mstender - Jan 21, 2018 1:58 am Date Climbed: Jan 20, 2018
Standard Route
I took the standard route up which is very easy to follow due to all the cairns and the use trail. The climb was more straightforward thsn I thought. The weather was cool and indt.
jdmorehouse - Mar 1, 2017 4:46 pm Date Climbed: Feb 21, 2017
2nd Ascent
Via the Pinnacle Route.
gimpilator - Jan 15, 2016 8:15 pm Date Climbed: Dec 20, 2015
27 Peaks in 21 Days
This was part of a 21 day hiking road-trip with Heather. We did Signal in the morning and Castle Dome in the afternoon. Both are lovely hikes and a lot of fun. Other peaks on this trip include:
Pinos, Sawmill, Aliso, Signal, Ajo, Miller, Superstition BM, Turtle HP, Old Woman, Granite, Cinder Cone 3894', Avawatz, Pahrump, Pinto, Nelson HP, Panamint Butte, Canyon Point, Shadow, Grapevine, Wahguye, Palmer, Stirling, Northshore, Black Mesa, Hamblin, and Little Virgin.
We also visited Heiroglyph Canyon, Marble Canyon, Cottonwood Canyon, Sheep Spring Canyon, Cadiz Dunes, Mojave Lava Tube, Parowan Gap Dinosaur tracks and numerous pertroglyph sites.
See the trip report with photos for more information.
Tracy - Jan 25, 2015 4:54 pm Date Climbed: Jan 23, 2015
fun classic desert peak
I did this one with CP, DB & AA on a 3 and a half-day southwestern AZ peakbagging trip. CP, AA & I did High Mountain the day before and Ibex and Haystack the day after.
jdmorehouse - Jan 5, 2015 9:02 am Date Climbed: Dec 20, 2014
Loop
Second of two days of DPS climbs.
orbitor - Jul 9, 2014 2:29 pm Date Climbed: Dec 14, 2013
From the NW Wash via the SW Face
Took a trip to the Kofa NWR for my birthday to climb the two landmark peaks in the area. Hit Castle Dome first; instead of staying on the main route on the east, went to a shoulder to the west, then tried to find a way up the south face. After running into some class 4 and 5 terrain, backtracked and found a cairned class 3 route to the summit up the SW face. Descended via the easier east side route and got back to the car in the dark.
cab - Feb 25, 2013 10:23 am Date Climbed: Feb 23, 2013
"Sidelines" DPS Route
After Signal Peak in the morning with Mark and Pat. I have never seen a more cairned route than this. It almost seems like it is someone's pet project to keep this route up as it is better than many maintained trails. The class 3 portion of this route is very easy and not exposed.
tpalmieri - Feb 3, 2013 7:05 pm Date Climbed: Feb 2, 2013
castle dome
Great desert peak! We had perfect weather and narrowly avoided a Mohave green rattle snake on the way down.
MoapaPk - Mar 3, 2012 7:19 pm Date Climbed: Feb 26, 2012
alternate DPS cl 3 route
From N, then to NE between spire and main mass of mountain. Took cl 4 chute by mistake on way up, took cairned route down.
hightinerary - Mar 1, 2012 7:21 am Date Climbed: Apr 5, 2009
Next time...
I attempted the peak with scant information and little time, and was not successful. Next time I'm in Yuma...
ericnoel - Dec 22, 2011 10:54 pm Date Climbed: Dec 22, 2011
Castle Dome
Standard route. Definitely follow the arrow. Lots of fun, except for the talus descent.
fun times in the desert with Pookie, Miguel and Joan.
Dennis Poulin - Mar 15, 2011 8:15 pm Date Climbed: Feb 21, 2011
Nice Scramble
Nice scramble with Dundeel. Popular peak with a good climbers' trail. Great views.
Dundeel - Mar 1, 2011 10:50 pm Date Climbed: Feb 21, 2011
Castle Done
Camped at the TH but got rained and hailed out on the 19th. Came back on the 21st and had a great hike. I never felt I had to exceed Class 3 but there are plenty of Class 4 opportunities if you want to have more fun.
surgent - Feb 27, 2011 3:23 pm Date Climbed: Feb 25, 2011
Gray day, but lots of fun
Climbed with Scott Peavy. A peak on my want-list for a long time now, glad to have summitted. We had overcast skies and a threat of rain, but the weather held up. We hit the summit cliffs to the right then traversed. The 3rd and 4th class scrambles were actually very easy and safe, given the solid nature of the rock. It was an exhilirating climb!
mhengst - Feb 14, 2011 9:41 pm Date Climbed: Feb 13, 2011
Climbed SE Face
Climbed this and Signal over two days with Jen Blackie. We originally went up a canyon directly south of the peak to see if we could shortcut but turned back due to very crumbly rock. Instead we hopped over a saddle and on to the normal route.
Climbing the summit itself is a lot of fun. Great views and some exposure. We went up the chute between the peak itself and a pinnacle which proved to be overly brushy and required some questionable moves to get over some chockstones.
Pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewhengst/sets/72157626047014976/
Iron Hiker - Jan 29, 2010 1:48 am Date Climbed: Jan 9, 2010
Great exciting scramble!
Very nice morning hike, went up the West Face route. Solid class 3, with some class 4 if you get off the easier ledges. Magnificent views from summit. Returned by going directly west, downclimbing a 50-foot class 3 cliff and descending down a little ravine - seems like a good way to go if you can't get your car all the way to the regular trailhead. This climb was only a prelude to the much bigger adventure on Signal Peak later that day, though!
sbkelley - Dec 14, 2009 11:18 am Date Climbed: Dec 12, 2009
Castle Dome
Absolute blast of a climb! The stretch between the wash and the saddle has some unpleasant scree, but the scrambling up high on the peak makes it worth the effort. The 4th class crack is solid and straight-forward, with enjoyable scrambling on solid ground above that. Nobody else around that day.
Bombchaser - Mar 14, 2009 10:30 pm Date Climbed: Mar 14, 2009
Cactus, Rocks, Bees
I accessed Castle Dome's South route via the wash on the eatside that comes down from the north. I mistakenly veered to the right initially which had me free climbing up a steep couloir. I encountered a massive swarm of bees at the top and had to haul ass back down injuring my hands. Once I was back in the correct wash, I went 1/4 mile past the rock arrow and went strait up the rugged hillside. There was a cliff face with a couloir which I had to free climb up. Past this I eventually accessed the goat trail which leads around to the south. The climb up from here was a lot of class 3 scrambling. The is marked with stacks of rocks. On the descent I accidently made friends with a narly cactus which didn't feel to good.
mstender - Jan 21, 2018 1:58 am Date Climbed: Jan 20, 2018
Standard RouteI took the standard route up which is very easy to follow due to all the cairns and the use trail. The climb was more straightforward thsn I thought. The weather was cool and indt.
jdmorehouse - Mar 1, 2017 4:46 pm Date Climbed: Feb 21, 2017
2nd AscentVia the Pinnacle Route.
gimpilator - Jan 15, 2016 8:15 pm Date Climbed: Dec 20, 2015
27 Peaks in 21 DaysThis was part of a 21 day hiking road-trip with Heather. We did Signal in the morning and Castle Dome in the afternoon. Both are lovely hikes and a lot of fun. Other peaks on this trip include:
Pinos, Sawmill, Aliso, Signal, Ajo, Miller, Superstition BM, Turtle HP, Old Woman, Granite, Cinder Cone 3894', Avawatz, Pahrump, Pinto, Nelson HP, Panamint Butte, Canyon Point, Shadow, Grapevine, Wahguye, Palmer, Stirling, Northshore, Black Mesa, Hamblin, and Little Virgin.
We also visited Heiroglyph Canyon, Marble Canyon, Cottonwood Canyon, Sheep Spring Canyon, Cadiz Dunes, Mojave Lava Tube, Parowan Gap Dinosaur tracks and numerous pertroglyph sites.
See the trip report with photos for more information.
Tracy - Jan 25, 2015 4:54 pm Date Climbed: Jan 23, 2015
fun classic desert peakI did this one with CP, DB & AA on a 3 and a half-day southwestern AZ peakbagging trip. CP, AA & I did High Mountain the day before and Ibex and Haystack the day after.
jdmorehouse - Jan 5, 2015 9:02 am Date Climbed: Dec 20, 2014
LoopSecond of two days of DPS climbs.
orbitor - Jul 9, 2014 2:29 pm Date Climbed: Dec 14, 2013
From the NW Wash via the SW FaceTook a trip to the Kofa NWR for my birthday to climb the two landmark peaks in the area. Hit Castle Dome first; instead of staying on the main route on the east, went to a shoulder to the west, then tried to find a way up the south face. After running into some class 4 and 5 terrain, backtracked and found a cairned class 3 route to the summit up the SW face. Descended via the easier east side route and got back to the car in the dark.
cab - Feb 25, 2013 10:23 am Date Climbed: Feb 23, 2013
"Sidelines" DPS RouteAfter Signal Peak in the morning with Mark and Pat. I have never seen a more cairned route than this. It almost seems like it is someone's pet project to keep this route up as it is better than many maintained trails. The class 3 portion of this route is very easy and not exposed.
tpalmieri - Feb 3, 2013 7:05 pm Date Climbed: Feb 2, 2013
castle domeGreat desert peak! We had perfect weather and narrowly avoided a Mohave green rattle snake on the way down.
MoapaPk - Mar 3, 2012 7:19 pm Date Climbed: Feb 26, 2012
alternate DPS cl 3 routeFrom N, then to NE between spire and main mass of mountain. Took cl 4 chute by mistake on way up, took cairned route down.
hightinerary - Mar 1, 2012 7:21 am Date Climbed: Apr 5, 2009
Next time...I attempted the peak with scant information and little time, and was not successful. Next time I'm in Yuma...
ericnoel - Dec 22, 2011 10:54 pm Date Climbed: Dec 22, 2011
Castle DomeStandard route. Definitely follow the arrow. Lots of fun, except for the talus descent.
logikal - Nov 4, 2011 11:49 pm
The DomeCool after work run/scramble to the top. Amazing views of the stars and the vastness of the arizona desert.
kevin trieu - Mar 22, 2011 12:23 am
don't follow the arrow.fun times in the desert with Pookie, Miguel and Joan.
Dennis Poulin - Mar 15, 2011 8:15 pm Date Climbed: Feb 21, 2011
Nice ScrambleNice scramble with Dundeel. Popular peak with a good climbers' trail. Great views.
Dundeel - Mar 1, 2011 10:50 pm Date Climbed: Feb 21, 2011
Castle DoneCamped at the TH but got rained and hailed out on the 19th. Came back on the 21st and had a great hike. I never felt I had to exceed Class 3 but there are plenty of Class 4 opportunities if you want to have more fun.
surgent - Feb 27, 2011 3:23 pm Date Climbed: Feb 25, 2011
Gray day, but lots of funClimbed with Scott Peavy. A peak on my want-list for a long time now, glad to have summitted. We had overcast skies and a threat of rain, but the weather held up. We hit the summit cliffs to the right then traversed. The 3rd and 4th class scrambles were actually very easy and safe, given the solid nature of the rock. It was an exhilirating climb!
mhengst - Feb 14, 2011 9:41 pm Date Climbed: Feb 13, 2011
Climbed SE FaceClimbed this and Signal over two days with Jen Blackie. We originally went up a canyon directly south of the peak to see if we could shortcut but turned back due to very crumbly rock. Instead we hopped over a saddle and on to the normal route.
Climbing the summit itself is a lot of fun. Great views and some exposure. We went up the chute between the peak itself and a pinnacle which proved to be overly brushy and required some questionable moves to get over some chockstones.
Pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewhengst/sets/72157626047014976/
Iron Hiker - Jan 29, 2010 1:48 am Date Climbed: Jan 9, 2010
Great exciting scramble!Very nice morning hike, went up the West Face route. Solid class 3, with some class 4 if you get off the easier ledges. Magnificent views from summit. Returned by going directly west, downclimbing a 50-foot class 3 cliff and descending down a little ravine - seems like a good way to go if you can't get your car all the way to the regular trailhead. This climb was only a prelude to the much bigger adventure on Signal Peak later that day, though!
sbkelley - Dec 14, 2009 11:18 am Date Climbed: Dec 12, 2009
Castle DomeAbsolute blast of a climb! The stretch between the wash and the saddle has some unpleasant scree, but the scrambling up high on the peak makes it worth the effort. The 4th class crack is solid and straight-forward, with enjoyable scrambling on solid ground above that. Nobody else around that day.
Bombchaser - Mar 14, 2009 10:30 pm Date Climbed: Mar 14, 2009
Cactus, Rocks, BeesI accessed Castle Dome's South route via the wash on the eatside that comes down from the north. I mistakenly veered to the right initially which had me free climbing up a steep couloir. I encountered a massive swarm of bees at the top and had to haul ass back down injuring my hands. Once I was back in the correct wash, I went 1/4 mile past the rock arrow and went strait up the rugged hillside. There was a cliff face with a couloir which I had to free climb up. Past this I eventually accessed the goat trail which leads around to the south. The climb up from here was a lot of class 3 scrambling. The is marked with stacks of rocks. On the descent I accidently made friends with a narly cactus which didn't feel to good.