out.
Your guides will set the start time based on warming for the day and the weather forecast. Prepare for a long day, where we gaining over 4,000’ of elevation over various snow surfaces and steep rock slopes. We'll bivouac on the Sierra Crest at 14,000 feet, enjoying dinner and a night on the route.
- Day 3 - Completing the Route - We'll get an early start on the Palisade Crest, having breakfast with hot coffee or tea at our bivouac. We'll then continue on the route to Mt. Sill, and descend back to our Night 1 Camp. There, we'll enjoy a celebratory meal and a well-earned night's sleep.
- Day 4 - Breaking camp and descending to the TH - Upon rising in the morning, we'll enjoy a casual breakfast, break camp, and descend to the trailhead.
Here are the skills and fitness you'll need for your course:
- Basic Alpine Climbing Skills - Including basic rope skills, experience with belaying and rappelling, and technical climbing on 4th and 5th class rock. Depending on the time of year, crampon and ice ax techniques may be required. Build those skills during the program or attend our Intro to Mountaineering course prior to attending and spend more time climbing
- Strong Fitness - Able to spend a long, active day outside, moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of 1-1.5 hours between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 8-10 miles, climbing 4,000+ vertical feet throughout the course of the day. People with strong fitness typically have a strenuous workout 3-4 days a week.
Here's what's included with your trip:
- Experienced AMGA Trained Guide
- Ropes & Gear - for mountaineering training
- Tent
- Stove & Fuel
- Group Safety Gear - your guide will be equipped with snow science tools and a first aid kit
- Wag Bags - for human waste disposal in with compliance 'Leave No Trace' principles
- Meals
- Transportation
- Ice Axe, Crampons, Climbing Harness
- Guide Gratuities
For this program then please refer to the Eastern Sierra Ski Mountaineering Overnight Gear List and the Multi Pitch Rock Climbing Gear Guide and make sure your have the appropriate gear for your program.
- Come prepared with your own climbing gear or rent from Blackbird
- If you need to buy any gear, we recommend our friends at Mammoth Mountaineering
Know Before you go
PRIVATE PROGRAMS
- Custom Scheduling: Choose your dates and plan around your availability.
- Tailored Experiences: Itineraries and objectives are adjusted to suit your goals, experience, and fitness.
- Cost-Effective for Most Large Groups: Private programs are typically more cost-effective for groups of 3 or more.
- Flexibility Comes at a Price: For groups of 1-2, private programs are generally more expensive.
- AIARE Courses: AIARE course pricing is based on a group of 6. Running these as a private program with fewer than 6 participants will increase the per-person cost.
SCHEDULED PROGRAMS
- Fixed Dates & Costs: Scheduled programs have set dates, itineraries, objectives, and pricing.
- Great for Solo or Small Groups: Ideal for individuals or small groups looking to share costs with others.
- Affordable for 1-2 People: Scheduled programs are typically less expensive for groups of 1-2.
- Less Flexibility: Dates fill quickly, and group programs require adapting to the skill level and pace of all participants
- Group Atmosphere: Meet others with similar interests and make some new backcountry buddies!
Note: Any scheduled program can also be run as a private program with customized dates and rates.
Both options offer exceptional guiding and experiences. Choose what works best for you!
Here's the schedule for your trip:
- Day 1 - Arrival & Hike to Camp - 8:00 am meetup with your guide in town. We'll do a quick gear check and review the plan for the day. Your guide will discuss the route up to camp and we'll make any final adjustments before we caravan to the trailhead. The rest of the day will be spent hiking to camp and learning about camp craft.
- Day 2 - Start of the Climb - We'll get an early start, having breakfast with hot coffee or tea, and preparing food for the day before gearing up and heading out.
Your guides will set the start time based on warming for the day and the weather forecast. Prepare for a long day, where we gaining over 4,000’ of elevation over various snow surfaces and steep rock slopes. We'll bivouac on the Sierra Crest at 14,000 feet, enjoying dinner and a night on the route.
- Day 3 - Completing the Route - We'll get an early start on the Palisade Crest, having breakfast with hot coffee or tea at our bivouac. We'll then continue on the route to Mt. Sill, and descend back to our Night 1 Camp. There, we'll enjoy a celebratory meal and a well-earned night's sleep.
- Day 4 - Breaking camp and descending to the TH I/b> - Upon rising in the morning, we'll enjoy a casual breakfast, break camp, and descend to the trailhead.
We'll tackle the following objectives:
- Climb five of California's 14ers via one of the classic ridge traverses in the Sierra. Take your alpine climbing to the next level on Thunderbolt Peak, Starlight Peak, North Palisade, Polemonium Peak, and Mt. Sill
Here's the schedule for your trip:
- Day 1 - Arrival & Hike to Camp - 8:00 am meetup with your guide in town. We'll do a quick gear check and review the plan for the day. Your guide will discuss the route up to camp and we'll make any final adjustments before we caravan to the trailhead. The rest of the day will be spent hiking to camp and learning about camp craft.
- Day 2 - Start of the Climb - We'll get an early start, having breakfast with hot coffee or tea, and preparing food for the day before gearing up and heading out.
Your guides will set the start time based on warming for the day and the weather forecast. Prepare for a long day, where we gaining over 4,000’ of elevation over various snow surfaces and steep rock slopes. We'll bivouac on the Sierra Crest at 14,000 feet, enjoying dinner and a night on the route.
- Day 3 - Completing the Route - We'll get an early start on the Palisade Crest, having breakfast with hot coffee or tea at our bivouac. We'll then continue on the route to Mt. Sill, and descend back to our Night 1 Camp. There, we'll enjoy a celebratory meal and a well-earned night's sleep.
- Day 4 - Breaking camp and descending to the TH - Upon rising in the morning, we'll enjoy a casual breakfast, break camp, and descend to the trailhead.
Here are the skills and fitness you'll need for your course:
- Basic Alpine Climbing Skills - Including basic rope skills, experience with belaying and rappelling, and technical climbing on 4th and 5th class rock. Depending on the time of year, crampon and ice ax techniques may be required. Build those skills during the program or attend our Intro to Mountaineering course prior to attending and spend more time climbing
- Strong Fitness - Able to spend a long, active day outside, moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of 1-1.5 hours between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 8-10 miles, climbing 4,000+ vertical feet throughout the course of the day. People with strong fitness typically have a strenuous workout 3-4 days a week.
Here's what's included with your trip:
- Experienced AMGA Trained Guide
- Ropes & Gear - for mountaineering training
- Tent
- Stove & Fuel
- Group Safety Gear - your guide will be equipped with snow science tools and a first aid kit
- Wag Bags - for human waste disposal in with compliance 'Leave No Trace' principles
- Meals
- Transportation
- Ice Axe, Crampons, Climbing Harness
- Guide Gratuities
For this program then please refer to the Eastern Sierra Ski Mountaineering Overnight Gear List and the Multi Pitch Rock Climbing Gear Guide and make sure your have the appropriate gear for your program.
- Come prepared with your own climbing gear or rent from Blackbird
- If you need to buy any gear, we recommend our friends at Mammoth Mountaineering
Epic Reviews From Adventurers
- Rated 5 out of 5 starsMount Shasta Summit!
Had a fantastic experience summiting Mount Shasta with my guide, Sean! He was easy to get along with, very knowledgable, and had a calm, encouraging demeanor. The climb itself was a real challenge, but worth it. The whole experience was positive and getting to the top felt like a genuine accomplishment that will give me the confidence to start taking on more overnight camping and hiking alone.
Laura L.Verified Buyer - Rated 5 out of 5 starsGreat value
I did the crevasse rescue course and it went great, I learned a lot and feel much more comfortable. I especially appreciated how it was a small group - 3 students and 1 guide. Our guide Jan was great - he was very knowledgeable but also kept things laid back and wanted us to enjoy the day. Highly recommend!
Molly D.Verified Buyer - Rated 5 out of 5 starsSet me up with a perfect custom skills program - highly recommend!
I'd been trying to setup a way to learn some snow skills basics for awhile, and most companies were just not very responsive for what I wanted, and I actually couldn't make it happen. Then I emailed Blackbird - and not only was it great to finally get some conversation going by email/phone, they were able to set me up with the type of program I was looking for. I was setup with Jon as my guide and felt like I was in very capable hands the entire time - covering all the topics relevant for my goals. While I'm comfortable enough camping and hiking in the wilderness, I had zero experience with crampons, ice axes, safety aspects etc, along with navigating more challenging and steep terrain. We started off covering some initial information that went well enough to tackle a couple objectives - which were far more challenging than I'd originally thought possible for myself. But he really nailed it, and picked a plan which let me push what I could do while still feeling comfortable. Plus I appreciated his patience, encouragement and positivity as I sorted out my practice of these new skills. Overall highly recommended!
Tobin S. - Rated 5 out of 5 starsIncredibly knowledgeable guides!
Incredibly knowledgeable guides. It was my first time on a serious mountaineering trip, and our guide Jason was a great resource for our attempt at the Shasta summit. Despite insanely cold and snowy weather for May we had a great time!
Thomas M.Verified Buyer
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