The Swiss Arete on mount Sill is one of the classic easier alpine outings but I had never done it. I have been up Mount Sill before as part of the Thunderbolt to Sill Traverse in 2004 with Kim. On a previous trip into the Palisades with Iris we planned to do it, but her delaminating 5.10 shoe caused us to retreat. We came back to finish business in October.
It is always a bit hit or miss getting permits for the North Fork of Big Pine Creek because there are limited permits available and it is a gorgeous area popular with climbers, hikers, mountaineers, and instagrammers. Fortunately this time I managed to get one.
10-12-2019 After packing in the morning, we drove up and started hiking in. Fears that it would be too hot in the sun were mostly unfounded, as it was not all that warm and there was usually a breeze. The fall colors were pretty nice and for the most part we made good time up the trail passing a lot of people heading back from presumably day hikes.
| |
|---|
 |
|---|
We made it up to Sam Mack Meadow just a little before sunset with rapidly falling temperatures. There were already tents at the obvious sites, so we went a bit farther up the valley to find an empty site. It was already getting cold, but warm dinner was good and then we packed a bit and retreated to the tent.
We didn't get as early a start the next morning as we should have because it was cold. Eventually we got going and hiked up to the Palisade Glacier overlook and then towards the chute up to the Gayley-Sill Saddle. Once we got on the glacier the going was slow. There were massive icy sun cups and with light-weight ice axes (1 each) plus trekking poles and aluminum crampons we weren't really equipped optimally. Still we made it up - often just using the sharp edge of the sun cups as a handhold and standing in the low spots. Then we had a short trip across the talus before we were back onto the snow of the "L" shaped snow field which we took up to where we got back on the rocks and scrambled up to where the arete steepened. Here we transitioned to climbing while watching others slowly pick their way down the snowfield.
 |
|---|
 |
|---|
 |
|---|
 |
|---|
 |
|---|
It was cold, and now we were in the shade on a somewhat breezy ridge and about to start climbing. I put on my third pair of pants - side zip fleece wind-blockers over Prana stretch Zion and fleecy REI tights. On top I had a t-shirt, thin hoody long underwear top, a thick one, and a thin fleece. Whenever I would stop I'd put on warm ski gloves and a down puffy. There was also a thin balaclava involved. I'd get a little cold while climbing, but then be ok with the added layers at the belays until the inactivity and breeze started to sap my heat. I also was wearing approach shoes with warm socks. At least some of the time climbing I wore construction gloves with a rubber palm. I was ok, Iris had less layers and was colder, especially her feet in climbing shoes with socks - which made them too tight. She had layers, but was not as warm, plus I probably climbed faster which meant I was generating more heat and spent more time with thick gloves and a puffy down jacket on.
Normally I would have been more disappointed how little actual climbing there was on this route (a lot of hiking for a little bit of climbing), but it was cold and the day was short, so I was ok with more scrambling and not a lot of climbing. I think we pitched out 3 or 4 pitches and then scrambled almost to the top before one last crack/chimney bit. I was able to make it from there to just below the summit to belay in the sun. Sadly my water bladder hose had frozen. Fortunately I had a water bottle I could refill from the bag. Iris tried putting snow in her water bottle to melt, but it didn't.
Things were getting late and I didn't want this to be the second sunset I witnessed from here, so we didn't spend long on the summit. There was still time for a summit cookie and some photos and to warm up Iris' icy feet. Then we headed down, first along the ridge to where we dropped off to the north. There were some icy bits, but we could mostly avoid them by carefully sticking to the rocks. From the notch we tried to stay on the rocks to the skier's left of the "L" shaped snowfield, but it got steep enough that we decided to put on crampons and head down the snow/ice. At this time it was also getting dark, and the full moon was rising. That was very nice, but we still had a long way to go. We slowly and carefully picked our way down the cold hard snowfield. Then across the talus and down the gully to the very suncupped glacier. It was often quicker and easier to just grab hold of the icy edges of the sun-cups and lower myself down to the next one. I sort of blew the navigation and took my crampons off on the rocks too early, a hundred feet later we had to scramble back down to the ice and put them back on to cross another part of the glacier. Finally we were off the ice and also starting to get a little overheated. It felt nice to be warm and any overheating was easily solved with the removal of the puffy jackets. We still had a long hike before we would make it back to camp for a much needed warm meal and sleep.
 |
|---|
 |
|---|
 |
|---|
 |
|---|
 |
|---|
The next morning we slept in past when the sun hit the tent to warm things up. Then we had a leisurely breakfast and packed up for the hike out.