Sam Mack meadow, we went up the left snow field to gain the moraine

All Locations > California > High Sierra > 09 - Palisades… > Thunderbolt Peak > Thunderbolt to Sill T… (5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Easy Snow)

Sam Mack meadow, we went up the left snow field to gain the moraine

ID 108215538 ·

Flag This Photo

· Copyright Violation?

Palisade Glacier and my approach/descent routes

Our bivy on the toe of the moraine right below underhill

Rate Photo

3.0 from 1 vote

suuntout

Jun 27, 2013

“Sam Mack meadow, we went up the left snow field to gain the moraine ”

1 Comment

Nearby Photos

looking back, after completing the full palisade traverse from mt agazziz to balcony peak in 3 days. cruz mclean and dustin fenstermacher late september 2015

Tbolt summit block (photo by Damien)

t-bolt summit block

Cory on some very exposed "4th" class on North Palisade . . .

Above Sam Mack meadow, approaching T-Bolt and the Palisade Glacier, June 2011

Dave, leading the "Milk Bottle" on Starlight.

suncups on the L-shaped couloir

Beta for Starlight to North Palisade. I found this to be the navigational crux of the route.

deer skeleton below sill

Sill to Thunderbolt traverse, winter attempt in March 1994. With Bryan Johnson.

The Palisades

I'll always remember this incredible sunrise

traverse to sill

Staring across at our end point mt sill. Made it in 5 hours

steep soft snow below sam mack meadow, the palisades.

Approaching underhill across the glacier at 530 am, it took us a hour to get from our bivy to the base of the underhill

Working our way up underhill, great snow for our set up of one tool and one crampon each, at the chock stone go far right

On the milk bottle

Cory leading the summit block on Thunderbolt Peak

Palisade Glacier and my approach/descent routes

Sam Mack meadow, we went up the left snow field to gain the moraine

Our bivy on the toe of the moraine right below underhill

great rock on the Swiss Arete

traverse to pol

Working across the gap between the 3rd class slabs and chimney on thunderbolt, very exposed

approaching the summit of starlight

traverse from the approach to Sill

Looks like an easy romp up there, eh?

Miguel, on the summit block of Thunderbolt

Panoramic of Thunderbolt to Sill with Mt Sill on the left and Starlight's milk bottle summit block in the upper middle right

t-bolt to starlight traverse

final light on Galey

(right to left) North Palisade, Polemonium, and Mt Sill from the North

Mark Kroese in mid traverse.

Keegan Young descending Thunderbolt

High on the ridge, halfway point

Most of the T to S Ridge

n pal chimney downclimb

jascha en route to starlight

jascha on the starlight downclimb

The graceful beached whale move somewhere between Starlight and North Palisade.

Swiss Arete crux (one move wonder)

Cory, on the Milk Bottle

to the NE from the Swiss Arete

Rapping somewhere in the middle of the route

downclimb to N Pal

Dusy Basin below

traverse to Polemonium

The approach

exposed fun on the way to Polemonium

Keegan Young on the Milk Bottle

U-notch (in season)

Camping near Bishop Pass before an alpine start

NE rib on T-bolt

Looking back at Thunderbolt after getting to next notch

view to the NW

The Milk Bottle on Starlight Peak

(right to left) Thunderbolt, Starlight, North Palisade, and Polemonium from the north

Welcome

Join the Community! It's FREE

Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started

onX products are built by adventurers, for adventurers. We believe that every adventurer needs to know where to go, to know where they stand, and to be able to share their experiences.
About onX
Careers

iOS App Store

Android App Store

© 2026 onX Maps, Inc. Terms·Privacy