Tranquility Dome, Sierra National Forest. In August Mark Blanchard, Fremont Bainbridge and I climbed a six-pitch route on the central face of Tranquility Dome between Visions (A.A.J., 1977) and Blind Ambition (A.A.J., 1979). We named the route “Suicide Claim” after a tattered mining claim found on top. The route begins at the second belay of Blind Ambition and climbs to the first lead bolt on the third pitch. Here traverse left past a flake to a double-bolt belay. Then climb past a bolt to a belay from nuts and a bolt. Follow a crack left and up to face-climbing to a double-bolt belay in an alcove. Climb right and then up to the large tree on “Steerburger Ledge”, the fifth belay of Visions. A short pitch reaches a ledge below a great white spot. A very long pitch follows a thin crack to the right of this spot and face-climbs to a belay from a horizontal crack at the top of the dome. II, 5.9.

Conrad Van Bruggen, Unaffiliated