After all the trouble of getting down from climbing Sinister I pack up and head up to get on Dome Peak hoping to find a camping spot near the summit. I am expecting to find a route all the way up on the Chickamin Glacier. But that is not to be. In fact the route I end up taking almost results in disaster!

I suspect that the route up the Chickamin will require getting around the usual nearly wall-to-wall bergschrund but don't think that this will pose a very big problem. How wrong I am! The bergschrund is huge and stretches completely across the upper glacier. I check both sides and find no way up and with its upper lip leaning out over the lower lip and fifteen feet higher there is no way to climb through the bergschrund.

I decide to work my way climber's left across the steep snow slope to a rocky rib but it won't go so I continue further on less steep snow. Is there a possibility around the corner? Yes, there is. It is a cliff about 30 feet high and nearly vertical but it looks like there might be a route up it. The top will bring me close to the summit ridge of Dome.

I don't want my heavy, 'blue monster' REI pack trying to pull me off the wall so I take out my small summit pack and put a few essentials in it. Then I fix my 60-foot haul rope to the blue monster's haul strap and proceed to climb the cliff with the small pack and the end of the haul rope. It takes a couple of delicate moves but I am soon on top the cliff.

"That wasn't so bad. I'll soon be setting up camp."

I loop my end of the rope around a solid rock and begin pulling the pack up. It is coming up nicely when about 15 feet below me it hangs up on a small overhang!

"Hmmm... this is not good."

I increase the strength of my pull and the pack pops partially into view but won't clear the overhang. I plant my feet solidly and try the old 'heave ho', this time with added energy. Almost...

With some trepidation I decide to give it all I've got (if I lose my big pack it will end up far below in a crevasse). This time it clears the overhang. I let out a big, "Whew", as I reel it in.

I examine the haul strap... "Darn, two of the four T-stitches securing the haul strap have ripped out!" I heave another sigh of relief. Almost lost the monster.

Hoisting the now precious monster I pick my way along the crest of the SE ridge and am soon on top. I drop the pack and 'walk' carefully out the 'catwalk' to the true summit. The register is gone but I take a few pictures as the sun approaches the horizon. Then I retreat and set up my tent and begin cooking dinner. I note with some satisfaction that Day 5 has been pretty strenuous but I did get a lot done. Getting Sinister out of the way is a big relief... I know I can climb the 9 peaks that make up the rest of the Traverse.

Footnote: After completiong the Traverse I take my blue monster, an REI pack, to see Cal Magnusson who is in charge of quality control for REI's gear. He examines the haul strap and says, "You came very close to losing that pack!". He proceeds to repair the T-stitches with his industial size sewing machine. Cal then shows me how he rigs a pack to be hauled up on a rope. He uses three points of attachment - the two arm straps in addition to the haul strap.

Cal explains, "This is much more secure and the pack will get past overhangs much more easily".

"Makes sense to me." I have since retired the old blue monster.

More to come...