Regular Route, Fairview Dome 5.9

 
Search
Go

Tuolumne Meadows, California USA

  • Currently 5.0/5
Sort 66 beta reports by: Most Recent | Most Helpful
What is route "beta"?
Summary of All Ratings

SuperTopo Rating:   
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
 (5.0)
Average Customer Rating:   
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
 (4.6)
Your Rating:     (none)
Rating Distribution
34 Total Ratings
5 star: 68%  (23)
4 star: 29%  (10)
3 star: 0%  (0)
2 star: 0%  (0)
1 star: 3%  (1)
chick_on_ice

Trad climber
Jul 1, 2013 - 01:07pm
 
Climbed this two days ago. First on the route at 6am. I highly recommend using climbinginchico's beta if you've got a 70m rope. Did the climb in 5 pitches+350' of simul-climbing. The crux of pitch 1 and some holds on pitch 2 were kinda soaked (thunderstorms or regular seepage maybe?), but the jams are super solid. I did have to 'rescue' a guy(had 20' to go, looked shaky, & getting the affirmative, threw him a rope). Great route, but be careful if you're not comfortable on wetness!
Patrick Sawyer

climber
Originally California, now Ireland
Aug 24, 2012 - 05:28am
 
No beta, but Jim Keating and I did it back in 1975. Superb route. I hope that I can the chance to climb it again someday.
D Fred

Trad climber
san francisco, ca
Aug 18, 2012 - 04:03am
 
did the route twice this week... just FYI, from the recent thunderstorms, monday was wet and tuesday was a river on the first two pitches

pitch 2 was underwater, with water literally flowing over my hands in the fingerlocks and down my elbows, soaking my shirt. after taking a slippery whip on the humbling 5.7 fingers, i french-freed through the wet sections and then after the 2nd half of pitch 2, the climbing is all dry and really fun again. i should have worn goggles though.

having said that, someone passed us each day casually soloing through those first two wet pitches, my hat is off to both of you, impressive wet solo



ElGreco

Mountain climber
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jul 31, 2012 - 08:17pm
A 70m rope is unquestionably the way to go on this route.

The climbing is sustained to the crux on p1. The crux is short and is followed by immediate relief. Then head straight for the tree and belay. I found leading the crux on p1 easier than following p2 (which is also sustained)... My calves felt it.

The "large white flake" on the supertopo is one of the most enjoyable parts of the climb. I went left. Glorious hand jams below and a large horn higher up which you can sling for bomber pro and jug on.

One of the pins just below Crescent Ledge is rotten - don't trust it. The head is cut and it wobbles.

There is a stuck cam on the arch before the roof where the arch slants right. The roof itself is fun and protects well. The crack at its base will take a small-medium cam. Extend that with a double sling and then clip the pin above the roof (which seems solid). Then move right and tackle the roof on good jugs.

The remainder of the climb eases considerably. There is a glorious, comfy belay balcony next to a big tree after the long right traverse! After that, a handful of thin face/friction moves and lots of 3rd, 4th and easy 5th separate you from the top.
Ralphy

Trad climber
Green Honda Element
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Oct 6, 2011 - 04:32pm
This is a very good route. We linked pitches 2 and 3 which made for a nice long pitch. I felt the 2nd and 3rd pitches were just as hard as the first, but none of them were difficult. The corner on the 3rd pitch is awesome, sustained, great gear and fun moves. The top half goes by quickly, I would recommend simulclimbing or soloing the last few pitches. Classic! Crowded!
RMLeahy

Trad climber
Yosemite
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Oct 6, 2011 - 12:48am
Lucky enough to have climbed the East Buttress of Middle Cathedral and El Cap as well as Super Slacker Highway this summer and got on this route this past Sunday. This route is hands down my favorite longer route of all time. Although it was a little wet at the crux and on the second pitch it was totally manageable. We got to do the route a few days before this first storm hit and lucked out with the weather. It was pretty chilly, so we were glad to have worn rain jackets, synthetics, and warm hats. Pretty windy and shaded almost all day until the top few pitches. I would also recommend the second set of nuts if you intend to link the pitches with either a 60 or 70 M rope. We were behind one party all day and so we weren't able to link all of the pitches that we wanted to, but they were super cool folks. I led the flake pitch and would definitely recommend going right. Super fun moves to huge holds along the top of the flake. The climbing and rock quality is amazingly high quality throughout. We simul climbed from the top of pitch 8 on with a few 5.6 or 5.7 moves here and there. Excellent summit that was super fun to gain while climbing the last few hundred feet quickly. Highly recommended. Descent is as noted very straight forward. Can't wait to climb this one again.
the Fet

climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Aug 15, 2011 - 04:05pm
Climbed it August 13. Still a little wetness in the 1st pitch crux jams.

We had a 60M rope and did the 1st and 2nd pitch as one with about 30 feet of simulclimbing on easy terrain at the base for the second. The 3x10 ledge at 230' is plush. .75 camalot and some nuts for the anchor.

Our next pitch was to the 7x10 ledge 205' from the top of 2. About 8 feet simulcimbing on easy terrain. Another great ledge. But it is more like one 3x10 ledge over another 3x10 ledge, not 7x10 IMO.

Our next pitch was past Crescent Ledge up to the top of 5. Don't place any pro when heading right to crescent and back left on the 5.4 ramp (easy terrain) to reduce rope drag and have enough rope to make it. About 8 feet of simulcimbing for use here too.

The top of 5 is another plush ledge. I think it's better than Crescent Ledge because it's very flat, you can dangle your feet over the edge and it's easier to look down from. We stopped there for 45 minutes, ate, and enjoyed the view. The other 4+ parties after us were well below us because the belays we used saved a lot of time.

Pitch 6 is a very fun pitch, combined it with 7, no simulclimbing needed.

Pitch 8 has some fun easy 5th class moves after the traverse.

Simulclimbed from the top of 8 to the summit.
jewedlaw

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jul 18, 2011 - 07:29pm
@ Sabi: There was a little water flowing through the crux 5.9 bit, but it still took perfect protection and didn't affect the jams, maybe just gummed up my chalk bag a bit when I went for more chalk. Cold water felt good on my torn up meat hooks!
Sabirila

Trad climber
Sunnyvale, CA
Jul 18, 2011 - 07:22pm
 
@jewedlaw: was it wet or dirty?
jewedlaw

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jul 18, 2011 - 12:40pm
Fantastic Route! Climbed this on July 17, 2011

Full value crack climbing, face climbing, roofs, stemming--this route has it all! Took my partner and me about 40 minutes to find the proper base (we started up the slab apron too early and the traverse across is a bit scary!) 6 and a half hours to top out (including linking 6 and 7, and simul-climbing after that. Jesse Climbing Ranger started about two or three hours after us and topped out about 30 seconds before me.... in approach shoes. Descent took longer than expected, we didn't skirt the base and ended up losing the trail--hard to find the road.

Topo points out four pitons, but I only found two. Doesn't matter, not runout in the least.

I was one of three parties on the route that day. Another party came to the base but turned back after checking us out.
StevenS

Trad climber
Sunnyvale, CA
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Sep 17, 2010 - 06:39pm
For the party below us who had to wait and watch the whole rescue on Sunday Aug 1st with lowering my partner from the 4th pitch due to a broken ankle. We are still looking for our gear (several cams, cordelettes and biners). If you collected our gear as you continued climbing please let me know the where about and email me at stesu at comcast dot net. Thanks.
10k

Trad climber
Portland, OR
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jul 12, 2010 - 12:39pm
Did this route on July 11, 2010. Was some snow at the start, skirt around on the slabs to reach the belay spot to make it easy for yourself. The crack on P1 was damp deep in the crack but it doesn't affect the climbing much. Fun route. We did it car-to-car in 6 hours starting at 3pm, no crowds in front of us. 70 meter rope is almost mandatory to get to better belay spots and get the technical pitches over sooner.

I didn't find the 5.6 slab section. Instead I found this mossy face that was breaking off as I was climbing it and it was super sketch. Must have missed something, but it was the right place as we reached the summit very shortly after.

le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
Jun 28, 2010 - 08:32pm
 
In response to Bud Miller: we did that variation our first time up it a few years ago. The face moves past the bolt are harder than 5.8, not sure how hard though. I was on lead, that always eschews things for me. My partner, who was pushing into 5.10 that season, backed off of it. It was the hardest few moves of the route for me. A fall mantling onto the small ledge above the bolt might land you back on the block below. Having done the standard finish now, I like it better.

Above the bolt is more standard Reg Route Fairview climbing - fun and cruiser.

Those thin crimps felt out of character for the otherwise buttery route.
Highlife

Trad climber
California
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jun 25, 2010 - 12:26pm
As a follow up to my last post, from belay #7 (at the 5.7 face and/or 5.6 travers), I did a little exploring and followed the block "terrace" up really far left, towards a large bush at the end of the blocks. Above the bush there was a fun looking face with a new(ish) bolt on it (5.7/8?). Clouds we're popping up in the sky pretty quick, so we decided against venturing into the unkown and took the regular route instead, but I am very curiouse as to where it leads and what the climbing is like. Since it is unlikely that I will be up that route again till at least next year, I would love to get some input on the variation. Does anyone know where/what this leads to?
Highlife

Trad climber
California
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jun 22, 2010 - 08:38pm
Climbed the route yesterday, and it was every bit as good as it was built up to be. Maybe because we we're the only ones on it, maybe because I was supposed to be at work, or maybe because it was just that good. The top out and decent was one of, if not the best, i've ever experienced. For the beta, if your linking pitches, bring every bit of gear the topo says. Currently, the route is totally dry EXCEPT for a short section of finger pulls right in the crux, but if you need (as i did) you can pull on a medium nut to get through. Awsome day of climbing.
Friedo

Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe
Jul 23, 2009 - 08:21pm
 
Climbed regular route on Tuesday July 21st, 2009. Fantastic climb! First on route at about 8:00. Several parties were waiting as we completed the first pitch. Used a 70 meter rope and linked several pitches. Hit the top in about 9 pitches and 8 hours. Contrary to popular belief, most of the route was in the sun. There was one party on our heels the whole climb, but they were very patient. After the roof pitch a couple of valley climbers rudely and obnoxiously passed us (and several parties behind us). View from the top was "fair"!!! Enjoy climbing this route. It's well worth it!
Brendan

Trad climber
Yosemite, CA
Aug 4, 2008 - 11:19am
 
For the party of 3 below us (Blonde girl and long hair guy) on Sunday August 3, we have a bunch of pictures of you all leading and climbing up pitch 5. Email me at brendansharris@gmail.com for the pics. Thanks for letting us slip by you!
mark miller

Social climber
Reno
Jul 8, 2008 - 09:55pm
 
Fish and the other poster nailed it. With a 60 and a little strech'in it's 4 pitches to the crescent. That silly white flake always screws with me and if you cowboy up and just go right, straight it's 5.7 c. then 4th class to the top, then sore feet scrambling down. Wonderful Climb and a true classic.Done it at least 8 times and will do it again in a heart beat. The second pitch when ran long almost gets boring after beautiful..........
fishtrap

Trad climber
Bass Lake, CA
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jul 8, 2008 - 12:56am
7/7/08
The route was dry and with an early start (6am) we were the 1st party on the climb. Doing this route with a 70M rope was definetely the way to go. We were able to climb the first 7 pitches in 4 long pitches (see someone elses description further down in the posts) and then we started simul climbing from the top of pitch 7 to the top. I'm not a fast clmber and we were taking our time and it still only took us 3 1/2 hours. If you are comfortable on 4th with the occasional easy 5th move there is no reason not to simul climb once you are past the 7th pitch as the climbing is very easy to the top from here.
Floyd Hayes

Trad climber
Hidden Valley Lake, CA
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jul 7, 2008 - 06:56pm
On pitch 4 there is a big white flake. Now that I've climbed on both sides of it, I think the right side is a little easier with a couple of 5.8 face moves on knobs to reach easy climbing, in contrast with several strenuous 5.8 moves up the left side of the flake. Take your pick!
keith young

Trad climber
Stateline,nv
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Aug 10, 2007 - 09:55pm
0630 am start and first on route on wensday. before gettting to the first belay 2 parties waiting. Good fun big belay ledges but windy as hell after the 5 belay. Also my partner dropped my purple old school BD camalot. Multiple subsequent parties were told that we had dropped it and to leave it at the base. Surprise, cam was gone. Moral: Don't drop a cam!
Lana Smith

climber
San Francisco, CA
Jul 11, 2007 - 01:42pm
 
Sharon!

I believe that's my camera!

I have just emailed you.

Thanks so much for picking it up!

Lana
sharon

Trad climber
Bay Area, CA
Jul 9, 2007 - 12:45pm
 
Hey -- found a camera at the top of Fairview yesterday. If it's your's, drop me a note with the make/model -- swh65@yahoo.com.
Greyalien

Trad climber
NJ
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Aug 28, 2006 - 06:31pm
Great route, but i must say that the "wet in early season" description for the crux is total bs. We did it the start of august and other than the water flowing out of the crux of P1 nothing else in the meadows (save for the river) was wet.

So, the wet figerlocks at the crux were a pain (felt like 10-) but after that the route was cruiser. Definatly a must do, it was the longest thing weve ever done.
seankirsch73

Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Aug 28, 2006 - 11:23am
Climbed Fairview Dome last weekend with 2 of my buds. We had 60m ropes and made it to a big ledge every pitch. The first pitch did involve simul-climbing for about 7ft on easy terrain though. The lower cracks were dry and swallowed pro. This was the first time I had used the Reverso in the self-braking method as I belayed both my friends simultaneously. It worked great having the big ledge for rope mgmt, and we climbed as fast as the 2 man teams. The weather was perfect all day long, though it was much warmer at the base than we expected. (no complaints about that)
We simuled the upper section in the same manner as the lower, which I wouldnt do again since I was continually pulling on 400ft of rope. Lesson learned; bag one rope and have the third person butterfly into the middle.
excellent job on the SuperTopo topo guide. Made the day that much more enjoyable.

One bit of advice would be to make sure you belay from the 7th pitch. The traverse has enough heinous rope drag. Belaying 7&8 together is too much even with long slings.

...(its not a sport route in Europe; its a trad route in the USA)
climbinginchico

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jul 24, 2006 - 01:06am
Climbed this on a Thursday a couple weeks ago- nobody else was on the route the entire day! The first pitch was dry except for the crux. I used a Beal Stinger 70m rope and had huge ledges for every belay.
70m rope beta:
Pitch 1: climb to Belay 2 ledge above tree (3x10 ledge on SuperTopo)
Pitch 2: Climb past the stance belay and to the huge ledge (7x10 ledge on SuperTopo)
Pitch 3: From there climb to the Crescent Ledge and continue up left, using long slings to reduce rope drag, to the top of the easy ramp system. Belay on huge ledge, with not much left on a 70m. Good spot for a snack.
Pitch 4: Climb to top of Pitch 7 on SuperTopo, before the traverse.
From there you can simulclimb or belay pitches. Run out as much rope as possible, it's pretty much possible to build a belay anywhere you need to.
giudirel

Sport climber
Italy
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Aug 23, 2005 - 02:10pm
I climbed it on august,14 with my 11 years old daughter. Altough we need to wait for a big line we enjoyed it a lot and had a great fun.
Although climbing is very easy for european standard (we are from Italy) we found it challenging: no bolts and/or piton at all and she, even if can lead 5.11 with bolts, never saw a friend and/or a nut before that time.
In Europe it would be rated V/V+ and all belays at least would be in place, maybe with bolts and chains to allow a quick raps go down that in the Alps is actually the more popular downhill style for climbers.
Anyway a big hello to all guys I met there: very nice peoples!
TIM SHEA

Trad climber
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   May 24, 2005 - 04:19pm
1st in line on this one. We did it in 6 hours. The crux was a little wet but no big deal. I was so worried about that before I climbed it. After reading about this in 50 classic climbs, I had blown it up in my mind's eye. Long enough to forget about climbing and just climb !
mattd

climber
Edmonton, Canada
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Sep 27, 2004 - 01:33pm
We landed on the crescent ledge late, and took the rappel route down. It took us some time to find the first bolts, so here's the beta on the rap off crescent:

The rap bolts (two beefy ones) are much higher than shown in either supertopo or the meadows guide. (see Rob's description of the bolts below for how to find them)... go right up the crescent ledge past two 3rd class sections and climb a few meters of 5.3 where the ledge curves up to be steep (2/3 of a rope length up and level with the 5th supertopo anchor). Look out right past knobby gold rock to see the bolts.

In the route beta below, Rob says to trend left from these bolts on your first rappel. Don't do that! The next rap station is climber's RIGHT. Even though both topos say to use double ropes (which you will need later on), the second anchor is only 1/2 rope (30m) down on a long narrow stance in the slab. For station 3, just follow the ropes straight down, you'll see the bolts at the top of a pinnacle that will appear (50 meters). 4th and final station is off the pinnacle climber's right, trend right over a corner, and find the two bolts on a ledge 50 meters down (you can see these bolts from station 3).

Have fun. - Matt
Chris McNamara

SuperTopo staff member
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Aug 1, 2004 - 01:31am
I received this beta from a supertopo user:

About Regular Route on Fairview Dome: there are no bolts, especially there is no bolt on the beginning of the traverse and the traverse itself is protectable with .5 or so cams.
Jacques

Trad climber
SF
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jul 29, 2004 - 10:50am
Climbed the Regular Route last weekend. There is a flake (four feet or so high) that is very loose and about to come off just to the right above the belay at belay station 5 on the Supertopo. We left it in place because we obviously did not want it to hit anyone below. But climbers should be aware of it and use caution.
Calm is but a Wall

Trad climber
SF
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jul 23, 2004 - 12:12pm
Unless you want that perfect cool to cold temp. for sticky rubber, start as late in the day as you can. This route is more enjoyable in the sun, which, in summer, bends around the dome in mid-afternoon and shines on her face till lights out. (Clearly not the strategy if you are in an afternoon thunderstorm cycle of Tuolumne weather.) Little to no traffic in afternoon, too.
An inexperienced but strong partner and I started at 2:30 last Thursday and topped at 7 without strain. We carried headlamps and jackets just in case.
It goes at 8 pitches plus some change (30 feet), the only stretcher pitch 5 through the .9 move/roof to the good ledge where things go to the right (my guy moved up 5-10 feet on easy ground so I could get there).
If you're doing just one F. Dome route on your trip, I like Lucky Streaks -- fewer pitches, and much more climbing.
ricardo

Gym climber
San Francisco, CA
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jul 12, 2004 - 01:06am
climbed on 7/10 .. showed up at 9:30 am .. was 3rd on route ..

.. the crux is wet and so is the bottom section of p2 .. (if you do the alternate belays) ..

.. great route .. the 2nd roof is my favorite pitch..

    ricardo
johnkitt

Trad climber
San Diego, Ca
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jul 10, 2004 - 03:10pm
Just wanted to second what CT said... I climbed this route on 7/7/04 and found the route soaking wet from the crux section to the first piton on pitch 2. From there on out, the route was dry.

A storm system has parked its but over the Sierras for the past week or two. However, if you get up early and move fast, you should be okay on this, or any route in the area, so long as you make it down to safety before the storms hit, which has been mostly around 2-4 PM.

Great route! The 5.8 roof move just past the second piton was fun, reminiscent of Flower of High Rank for you Suicide Rock climbers out there.

-john kitt.
ct

climber
WA
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jul 6, 2004 - 03:45am
Climbed the route Sunday, 7/4/04. Apparently there were thunderstorms all week, and the entire first and second pitches are soaking wet. The crux on the first pitch was literally flowing, and the second pitch felt tenuous with running water in the crack and slippery feet the whole way. Some water on pitch 3 and at the roof on pitch 5. Pretty much dry the rest of the way. Great route, but use caution when wet.
Colt45

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jun 19, 2004 - 09:58pm
This is one of the coolest climbs I have ever done!!

On 6/14/04, there was still snow at the base but we were able to hike around it on the rock slabs. There was a tiny bit of water seeping from the crack on the first pitch in a couple of places, but it wasn't a big deal because the fingerlocks are so secure. The rest of the route was completely dry.

We started late, around 1:30pm, to avoid waiting in line. We foolishly ignored the puffy clouds that had been building since earlier in the day. Since there was obviously a storm building, we shifted into high gear: we climbed p1 as a single 200ft pitch to the big ledge, then two more simul-climb pitches to the summit. We topped out around 5:00pm, having climbed the last half-hour in the rain. On the summit our hair was standing up from the building electricity!! We speed-coiled our ropes and sprinted the descent in our climbing shoes. Fortunately this is one of the mellowest descents imaginable; it's essentially a low-angle granite highway that leads all the way to the forest!

Safely back at the car, we agreed to pay more attention to the supertopo's recommendation on looking for puffy white clouds before starting a multi-pitch route...
Mountain Man

Trad climber
Outer space
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jun 17, 2004 - 03:05am
We climbed this 2 weeks ago. Walked across lots of snow going up, and started off snow. Crux was very wet, and the feet didn't feel too secure for a few pitches. The hard ones. I thought my shoes might be wet.

All in all, a superb climb, worthy of the top 50. There was only one party on the climb when we were there. Three pieces of pro the first ptch and we never saw him again.

The walk off is way easy. I walked straight down the fall line with no problem.
Chris McNamara

SuperTopo staff member
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jun 8, 2004 - 04:05pm
two days ago i did possibly a new variation to pitches 6, 7 and 8. from a belay 6, instead of traversing left to the crescent arching corner, go straight up a slightly grassy crack system. Starts out well protected. Laybacking a flake that looks too grassy but is actually pretty clean. Then there is an opportunity to angle up and left back to the regular route (right at the roof of pitch 6) or make a big step right. step right to an undercling flake out left leads to a 5.10a mantel and then a roof. The crack above the roof thins out (and doesn't take gear) and you make unprotected 5.7 traverse right to a cool aręte/corner. There is a 5.8 move here that is pretty runout. Then a few more feet and you are at a good ledge to belay with .75-2” cams. About 180 feet. This belay is halfway through pitch 8 on the topo. join the regular route to the summit.

PS: i'm calling it the Crowd Pleaser variation... because its a great way to avoid the crowds, pass parties, and, if you start sketching out on the runouts, you will be entertaining all the people on pitches 5,6, and 7.


Visit on supertopo.com
Chris McNamara

SuperTopo staff member
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jun 8, 2004 - 04:05pm
There is a lot of snow leading to the first pitch. This is not really a big deal. A bigger deal is the crux that is wet. Right now it feel harder than 5.9. There is some wetness after the crux and then the route is dry. Fiarview dome in the sun all day at the moment. later in the summer, the sun takes a different path and the route receives more shade.


TW#T

Gym climber
Mill Valley, CA
May 2, 2004 - 05:14pm
 
seems like a bunch of speculation, spritz spritz like my buddy ousley would say. Did it the other day, but really dont want to give beta. rub a dub snow in a tub.....over and out (hint hint).
Greg Barnes

climber
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   May 1, 2004 - 11:27am
I've done it in late May, there'll be a lot of snow at the base, plus the first pitch will be running water at the crux (don't even open your chalk bag). However, I found with a light tape job you can jam straight through the water at maybe a grade or two harder. Good idea to have socks or pants on so you can dry your shoes off when they get wet.
ricardo

Gym climber
San Francisco, CA
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Apr 30, 2004 - 07:46pm
expect alot of snow at the base .. i'm not sure what the descent might be like then ..

.. the road to toulomne is expected to open may 14th

    ricardo
J-Dogg

Trad climber
colorado
Apr 30, 2004 - 05:59pm
 
I will be in the valley in two weeks (May 15th), does anyone have any beta on the snow pack up in Tuolumne. I would like to do the regular route on Fairview if possible. Thanks.
ThomasKeefer

Trad climber
colorado
Oct 28, 2003 - 08:35am
 
Climbed the route with a buddy who was on his first multi-pitch adventure. What a day. Got an 'alpine start' from Monterey and headed up to the meadows on Sunday, 26 October. Expecting to see a few cars at the pullout, I was stoked that we were first to arrive... FOR THE ENTIRE DAY!! And what a day. The route it totally dry including the crux section on the first pitch. The moves are still a bit slick but definitly well protected. In fact the entire route was incredibly well protected and the carry an extra set of nuts advice is really good. I linked pitches as in the posts below with no problem. All belay ledges with the exception of #2 are super comfy. Had sun on the last three pitches. One point of contention with the supertopo is that it identifies the hollow flake variation as having poor pro. This is not nearly the case. It is great fun and eats solid gear on the main wall. Still a little time left to get on this classic!!
ricardo

Gym climber
San Francisco, CA
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Aug 26, 2003 - 06:32pm
showed up aroun 7 am .. and found 3 parties already at the base, the first part jad just passed the crux on P1.

waited about 2 hours to get on P1.

The firs 2 pitches went slowly as everyone was getting the belays sorted out, first 2 parties belayed at at the ledge above the roof on p2), and the third party belayed at the proper P2 belay .. so we waited.

We belayed right below the roof at the piton. (i was running out of gear!).

After this the route opened up and we never had traffic again. We made crescent ledge barely on 200' of rope after my hanging belay for p2.

did 1 pitch from crescent ledge to another big ledge, and then linked 2 more pitches. 1 more pitch took us to the big tree. simulclimbed from here to the top, which went fast, placing enough gear to always have at least 1 piece between us and slinging trees along the way. i had put the topo away while leading the simul, so i just sort of picked my way to the top, at some points i did some 5.6 face climbing but it was no big deal.

Topped out by 2 pm. (5 hours climbing total) -- we were at the grill by 3:15 eating some well earned burgers and beer.

great jamming route, awesome views, highly recommended.

    ricardo
malabarista

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
Aug 26, 2003 - 02:25pm
 
P1: Go the 200 feet to the optional belay
P2: Climb the 205 foot pitch (simul climbed up to the 5.8 pod on the topo) to the next optional belay above belay 3.
P3: From here climb to the 5th belay marked on the topo. Don't protect after the 2nd piton until you traverse back left from Crescent ledge and you will have enough rope, and prevent rope drag.
P4: Link 6-7
P5: 8th pitch as marked

We were first on the route, even with a "luxury start" around 9am. The climb took us about 4.5 hours, simul-climbing from the tree at the end of p8. I didn't see any need for a bolt on p7, even if one used to be there.

Perfect weather, great climbing and great views from summit.
Chris McNamara

SuperTopo staff member
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Aug 25, 2003 - 11:08am
The American Safe Climbing Assn. may have replaced anchor bolts on this climb. To find out visit the ASCA Replacement Page

The ASCA is a non-profit organization dedicated to replacing unsafe anchors. To learn about helping the ASCA click here


DONATE NOW
WC

Trad climber
Flagstaff, AZ
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Aug 21, 2003 - 09:35pm
While climbing this route last week I watched the party behind us use the following tactics/belay spots to climb the route pretty quickly.

1. On pitch one climb past the belay to the ledge at 200' with a small tree on the left.
2. Climb from this ledge to the belay marked #3 on the supertopo. This is about 190'.
3. Climb pitch 4 as shown on the supertopo.
4. Climb pitch 5 as shown on the supertopo.
5. Run pitches 6 & 7 together as indicated on the supertopo.
6. The supertopo shows pitch 8 as 150' to a tree. Climb another 50' past this tree. This should land you on a nice ledge with a flat boulder. From here either solo, simulclimb, or run the rope out for 2-3 pitches to the top.

The biggest advantage of using these belay spots is that it combines the first three pitches into two. The down side is that you miss out on two nice belay ledges.

The crux was a little wet the day we climbed it, but it didn't seem any less secure than usual.

Have fun on this classic. :)
Nor Cal

Trad climber
San Mateo
Aug 14, 2003 - 12:10pm
 
Yes the bolt is missing on the traversing pitch, you can get a Green Alien mid way in the seam that leads to the traversing ledge.
Shawn

Trad climber
St. Paul, MN
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Aug 11, 2003 - 10:27pm
Jim is correct. The Supertopo shows a bolt just up and right off of the corner of the ledge which starts the 7th pitch. The three in our party and the following two-some were unable to locate it. If you stray too far up the right facing corner system to the next ledge with a tree with a sling (like Jim says, about 80 feet), you will come to a ledge similar to the right one which you passed--the misleading thing is that the wrong ledge has a bolt on the face in relativley the same place as you would have expected on the earlier ledge. Don't go up--unless you want to join a 5.10 climb immediatley left of the Regular Route. After turning the roof on P6 get to the first nice ledge with a tree--40 feet as the topo says. The face where the bolt was has a dicey crack that leads, after a few short, exposed face moves, to a thin, sloping ledge system that leads to the 3rd-4th class sections.
Tremendous route with great beta provided in the Supertopos! I appreciated the topos the whole trip.
Jim

climber
Mammoth Lakes
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jul 18, 2003 - 06:53pm
Climbed it last week. No more snow at the base, a little seepage on pitch 2. Lots of fun, but the real climbing is pretty much over after pitch 4. Here are some suggestions:

Definitely use a 60m rope and extend pitch 1 to the big ledge on the left. This is much more comfortable, and allows you to do the first three pitches in two.

The topo is a little misleading for pitch 7: the ramp continues up left to a bigger tree (not on the topo), but is off-route. Also didn't see the bolt on the face. When you hit the first bush on a big platform (maybe 8'x8'), veer right up the face to the big long ledge for the traverse to the right. Pitches 6 and 7 or 7 and 8 can also be combined with a 60m.

From belay station 8 on the supertopo, it's easy to simul the rest of the way. These suggestions should speed up the climb, get you out of the hot sun (the entire route bakes) a little quicker.
Pete S.

Trad climber
Sacramento
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jun 17, 2003 - 04:53pm
Conditions are already great for this climb this year, just a small and rapidly melting snowfield to deal with at the bottom, and some seeping water in the crack on the first pitch. Wear layers that you can pack away easily, we ended up baking on this route last Saturday, in the sun almost the entire time. The topo was excellent, as was the climb.
pbnjay

climber
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Mar 17, 2003 - 04:58pm
Steve, you must have been off-route on the descent---it is a walkdown and requires no scrambling at all
steve haigh

Trad climber
palo alto, ca
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Aug 25, 2002 - 01:09pm
I climbed this route on saturday 24th august with Lyneaya (sp?) from YMS. Great route but COLD. The sun doesn't catch it until around noon and TM is cold in the shade. We were the 2nd of 4 parties there at about 7am. The party ahead of us was real slow and we couldn't get past until around the 5th pitch, bummer! But great crack climbing.

steve
Phil W

Intermediate climber
palo alto, ca
Jul 26, 2002 - 03:30pm
 
A killer route with amazing views. One of the best routes I've done, fun moves with good pro every-
where and good belay ledges (with 160m rope). Almost sh#t when we caught a view of the dome from
tioga road; not so intimidating when you get close up. The summit view might be the best pamorama
in all Yosemite. We were behind one party, but they worked with us on belay ledges so all went well.
The parties behind us were moving real slow. Stay left on the descent and walk down a rib to the
bottom, right is not good. Started raining on the descent; we heard that it had rained every afternoon
for a week. Half of pitch one was wet, but no big deal.
Phil W

Intermediate climber
palo alto, ca
Jul 26, 2002 - 03:30pm
 
A killer route with amazing views. One of the best routes I've done, fun moves with good pro every-
where and good belay ledges (with 160m rope). Almost sh#t when we caught a view of the dome from
tioga road; not so intimidating when you get close up. The summit view might be the best pamorama
in all Yosemite. We were behind one party, but they worked with us on belay ledges so all went well.
The parties behind us were moving real slow. Stay left on the descent and walk down a rib to the
bottom, right is not good. Started raining on the descent; we heard that it had rained every afternoon
for a week. Half of pitch one was wet, but no big deal.
JB

Intermediate climber
palo alto, ca
Jul 8, 2002 - 11:57am
 
Get a super early start - dawn should do it! We got there at 6:30 on a Monday and were 3rd in line. Some of the parties who got there at 8 were bailing to something else.

On the descent stay right at first, then move left when you can see the bottom - don't stay all the way over to the right.
Greg Barnes

climber
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jun 15, 2002 - 12:23am
I removed the three 1/4" bolts on the route yesterday.

These 3 bolts were added after the first ascent, were not needed, and the first one - 4' right of the crack at the big ledge on top of pitch 2 - was an accident waiting to happen, as it had a rap ring and was too far from the crack for most to use backup if rappelling.

All three bolts pulled very easily.

On the next trip I plan to check out the optional rap route down right from the midway ledge (down Wonderful Wino or other routes). I'll replace anchors if needed and update here.
Chris McNamara

SuperTopo staff member
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
   Jun 10, 2002 - 08:01pm
This route is now in great condition to climb and has the long lines of weekend climbers to prove it. the first pitch may still be a little wet.
Chris McNamara

Advanced climber
Mill Valley, CA
May 24, 2002 - 03:15pm
 
here is my guess at what the conditions are like as of the end of May:

big snowbank at base, possibly some on route, first pitch heavily running water, maybe wet/snow patches up high. Too early for that I would think.
Sam Siemens-Luthy

Intermediate climber
Mill Valley, CA
Mar 22, 2002 - 06:41am
 
This route is so great pitch after pitch of rewards. I have climbed it many times and it can totaly be done on 5 pitches. Make sure you have a 60m rope and just run as far as possible, the belay stations fall into place perfectly. Two tips for the first pitch. If it is wet dont use chalk just turns to crap. Secondly head for the belay station about 20 feet above the small tree, your belayer may have to move up a bit to give you rope. This higher initinal pitch sets you up for flying through the rest. The old bolts, as todd said, are not good, DO NOT USE. All in all a awsome route.
Rob

Intermediate climber
Mill Valley, CA
Sep 16, 2001 - 05:24pm
 
The rap route from the crescent ledge is much higher than the topo (the SuperTopo(free one) and Reid's book) shows. To find it look for the gold band of knobs about 150 feet up from the crescent ledge, roughly even in height with the 5th belay on the SuperTopo. The knobs near the bolts were slightly loose, but the bolts were large and had rap rings. Tend to the left for the for the second semi hidden set of bolts, its easy to find from here.
Todd Snyder

Advanced climber
Mill Valley, CA
Sep 11, 2001 - 09:58pm
 
Recently spoke with a couple Eugene climbers that had to retreat due to weather. They said they went straight down and ended up on a set of rusty, old 1/4" bolts, then had to rap from a single bolt at one point. The topo states that the condition of these bolts are unknown, so be aware the condition is NOT GOOD.
Steve

Intermediate climber
Mill Valley, CA
Aug 11, 2001 - 09:28am
 
Awesome, totally awesome. Talk about a classic. Viewed from afar this is a perfect line, straight up the middle. The climbing is fantastic, hardest pitches at the bottom, but still interesting up higher. The descent is kind of spooky, long 3-4th classs slabs off the dome. When you get to the top of the climb go right, and follow the spine. I thought the 5.9 cruxes on the first two pitches were pretty easy for 5.9. The steep moves/roofs are easy too if you figure them out.
Will D

Advanced climber
Mill Valley, CA
Jul 19, 2001 - 03:37am
 
My buddy and I climbed Fairview for the first time a couple of weeks ago
with copies of your topo in our pockets. It was dead on down to the
individual move accurate. It was really nice to know that we could do the
route quickly without causing any traffic jams.
Bill Whiteley

Intermediate climber
Mill Valley, CA
Jun 25, 2001 - 03:37pm
 
This climb is a must do for anyone going to Tuolumne this summer. We climbed it on June 22 and it was unbelievable. The views were great and the hand jams were even better. Don't let the large dome shape fool you into thinking that the route is super easy or isn't very long. We unfortunately didn't have Chris's topo and the guide book was kind of confusing. We started about 2:30 in the afternoon and it almost wasn't enough time. After completeting the traverse on pitch 8 we decided to free solo the rest of the way in the fading sunlight to reach the top before dark. It was mostly 4th class and some easier 5th class to the top, but with the sun already below the horizon the stress to get to the top was intense. The descent was very easy even in the dark. You just walk off the back of the dome (were tight fitting shoes). I would highly recommend this route to anyone visiting the Tuolumne area and I would also recommend Chris's Supertopo it would have made our accent slightly less stressfull. Have fun and if you haven't done this route before try to start before noon.
Fairview Dome - Regular Route 5.9 - Tuolumne Meadows, California USA. Click to Enlarge
Fairview Dome is Tuolumne's largest steep face.
Photo: Greg Barnes
 
*What is "Route Beta"?
It's climber slang for information or tips on a route as in, "what's the beta on that route?" As a service to fellow climbers we ask SuperTopo guidebook users to post tips and updates to this website if they have relevant information to share after a climb.