Dike Route, 5.9

Overview

Dike Route is the name of a climb on Pywiack Dome in the Tuolumne Meadows area of Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada Range, California.

Sandwiched between two very popular routes in Tuolumne Meadows, Needle Spoon on the left and Zee Tree on the right, Dike Route follows the same general direction to the top of Pywiack Dome.The only difference is that it, more or less, follows a prominent dike that runs from the bottom to near the top of the dome. It is, however, important to know that there are plenty of face holds that are not right on the dike itself and can and should be used. The anchor points are pretty much at the same levels as the anchors for Needle Spoon and you may see many climbers to your right on Zee Tree. Dike Route is a five pitch climb if you choose to go to the very top of the dome, otherwise it's possible to rappel from the top of the fourth pitch using Needle Spoon's anchors. Be forewarned that this route, like most Tuolumne slab routes, is badly runout.

Topo of Dike Route

Pitch 1- Climb on a very low angle slab with a few 5.7ish moves protected by two bolts to the first anchor.

Pitch 2- The slab begins to get steeper and you will be climbing on consistently 5.8 ground protected by a few bolts to the next anchor.

Pitch 3- The Crux Pitch. Climb up following two bolts then work your way toward a bulge, the 5.9 crux, on a greenish tinted rock. Similar to Needle Spoon, the next bolt after the crux is pretty high up. From here, you will have only one bolt to the next anchor. Note, the anchor for this pitch is shared with Needle Spoon.

Pitch 4- Easy slab with absolutely no protection to another anchor located just below the headwall. Most climbers rappel down from here.

Pitch 5- Go right on very low angle slab to the base of a wide 5.7 crack that leads to the top.

Note: It is possible to head for the wide crack in the headwall from the top of the third pitch. Make sure to bring long slings to reduce rope drag.

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Descent: You can start rappelling from the top of the third or fourth pitches using Needle Spoon's anchor points. If you are on top of the dome look for a rappel station on top that takes you down about forty feet to the base. Then, walk around the dome to the base of the climb.

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Essential Equipment: Two skinny ropes will work great, but you can get by with one fat rope. 10 quick draws, slings, 3" to 4" cams for the wide crack on the fifth pitch.

Getting There

From the east:

From Highway 395 take Highway 120, Tioga Pass Road, for about fourteen miles to the east entrance to Yosemite National Park. From the gate drive past Lembert Dome to your right and, shortly after, Tuolumne Store on your left. From the store, drive another seven miles on Highway 120. You will see Pywiack Dome on your left and across the creek from the road. There is a wide and long dirt shoulder that you can park on. If you go as far as Tenaya Lake, you have gone too far.

From the west:

Coming from the west, which is the direction of Yosemite Valley, go past Olmsted Point, a popular viewing point, and past Tenaya Lake. Shortly after the lake you will see Pywiack Dome on your right and across the creek from the road.

Camping

There are many campgrounds in the Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Pass area. During the peak season, however, it’s possible that you end up driving from campground to campground looking for a campsite to no avail. It’s important to remember that you can always camp close to Tuolumne Meadows without being in the heart of it. There are a number of campgrounds along Highway 120, Tioga Pass Road, that can be used. There are also a number of camgrounds along Highway 395 and in the Mammoth Lakes area. It’s always a good idea to plan ahead and the following links should help a little.



Tuolumne Meadows Camping




Saddle Bag Campground



The Sierra Web/Camping

Mono Lake Station- 760-647-3000

Rush Creek, Mammoth Lakes Station- 760-924-5500

Images

View Dike Route, 5.9 Image Gallery - 13 Images