Silver Dome

Silver Dome Vector Wall

The tallest single feature in the gorge, Silver Dome climbing  is much easier than it appears because the climbing is quite low angle at the base and top. The middle pitches check in at 5.7 or 5.8, and select moves add some challenge to these sustained slab routes.

The wall faces west and south so is in the sun nearly the entire day. The approach will seep water late into the season (May, early June depending on spring storms and snowmelt) so this is best climbed on cool summer days or in the fall.

Approach: Be prepared for a 4th class approach, and ensure it is dry. When wet, the approach is treacherous. Red Dome Rappel route is the quickest path to the bottom, but you must then free solo climb fourth and low fifth class terrain on Silver Dome to reach the base of the routes.

The other way to approach the dome is simply to rappel the four or five pitches of routes. Happy Face, Gone Fishin', Roof Traverse and Pluma del Peregrine all can be rappelled with two ropes. Use TWO ROPES because anchors are 60 meters apart.

Headwall Routes

Piranha (5.10?)

Not indicated on topo.

Pro to 6 inch. 

On the short head wall (far left side of silver dome) there is an offwidth roof near the top. 5.10c overhanging stacked hands.

F.A. Chad Suchoski and Brandon Lawson 2012.

Power Shift (5.12)

Green line on photo topo.

FA: Chad Suchoski 2009

Sanitarium (5.10)

Orange line on topo. "The route protects well enough for a confident 5.8 climber to handle the runouts."

P1: A 5.6 first pitch starts in the white quartz gully and follows a left facing dihedral with traditional protection and a bolt on the face above, finishing at a two bolt station. 

P2: Face climb through the 5.8 second pitch and belay from a two bolt station. 

P3: The 5.10 crux, well protected. 

P4, 5: The last pitches (4 and 5) are low angle and runout on easy terrain.

FA: Chad Suchoski 2010

Five Tennies (5.10)

Red line on photo topo.

Starts on the left side of silver dome and climbs low angle slabs into the giant left facing corner system. It follows the corner system until it ends at a head wall. You climb (right) out of the corner system and into a series of short hand cracks. Take either the left or right crack system to the top. Left is easy 5th right is about 5.9. 

FA: Chad Suchoski

Happy Face (one move 5.10b or 5.8 A0)

Five pitches bolted closely for the beginning leader, the two short pitches DO NOT link with a 60 meter rope, although it appears that they do when you rappel this route. Pitches vary in difficulty, with the sustained second pitch being a challenge (5.8), while the technical 10b move on pitch 4 can be walked around (5.7) or pulled on (A0) if you prefer.

P0 (5.5): 60 meters of 4th and low 5th class from the river to a two- bolt station. Now protected with four bolts in the steep section, bring long slings to reduce rope drag.

P1 (5.5): Climb through good low angle features for 55 m protected by 4 bolts. Finishes just above a bowl at a large quartz dike.

P2 (5.8): Bring long slings for bolts 3 and 7 on this 10 bolt pitch. The features are quartz rich and slick and then transition into vertical smearing terrain.

P3 (5.8): This short 30m pitch starts with a traverse away from the anchor station to about 30 feet (2 bolts) of steep terrain, afterwards finishes with 5 bolts of pure low angle smearing.

P4 (5.10b or 5.8 A0): Easy climbing through two bolts to the well protected crux move over the mustache feature (10b or easy A0 pulling on your quickdraw). After the crux move (which can be walked around at 5.7) trend up and then follow the features left to a comfortable anchor station. 35m pitch with 7 bolts.

P5 (5.2): 50m of easy climbing straight up from the last anchor station protected by 5 bolts. A great pitch to practice your hip belay as your second comes up easy terrain. Finish at a double bolt station on the headwall about 50 feet upstream and 30 feet higher than the Gone Fishin' top anchor station.

FA: Jim Davis, et. al 1997?

Gone Fishin' (5.8 R)

Lower angle climbing and bolted on lead, this fun but runout route will let you get to know the nature of Silver Dome and the Vector Wall well. Gone Fishin' follows the same general approach as Happy Face, but is 40 feet to the right. Just those few feet do make a difference in the feel of the pitches on this expansive face.

FA: Todd Offenbacher and co. 2009?

SNORT (Green line) 5.8

Bolts and gear to 4"

APPROACH: Rappel down Gone Fishin' (60m rappels) then traverse on your last rappel to a bolt station.

A memorial route put up for Norm Saudie's birthday, SNORT is an adventurous trad route on the right (downstream) side of the Vector Wall. 

P1 (5.3 3 bolts and gear): Starts at bolt station, ascends left and up protecting in small cracks and holes. 60m to bolt station.

P2 (5.6): Two bolts and gear protect much more engaging climbing up through  60m of 5.6 face climbing.

P3: One bolt straight up then a trend right onto the sliver of rock between the crack and dihedral. Note one bolt on the face next to the crack. Keep going with natural gear up to a platform bolt station.

P4: All trad, follow a 5.4 gully (leftmost) or a more challenging thin crack (center) or wide crack (right) as far as your rope will go. Walk to the top from here over 4th class terrain.

FA: Norm Saudie, Bob Dominick, Jim Davis 1998

Yawn (5.6)

Not on topo. Climb the wide crack just right (downstream) of SNORT.

P1 and 2: Climb SNORT (gear and bolts).

P3 (5.6): Follow the wide crack. Break right toward the crack anywhere between the belay station to after the second bolt. Thin low angle lieback (protects well) or a deep off-fists crack allow easy climbing to a gear station. Continue straight up the crack to a gear station.

P4 (5.6): Climb up the wide crack past the bolt station to the wide ledge and create an anchor in any of the three parallel cracks.

FA: Tim Camuti,, Michael Keeton, Claudia Morfin 2012

Huff and Puff (5.8)

Not on topo. Stay left of the dihedral and protect in a giant chimney on pitch 4. Requires 2+ pieces of 4 inches or greater to protect well.

P1 and 2: Climb SNORT (gear and bolts).

P3: Follow the large dihedral straight up from the anchor station. Protects with gear to 3 inches. Stay in the corner, don't chase bolts on 5.10 face 20 feet to the left.

P4: 5.8, gear to 4 inches or larger. Continue following the dihedral as it opens to a sqeeze chimney that protects with wide gear and climbs awkwardly. We suggest having your back to the dome and feet on the block above, this allows easier placement of protection in cracks on the block. Move past the second block (may be liebacked) and finish the pitch with clean placements in the dihedral as it returns to small size.

P5: Trend left to bolts of Gone Fishin' and finish at either bolt station (Gone Fishin' or Happy Face).

FA: Unknown. 

First Recorded ascent: Chad Suchoski 2010

SHART! (5.9?R)

Harder face line between the dihedral (Huff and Puff) and Gone Fishin'. 5.9 face protected with bolts, joins other lines to top out the dome.

P1 and 2: Climb Snort (gear and bolts)

P3: Pure face climbing. Trend up and left away from the dihedral and run it out 40 feet to a bolt, then another bolt again. Two bolt anchor station at the top of the pitch.

P4: Minimal gear protection, this pitch trends slightly right to find protection as the dome levels off.

FA: Jason Poncy and Chad Suchoski 2010(?)

Church Dance (5.8 PG-13)

Blue line on topo above. Pro to 4"

Varied line with sparse gear and a great mix of face, crack, low and high angle climbing up 4-5 pitches.

P1: Climbs from pillar with a tree on top trending left on trad gear. Reaches a mellow shelf with one bolt. Suggest building a station here (about 30m) to reduce rope drag.

P2: From the shelf head up the left edge of the blocky angular section to a single bolt and finger cracks. Trend left and up through steep crystal climbing to more gear and eventually a 2 bolt station. About 30m again

P3: Walk the easy ramp left of the station, following the fist/ large hand crack, then break right to the crack that leans right. Shoddy protection in the flaring crack, so two bolts are protection. Use gear in rest of the crack, keep following to a 2 bolt station. 40m pitch

P4: Walk across the giant ledge to the face, follow two bolts on the curving crack to two bolt station. Walk off from top of P4.

FA: Jim Davis, Bob Dominick et al 1998

See also original topo below.

Straight Shot (5.8 R)

A trad route that requires some route finding skills and a sense of adventure. Traverse out to a bushy ledge (unroped and unprotected easy 5.0).  The route heads up from here.

P1: Starts at bush in a hole low on the dome, climbs 120 feet crosses another hole and a dike and theoretically ends at a two bolt station (see topo). Station has not been located. 

P2: Stays left of a dihedral and climbs unprotected 5.8 up the "steepest part of the wave" to a crack, ends on a small ledge, had a pine tree in 1977. 160 feet

P3: From the ledge, follows undercling arching right to another arching left and goes straight up to a gear station, possibly next to a roof. See topo. 160 feet.

FA: J. Smith, J. Taylor 1977

Roof Traverse (5.9) 5 pitches NOT PICTURED

APPROACH: Rappel Roof Traverse route (5 60m rappels) starting 30 feet below Juniper tree ledge. Rappels all trend downstream and the middle pitch station may be safely bypassed when rappeling. Ropes do get caught easily in the rock field of rappel 2-3, so be careful. Rappel all the way to the base of the dome if carrying a rack, or skip the first pitch for a safe bolted climb out.

Gear to 2 inches, esp. small gear. P1: Follows thin seams, takes gear to 2 inches. Has 1 bolt, needs 3 more bolts to be really clean and safe.

P2: Plenty of safety- 10 bolts and supplemental gear under 1 inch. 60+ meters, requires belayer to take ALL rope out of belay station to allow leader to reach next station.

P3: 10+ bolts and supplementary gear make this the money pitch. Challenging 5.9 face is the real crux, then sideways moves around the roof are well protected and have good feet and reliable edges for hands. Bolted anchor station immediately after the roof is safest- use an equalizing anchor as the follower will be traversing.

P4: Low fifth class terrain past old rappel and and make a gear station at the bulge. 50m?

P5: 40m of fourth class. Can take some small gear, but angle is so low that friction from a fall would probably stop you before the gear does. Easy walk up to a 2 bolt anchor station.

FA: Chad Suchoski 2014