The Elephant's Trunk

The Elephant's Trunk is a long, fun adventure route in a backcountry setting that is hard to beat. The most moderate established route in the area, it is mostly 5.5 or less, but varying rock quality and tricky pro will keep you on your toes.

The route follows the striking left profile of Elephant Dome.

Start at the foot of the buttress below the left end of Elephant Dome.

P1) Climb easy fifth class buttress on okay rock for a pitch (5.6), until the terrain flattens out and you can walk over to the bottom of Elephant Dome proper. This should put you in a large saddle/notch at the left end of Elephant Dome.

P2) Climb moderate face, generally following the vague arete, for a rope's length to belay ledge.

P3)From belay, step left to a few steep moves (5.7) past a bolt then back right over crappier rock and up to another good ledge.

P4-6) Follow easier climbing two to three more pitches to summit.

Descent:

While there are other options, the commonly accepted descent these days is to rappel off fixed gear down the W/NW side of Elephant Dome. Look for the first bolted station at the bottom of a gully. WARNING: Hazards abound on this descent. Be cautious of loose rock when pulling rope between rappels. This rappel also has a well-deserved reputation for stuck ropes. Doing this in the dark would be stressful to say the least.

The rappel puts you in the canyon between Elephant Dome and Table Dome. From there it is a 20 minute hike around the same buttress you started on, and another few to get back on trail.

Approach as described for Mendoza Canyon, but head for the far west end of the Elephant Dome, not the east end as you would for B-Cubed and Elephantiasis. A large buttress descends from the left end of the dome down to the desert floor. Aim for the toe of this buttress.

Standard Rack