North Palisade is amongst the more popular mountains for mountaineering. The U-Notch is a prominent feature between North Palisade and Polemonium Mountain and the most popular ascent route. The first ascent along this route was a solo completed by Norman Clyde in 1928. The trail to the north face and the U-Notch of North Palisade follows the North Fork of Big Pine Creek Trail as it passes several alpine lakes to Palisade Glacier. The route begins by climbing over or traversing around a bergschrund at the mouth of the couloir. Beyond the crevasse is between six and ten pitches of easy ice climbing. Ice screw belays are recommended, but not required. If you ascend on the edges of the gully, expect to place rock climbing gear. At the highest point of the notch, the route climbs up the near vertical south facing wall characterized by a crack system and a series of ledges. At the top of the long climb is a chimney to the left, this is the easiest route that climbs up the chimney and to the right over several more ledges. Contact Inyo National Forest for required camping permits. Difficulty Rating: IV 5.2