Maxson Dome, South Face. In October Burt Miller, Mark Meng, and I made the first ascent of the south face. This dome is quite spectacular when viewed from the roadhead at Courtwright Reservoir, and it was surprising that this 9547-foot dome had no previous technical ascents. Our route followed a thrée-pitch open-book near mid-face that had challenging crack climbing and jamming problems. A ledge then bore west to where a layback problem led to a higher ledge. Bathooks and a bolt for aid permitted frictioning onward. Higher the dome rounded to the summit ridge. The route will be known as the Burt Miller Route because, about a week later, Burt met his fate in a rappelling accident on the Apron in Yosemite. NCCS III, F10, Al.

Fred Beckey