Continuing with my goal of completing California’s 14000 foot mountains, I completed part of the Palisade Traverse, a classic high sierra route with wild exposure. We first climbed what is commonly referred to as California’s hardest 14er, Thunderbolt peak, the summit of which requires a short 5.9 rock climb on an exposed block. We then traversed over to Starlight Peak, with a 5.6 pinnacle called the “milkbottle” as the highpoint, before making our way to the king of the Palisades, North Palisade. We left camp at 5:40 am and returned at 10:45 pm, a long and rewarding day.