Northwest Chute

Stellar chute for the region! Rock quality in the chute is incredible in comparison to other routes in the Palisades. This is the same chute as described by the same name under Starlight’s page, but differs up top in the variation to North Pal. Refer to that page for more write up and pics of the chute portion.

Start by taking the chute to the right of TBolt’s SW Chute #2 (see images). Scramble easy 3rd class rock at the entrance to the right toward the massive ‘triangular headwall’.

Take the obvious slabby route up to a small notch that ‘drops dramatically into Starlight Chute’.

Traverse the clear 3rd class ‘Wright Ledge’ (looks more daunting than reality) into the upper chute.

Conditions from here depend on snow year, but ascend more 3rd class rock or snow to the notch between Starlight and North Pal.

Continue right negotiating exposed gendarmes until reaching the famed pendulum notch. This is a small notch (~6ft across) with blocks on either side. Either pendulum across (my preference) pro-exists for a rap-anchor, or drop down into the notch and climb the block (notoriously tricky per Secor).

Once across the pendulum, follow the ridge across exposed sections. I followed around the southwest side (climber’s right facing North Pal) of the summit blocks to a small chimney.

A little squeeze chimneying with my pack on a tagline brought me to the summit and awesome views down to the glacier and from Sill over to Starlight.

A note on the descent, I made a mistake in my opinion by deciding not to swing/climb back over the pendulum notch and instead dropping down the Putterman Couloir. The rock was heinously loose on the way down and I knocked a block loose that could have easily been a widow-maker if it had fallen differently.

I highly recommend either continuing over North Pal and dropping into the U-Notch/SW Chute or finding an alternate back over the pedulum notch and back into the NW Chute for the descent.

See images for route topo