Direct East Route to Charleston Peak, NV

Very Direct East Route to Charleston Peak, NV

Pics by Harlan W S et al.
July 8, 2022; and 2014, 2012

This page summarizes a route originally scouted by Joseph Demijohn. Three trips are combined for the ascent guide, and one trip (the latest) for the descent. Joseph used this route to reach the top of Charleston Peak, from Mary Jane Falls parking, in 1.5 hours. He took a group of 8 this way (and down a much more complicated way) on May 21, 2012. Barb and I repeated the ascent Aug, 7, 2014, and found "new" cheater stones and three handlines. I soloed the ascent July 8, 2022, and found the exact same handlines still in place, but no indication of recent use. I took the Cathedral Rock Ridge "Shortcut" down in 2022; this last route has seen little use in the last 9 years, and is a controlled fall through brush.

While this ascent route is very direct, it gains 500 or more feet in a YDS class 4 gully with abundant loose rock danger. Superficially, the handlines looked "OK" but I was not about to use them, knowing they were at least 8 years old. The middle line may see direct sun a very small fraction of the year.

Gpx file is here; DO NOT open the gpx file in your browser; right click, long touch, or do whatever to bring up a menu that lets you "save the link" or "download" or something similar. USE GPX AT YOUR OWN RISK.

The ascent route is even more direct than the Big Falls routes, but gains ~500' in very cliffy terrain. View from Cockscomb.	The route I took in 2022. The 1st significant oops is discussed below.	Context. I started at the Mary Jane Falls parking.
A blow-up of the 2022 gpx trace for my 1st oops. I tried to find another way around a rough section, and ended on ~5.5 terrain.	2012, looking UP to SE. The 1st cliff band is hidden behind trees.	2012 Dr. F. breaks through the 1st cliff band. There was a pile of cheater stones near here in 2014 and 2022.
2012. Luba climbs above 1st break. From here one travels S (R in photo) over a scree- covered ledge.	Approaching S to gully.	2014. I'm in gully, view NE along scree-covered bench.
2012. View up gully. Snow was serious, but provided a 2' "boost" over 2nd obstacle	2014. Barb found some way to skirt the rock at left to ease past 2nd obstacle.	2014. Barb nears 2nd handline. In 2022 I climbed far on the mid-upper left and had a very sketchy decent back Barb's position.
2012. Easier terrain.	2012. Then harder.	Then harder. 2012.
2012.	2012. Joseph dropped a handline somewhere around here	The 3rd crux. I am in shorts and greenish shirt at R; my way seems to be easiest, but needs some stretch. In 2014- 2022 a technora- sheathed rope appeared here as a handline.
2012 View down steep loose ramp above 3rd crux.	2012. From here follow cairns over mostly class 1 terrain to North Loop Trail. Some cliffs en route.	2022. Magically I'm on Charleston Peak, sports bra drawn in for modesty. Backstory: A well-built female friend argued that if men were allowed to pose shirtless on peaks, so should women. So this is my compromise.
View E from Charleston	still 2022. Freckled Milkvetch.	2022 View E. The use trail at left avoids one big elevation loss and gain. It was not obvious before 2017, but then strava came along.
View back W at Charleston	View WSW at "Chopper Tom."	2022, about to leave South Loop Trail and head NE and N on Cathedral Rock Ridge. Mummy to NNE.
This route seems abandoned, and is brushy in places.