Black Dome

Ascending Descent (5.9) 3 pitches 11 bolts

 Not on topo

Climb back out the rappel route, maximum 11 bolts. You may climb past rappel stations and connect most pitches with a 60m rope. 

P1:  5.9 60m 10 bolts

Traverse 30 meters! How often do you get to do that? Slick polished rock, makes this pitch spicy. After the traverse, switch to climbing up on slick rock. Extend your sling on the transition bolt- use  1.5 or 2 length sling to reduce rope drag. 

P2 5.8? 60m 11 bolts

Rock loses angle and polish, fun climbing in a variety of terrain. One area looks deeply runout but there is a "hidden" bolt. May clip 30m rappel station or bypass. 

P3 5.easy and 4th class 70m to bolt station or 60m to tree. 2? bolts

Very easy climb out to the top. Final pitch (to top rappel anchor) does not connect with a 60m rope, requires simul-climbing 15 feet, or stop at 30m and bring up your partner and climb out 4th class terrain.

FA: Chad Suchoski and Bobby Hutton 2021

Bleak (5.11c) Standard rack.

Turquoise line on topo. Fairly Well protected P1 that ends at a ledge and bolted anchor. 

Route finishes up low quality, runout 5.8 wandering that takes small protection and has some bolts.

FA: Chad Suchoski 2013

Idle Hands (5.10c)

Green line on the topo. 

P1: A well protected mid 5.10 route that starts up a bitchin 5.9 hand crack and lieback for 100ft. The climb then changes to crux 5.10 edging for another 100ft and about 4 bolts.

P2 and P3: There is a second and third pitch that goes to the top but it's a low quality and really runnout 5.8 wandering thing that takes a little gear and has a couple bolts. 

FA: Chad Suchoski 2013

Black Wall (5.10+). Standard rack

Pink line on topo. 

P1: Climbs the obvious right facing corner of the major pillar dead center of the wall. A .10c hand and finger crack leads to a very short fist section. You climb around a gigantic detached plate sticking out of the crack and then burrow through an easy chimney finally reaching the top after almost exactly 200ft (gear anchor here).

P2: One bolt protects a few moves of .10+, climbs easy face to a big undercling dihedral. More moves to some bushes and face to a ledge and two bolt anchor station.

P3: (5.9) Face moves past three bolts and then the angle backs off up to the top. Natural anchor up top.

We did find evidence on the initial corner that it had been climbed before. A fixed stopper (original chouinard) and a tattered sling stuffed inside the crack about half way up. I'm thinking this corner was aided and the party rappeled mid way up from a chock stone as there is no way to retreat from the top and the climbing above is nearly impossible without fixed protection. We added two sets of rappel anchors to facilitate retreat. 

FA: Chad Suchoski and Brandon Lawson 2010

Geronimo/ Black Vibrations (5.9) Standard rack

Red Route on the topo. 1977 ascent went up the "highest dome" in the canyon. See topo at History.

P1: One pitch of good hands, fists and easy offwidth with a spooky steep traverse in the middle over paper thin gigantic flakes. 

P2: Climbs some dirty face almost straight up to a one bolt belay. Last pitch is easy, low angle face climbing to the top. 

FA: S. Miller and Jay Smith June 1977

Orion (5.10d) Rack to 2 inches

The route on the left of center is called Orion. It's a 5.10d route. 5 pitches and takes gear to 2".

P1 5.9: Starts far left of Archetype on a slab (P1 is orange on topo).

P2 climbs above where the orange line stops and follows bolts and a thin seam to the big ledge above, .10b or so.  Both Orion and the Archetype share the same anchor on the ledge. Orion then climbs left up the blocky face, not the orange line on the topo.

P3...Orion climbs about 15ft to the left up a blocky section to the head wall and follows bolts up tricky edges and pockets, makes a mantle on a ledge, then traverses up and right following bolts to the base of a left facing dihedral. The rock and features on this pitch are both wild and immaculate, 5.10c.  

P4 follows the dihedral traversing under it (5.10d) with small gear before finding a jug near the end which you can use to climb over the corner and onto the face above. About 20ft above that you come to a good stance at the base of a flake and crack system. I think there is a one bolt anchor which is backed up by gear in a crack. 

P5 heads up and trending right to meet up with the Archetype and the bolted anchor above. This pitch is a soft 5.7. The last pitch is easy friction slabs to the top. Not much gear. 

FA: Chad Suchoski 2012

The Archetype (5.11d)

P2,4,5 are the orange line on the topo.

5 rope stretching pitches spread out over about 900 feet of continuously steep climbing. 

P1: 5.9 Start up low angle cracks on right side of the lowest part of Black Wall (center). Climbs past a couple bolts to a big hole in the wall where you build a belay. 

P2:  5 star pitch of immaculate granite edging and bolts for protection. One of the best pitches in the Tahoe area. Ends at a two bolt belay on a good ledge, shared anchor with Orion.

P3 climbs past a couple pitons and bolts with gear. A very steep pitch of bullet hard granite. Move past a bulge with a piton and trend slightly left past several bolts on no bullshit friction edges. After the last bolt, you climb an easy runout section of crisp edges to a two bolt anchor. 

P4 wanders up face climbing with a seam that accepts gear. Keep going for what seems like forever and you'll eventually reach a good ledge system with a two bolt anchor. A solid 200ft pitch.

 P5 is low angle slab to the top. Some gear and what not can be found along the way. 

FA: Chad Suchoski 2011

Awaken (5.11a) 

Yellow route on the topo. 

A wild and steep crystal system full of unique features on an almost overhanging wall. When you look at a photo of Black Dome you can actually see the crystal system up the wall as a faint white streak. Several cruxes along the route keep the climbing interesting the whole way. Well protected, some gear down low. Two bolt anchor. 

FA Chad Suchoski 2013

The Crucible (5.11c or 5.10c A0)

The Blue Route on the topo. 

4 pitches, standard rack

P1: Starts up an overhanging bulge to a bolt then gains a diminishing crack. When the crack pinches down to traverse out to the face and climb past several 5.10 cruxes to a mantle. Next, make a hard 5.11c slab move or pull on the bolt past it. It is possible to traverse right just before the mantle into an easy crack system that will put you right back on route. It was an after the fact duh moment there. Continue up the face for an almost 200ft pitch with many cruxes and belay in a unique big hole in the wall. 

P2: The second pitch climbs up more face to a roof which you traverse under to the right. Make a 5.9 move over the roof to a low angle hand crack and up to a big ledge with a bolted anchor. 

P3: Next pitch climbs up the face along a unique crackless corner past a couple bolts until you gain entry into the main corner. Follow the large corner until you reach a piton almost near the top. Belay here as you'll soon run out of rope. 

P4: A short easy pitch leads to the top from there. 

FA: Chad Suchoski 2011

Chute it Up (5.8) 

Gear and bolts (not shown)

Starting from Quartz Tree ledge, three pitches of varied climbing leads to the top of the dome.

P1: Climb up the face paralleling the water chute. 11 bolts up 60m of climbing.

P2: Opening move needs a bolt, but this short pitch up low angle face has good cracks for protection to a perfect ledge with solid bolted anchors.

P3: Low angle face with minimal poor protection for 40m of climbing. Climb up and trend left toward the headwall and dead tree up top.

FA: Todd Offenbacher and co. 2010(?)

Project 5.9 Gear and bolts

P1: Start climbing at the white quartz outcropping and enjoy great trad protection and hand and finger cracks for 50m of climbing to a bolted anchor station.

P2: Not finished at this time.