When you do finally top out, which normally takes elite climbers about 8 hours and can take some strong parties as long as 10 or more hours, you're rewarded with views of the Sierra Crest like no other. The Palisade region is a gem in the brilliantly sublime range we Sierra skiers call home, and with snow and ice still caked in some couloirs and gullies, my mind quickly drifted into thoughts of the next time I hope to find myself in this epic zone, hopefully within the next several snowy months. There's so many ski objectives, rock climbing routes, and just cruiser hiking trails to partake in, this area is definitely one of the must visit sections of the Sierra Nevada every skier, hiker, climber, and mountain lover has to visit.

The adrenaline and good vibes were flowing as Jeff and I collected ourselves at the top of the route and started the wandery hike down to find the rappel anchors. If you head out for a mission on Temple Crag, whether its to climb Sun Ribbon, the more moderately rated classics Moon Goddess or Venusian Blind, or infinitely long and epic Dark Star route, make sure you can hike off the top during the day. The rappel anchors that get you off the mountain are tricky to find as is, and doing so in the dark could mean a real epic. Trust me, you want no part of it. That and the 7+ miles you still have to hike out to the car, talus and loose rock scrambling included, is still a reality if you're doing the push-in-a-day thing, so best to be charging as much as you can in the daylight to keep night travel to the well trodden hiking trail. 

After hearing about this route from climbers dirtbagging in Yosemite to those exploring the epic rock of Patagonia I can for surely confirm that this is everything the adventurous soul is looking for in a long and high elevation climb. I've found climbing to be one of my favorite things to do in the mountains during the summer/fall seasons, and when there's no snow to slide on, its just another great way to stay in shape and spend some QT in the outdoors we all admire and love. I also feel it helps with skiing and especially ski mountaineering to get comfortable with rope techniques, knots, and protection. Of course we all know just about everything takes a back seat to the snow, but with such abundant world-class climbing in Tahoe and the greater Eastside, why not make another excuse to go get some? Till the snow flies, Happy Climbing.