Cloudveil Dome

Other times I've been to summit of Cloudveil Dome: 
Category: Wyoming (Tetons)Summit Elev: 12,026 ftRock Type: Gneiss
Date: July 21, 2023 (Fri)Trip Report #: 631Partner: Erin Houlihan

Route: Armed Robbery (5.9, 8p)

A great crowdless full-day alpine climbing objective in the Tetons.

Intro

This was my second trip to the Tetons this summer. In early July I had climbed for four days in the Tetons with my sister Jenny. It was a great time with my sister and I was reminded of how much I love the Tetons. Plus, Jackson Hole is an easy place to find places to work remotely (so I can work a bit around the edges) and there is plenty of easy free camping in the area if you know where to look. I returned two weeks later, not batting an eye at the eight-hour drive from Estes Park to Jackson Hole. This time I climbed with Erin, a newfound and equally-psyched climbing partner from Boulder. Erin and I climbed for four days. I drove up after work on Tuesday, worked remotely out of the Jackson Hole library and explored town on Wednesday while Erin drove up, and climbed with Erin on Thursday to Sunday. We climbed Guide's Wall (5.8+to 5.10, 6p) on Storm Point (Thursday), Armed Robbery (5.9, 8p) on Cloudveil Dome (Friday), Dihedral of Horrors (5.9, 4-6p) on Omega Buttress (Saturday), and Caveat Emptor (5.10, 6p) on Cathedral Buttress (Sunday). It was great to have a partner on the same page— i.e. a rest day just means a sligtly shorter route with a slightly shorter approach. I drove back to Estes Park on Monday, after putting in a full day working remotely from the library and Whole Foods in Jackson Hole. What a stellar four days of climbing!

This page gives a trip report for Armed Robbery (5.9, 8p) on Cloudveil Dome. Cloudveil Dome is just one of the high points on the long east ridge of the South Teton leading on to Nez Pierce Peak. The towering south face is a great climbing objective for escaping the crowds and climbing steep high-quality alpine rock. The two most popular (popular being relative since the long approach means these routes are not climbed often) routes on the towering south face are Armed Robbery (5.9, 8p) and Silver Lining (5.10, 9p). We decided to climb Armed Robbery, the slightly more moderate of the two adventures. This route is 5.8 in the Ortenburger guidebook but 5.9 on mountainproject. Erin and I found that the route had several sustained and stout 5.8 sections and tricky moves, so we would agree with the 5.9 rating to the route. Erin and I had a great time climbing Armed Robbery. The rock is surprisingly solid for a rarely-traveled route, the climbing is fairly sustained and interesting, and the setting is spectacular. Cloudveil Dome has a fairly long and involved approach, so this is a pretty big day. It took us just over 15 hours car-to-car. It was a beautiful storm-less warm summer day in the Tetons. Erin and I revelled in the opportunity to spend an entire day out in the mountains!

The following page gives a route overlay, time stats, and photos from our climb.

Route Overlay

Time Stats

Times:

Leave trailhead: 4:35 am

Arrive at col east of Cloudveil: 8:31 am

Leave col to begin descent to base of south face: 8:49 am

Arrive at base of route: 9:27 am

Start climbing: 9:47 am

Arrive on summit: 3:37 pm

Begin descent down East Ridge (4th): 3:50 pm

Arrive at col east of Cloudveil: 4:18 pm

Leave col to begin hiking back to trailhead: 4:36 pm

Arrive at trailhead: 7:59 pm

Split Times:

Trailhead to col east of Cloudveil: 3:56

Col to base of route: 0:38 

Climb route: 5:50

Descend East Ridge (4th) to col: 0:28 

Descend from col to trailhead: 3:23

Car-to-car: 15 hours 24 minutes

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach

2nd-4th

The Garnet Canyon approach it typically used for this climb. Take the Garnet Canyon trail from upper Lupine Meadows trailhead. Proceed west past the Meadows in Garnet Canyon and into the south fork, heading to the col just east of Cloudveil Dome. Extra gear can be left at the col because the descent returns down the east ridge to this point. From the col, drop down to the south and look for the red dike rock gully with much loose rock. Climb down into the gully until it is possible to scramble around and onto the broad bench at the base of the south face of Cloudveil Dome. This route proceeds roughly directly up the south face towards the summit from the bench. From what we could determine, the route starts 50-100 feet left of the large left rising ledge (Matthews Ramp). 

Approaching the Meadows, enjoying sunrise alpenglow on Middle Teton. Photo by Erin.
Cloudveil Dome is above. We headed to the col on the left (east) side.
Approach between Meadows and col.
Approach between Meadows and col.
Approach between Meadows and col.
Horneblende I think.
Some cute ball-like flowers.
Crampons were useful on the steep and hard-packed snow.
One of the steeper sections of snow. This would have been the place to use the ice axes we had brought (since a slide down the snow would not have been pleasant), but we did not and just carefully kick-stepped through it.
I took this photo from the col on the east side of Cloudveil, looking down at Erin making the final approach to the col.
Looking down the south side from the col.
Descending the gully on the south side of the col. Descend until you get to a red rock gully.
Entrance to the red rock gully that leads to the ledge below Cloudveil's south face.
Descending the red rock gully.
The exit ramp to get to the ledge below Cloudveil's south face.
Phlox in the red gully.
A cute daisy in the red gully.
Our first view of the towering south face that we are about to climb up.
Traversing the ledge system to get below the main south face.
Scoping out the route from the base. The annotations show our start of Pitch 1 and a possible alternative (better?) start to Pitch 1.
We found a gri-gri and Camp Lift at the base. Not sure if they were dropped or left behind.

Pitch 1

5.6

For Pitch 1, the Ortenburger guidebook says: "The first pitch rom the bench procceeds up a wall (5.6) west of a left-facing corner to a belay ledge." We had a picture from mountainproject of the first pitch, so we started at what was shown in the mountainproject photo, but I feel that this was not the first pitch since it dumped us off too far to the left of the second pitch. From what we could determine, the route starts 50-100 feet left of the large left rising ledge (Matthews Ramp). 

The start of our first pitch. This was where the mountainprojet photo had identified as the first pitch. This worked to get us to the ledge at the top of Pitch 1 and below Pitch 2, but I feel that the first pitch described by Ortenburger is a bit to the right of this.
Looking down from the base of Pitch 2. I think this is where Pitch 1 is supposed to be.
Scoping out the route from the base. The annotations show our start of Pitch 1 and a possible alternative (better?) start to Pitch 1.

Pitch 2

5.6

Climb up, passing a horn on the right, up past a small ledge to another belay ledge.

Erin starting off our Pitch 2. This felt like a good way to go, but the route description and terrain were both a bit ambiguous, so there are probably variations.
Our Pitch 2. This felt like a good way to go, but the route description and terrain were both a bit ambiguous, so there are probably variations.

Pitch 3

5.easy

Climb to the Matthews Ramp. Simulclimb (or move the belay) up low 5th terrain up the ramp about 150 feet and onto a ledge with an overhang above below the two obvious cracks that are on either side of the central pillar on this section of the wall.

The start of our third Pitch. Matthews Ramp is above. 
Low 5th class terrain along Matthews Ramp. We simulclimbed (probably a 300 foot pitch) so that this pitch got us all of the way to the base of the pillar.

Pitch 4

5.8/9

Climb up to the giant inset above inset, traverse to the right side of the inset, climbs steep blocky terrain up, and make an airy 5.8 traverse left above the roof to the crack on the left side of the pillar feature above. The right side of the pillar is Silver Lining (5.10).  

Erin starting up Pitch 4. This pitch looks intimidating beacuse you cannot see the featured rock that allows an easy traverse to the right side of the inset.
The second half of Pitch 4. Here, you climb up steep blocky terrain on the right side of the inset and then make an airy traverse left above the roof to the base of the crack on the left side of the pillar. We broke this pitch up into two short pitches. I led the airy traverse, but admit to clipping into a couple of pieces along the way in order to set higher pieces of protection to avoid the potential of a terrifying swing over the lip of the roof. 
Belay at the top of the pitch, at the base of the handcrack on the left side of the pillar. This was the only hanging belay on the route, but it was a natural place to set the belay. There was some old tat and a nut here.
Beware of white slings found on routes. They probably were not originally white....

Pitch 5

5.8/9

Climb a sustained hand crack on the left side of the pillar. This pitch is stellar.

Erin starting up the pitch.
Great crack climbing on this pitch.

Pitch 6

5.8/9

Continue up the crack system to a ledge. Another stellar pitch.

The crack system continues.
The exit slot. The exit move felt 5.9.
Erin following the pitch, on the rocky ledge just above the burly exit move.

Pitch 7

5.8

At the top of the crack system the upper of the two ramps that cut across the face will be intersected. A quick escape can be made onto easier gound generally following this ramp up and to the west. Or continue up for a couple of more pitches. 

We chose to continue up. There was no beta on which way was correct (Ortenburger guidebook: "The first ascent party continued more or less straight up for three pitches, finishing close to the summit."). So we just followed our noses. And nailed it! (Although it took us only two pitches instead of three.) For our first of the two final pitches, we climbed cracks to the base of a long dihedral in brown rock.

View up left towards the escape via easier ground. We chose instead to finish in style and head straight up.
The start of our Pitch 7. This turned out to be a good way to go. The top of this corner has an unprotected punchy layback which can be avoided by traversing right and up easier ground. As a follower on this pitch, I enjoyed the layback.
The top of the pitch. It was a bit unclear of where the "best" way to go was, but Erin nailed it since this put us right below a stellar corner for the next pitch. Nice lead and route-finding Erin!

Pitch 8

5.8

Climb the long dihedral (great climbing) in brown rock. Belay at its top or stretch the rope to the summit.

The brown corner we climbed for our final pitch. This was an excellent pitch, just as good as the stellar handcrack Pitches 5 and 6.
Looking down the corner.
I think these are sky pilot (aka polemonium). There were several just below the summit.
I was able to climb all of the way to the summit on this pitch. It was probably a 220-foot pitch.

Top!

Enjoy the views of Middle Teton, Grand Teton, and Teewinot to the north, Mt. Wister to the south, South Teton to the west, and Nez Perce to the east.

Belaying on the summit.
Yep, we have arrived on the summit!
Middle Teton and Grand Teton to the north.
Aother photo (with cloud shadows) of Middle Teton and Grand Teton to the north.
View towards South Teton (some spires in foreground) to the west.
View towards Nez Perce to the east.
Mt. Wister and Lake Taminah to the south.
A nice "flaking the rope on summit" photo.

Descent

4th

Descend East Ridge (4th) to the col and reverse the approach. 

Scrambling down the East Ridge. We kept it at 4th class and didn't use any of the rap anchor we spotted along the way.
Descending towards the Meadows.
Crampons were useful since the snow was steep at times.
View back up of Erin descending a snowfield on our descent from the col to the Meadows.
A flowery evening hike out.
Almost at the trailhead! We got back just before 8pm.
A Whole Foods session to put together the trip report the next morning. I had worked on the overlay and photo selection in the evening after the climb, but (fortunately for my sake, since sleep is a good idea after a big day) I did not have enough of a hotspot signal at camp to begin working on my actual trip report on my website. Got to power it out to get onto our "rest day" of climbing: Dihedral of Horrors!

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