First Ascent of the Middle Palisade 



269 



2000 ft. to the foot of the cliff, ascended another chimney 

 to the peak just south of this one, thence along the crest to 

 this point. 



Ansel F. Hall: University of California 191 7; Park 

 Naturalist, Yosemite National Park; Sierra Club. 



Francis P. Farquhar: Harvard igog; San Francisco; 

 American Alpine Club, Sierra Club, California Alpine 

 Club. 



We took several photographs and then at three o'clock began our 

 descent. 



In our effort to reach the summit, we had neglected to leave any 

 signs to indicate our return route. During the early part of the climb 

 it had not been necessary, as there were no alternative routes. But 

 now we wished that we had left ducks at the points where we had 

 traversed from one chimney to another, for the rocks which we had 

 studied so carefully on our ascent seemed to be missing and to be 

 replaced by total strangers. We proceeded with deliberation and 

 caution and seldom went down many feet without being positive 

 that we were on the right route. Our progress was steady, and at 

 length we reached the main chimney, where our chief concern was 

 to avoid slipping on the gravel and hitting each other on the head 

 with bounding rocks. It was nearly five o'clock when we reached 

 the top of the talus, and we then proceeded as rapidly as we could 

 over the huge rough blocks of granite until we reached the firm 

 benches, where we increased our speed and arrived at our camp-site 

 at half-past five. 



The climb of the Middle Palisade is in many ways similar to that 

 of the North Palisade. There was no place on the former that seemed 

 to me quite so difficult or requiring such extreme caution as the 

 snow-chimney of the North Palisade, but on the whole it seemed to 

 me that there was a longer stretch of hard climbing on the Middle 

 Palisade than on the North. We made no attempt to leave ducks to 

 mark our route, partly because we lacked time and partly because 

 we felt that anyone able to climb the peak would be quite as well off 

 without them, as it would leave him to make his own choice in places 

 where we had considerable doubt about the safest way. 



A long sleep in our comfortable nests beneath the albicaulis re- 

 freshed us and the next day we descended to the lakes at the head 

 of Palisade Creek. Here we encountered the Hamlin party from 

 Buffalo, New York, who were pioneering over the unfinished route 



