Located deep in the southern part of the range, Charlotte Dome is one of the most awe-striking formations in the High Sierra. It begs to be climbed. Those who make the long journey to this dome are rewarded with impeccable granite and usually-abundant face holds. All of the established climbs on this gem are long (1,600 vertical feet minimum) and have tricky route-finding, as it often seems like one could climb anywhere. The first route established was the South Face in 1970, now considered to be a 5.8 route. It is still the easiest and most popular route on the formation (listed as one of the so-called “50 Classic Climbs of North America”). But I’ve never heard of it becoming crowded.

I guide Charlotte Dome as a three-day (minimum) trip, with a decently long first day where we hike for eight miles on good trails before finishing our approach with a few more miles going cross country to our campsite next to the dome. For people wanting a more leisurely trip, we can either do the approach hike over two days (camping at Charlotte Lake the first night), or simply take a rest day at the usual camp before our climb to feel as fresh as possible. Day two is a long day of multi-pitch climbing finishing with a reasonably short descent off the backside of the dome and back to camp where we can enjoy much-needed rest while watching the sun set behind the dome. Finally, we simply retrace our steps back to the trailhead on the last day, grateful that the last few miles are all downhill.