Last week my partner and I took advantage of a cold snap to climb Checkered Demon Couloir. Checkered demon peak is on the Bishop skyline and the couloir is hidden on the right side. It had been on our list for a few years. Chasing snow & ice in the Sierra Nevada is an ephemeral hobby.
12 years ago, I decided to up my game in the outdoors. While I wasn’t starting from scratch (far from it!), I entered a phase in my life where the most important thing was becoming competent in the backcountry.
It’s noon and I’m standing at 12,999 feet…which means my head is above 13,000 ft. I’ve just rock climbed to the top of a huge granite spire called Temple Crag in the Palisade Basin of the Sierra Nevada. I’m feeling really good. My partner and I had awakened at 3:30 am to start today’s adventure. We blasted the 6+ mile approach in 2 hours, 15 minutes.