first ascent [TR] Dome Peak SE Face of SW Peak - Gran Torino FA Mike Layton & Wayne Wallace IV 5.9 7/15/2009

[G-spotter]

Do you think it was also an earthquake that tilted your camera like that, Mike?

[Pete_H]

Dru, that's just what it looks like when you climb harder than 5.8.

[layton]

we pitched out every pitch up, 4.5 hours up and hour on the summit 3.5 hours down no rappels until the end of the ridge to avoid putting on crampons for the snow ramp exit. the e. ridge would make a very easy ascent to the summit, minimal rock gear. take a snow ramp on the right to bypass the truncated end of the ridge.

 

another option to getting to the east ridge would be to cross the chickaman glacier from the col left of the s. end of the gunsights (the same col used to access their east faces). possible bivy in that area but expect a lot of excavating. from the chickamen, travel up the snow to the col between down and the sub peak to the east. this could avoid ~ 2 hours (for the east ridge only the se face is best approached the way wayne and i went)

 

sorry dru i still haven't glued a level onto my camera.

[dberdinka]

4.5 * 60 / 15 = 18 minutes a pitch.

 

Wow. Thats amazing. Given that building and breaking down anchors as well as reorganizing gear takes a couple minutes you guys must have been averaging what? 6 minutes each per pitch? Incredible, almost hard to believe.

 

Awesome looking line.

[Pete_H]

In fact, too hard to believe. The trip was most likely fabricated in order to sell copies of Mike's soon-to-be published book. The photoshoped images would definitly account for the camera tilt perspective as keenly noted by Dru.

[tazz]

as usual an enjoyable read about you two getting it done!!

 

 

I like the new approach to the area except the boat. Pain in the ass and cost $ the rest sounds good though. hmm...

 

You just gave me an idea... thanks.

 

Cheers to ya both!

[Stefan]

as usual...sweet!!!

[thelawgoddess]

Awesome! :tup:

Nice work, Wayne and Mike!

 

Great movie. And looks like a great climb.

 

[wayne]

[video:youtube]

[olyclimber]

Very nicely done Wayne! Did you put that together?

[wayne]

Yes, I did thank you. I need to figure out how to get better music and fades etc. Quite an easy/fun new hobby I have found with the new Imac. I am hoping to use video to distract the math wizards who are questioning our climb stats and camera angles.

[G-spotter]

Based on wayne's vid, Mikey must have been lying on his side to take some of the stills.

[rat]

how can you stand to climb such clean and protectable rock? nice tick.

[layton]

wayne's video was on the 4th class pitch dru. man, you're never gonna let the tilt thing so since B.O.B are ya!!!!!

[Pilchuck71]

Sweet video!

The section around 3:32 with the clouds rolling is some really cool stuff.

Great work!

Thanks for sharing.

[ptownclimber]

Awesome. Congrats

[Tom_Sjolseth]

Nice work! Thanks for the great TR.

[scheissami]

Rad!

[ken4ord]

I know where I would like to go next. Hell what great looking climb. Nice one!

[wayne]

Thanks,and glad you enjoyed the video.

There is a flake system just left of the Mega-Dihedral that would be a great directish finish. It looks rad after the yellow band though. Plenty of room up there for new lines. Like Mike said we did the standard route. Get after it boys.

The high camp is just incredible.

The wall itself is the granite terminus of the crest .Total fall is 3000 feet at the bottom of the buttress (which is unclimbed , btw). The whole cirque has a finite and wild feel. It is also not easy to get to as our 3-day approach shows. With stuff for 7 days, the pack was the heaviest I have had since Monjo. 40 lbs feels awful heavy now.

[Off_White]

It looks really swell and like very reasonable climbing, were it not for the approach I'm sure it would be an instant classic. Hell, it probably would have been an instant classic 25 years ago. Nice to see an FA of yours and think, "hey, I could do that."

[Choada_Boy]

Nice climb! Way to get after it, again, in the middle of nowhere!

[ivan]

you thought gran torino was kewler than the eiger sanction?!?