Middle Palisade, Mountain summit in Sierra Nevada, California
Middle Palisade is a mountain summit in the Sierra Nevada of Inyo County, California, formed from igneous rock and reaching about 14,000 feet (4,270 m) in elevation. It sits along a high ridge and has a glacier on its eastern flank.
The first recorded ascent took place in August 1921, when Francis Farquhar and Ansel Hall reached the top. During their climb, they found a narrow knife-edge at the summit, a feature that has defined the mountain ever since.
The peak sits along a ridge that brings together several of California's highest summits, drawing climbers who want to complete the full chain. On the trail, you are likely to meet experienced mountaineers who have planned their trip around this specific group of peaks.
The mountain is reached via the South Fork Big Pine Creek trailhead, and overnight permits are required during the main season. The terrain calls for mountaineering experience and proper equipment, as conditions can change quickly at this elevation.
The glacier on the north side is split into two separate sections by a moraine, which means the same approach can present very different conditions depending on the time of year. Climbers often have to adjust their route on the spot once they see the actual state of the ice and snow.
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