South Face - CHARLOTTE DOME

The range is a treasure trove of alpine climbing as L well as the home of well-known road side destinations such as O Yosemite Valley, Tuolumne Meadows, and the Needles. Squarely N CHARLOTTE DOME 120 Lee Vining E in the middle of the range sits Charlotte Dome, home to what we 120

humbly submit is the best rock climb at its grade in the range, The White Mountains P June I The Sierra Nevada probably in , and perhaps the west. With characteristics Lake representing the best of the best climbing areas in the state, a N E beautiful approach hike, and an unrivaled view from the climb and MAMMOTH 6 summit Charlotte Dome is a grand adventure, a climb to be LAKES The Sierra Nevada B The South Face 5.8 savored and remembered long after you take that last look back BISHOP I 168 from the trail home. 395 S 168 H Charlotte Dome is situated nearly smack in the center of the Big Pine O Glacier Lodge The Inyo P Sierra, roughly the same distance from the eastern approach out Mountains of the tiny Eastern Sierra town of Independence as it is from the O western approach of of Kings Canyon National Park. Either way Independence W one approaches there is a twelve mile approach hike. E Charlotte Dome N Lone Pine Most parties use a full day for the approach, a full day on the S route, and a full day return to the trailhead. 10 miles R I The South Face of Charlotte Dome has hundreds of different vari- The Eastern Sierra V ations. We have provided a topo of the easiest way to climb the E face. However, because it is easy to get off-route, you should be confident leading 5.9 before climbing R this route. You should also be confident placing gear and working to get it since the cracks on the dome G are discontinuous and devious. The rock and the climbing are reminiscent of Tuolumne Meadows: long, O smooth faces that appear to be impossible from a distance are actually covered with knobs and texture, R allowing for relatively easy climbing. Many water grooves and solution pockets make the climbing addi- G tionally manageable and totally unique (how often do you get to climb "furrows"?). E S WHEN H Generally the trails are snow free from mid E June through the first fall snow storms, R W usually late October. The summit elevation I is 10,690 ft and so even after the first few N big snow storms of the fall it is generally possible to have good climbing conditions. R The route faces south and dries quickly and O C mid winter ascents using skis to approach K and return, though rare, are not unheard of. C Mount Gardiner is one of the classic peaks R of the High Sierra. If you can afford to tack E E on one extra day for ascent of this peak it K would be worth your while. (If you like classic knife edge alpine ridges). M A PERMITS M By Todd Vogel and M You will need a permit for an overnight stay. O Contact the Mount Whitney Ranger District, T H Robert “SP” Parker PO Box 8, Lone Pine, CA 93545, telephone 760-876-6200, for additional information A about this trailhead the relevent web infor- L mation can be found at: P http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/wild/ I N E Bearproof food canisters are required to get a permit. They are available for rent at the I roads end, at any Ranger station and C outdoor shops in Bishop and Lone Pine. E Peter Coward photo: Andy Hyslop

253 Introduction South Face - CHARLOTTE DOME

L Onion Valley To Charlotte Dome O Oak Creek N KINGS CANYON Mount Clarence King Mount Whitney E NATIONAL PARK 12,906ft Fish Hatchery P 395 Mount Gardiner John Muir Inyo National Forest I Wilderness 12,907ft 45 miles N south of Bishop E Charlotte Dome John Muir 6,000 ft Onion Valley South Face 5.8 Trail INDEPENDENCE B Charlotte Campgrounds Kearsage I 10,690ft Lake and Independence Creek Bullfrog Pass S 11,811 ft Trailhead Grays Charlotte 10,384 ft Lake 4,000 ft H Creek Meadow O 9,500 ft P 9,500 ft Onion Valley Road Kearsage Onion P Lakes Valley © Rockfax 2004 1 mile O W the Muir trail for a few minutes before E leaving to head west to Charlotte Lake. N This is a great place to hang out for an S hour or two but don't plan on camping here R unless you want a really long day I tomorrow. Rather, continue to the outlet to V the lake and keep heading west. E R This is where the approach starts to get G interesting. Reset your altimeter for lake O Peter Coward photo: Andy Hyslop elevation (10,384 ft). Go 200 yards past the R EQUIPMENT lake and cross the outlet on the well G I usually take small wireds bd #'s 3-12, Camalots .5 to 1-#3 one each, 0.5-2.5 tricams are useful, 6 - 8 defined use trail and continue downstream. E The trail crosses a talus slope, an open shoulder length runners, two 'biners for each of those, two double length runners. Leave the quick draws S at home. 165' ropes are fine on this route but several times you will be out of rope when you reach the meadow, and heads back into forest. Soon H belay. it crosses the creek and starts to quickly E deteriorate. This trail is the start of the old R APPROACH - the eastern approach Gardiner Pass trail that was used back in W the 1930’s but which has seen little use I There are two approaches: from the east side of the Sierra out of Onion Valley or from the west side of N the Sierra out of Kings Canyon National Park. The western approach is slightly shorter than the eastern other than climbers since then. Sometimes you'll have a great series of cairns to follow, approach but involves much more elevation gain (from the west you start at 5,000 feet and from the east Peter Coward photo: Andy Hyslop R you start at 9,200 feet). and good trail, other times it will disappear for hundreds O of feet, only to reappear as good as it was before. It is never necessary to drop below the 10,000 ft mark C K The eastern approach takes most climbers 5 -7 hours from the trailhead to the camping spot and another (3040m) although off route trail may convince you to do so. You'll pass several good water sources as 45 minutes to the base of the climb. This approach involves about 8 miles of travel on trail and 4 miles you head west on the south facing slope below Mount Gardiner. These water sources are accurately C on climbers’ trail and cross-country travel. You gain about 2,500 feet to get over and portrayed on the 7.5 minute map "Mt. Clarence King", 1994 ed. As you cross the last of these water R lose about that much before reaching the base of the climb. This means the hike out is about as difficult sources, at about 10,000 ft elvation the trail leaves forest and comes out into open brushy slopes. E E as the hike in. This eastern approach is described here. Looking west, towards Charlotte Dome you should be able to see a system of benches east of the dome, at and slightly above your elevation. These benches or small plateaus are your camp destination. The K Find your way to the small Eastern Sierra town of Independence (45 miles south of Bishop down Hwy. trail generally degenerates into bushwacking briefly through this section but watch that altimeter and M 395). Last minute supplies can be found here but if you need anything more than basic food your best keep heading towards those plateaus and you should rediscover a pretty good trail as you head back A M bet is to go all the way to Bishop, 45 minutes to the north. From the center of Independence, drive west into denser forest. Camp is at about 10,300 ft so you do gain some elevation on the last little bit of the hike. The water source is the creek that comes off the south side of Mount Gardiner and good camps M on the Onion Valley Road for 20 minutes (14 miles) to Onion Valley and the end of the road, which is the O trailhead. This is another trailhead where you don't want to leave anything in your car. Food lockers are can be found on either side of the creek at the 10,300 ft mark. Even in late September in drought years T provided at the trailhead but they are often full and you won't be able to fit coolers and the like in them this creek has water. H anyway. The bears here are determined. No food scraps or anything resembling food packaging should be left in the vehicle. Do your final packing down in town and clean out the car afterwards. A L P The Kearsarge pass trail is all up hill but it goes quickly and before you know it you will come out above I tree line and the final switchback to the pass (11,811 feet). It's five miles and about 2,500' of gain to the N pass from the trailhead. From Kearsage pass the first hint of Charlotte Dome can be seen down the E valley to the west. Only the summit of the climb is visible, just to taunt you on. The descent off the pass I begins steeply but quickly mellows out. Avoid the Bullfrog Lake trail (no camping there anyway and C better views from the main trail) and continue towards the intersection with the Muir trail. You're only on E

255 South Face South Face - CHARLOTTE DOME

Initial approach L O 140' .. 5.7 To the route: start by being on the west South Face 5.8 rope stretcher 60' N 165' .. 5.7 8 sling belay 12 13 side of the creek coming off of Gardiner. E stance 300’ Charlotte Dome (10,690 ft.) belay after the end 5.7 Head down through the woods, trending of the corner 3rd class FA. Galen Rowell, Chris Jones, Fred Beckey, fins off to North right and you will leave the forest and P October 1970 come out onto slabs. About 200' is lost I N initially, until it is easy to head hard right E rap' anchor and begin climbing back up to the lowest (not the belay) many ways Secor's Way to go point of the south face of Charlotte. B Zen It! Occasional scrambling up and down will be I S 110' .. 5.5 4 encountered. good ledge H dead tree O the chimney is hard to 20' 5.5 chimney Final Approach And The Route see from the ground 11 130' .. 5.4 P 20' The route has a reputation for difficult traverse huge ledge 5.5 routefinding, but if you can find the start O poor pro' 5.7 crack you’ll probably do okay on the route. The W and face E climb begins just west of the lowest point N 5.4 on the center of the south face. face and S cracks 60' 6" pink dike There’s a large amphitheater to the left and R ( visible from I Secor's Way 150' .. 5.8 7 a small depression to the right. Scramble small the ground) ledges V ledge over one four-foot diameter fallen dead E 140' 3 ramp tree 100 feet below the start. Three or four R .. easy 5th class ramp 10 160' .. 5.7 live pines are at climber's left of the actual belay just after Peter Coward photo: Andy Hyslop 5.8 face ledge belay in an start. Also look for a double forked dead tree near the G pink dike alcove start. Start by climbing a 30-foot-tall, 4-foot-deep left-facing corner that lead to an 8-inch diameter pine at O R easy 5th class 40' trav' the end of the first pitch. G 5.0 ramp E possible belay face Two pitches above this go more or less straight up via cracks and face. vertical fins S on arete H wide 5.7 good pro' On pitch four, poorly protected face climbing up and right leads to an easy, 20-foot-long chimney. The crack/ E 2 pitch ends on a nice ledge (enjoy it), which is the last of the fixed rap anchors (sometimes there are stance 150' .. easy 5th class corner R horn none at all). Making a short fifth pitch up the beautiful 5.8 lieback will set you up nicely for the crux fifth W slings easy 5th class and avoid a hanging stance. I cool 150' .. 6 N sling belay great ledge climbing 5.8+ no anchors The sixth pitch is know as “The Slot” and takes a hand crack through a steep area to a small stance steep area R "The Slot" atop a dike. For pitch seven follow the dike to the right and step right off the dike to a hidden crack that O 5.8+ Secor's Way face and 150' .. 5.7 9 leads to a good ledge on the far right of a sloping ledge. Some 5.7 will be found as you approach the C crack sloping ledge, where you can belay at the base of a straight up crack/ chimney. Pitch eight offers inter- K NO layback and obvious hand slot For this belay you esting 5.7 face climbing in a chimney type feature. The exposure is tremendous with thousands of feet landmark will need 2.4 and of air down to . Mount Brewer dominates the southern skyline. With 50m ropes you’ll barely C - small 8” 1.5 tri-cam and a R diameter pine #1 Camalot make the hanging belay at the end of the crack system. Above the routefinding is a bit of a Zen affair 1 140' .. 5.6 5 80' .. 5.7 E 5.7 poor pro' where just about everything is climbable. The best line goes pretty much straight up, with rare detours E stance "The Furrows" for protection (bizarre and questionable nut and cam placements; knob tie-off), to a hanging belay. If the K common mid-day winds kick up, get ready for some excitement. 40' run outs M 5.8 A lay back The hard stuff is behind you now but you still have three or four pitches to go, the first two of which is M Large the famous Furrows. Head up and left to the cool and easier-than-it-looks prow which is grooved by the M Amphitheater ay 5.6 5.6 face and good cracks giant furrows. These are deep erosional featues with sharp edged fins and deep pockets between them. O ledge T 30ft NO Climb straight up the prow for a full rope then another pitch continues up the prow and heads left to a left ecor's W H Little Bowl S -facing left facing corner and a huge ledge system. (Bivvy spot, dead tree for reference). The final fifth class corner pitch has many options and is moderate 5th class. Climb straight right of the lower angled slab and on A 4 the left side of the steeper wall through wind-sculpted fins and knobs to the summit ridge. The summit is 3 way dead snag 165' .. 5.7 8 L 3rd class 110' .. 5.5 but a scramble away and hopefully you'll have time to enjoy the amazing view of the high peaks of the P dead log(4ft in diameter) Southern Sierra. I lowest portion of South Face or true South Buttress N pitches 1 to 4 pitches 4 to 8 pitch 8 to the top E Retreat Descent Retreat by rappelling the route with two 50m or 60m ropes (with only one rope you will have to leave a ton of gear). Descend by first scrambling due north on third class terrain until you can gain the slabs that head back I There are usually fixed rap anchors on the first five pitches. Above here, you will have to leave your own gear. C to the east. If you camped on the 10,300 ft plateau you've got about 45 minutes of descending from the E summit. If you're down in Bubbs Creek take a handful of ibuprofen and keep heading down that hill.

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