Palisade Crest

Palisade Crest is a jagged ridge in The Palisades's region of the Sierra Nevada southeast of Mount Sill and northwest of Middle Palisade. Its twelve pinnacles are unofficially named for characters from The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.^[6] The highest pinnacle, at 13,559 feet (4,133 m), is called Gandalf Peak.^[7]

Palisade Crest
West aspect, from Potluck Pass
Highest point
Elevation	13,559 ft (4,133 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence	561 ft (171 m)[1]
Parent peak	North Palisade[2]
Listing	Sierra Peaks Section[3] Vagmarken Club Sierra Crest List[4]
Coordinates	37°04′53″N 118°29′22″W[5]
Geography
Palisade Crest
Location	Kings Canyon National Park John Muir Wilderness Area  Fresno / Inyo counties, California, U.S.
Parent range	Sierra Nevada
Topo map	USGS Split Mountain
Climbing
First ascent	1969 by Don Jensen, Joan Jensen and Rex Post[6]
Easiest route	Northwest ridge (rock climb, class 4)[6]

The ridge marks the boundary between Kings Canyon National Park and the John Muir Wilderness.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Palisade Crest is located in an alpine climate zone.^[8] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Sierra Nevada mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the range.

Gallery

• 
  Southwest aspect of Palisade Crest centered at top
  Photo by Ansel Adams circa 1936
  (Mt. Sill upper left, Middle Palisade upper right)
• 
  Palisade Crest (left), Mount Jepson (middle), Mount Sill (right).

See also

• Palisades of the Sierra Nevada

References

1. "Palisade Crest, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
2. "Key Col for Palisade Crest". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
3. "Sierra Peaks Section List" (PDF). Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
4. "Vagmarken Sierra Crest List". Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
5. "Palisade Crest". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
6. Secor, R.J. (2009). The High Sierra Peaks, Passes, and Trails (3rd ed.). Seattle: The Mountaineers. ISBN 978-0898869712.
7. "Palisade Crest". SummitPost.org. Retrieved 2014-01-22.
8. "Climate of the Sierra Nevada". Encyclopædia Britannica.