16 Jun 26 - Trip Report: South Face of Charlotte Dome, Kings Canyon National Park

For many outdoor adventurers, the summer solstice marks not only the official season shift from spring to summer, but also the time to tackle a big mountain objective. Moving through mountains from sunrise to sunset for many, many, (many!) hours is quite enjoyable when you can maximize daylight. 

The week leading up to summer solstice, Bishop local Natalie decided to climb the south face of Charlotte Dome. This remote granite dome lies deep within the wilderness of Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks, and requires a long, grueling hike in, whether approaching from the east or west side - typically over the course of multiple days. This route also happens to be on the list of the 50 Classic Climbs of North America, further fostering its popularity among alpine climbers. 

Trip Report: 

Current As Of: 16 June 2026*

Activity During Report: hiking, 5th class alpine rock climbing.

As Bishop area locals, we elected to hike in from the east side over Kearsarge Pass. After obtaining an overnight wilderness permit for the Onion Valley trailhead from Inyo National Forest, we decided to pace ourselves over the course of 3 days; hiking to the base of Charlotte Dome day one, climbing the South Face day two, and hiking out day three. We found this itinerary to be ideal for enjoying the climb and hikes. 

From Onion Valley, we hiked 12 miles over Kearsarge Pass, past Charlotte Lake, and along the cairned use-trail to the climber camp near the base of Charlotte Dome. It was peak PCT season at Kearsarge Pass, and we gave hitches to happy thru-hikers both ways. We also were not alone in our struggle carrying very heavy packs up the pass, as most other hikers on trail were also backpackers lugging up a large supply of food.

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Charlotte Dome as seen from the approach hike

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Just west of Kearsarge Pass

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After sorting gear and re-studying the final approach beta, we went to bed early with alarms set before sunrise. The next day at dawn, we hiked the final half mile through manzanita bushes and across granite slabs, to the base of the South Face. Here, we roped up and began climbing the 1,500ft towards Charlotte Dome's summit.

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Climbing Charlotte Dome

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We elected to simul-climb the first four, relatively easier pitches, and then pitched out pitches 5-12, swinging leads. We found the High Sierra Climbing Vol. 2 by Roger Putnam and Vitaliy Musiyenko and Steph Abegg's trip report (specifically photos of key features to stay on route) to be the most helpful, and did not have difficulty staying on route.

My favorite pitch was the furrow pitch, stemming up large features and pulling up jugs in a stupendous position overlooking Bubbs Creek and the Great Western Divide.

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Break on the summit

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The summit block demanded a long rest to soak in the views, from far away waterfalls cascading down granite slabs, to sharp alpine ridges jutting into the sky. 

We descended class 3 terrain north to the notch and made our way down more slabs and a meandering dirt trail back to the climber camp, fully satisfied and in agreement that this route earns its place on the short list of classics. 

We moved our camp to Charlotte Lake for the evening, happily absorbing the ample golden hour light gently filtering through the trees, and the songs of the hermit thrush and chickadees, grateful we had no need to rush away from this special place.

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Camping at Charlotte Lake

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Our last morning, we enjoyed coffee by the lakeside and began our hike out after first light touched our camp. The views overlooking East and West Vidette, Bullfrog Lake, and the Kearsarge Pinnacles elicited awe once again.

The final switchbacks going up the west side of Kearsarge Pass required grit, and after cresting the top of the pass, seeing the Owens valley down below gave us the boost of energy needed to finish the hike back to our car, tired and content. Happy summer solstice!

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There is bear activity!

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