Heading out to the Palisades area of the Sierra's this summer. We only have a Sierra Select type of guide and are looking for something a little more detailed on the area or anyone with some useful info. We're planning on hitting Sun Ribbon Arete and Moon Goddess Buttress at Temple Crag. Thanks in advance.

Mike

If you need beta, contact me with more info, how difficult, little or no offwidths, rock, ice, when you will be out here (I have moved from the Gunks to the Bay area and I am in Yosemite, Tuolumne, Sierras every weekend). You may also want to check out the Harding Route on Mt. Conness or the regular route on Keeler Needle. Later on in the season as the coulairs set up in ice you may want to check out, U- or V-notch coulairs (pretty easy) or Mt. Mendel (right-easy; left-harder). You can get a hold of me at cdclaude@yahoo.com.

Wilson's Eastside Sports (224 N Main St; Bishop, CA 93514; 760/873-7520) sells small pamphlets on a number of the classic alpine routes such as you mentioned (Swiss Arete, Bear Creek Spire, et al). These pamphlets have a description, topo, photos and were done by the late Alan Bard (I believe). Wilson's also sells a pamphlet by Mick Ryan entitled "Climbing and staying around Bishop". It's pretty useful.

Randy Vogel did a small selected rock climbs guide to the east side, but it doesn't cover alpine routes. RJ Secor wrote The High Sierra guidebook that was published by the Mountaineers (I believe). The Vogel and Secor books should be available from Chessler Books or other similar sources.

There have also been some fairly in depth articles in the climbing mags within the past few years.