On our last trip to Disappearing Dome, I spied a beautiful looking splitter crack below a roof system. With that in mind, Trevor, Teresa and I returned to the area to see if we could give it a go!
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Perfect slab
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We made three rappels down the approach gully, and I racked up and headed up the crack. What a crack, it was mostly glory hands, a truly perfect splitter! I was giddy and smiling the whole way up.
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My first ascent of the crack (5.9)
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Once I got up to near the end of the crack, I elected to put in a 2 bolt anchor, so that this crack could be climbed as a stand alone pitch. Some my disagree with my decision to put in bolts here, but hey, its my FA. Looking up a the roof, it certainly looked like it would go with gear, so I launched out from our belay onto pitch 2.
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Heading out onto pitch 2
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Into the roofs
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There was good gear below and through the roof. The roof move itself was quite fun, maybe 5.10a (?) and very well protected. Above the roof I found myself facing either a long runout friction slab, or a not-fun plant filled water groove. I decided to put a single bolt in, and abandon the ground-up attempt.
We headed to the top of the dome, and while Teresa relaxed, Trevor and I rapped in form the top and figured out where the rest of the route would go. We added a few bolts to what would become the 3rd pitch. I ran out of battery and bolts, so we would have to return another time.
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Attempt 1 - 1 pitch onsite, partial pitch 2, and equipped pitch 3.
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A couple of weeks later Trevor and I returned, armed with more bolts, extra batteries and multiple ropes so we could fix all the way to the ground. We spent some time deciding on the best path and bolting pitch 2, and a fair amount of time removing all the plant matter from the crack on pitch 1. After about 4-5 hours of work, we ditched the fixed ropes and raped back down to the base so we could lead up from teh ground. Trevor and I swapped pitches, redpointing the route. The crux pitch is certainly pitch 2, with some tricky well bolted slab moves (5.10b?). All in all a great roue, and something I am proud of. It was wonderful completing this project with Trevor.
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Dang, that's a nice splitter crack
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Fun times!
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Trevor graciously let me name the route, which I named in memory of Penny.
Penny Perfect, 5.10a, 4 pitches, 600 feet
8 QD, Gear to 3”, double #2, double or triple, 3 #1 useful.
FA Cory Brooks, Trevor Crough, 05/30/2020
Approach: Make three raps down the gully between the domes.
Scramble down a bit and locate the obvious splitter crack below two triangular
roofs.
P1 – Climb the perfect splitter below two triangular roofs.
The crack starts with fingers and quickly progresses to thin hands, then glory
#2 hands. Ends on a bolted anchor below the roof. Stellar pitch.
70’, 5.9. Gear to 3”, Triple #1 useful. Double #2.
P2 – Head out right from the belay gain the thin crack, then
head up and pull through the weakness in the triangular roofs. Above the roof,
a technical slab is protected by bolts and optional gear in a plant filled
water groove. From the slab head up into a pair of flake systems, and end up to
the right past one more bolt on a good ledge with a bolted anchor.
180’, 5.10a. 7 bolts, gear to 3”
P3 – From the ledge head out left into some blocky and
hollow flakes. Tread carefully here as some of the blocks may be loose,
and the flakes are hollow and avoid placing gear until you reach a large right
arching flake. Underling the flake, then traverse right past 2 bolts, and
straight up past 2 more bolts to reach an alcove above a massive flake. Gear
belay (#2, #1, #3)
4 bolts, gear to 3’,
110’, 5.8
P4 – 230’. From the gear belay head straight up the easy
runout slab. Be wary of potentially loose blocks just above the belay. Head up
and slightly to the left to gain a bolted anchor on a rock shelf.
Gear to 1” 2 bolts, 230’, easy 5th
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Perfect Day, Perfect climb, a fitting tribute to a Perfect little dog
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