robertm

Here is a web page with some pics of the climb that I took: web page

here is what I remember about the route: 1) Go up big gully on the left side of the tower until you are able to cross onto a rock ramp on your right. 2) Head up and right taking the path of least resistance over a 40 foot semi-vertical wall. 3) You should see some slings up and to your left... head that way. 4) You don't want to get sucked too far right so wander to the left and head up towards another vertical and loose wall. Once on top of this you will be at some semi-vertical 4th class ramps that head right (below the N. ridge). 5) Keep following these ramps until they look really hard and merge with the N. Ridge. 6) Make a exposed step across a chasm and then onto the N. Ridge. Follow this to the summit. 7) Rappel the route and bring extra webbing to back up / create rap stations. (we traversed the nooksack ridge over to shuksan after rapping into the col that seperates the tower from the ridge... that is exciting too.) rack = 1,2,3, .5, .75 CAMs & set of nuts (both kind), 2 doubles, 8 shoulder lengths.

Rainier, be prepared to hoof it up the carbon river road for 2+ additional miles. Here is what the mora web site says: OPEN all year, but check road conditions first. Currently open to Chenuis Falls only. Two mile walk from road closure to campground. Carbon River Road is subject to flooding. High clearance vehicle recommended. I would leave the skis. Are you planning on descending the emmons and going back across the winthrop?

A megamid should be fine at thumb rock. normally lots of snow. both times I was on lib ridge I just used my bivy sack. interesting story: we were dead asleep at thumb rock and all of a sudden this guy starts howling in a nearby tent. We thought the guy was dying in there. It seems that a rock had cartwheeled from up on the ridge somewhere, punched a hole in the guys tent and nailed him in the leg. He was yelping for awhile and he was a bit gimpy but managed to climb the ridge the next day. They had a brand new mtn hrdwr tent that had a nice hole in it. there was such a cluster fuck of people and ropes getting out of camp we slept in till about 6AM and ended up catching everyone at the upper lip. That was the way to go.. no body behind us and no one in front of us until we hit the last stretch. The wind was blowing fairly strong when we got to liberty cap (50-60 mph?) enough to knock you down with heavy gusts. I was struck by how many people where up there that had no business being there. There was one group that descended straight down the Winthrop (they fell in a crevasse and had to be rescued), 2 other groups huddled together in panic mode and then started following us up the summit cone and then down the emmons. On the way down another party begged us for water like they were going to fucking die... and they had 2 liters of fuel (it was only 2 in the afternoon and shurman was in sight!). Anyways it was a fun climb and a megamid should be fine.

Check this bullshit out... this is from movingoverstone.com Is our wilderness in 10 or 20 years going to be nothing more than a fucking disneyland? "Sorry Sir step back... this climb is reserved for the next month for paying clients" You can see the deForest Service and Park Service getting involved too... perhaps concessioning areas or routes to paying companies. Location: High Sierra, California When: 5 days to suit your schedule Number of people: 1-3 Cost: $6000 private $5000 for 2 or 3 Want to join a major first ascent? The South Face of Charlotte Dome was chosen as one of the Fifty Classic Climbs of North America. Among all these, Charlotte Dome is the Queen of Sierra domes, at once familiar and aloof. We all know its profile among Fifty Classic Climbs, yet with the gear-hauling approach, miles off trail and thousands of feet up into the back country, its daunting size with compact rock lacking an obvious crack line, and potential to wander off-route, few have actually set foot on its summit. Yet the thousand-foot south face is rated an accessible 5.7. This July, Moving Over Stone will reduce those obstacles between you and the summit of Charlotte Dome. Start with the logistics: rope and rack waiting at the bottom of the climb, camp kitchen and hot meals poised nearby, and a leader for your rope with the route freshly in mind. You still have to hike every step of the approach, but with half the load and without getting lost in the manzanita along Charlotte Creek. All yours will be discovering every stem and mantle of this long route, enjoying the textured orange granite and rock just doesn't get any better and the views of the high country from the belays. We'll take care of the descent, and a glass of wine to celebrate will be waiting back in camp.

I recommend climbing the route in a day and not camping. We left the parking lot at around 1AM climbed Casaval and were back at the car after descending the regular (Avy) route by 2 PM. I was not in great shape and didn't have much difficulty and don't remember feeling particulary "wasted" when we drove back to San Fran that afternoon.

Try Banks Lake. There are a ton of crack climbs and dihedrals on the same rock as vantage but without the chains. Some of the tops are a bit sketchy but you can always set up your anchors ahead of time.

Dru, last summer I was road tripping by Valhalla Prov. Park and a town called New Denver. There was a cool little crag along the lake (Slocan). Have you ever been out that way?

My buddy just got a Wren Soloist and raves about it. You need to weight the end of the rope but he says it is bomb proof.

I will bring the colored tape. left finger pocket is in right stem column is out follow the yellow and brown tape. Must do a sit start. Perhaps in the spirit of Geo W's parks privatization initiative we can just have VW run vantage. Only $15 + tax per day. You will be required to take a belay and lead test though.

The road doesn't get plowed but there shouldn't be snow until you turn up the hill past the big bridge. From here it is around 3 miles to the bare mountain trail head and another 3 from there to Lennox creek. Last year it was around Mid april before you could drive to the Bare mountain trail head. The road up the N.Fork is very muddy with some big holes and although you drive through weyerhauser land you don't need a permit to get to these trail heads.

I have never used one but the lack of a waist belt seemed odd since I like to take the weight off of my shoulders every once in awhile.

Sure looks like your buddy Bill... whats your point?

Thanks for the beta Pope! I will plan on heading back there this summer and will post a TR.

I am starting a new post since everyone ignored me in my last one. How long dis it take you from car to the base of the east face climbing route? I have wanted to do this climb for years but always wondered how long the approach took. thanks

Awesome job going car to car. Question: The mountaineers guide says that it is 14 hours to high camp. I know to take their numbers with a grain of salt but I actually found their estimates to be fairly accurate on my way back to Dome Peak. (would have been crushed to do that trip in 2 days). How long did it take you to get to the base of the climb from the car and then on the climb? thanks

quote: my information is old around 80 years old

shit ray... it sounds like Fred is using you as his lacky doing all of the research for him... next thing you know you will be carrying the rope and the rack

I have used Tele, Split Board and a regular board in the B/C. The voile split with the crampons rock. The skins are wider and can climb much steeper slopes than a tele set up. For touring a split, tele or rande is the only way to go. (I use my SMG9s on my burton pro bindings... works fantastic). I am a much better boarder than a skier but I think the differences between a split set up and the tele are marginal. There may be some weight savings with a tele set up but you would be stuck with the boots which are less versatile.

NW Face - NEWS West Crak - Daff Dome (Toulumne) SunRibbon Arete - Temple Crag (Sierras) East Ridge - Forbidden Dreamer - Green Giant S.Face - Prussik Orbit (better than O.S. IMHO) N Ridge Stuart Gunsight Peak area (Main Peak by S. Face)

knights in white satin sunset slab (easier than 9) spider man and some others on the other side of asterisk pass

So by that logic if I have climbed Dreamer I also have climbed Giants Tears(90% of the climb is the same)? I don't take anything away from the climbers that did the N.face route on Dragontail. I have climbed the route twice and it is a excellent route. However, you are avoiding a key section of the 3Cs climb... in fact the entire 2nd coulior... for which the route is named. The fact that the Hidden coulior variation was done much earlier than the complete 3Cs owes to the fact that the second coulior can be intimidating and hard. With the N. ridge of Stuart you either climb the Gendarme variation or you don't... you climb the complete N. ridge or you don't. You still in the end climb Mt. Stuart but not in the same style as those who choose to tackle the more difficult options. You can climb Half dome via the cables route or do Southern Belle. In both cases you have climbed Half dome but by drastically different means. In the end climbing and mountaineering are about personal satisfaction and achieving your own goals. Who really gives a shit about what I or anyone else has to say as long as you have fun and climb that what inspires you. Good job Climzalot on a climb well done... did you continue to the true summit from the top of the 3rd couliour? :-)

no offense but you didn't climb Triple couloirs you climbed the Northface via Hidden couloir. The second section of the 3Cs is the ass pucker section especially in thin conditions which more often than not seems to be the case. The north face is a good climb and getting into the last coulior can be a challenge. Beats sitting on the couch in any case.

Wotan, how was the central rib? I have been looking at that for awhile. Can you pull from your memory banks some basic beta?

Suppose it was your job to pull some yuppie asshole in a SUV out of the snowbank that has never seen snow. I would require chains just as a deterent. Everyone has a 4x4 these days and it doesn't mean shit. Moreover, when the guy that doesn't know how to drive on the the snow/ice comes careening around the corner in their EXCURSION and plows into your ass you will be wishing the Rangers made them chain up too.