Recs for late season multipitch in the Sierras?

What's sunny/warm, stays dry, is in the 5.fun (say max 5.10) range? 

Old friend and climbing partner visiting for a long weekend Oct 7 and I'm hoping we can get on a few stellar routes and not freeze to death. 

PSOM slab in Pine Creek has some nice lines and is sunny until 2/3pm. Not quite “High Sierra” but still fits

Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park has sunny routes up to 10 pitches long with easy access ( you park at the top of the formation! ).

Many other formations in Sequoia fit the bill as well :  Big Baldy, Chimney Rocks, Little Baldy, etc......

Shuteye Ridge is another fine place for moderate long routes. Big Sleep, 557 Dome, Grey Eagle dome (Wingfeather is excellent), are some suggestions

I hope you have fun on your trip.

Brooks Kwrote:

PSOM slab in Pine Creek has some nice lines and is sunny most of the day. Not quite “High Sierra” but still fits

Agree wholeheartedly. 

calaveras dome? Also most of Tuolumne domes get blasted by the sun. 

Depends on where you're located, and how much you want to drive/hike. Charlotte Dome would be my top pick for backcountry.

Another vote for PSOM slab in Pine Creek. It's not all slab climbs, don't worry. I don't like slab and that area is still one of my favorites at PC

Electric Lundy Land is fun and sunny and definitely non-threatening!
(You don't say where you'll be driving from; on the Eastside ELL may not be close enough.)

Thanks for the excellent suggestions! We'll be driving from the Bay, but willing to drive pretty far. Charlotte Dome caught my attention when poking around MP (saw the FA of the south face was in October, actually).

The rest were not on my radar, so really appreciate the input. 

Lover's Leap is a lot closer to the Bay Area .

Hit or miss this time of year, after personal experience, don’t get too far into backcountry or you might be very stuck - like 3 days late after sitting out an early season blizzard.

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/110080892/danland

Or 

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/107880586/chimney-rocks

Or if you want to strap on a backpack 

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/112032549/thats-a-sheer-cliff

If we have spectacular weather, and we do sometimes. I have climbed here in mid December- it’s southwest facing 

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/122686896/poison-domes

Have fun! 

Guy Keeseewrote:

Hit or miss this time of year, after personal experience, don’t get too far into backcountry or you might be very stuck - like 3 days late after sitting out an early season blizzard.

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/110080892/danland

Or 

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/107880586/chimney-rocks

Or if you want to strap on a backpack 

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/112032549/thats-a-sheer-cliff

If we have spectacular weather, and we do sometimes. I have climbed here in mid December- it’s southwest facing 

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/122686896/poison-domes

Have fun! 

Speaking of early season blizzards, it's currently snowing up above 8K. Also, some of these suggestions are accessed out of Mineral King, which is not open this year. Regardless, Sequoia will be probably closed anyways due to the impending shutdown).

Hoping the higher temps predicted for this week will melt out much of the snow. Not psyched about the impending shutdown, though.  Many of the options above seem to be outside of park boundaries, so I'm sure we'll be able to get on a few things still. 

Tuolumne Meadows if its warmish, Yosemite valley if its too cold up high.

one of my all-time favorite routes in pine creek (and no, it's not one of mine ;-): 'three hour arete' - 4p, 10b/c or so, short approach, and just plain fun

old5tenwrote:

one of my all-time favorite routes in pine creek (and no, it's not one of mine ;-): 'three hour arete' - 4p, 10b/c or so, short approach, and just plain fun

I was going to mention that one as well, but you can also do a fine line with a mashup with StrikeSlip and keep it at 5.9.

Last time I was up there, I accidentally stayed left on the arete after the first pitch bolt and thin crack of 3HA, and did a fun variation (5.8ish) on the left side of the arete. I made a secure and comfy intermediate belay at the same height as the anchors of Three Minute Man, easily seen across the gully. Then up again from the belay until a cool rightward traverse (Small gear) that led to the anchors of 3HA at the start of the 10a pitch.  I wrote to Rick Ziegler about the variation (which I was sure had been done, it's a fairly obvious way to go), and he said yes, it had been done by his friend around the same time as they developed the other routes.

I like three minute man as well.

yeah, there are endless variations to play around with on that buttress.  lots of people do strike slip and three hour arete or do three hour arete and then come back down to do the hall pass variation (which is an excellent pitch in it's own right).  that said, imho strike slip isn't anywhere near as good as three hour arete (which i consider one of the best routes of any grade in pine creek). 

Ended up going to Tuolumne and couldn't bring ourselves to leave given the ideal weather. Highs ranged from 60-50 with some wind and climbs in the sun were just about perfect (i.e., a little warm when climbing, a little cold when belaying). SE face of cathedral (crowded), South Crack and West Country on the Stately Pleasure Dome, and soloed NW buttress of Tenaya Peak as the finale (shady, of course, but plenty warm enough since we were constantly moving). 

Initially we were batting around Cathedral as the main objective with hopefully a day on Moro (both look phenomenal), but the road to access Cathedral from the west was closed and that was enough to push us toward Tuolumne instead.

Great trip. Will be doing more autumn climbing in the Sierras. 

Thanks for the trip report!

Emigrant Wall may be of significant interest to you. Have fun and take chances! 

Literally prime valley season rn