North America, United States, California-Sierra Nevada, Sequoia National Park

Publication Year: 1987.

Sequoia National Park. On the Memorial Day weekend, Herb Laeger and I added another classic route, Aspire, on the magnificent 1200-foot west face of the Fin, facing Castle Rock Spire. We started 150 feet up and right of a prominent pine growing at the base of the original Silver Lining route on the apron. This new route winds its way up and slightly right for 9 continuous pitches, paralleling Silver Lining most of the way. (IV, 5.9.) Foxtrot Dome is the best looking piece of rock on the Mineral King road between the Lookout Point Cliffs and Atwell Mill. It faces east on a hill about a mile to the north of the road and is easily recognized by the long, slender left-facing comer which winds up the center of the face. Park at the creek and walk up the hill to the base. After an easy pitch, Eddie Joe, Roy Swafford, Barry Fowlie and I found a rusty old bolt at the real start of Foxtrot Corner proper. Above this, we found no evidence of anyone. We descended the south side of the dome. (II, 5.10, 3 pitches.) From Courtwright Reservoir, looking north, one’s eye is drawn to several elegant domes all in a row on the east of Dusy Creek. The dome farthest to the north is Locke Dome, which is the largest of all the formations in the area (1000 feet), two miles north of the reservoir. Access to the area is via the four-wheel-drive road from the reservoir past Maxon Dome; it takes a couple of hours. In July, Herb Laeger, Harold Seiden and I did the first route, Best of the West, on the impressive west face. We chose what appears to be the only reasonable line directly up the center of the face, connecting discontinuous cracks with 11 bolts. The climbing is excellent on beautiful rock. (IV, 5.11+ , 8 pitches.) Knob Business Being Here is a short route, a variation of Levity’s End, which gets to one pitch above Condor Watch Ledge on Moro Rock. In February Ron Carson and I climbed two spectacularly steep knob pitches, one below and one above Condor Watch Ledge. The first pitch comes up to the right side of the ledge (bolts), and the second takes the bold, extremely steep line of knobs above the very left end of the ledge for 165 feet to belay knobs. (II, 5.10+ .)

Dick Leversee, Pro Leisure Society