With Ryan and Stevee gone the night before and Tom due in the next day, it left us a day to do as we pleased. Aaron wanted to do Fairview Dome. I wanted to something easier, but nothing seemed to fit the bill. We started with a trip to Mono Lake and the tufas, before heading into the park. We were a bit ignorant of the area and its options. We considered a drive to the Sequoias. Aaron had never seen a big tree before. Considered a drive to the Valley. Aaron had never seen the Valley before. I wanted to see if Tenaya Lake was as pretty as I remembered from all those years back, while dating in the Wilderness.
Well the lake was as pretty but the road seemed an intrusion. The beaches and backgammon called to us, but not before spying the climbers on this Dome near the lake.There were groups lined up on the left and groups lined up on the right. No one on this wild looking dihedral in the center. An old timer, maybe a few years older than I, started chatting us up. Seems the route on the left was 5.7. The route on the right was 5.8. Our pal said both routes had excellent protection. We inquired about the route in the center, which still was empty. He laughed. He said it was only 5.6, but protection it did not have. About 5-6 pitches. He said it was R rated and famed. Called the Great White Book. He prodded us on. He was going to do a roped solo of the 5.7. He took off his shoes and I noted he had no toes. Wondered where he has been? Pretty grizzly and buff for 60 or so. He said the lack of protection didn’t matter. Wasn’t sure if I should be following the fellas advice…..but the line was sooooo compelling.
So much for a driving around tourist rest day. Aaron takes a 5.8 variation into the open book. First Yosemite slab climbing for him. Got the boys attention, it did. Then came the dihedral, 4 pitches of it. We both agreed that of all the climbs either of us have ever done, this was more like R and X canyoneering than anything….ever before. Stem away. Occasionally the exposure was huge, but often it felt like the easier parts of Sandthrax…and an absolute delight as we laughed our way up the route, with pure joy. You like stemming corners? Try this one on! A slab pitch at the top finished the show.
We hung for hours on top. Then descended and drove toward the Valley. Then hiked to the base of Fairview Dome. It didn’t look so bad after all! Tom was due in at that evening. A pizza at the famed Mobil Station in Lee Vining killed some time while we waited. One more day of climbing to go. The SE Buttress of Cathedral and the famed Eichorn Pinnacle awaited. You can see the Great White Book, from below in pictures 34-36. Crazy fun stuff
https://picasaweb.google.com/aramv14/GreatWhiteBookJuly25th2011
Randi
GREAT photos! Brings back memories of the first time I climbed with Roy not-a-boy! Sarah and I drove out to Tuolumne to meet up with her and Ant the year after we met up on that Lake Powell houseboat excursion.  I followed her up 5 pitches of Homophrodite Flake (which is right to the left of Great White Book). It was pretty nerve wracking for me as I’ve never been much of a climber though I like it a lot. I wasn’t even sure I could do a 5.8 climb but she convinced me to try. I remember being on the wall thinking “there is absolutely nothing to step on or hold onto” and wondering what in the heck I was gonna do, when all of a sudden tiny little inconsitincies would pop out of the rock and it would be an “ahah – there’s something” moment.  I think we rapped off of that same tree too!  Thanks for the great photos! Makes me wanna get out an climb more!       — On Mon, 8/15/11, RAM adkramoo@aol.com> wrote:
From: RAM adkramoo@aol.com> Subject: [from Canyons Group] OT- The Great White Book July 25th 2011 To: Yahoo Canyons Group Date: Monday, August 15, 2011, 1:23 PM
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With Ryan and Stevee gone the night before and Tom due in the next day, it left us a day to do as we pleased. Aaron wanted to do Fairview Dome. I wanted to something easier, but nothing seemed to fit the bill. We started with a trip to Mono Lake and the tufas, before heading into the park. We were a bit ignorant of the area and its options. We considered a drive to the Sequoias. Aaron had never seen a big tree before. Considered a drive to the Valley. Aaron had never seen the Valley before. I wanted to see if Tenaya Lake was as pretty as I remembered from all those years back, while dating in the Wilderness.
Well the lake was as pretty but the road seemed an intrusion. The beaches and backgammon called to us, but not before spying the climbers on this Dome near the lake.There were groups lined up on the left and groups lined up on the right. No one on this wild looking dihedral in the center. An old timer, maybe a few years older than I, started chatting us up. Seems the route on the left was 5.7. The route on the right was 5.8. Our pal said both routes had excellent protection. We inquired about the route in the center, which still was empty. He laughed. He said it was only 5.6, but protection it did not have. About 5-6 pitches. He said it was R rated and famed. Called the Great White Book. He prodded us on. He was going to do a roped solo of the 5.7. He took off his shoes and I noted he had no toes. Wondered where he has been? Pretty grizzly and buff for 60 or so. He said the lack of protection didn’t matter. Wasn’t sure if I should be following the fellas advice…..but the line was sooooo compelling.
So much for a driving around tourist rest day. Aaron takes a 5.8 variation into the open book. First Yosemite slab climbing for him. Got the boys attention, it did. Then came the dihedral, 4 pitches of it. We both agreed that of all the climbs either of us have ever done, this was more like R and X canyoneering than anything….ever before. Stem away. Occasionally the exposure was huge, but often it felt like the easier parts of Sandthrax…and an absolute delight as we laughed our way up the route, with pure joy. You like stemming corners? Try this one on! A slab pitch at the top finished the show.
We hung for hours on top. Then descended and drove toward the Valley. Then hiked to the base of Fairview Dome. It didn’t look so bad after all! Tom was due in at that evening. A pizza at the famed Mobil Station in Lee Vining killed some time while we waited. One more day of climbing to go. The SE Buttress of Cathedral and the famed Eichorn Pinnacle awaited. You can see the Great White Book, from below in pictures 34-36. Crazy fun stuff
https://picasaweb.google.com/aramv14/GreatWhiteBookJuly25th2011