- Edit (TBD)
Description
From the main drainage below Whale Dome, take a steep side drainage west toward the south face of the dome. Some scrambling will get you to the base of the rock, under a giant flake and crack system. Moby Dick starts left of the flake at a double-crack. Five pitches of fun climbing. Pitch lengths are estimated.Pitch 1: Climb right of two thin cracks until it splits. Follow left fork up to cruxy face moves past one bolt. Continue up easier face climbing to two-bolt belay. (120')Pitch 2: Step left to exposed arete and climb up right past short, parallel crack system. Continue up and right over face and chickenheads, then arching left to belay on comfy ledge with small pine tree. Some parties belay about 20 feet past ledge on large chickenheads.(100')Pitch 3: Continue up face left of large flake, past one bolt, for 160 feet to belay on obvious sea of chickenheads.Pitch 4: Climb remaining chickenheads to bolted move over large flake/corner. Up and right past another bolt, pull over blocky lip to two bolt belay on a ledge. (60')Pitch 5: Extremely fun climbing over sea of chickenheads. Climb past two bolts to large, toothy dike and belay here, or continue up 30 feet of slab to belay in obvious seam.(170')Pitch 6: Fourth class/slabbing to summit for 100-200 feet.Descent: Locate rap anchors on west side of summit. Scary free rappel to saddle (~140') and scramble down drainage back to base. As noted below, you can rappel with a 70 rope and some easy downclimbing.
Protection
Set of nuts, cams, single/double-length runners for tying off chickenheads, quickdraws. Rappel is possible with a 70m rope to a point where you can get down with ~15 feet of easy downclimbing. Otherwise bring two ropes for rappel.Bolts and top-anchors updated by CASA in 2017.