Lost Dome, 5.6-5.13a

Overview/Approach

Unfortunately, my memory of Lost Dome will be forever tainted by a beast named "chigger".  Chiggers are a member of the mite family and at 58, climbing out west most of my adult life, I can’t say I had ever been introduced to them until I climbed Come Get Your Love, 5.10b***.  At the base of this relatively (by Wichita standards) popular sport route on the east face of Lost Dome, my partner and I noticed tiny reddish pests (chigger larva) crawling up our calves.  We brushed them off and continued climbing, but ended covered in bites resembling a bad rash that lasted several weeks.  There is a chance some dog carried them to the area or they simply reside there, so beware.

Lost Dome belongs to a group of crags at the west end of Charon Gardens.  We climbed Crab Eyes, Hidden Wall and Lost Dome in the same two-day period.  I enjoyed the trad routes we found on Crab Eyes and Hidden Dome more than any trad route I could find on Lost Dome.  Lost Dome has more routes than the other two, but most are sport climbs.  Come Get Your Love, 5.10b***, was one such sport climb that offered a decent height dependent crux at the grade.  It is located on the shorter east face.  On the back side of this same face we climbed a trad route named Obscene Phone Calls, 5.8+R***.  It was just average at best and really not worth the effort to bushwhack to its base.  Most of Lost Dome’s routes are on its much larger south face where several 5.12’s and 5.13’s sport climbs reside. This wall is definitely more of a winter destination.

Park at the Sunset parking lot or if the gate is closed, just before the gate.  Hike a trail west past bathrooms and across a bridge.  Continue to very nice stone steps (2021) that lead through the Charon Gardens, made up of small oak trees that provide 100% shade. Continue on the trail as it bends south eventually and makes way for Crab Eyes.  Shortly after turning south, look for a split in the trail that crosses a drainage to the west.  Take this trail as it leads further west and look to gain a dry drainage heading south between Hidden Wall and Lost Dome.  Alternatively, you can hike west from Crab Eyes and hike down the hill towards Lost Dome.   Approximately a 30-40 minute approach from the parking area. 

The east and west faces as described in the local guide make up a perpendicular wall to the south face wall.  In other words, think of the formation as a “T”.  You circumvent the south wall (which happens to have an east face to it as well) and hike up to an east facing wall atop the hill.  To reach the west facing routes, circumvent the east face to the south and hike through a narrow corridor and down to the base of the west face of the same formation the east face is found on.  There are few visits to this west facing wall and alot of brush to navigate.  The south face in winter is the true destination at Lost Dome.

Walls in Order of Approach

Route Descriptions, Left to Right on the South Face

Steep Show- 5.11d****/

Drop Dead- 5.11bR***/

Slime of the Century- 5.11c****/

Rap Brothers from Hell- 5.12aR****/

Tied to the Whipping Post- 5.13a****/

Lost My Religion- 5.12-R****/

Larry’s Folly- 5.8+**/

The Dutchman- 5.9+RX***/

East Face of the South Face Wall Routes

Crack-a-LoLo- 5.10cR***/

For a Rocker- 5.8+**/

Made in the Shade- 5.12RX***/

Gong Show- 5.7/

Blades of Steel- 5.10dR*/

Hand Crack- 5.7+**/

Fear of the Right- 5.10R**/

Last Rites- 5.9+**/

Baptists on the Rampage- 5.11aR**/

Sugar Momma- 5.10b**/

Route Descriptions, Left to Right on the East Face (up the hill from the south face)

Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy- 5.11***/

Come Get You Love- 60’-5.10b***/ Fun sport climb at the grade.  The crux is above the 4^th bolt, a reachy finger under cling up and right, stemming with your left foot out left.  It is over quickly with one more fun move through the fifth bolt to rap chains.  It is easy to cheat the crux by moving right, but the crux is what this pitch is all about.  A single #1 (for the start) and five clips.  East facing. Dow

5.6 Corner- 5.6*/

Route Descriptions, Left to Right on the West Face (opposite side of the East Face)

O.U. Mountaineer’s Route- 5.9**/

Obscene Phone Calls- 80’-5.8+R***/ This route finishes on the 5.9 section of the OU Mountaineer’s Route.  That section (crux) of the route includes suspect rock up a manky shallow dark crack that leans left.  This steep crack does not offer up gimmie hands that would be typical of the grade.  The first half of the route starts up a right leaning hand crack.  That crack peters out and you climb the face (R) left of the bolt line for Jack Slap to the base of the before mentioned crack.  Belay on top by slinging a boulder.  Descend by entering the cave, climbing up and exiting skiers right down to a brush filled gully that returns to the route.  Single #2.  Wires and off set cams helpful.  West facing.  Dow

Jack Slap- 5.10b****/