Descend Mt Sill to the ridge that connects it to Polemonium Peak. Climb this ridge heading northwest toward the false summit. Avoid the enormous notches in the ridge, which drop sharply away to the Palisade Glacier, by keeping your line just south of the ridge.

Once the false summit is reached, you've got a couple of options; rappel or downclimb straight down into the top of the gully that seperates the true from the false summits, or traverse/downclimb into the gully to your left(west) 100 feet or so and then back up once you reach the branch that will lead you up between the summits.

From the top of the gully, climb the slab to the north and gain the knife-edge of the summit block. Climb the edge west to the summit.

Descend by down by rappeling or downclimbing to the U-Notch then back down to the glacier.

Traverse from Mt Sill

V-Notch Couloir

Southwest Chute

Best in the Fall when the snow has turned to remnant ice.  Start early to avoid rockfall from the freeze-thaw cycle.  The crux is getting over the bergschrund.

From Bishop Pass, traverse cross country to Thunderbolt Col.  .75 miles of tedious talus hopping contouring elevation around 12,400' deposits you at the base of the southwest chute.  Ascend this chute, trending to the climbers right hand side, where more secure rock can be found on a sub ridge.  The top of this chute is shared with the top of the U-Notch Couloir, which rises from the Palisades Glacier from the northeast side.  At the notch, turn right and climb a rising rightward trending traverse.  Continue up and right 4th class terrain, passing rap stations to gain the summit ridge, and follow easy blocky terrain to the top.  Either downclimb or rappel to return to the chute (many established rappel anchors).

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Polemonium Peak