On July 4, Damien Nicodemi and I completed a new route on the upper portion of Tehipite Dome and named it in memory of friends and family lost this past year. 

Two weeks prior, Rett English, Damien, and I had attempted a different line ground-up, starting at the bottom of the lower southeast face after hiking down from the top of the dome to the halfway ledge, then rappelling Wall of Ages to the valley floor. The three of us were stymied by blank rock and a lack of provisions and bailed to the valley floor after climbing only 400’. We bivied in the valley with little food and no sleeping bags, and the next morning hiked back to our camp on top of the dome. The next day, from a ridge near the top, we spied a beautiful corner about 900’ tall on the east side of the upper dome, to the right of Astro-Gil (5.11). 

The next day we rappelled down a few pitches to scout out the corner. After three 60m raps, we had used most of our gear and decided to climb back out. Damien led the last 200’ slab pitch and placed one bolt on lead, proclaiming, “Here’s one for the homies.” Rett and I looked at each other and knew that would be the route name. 

Damien and I returned a couple of weeks later and completed a bolted rappel route (two 60m ropes) to the base of our line, which begins on ledges about 1,000’ below the summit. (Previous parties climbing this aspect of Tehipite Dome have reported that it’s preferable to approach by rappel rather than descending the loose and brushy terrain east of the dome.) We then climbed back to the summit, following a single crack system capped by a final run-out slab pitch, completing One for the Homies (1,000’, 6 pitches, 5.10c R).  

– Ryan Evans