One Weekend in Autumn… | Sierra Mountain Guides

It was good that Alex had the wherewithal to contact me last week about a climb of Charlotte Dome over the Columbus Day weekend. We enjoyed comfortable temperatures, a kiss of westerlies, and all the gloriously textured and featured granite that one can dream of. Charlotte Dome captivated our entire day, stopping time like mug of hot coffee or a snifter of fine brandy, and our cups raneth over. This October, the month of harvest, we reaped peaceful rewards after a summer dominated by unsettling weather, fire, and drought. It was like climbing a warm, gigantic pumpkin. What could be more perfectly autumnal than that?

: Alex and Charlotte

: Charlotte Dome was first climbed in October

: Leaf peeping on the approach

: Morning slabs

: The passage to the start of the route

: Charlotte and Alex

: The route is the obvious line up the featured rock above. Any questions?

: The climbing does not suck. Not one bit of it.

: Wild stone

: Alex loses himself in the bliss of the moment.

: Long way from surf country.

: Even belaying is fun, when you are here.

: We met Caitlin and Greg on the route. They are past students and guests of SMG and had been out with Peter Croft earlier this season. Just look at them now!