Kern River Climbing

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Matt Sarad

climber

Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 27, 2017 - 07:45am PT

http://www.kernriversierra.com/climb.html

David Knopp

Trad climber

Mar 27, 2017 - 09:47am PT

Pretty spotty website. But one of the best underutilized climbing areas here in CA. Love Bart Dome.

mooch

Trad climber

Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)

Mar 27, 2017 - 01:12pm PT

No frills.......good ol' fashioned 'adventure' guidebook for The Domelands, which also includes the Kern River area. EC Joe also has a website that is useful. http://www.vertical20.com

David Knopp

Trad climber

Mar 27, 2017 - 02:19pm PT

yep got my copy too! Almost 20 yrs old?

Ksolem

Trad climber

Monrovia, California

Mar 27, 2017 - 04:29pm PT

Shortly after that book came out, the word was going around down here about Church Dome. As it happened it was a weekend after the book came out when my friends and I decided to go up there. It wasn't new to us, we were familiar with the dirt roads and how to get there. It's about 30 miles of old logging roads with a bunch of turns towards the end. It's weird back there. I have a good sense of direction, but every time I get to Church Domes I'm surprised where the sun comes up.

Anyway, the road beta in that book is a little confusing to say the least. While we were driving back there we passed L.A. climbers driving every which way. It was a real crack-up.

jeff constine

Trad climber

Ao Namao

Mar 27, 2017 - 05:07pm PT

church dome By the Taj Mahal.

jeff constine

Trad climber

Ao Namao

Mar 27, 2017 - 06:44pm PT

Rectory Church dome.
.

Ksolem

Trad climber

Monrovia, California

Mar 27, 2017 - 06:50pm PT

church dome By the Taj Mahal.

The Choir Loft, Bro. That's a beautiful spot up there. The routes on the Taj aren't so great, but that face in your pic is awesome.

Of course so is The Rectory, that Liquid Jesus, Pumping the Nun's, The Temple of Doom (extra awesome,) and on, and on...

guyman

Social climber

Moorpark, CA.

Mar 28, 2017 - 09:24am PT

So ...When do you think the roads will open up this year?

I'm ready

mooch

Trad climber

Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)

Mar 28, 2017 - 09:39am PT

Hey Kris -

Where did you and Guyzo put up X-Communication? 5.9?

Guyzo - Come up when Kris does his slide show at the brewery. Ooops......did I just say that? ;)

Ksolem

Trad climber

Monrovia, California

Mar 28, 2017 - 12:18pm PT

The arrow points to a narrow dark corridor. We did two routes on the right side. X-Communication is one of them Guyzo will have to cough up the name of the other. Maybe kinda stiff for 5.9, but I don't recall for sure. They're two out of four stars. I wouldn't hike all the way up there just for those routes, but if you're kicking around up there anyway they're worth bagging. Some bolts, some gear.

Interesting setting though.

Here's Menzo Baird emerging from the shade on one of those routes...

BLUEBLOCR

Social climber

joshua tree

Mar 28, 2017 - 12:40pm PT

Whoa, that rock is crazy looking! gotta go see

TFPU

guyman

Social climber

Moorpark, CA.

Mar 28, 2017 - 02:15pm PT

Speaking in Tongues ..... 5.9 ish.

Some fine climbing up there, some of the rock is not the best so you must look around.

G_Gnome

Trad climber

Cali

Mar 28, 2017 - 03:12pm PT

Whoa, that rock is crazy looking! gotta go see

Church Dome has some of the very best rock in the Sierra. In many cases the rock quality is better than Shuteye and just as interesting. There just is only 10% of the rock that there is at Shuteye and it is harder to get to for the most part.

mooch

Trad climber

Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)

Mar 29, 2017 - 07:47am PT

Thanks Kris, Guy and Jan! The beauty of The Domelands, and similar to Shuteye, is the complete lack of people and the high quality stone!! Yep, nothing to see here. all lemmings and zombies make your way to the Ditch.

Radish

Trad climber

SeKi, California

Mar 29, 2017 - 10:25am PT

Church Dome area is pretty special ! Its on that high sage brush plateau on the southern end of the Sierra. Really wild for sure and way in on a dirt road. Crystals and cool colored rock. Great Climbing all around. Lots of Rattlesnakes, we saw several in one day. And....if you like spooky places this is it! We saw no birds at all the weekend we were there. It was weird! The whole time we felt like we were being watched even though we were the only car. Bigfoot country......Yep!

mooch

Trad climber

Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)

Mar 29, 2017 - 10:30am PT

So true Rene! Last time I was there, that's exactly how I felt.....being watched. Light wind but no birds. Creepy. The Hills have eyes.....

Ksolem

Trad climber

Monrovia, California

Mar 29, 2017 - 12:53pm PT

You are being watched. I think it was the summer before last when six of us were up there for a few daze. We camped up at the very end of the high clearance road. Guyzo took the lead in his CRV on the way out. Unexpectedly he hit a large rock in the middle of the road, between the tire tracks. It was not there when we drove in. Luckily his car was not damaged, but inspection of the rock placement revealed that it was recently placed, the grass under it was fresh and green. At that point Constine and I escorted our convoy of three vehicles on foot, me in front with the 12 ga. pump gun loaded with LE-00, Jeff bringing up the rear with the mini-14. There were several more rocks on the way down. I've wondered since then what would have come down if the car was immobilized. Or maybe it was just a message to stay away, or simple vandalism. One thing is for sure, we were being watched.

In the summer of 2000 the Manter Meadow Fire chased my friend Bryan and I out from the same spot. As we drove out on the dirt roads all sorts of people and half wrecked cars and trucks were emerging from the woods onto the road. The locals were running from the flames. I never had a clue there were people living up in them there woods until then.

Another time Barbara and I were driving in at night. After about the first ten miles of dirt I spotted two people in my headlights. They waved. As I slowed to a stop opening the passenger side window the man turned to face us. A toothless no necked monster with a sick grin. I hit the gas hard.

I won't go back in there anymore unless we have a group and the heaters.

Beautiful place and fantastic climbing though...