Comments for Sierra Mountain Center http://smcblog.wordpress.com California’s premier mountaineering school and guide service- Bishop, CA Thu, 15 May 2008 13:04:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU Comment on North Palisade, Le Conte Route, with John Kreutzer and Scott Taylor 7.20.07 by SP http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/08/08/north-palisade-le-conte-route-with-john-kreutzer-and-scott-taylor-72007/#comment-229 SP Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:21:46 +0000 http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/08/08/north-palisade-le-conte-route-with-john-kreutzer-and-scott-taylor-72007/#comment-229 Dave, Glad to see that you have checked out the blog. The route was climbed over a century ago and while not hard it does command respect. We generally climb via the original Le Conte route and descend via the so called Secor variation on the way down. This variation avoids the steepest parts of the Le Conte route and is a short cut back into the main gully. If Le Conte had known he would certainly have gone this way! One of the main things is fitness and then acclimatization to the elevation. The ascent is within the abilities of a a lot of people. As with a lot of Sierra peaks acclimatization to the elevation is a big part and we recommend that you come early and spend a day or two letting the body adapt It is a Sierra classic for sure and a great way to get to the top of North Pal. Do give me a call in the office and we can chat more and I can better evaluate if this route is a good choice for you. SP SP Parker IFMGA/AMGA Certified Guide Owner Sierra Mountain Center P.O. Box 95, Bishop, CA 93515 office 760 873-8526 www.sierramountaincenter.com office@sierramountaincenter.com Dave,
Glad to see that you have checked out the blog.
The route was climbed over a century ago and while not hard it does command respect. We generally climb via the original Le Conte route and descend via the so called Secor variation on the way down. This variation avoids the steepest parts of the Le Conte route and is a short cut back into the main gully. If Le Conte had known he would certainly have gone this way!
One of the main things is fitness and then acclimatization to the elevation.
The ascent is within the abilities of a a lot of people.
As with a lot of Sierra peaks acclimatization to the elevation is a big part and we recommend that you come early and spend a day or two letting the body adapt
It is a Sierra classic for sure and a great way to get to the top of North Pal.
Do give me a call in the office and we can chat more and I can better evaluate if this route is a good choice for you.
SP

SP Parker
IFMGA/AMGA Certified Guide
Owner Sierra Mountain Center
P.O. Box 95, Bishop, CA 93515
office 760 873-8526
http://www.sierramountaincenter.com
office@sierramountaincenter.com

]]> Comment on North Palisade, Le Conte Route, with John Kreutzer and Scott Taylor 7.20.07 by dave hymes http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/08/08/north-palisade-le-conte-route-with-john-kreutzer-and-scott-taylor-72007/#comment-227 dave hymes Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:47:05 +0000 http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/08/08/north-palisade-le-conte-route-with-john-kreutzer-and-scott-taylor-72007/#comment-227 Hello I am interested in doing this route. I would like to get more information about getting a guide to lead the way for me. I have climbed over 60 peaks in the high sierra, am comfortable on class III rock, but have only done one class IV route in the sierra, and only 3 class V routes (all in so. cal). I am familiar with this area, and have climbed Mt. Sill from the Palisade basin. Dave Hello
I am interested in doing this route. I would like to get more information about getting a guide to lead the way for me. I have climbed over 60 peaks in the high sierra, am comfortable on class III rock, but have only done one class IV route in the sierra, and only 3 class V routes (all in so. cal). I am familiar with this area, and have climbed Mt. Sill from the Palisade basin.
Dave

]]> Comment on Match Maker for Climbing Partners by Jim http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/06/20/match-maker-for-climbing-partners-2/#comment-53 Jim Tue, 21 Aug 2007 19:43:22 +0000 http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/06/20/match-maker-for-climbing-partners-2/#comment-53 Alpine rock, Sept 7-11, one day trip. Moderate route, maybe 3rd pillar of Dana. 25 yrs experiece. Alpine rock, Sept 7-11, one day trip. Moderate route, maybe 3rd pillar of Dana. 25 yrs experiece.

]]> Comment on Whitney East Face with Joe and Candy 6/14-16/07 by Joe Maher http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/06/20/614-1607-whitney-east-face-with-joe-and-candy-2/#comment-2 Joe Maher Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:18:51 +0000 http://smcblog.wordpress.com/2007/06/20/614-1607-whitney-east-face-with-joe-and-candy-2/#comment-2 Finally got my Precambrian computer cooperating, thus the late reply. This season is turning out to be our best ever having started out with Venusian Blind on Temple Crag and then on to Whitney. But last weekend's trip to Banner's northeast buttress was so great that it's hard to rank them all relative to one another. SP did a whale of a job onsiting the route as it was new to all of us. It seemed that the whole eastern side of the mountain was overhung near the top and looked quite daunting, but SP found a notch with only a minor amount of overhang. Perhaps a 5.8 to move through it. Pretty slick! But a long day start to finish of some 13 hours. This trip counts for Candy's fourteenth (I think I have the number right) in her budding climbing career with Sierra Mountain Center. Her epi rush from Temple then followed by Whitney was just beginning to wane a bit, but Banner recharged it totally! We have great confidence in the young lads (including SP) at SMC and have honed outdoor skills under excellent tutelage ranging from snow, ice, alpine rock, backcountry skiing and avalanche awareness. They do a superb technical job, provide many great memories and the comraderie that develops is indeed a treasure. We look forward to upping the ante with more and more challenging climbs in the future -- as long as the old bones and joints hold out, that is! Best regards to all, Joe & Candy Finally got my Precambrian computer cooperating, thus the late reply. This season is turning out to be our best ever having started out with Venusian Blind on Temple Crag and then on to Whitney. But last weekend’s trip to Banner’s northeast buttress was so great that it’s hard to rank them all relative to one another. SP did a whale of a job onsiting the route as it was new to all of us. It seemed that the whole eastern side of the mountain was overhung near the top and looked quite daunting, but SP found a notch with only a minor amount of overhang. Perhaps a 5.8 to move through it. Pretty slick! But a long day start to finish of some 13 hours.

This trip counts for Candy’s fourteenth (I think I have the number right) in her budding climbing career with Sierra Mountain Center. Her epi rush from Temple then followed by Whitney was just beginning to wane a bit, but Banner recharged it totally! We have great confidence in the young lads (including SP) at SMC and have honed outdoor skills under excellent tutelage ranging from snow, ice, alpine rock, backcountry skiing and avalanche awareness. They do a superb technical job, provide many great memories and the comraderie that develops is indeed a treasure.

We look forward to upping the ante with more and more challenging climbs in the future — as long as the old bones and joints hold out, that is!

Best regards to all, Joe & Candy

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