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| Dike Route   | 
| Page Type: Route Location: California, United States, North America Lat/Lon: 37.84650°N / 119.4418°W Route Type: Technical rock climb, very runout Time Required: Less than two hours Rock Difficulty: 5.9 (YDS) Difficulty: Runout Number of Pitches: 5 Grade: II
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| Page By: ASteele Created/Edited: Apr 18, 2005 / Sep 14, 2006 Object ID: 164676 Hits: 935 Loading... Page Score: 86% - 1 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
ApproachThe Dike Route is located on the NW side of Pywiack Dome, just a few feet left of Zee Tree. Park at the turnout on the dome side of the road and boulder-hop down to the creek. Dike Route follows the obvious white dikes that slant slightly left on the face of the dome.
Route DescriptionPitch one: Climb 5.7 face past a double-set of bolts to a bolted belay.
Pitch two: Climb steepening face (up to 5.8) past three bolts and to a bolted belay.
Pitch three: This is the crux. Leaving the belay, clip a double set of bolts, then veer right and up over a green-tinted 5.9 bulge. After the bulge, look around for another bolt. If you miss this bolt, you won't have another until the anchor. After clipping it, climb up and left across gorgeous (and unprotected) 5.8 glacial polish to a bolted belay. You can descend by rapping the Needle Spoon anchors with one rope from here.
Pitch four: Unprotected 5.6 slab up to the headwall, then right to the base of a crack for a gear anchor.
Pitch five: Short 5.7 crack in the corner.
Keep in mind for all pitches that this route does not stay directly "on" the dike. Many of the better hand and footholds will be found on the face around the dike, and climbing it otherwise will lead to a frustrating and potentially more difficult experience.
Descent: Either walk off the west side (class 3-4, not recommended by people I know who have done it) or rap 40' off the east side and walk around the base of the dome back to the car. Alternatively, one can rap after pitch three down the anchors of the Needle Spoon route.
Essential Gear6-10 QDs are necessary.
A few long runners would be useful, particularly on pitch three.
A few cams (up to 3") for the anchor before pitch five and protection on the subsequent crack.
Miscellaneous InfoThis route is also known as The Spiral Dike and, more simply, The Dike. According to the Sierra Club Climber's Guide to the High Sierra, by Steve Roper, this route is 5.8; a rating few modern climbers would agree with.
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Sierra Nevada
