UKC

One day climb in Yosemite?

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 Trobbo 28 Feb 2014
Am doing a California Road Trip with family in the summer and will be in Yosemite for a few days in August and have negotiated a day pass to go climbing. Will probably have to hire a guide. Cathedral Peak has been suggested by a friend. Anyone know if there is a US version of UKC or can recommend any guides?
 Darron 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Heisenberg:

East Buttress Middle Cathedral
Braille Book on Higher Cathedral

South (?) ridge of Cathedral Peak (up in Tuolumne) is not as good but reaches a nice summit
 Offwidth 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Heisenberg:

Guides are really expensive. Use the partners sections of fhe list above. You may be better off doing a few shorter multipitch climbs rather than one monster to maximise flexibility.
 Martin Bennett 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Heisenberg:

Royal Arches. About 1500 feet of mostly fairly relaxed climbing. We loved it. if you get an early start, by the time the August sun turns the valley into a cauldron you'll be in a four pitch West facing corner and out of the sun. You'll still burn your hands on the rock of the final slab though!
In our experience you'll need a guide for the descent - we happened to meet a local at the top who'd done it several times before and he still wasn't sure.

Or I can second the Cathedral Peak suggestion - nice approach and descent make it a really nice day out with a fabulous needle-like High Sierra summit thrown in, and of course it's cooler at 10,000 feet.

A bit harder but brilliant is The North Face of Fairview Dome at 5.9 and also nice and cool being up at Tuolomne Meadows. About 1000 feet but only the 1st pitch is 5.9; it's short crux felt E1 to me. The second pitch is one of the best I've ever done and about 5.8, then the climbing eases off but is still good.

Have a great trip
 atrendall 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Heisenberg:

Royal Arches as already mentioned or the iconic Snake Dyke on Half Dome. Both are excellent and would surely be contenders for world classic rock status. The descent from Royal Arches can be a nightmare if you come down the gully but abbed down which was fairly straight forward with bolted anchors but intimidating.
 Fredt 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Heisenberg:

A good day out is Snake Dyke, can be done in a long day from the valley.
 SteveSBlake 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Heisenberg:

Any of these are a full day out for most folks, you will see that most are mentioned earlier.

Snake Dyke on Half Dome - a long day but very memorable. HVS in my book.

East Buttress of El Cap. E1

Regular Route on Fairview Tuolumne, E1

East Buttress of Middle Cathederal, E2

Cathereral Peak, Tuolumne, VS

Royal Arches, VS with a simple pendulum, or E1 free

Serenity Crack and Sons of Yesterday, E2 ish.

As others have mentioned, have a look at www.supertopo.com, lots of trip reports that will cover the above routes.

Have fun,

Steve

 David Coley 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Heisenberg:

To my mind there is only one choice: Snake Dyke on Half Dome.

You might get lucky by walking around camp4 and just asking if anyone will help you.

From the second's point of view, Snake Dyke is one move of VS then the World's best VDiff. I don't know whether that might make it a possible challenge for the Heisenberg family.
 Enty 28 Feb 2014
In reply to SteveSBlake:

>
> Serenity Crack and Sons of Yesterday, E2 ish.

>

Ouch!!!

E
 Steve Clegg 28 Feb 2014
In reply to SteveSBlake:

East Buttress of El Cap E1 - double ouch!!!
Steve
 SteveSBlake 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Enty:

Doh....

I'm meaning that in the E2/3 ish sort of way. But then I'm a punter.

Steve
 steveej 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Heisenberg:

Snake Dike!!!
 SteveSBlake 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Steve Clegg:

You little liar Who are you to say that.... I remember back in 76/77 doing the Sword of Damoclese underneath you and Pete who were soloing it. Close on Pete's heels his chalk bag inverted and we were all lost in a huge cloud of the white stuff. The pair of you strolled it, very casual you were.

I think you were just back from the Valley, there's no way you would have thought the East Buttress anything more than E1!

 SteveSBlake 28 Feb 2014
In reply to steveej:

I got told off for that typo on the other channel as well

Steve
 Offwidth 28 Feb 2014
In reply to SteveSBlake:

Almost anything in the valley will be too hot out of the shade.

Snake Dyke on Half Dome: VS all the way with a VS 5a slab crux next to a bolt and lots of VS 3c. Its a long walk in so you need to start this real early (or late and move super fast). It will also likly be very hot so not the most practical day out. Queue problems likely.

Royal Arches, made to sound cruxy but HS all the way with a few HS 4b moves and lots of HS 4a and bold HS 3c/b if you do the simple pendulum; or E2 6a free (maybe E1 5c if the safe friction slab moves are on cold rock... or with a bit of sneaky weight on the the pendulum gear ). Furnace in august so super early start needed.

Regular Route on Fairview Tuolumne, HVS 5b crux with lots of super sustained HVS 4c above but eases with height when you need to start to motor. Queue problems very likely.

Cathedral Peak, Tuolumne, HS 4b with some VS 4b variations so you can bypass queues if you know how. Will be a bit warm as it's in the sun. Tenaya Peak is another slightly easier long starter at about S 4a and less sunny.






 SteveSBlake 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Offwidth:

I'll thank you for your opinion on behalf of the OP...

Steve
 Offwidth 28 Feb 2014
In reply to SteveSBlake:

You're welcome...its rare to see such sandbagging of better climbers and kindness to punters.
 SteveSBlake 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Offwidth:

You're welcome,

As it happens I was in the Valley this August, did Snake Dike in a very long and strenuous day with wife and nipper accompanied by mate Loz, climbing as two pairs. Did Regular Route (again), understandably much cooler.

The rest have all been done at other times, I don't think the grades are particulalry studly, and FWIW the most memorable day - out of five trips to the Valley, was getting to the top of Half Dome with family and Loz, no one on the summit bar us. Magical.

Steve


 Offwidth 28 Feb 2014
In reply to SteveSBlake:

I started Snake Dyke barely able to feel my fingers on the cold rock and nearly finished with heat stroke. Hundreds of tourists witnessed my final wobbley slog to the top and quite a few were scowly when we overtook on the outside down the ladder. Regular Route was iced on the 1st pitch. We waited for the temp to go up to mearly zero centigrade in the car, hoping no one would queue jump us...listening to Muse belt out "...and this iis the end, yeah this iis the end, of the wooorlld, .." ...and finished in the dark as one of our three was wilting from cold; when the sun hit us on the rib pitch below the roof it was glorious. Both early Sept, both magical.
 SteveSBlake 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Offwidth:

Thinking about it makes you want to go back.

SD in August wasn't as hot as you might think it would be, super bright, but with a breeze and all. But, we definitley cold have used more water...

Steve

 Rob Parsons 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Steve Clegg:

> East Buttress of El Cap E1 - double ouch!!!

To me, that seems like a reasonable overall grading to give it.


 Stefan Kruger 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Heisenberg:

The Serenity Crack/Sons linkup is a lasting climbing memory.
 Rob Parsons 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Heisenberg:

Lost Arrow Spire would be another suggestion for a memorable day.
 Rick Graham 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Heisenberg:

Camp 4 is the easiest place in the world for a Brit to get a climbing partner.

 Ian Parsons 28 Feb 2014
In reply to SteveSBlake:


> I think you were just back from the Valley, there's no way you would have thought the East Buttress anything more than E1!

It's ok, Steve; Mr Clegg actually did the route nearly twenty years later with another elderly gentleman who also thinks "ouch"!

 SteveSBlake 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Ian Parsons:

Hi Ian,

Give him my regards. I bumped into Pete the other week at Eden Rock - still at it as well.



Steve
 GridNorth 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Heisenberg:

There is a route called "Stoners Highway", I think, on Middle Cathedral. One of the best routes I've done anywhere.
 Enty 28 Feb 2014
In reply to Rick Graham:

> Camp 4 is the easiest place in the world for a Brit to get a climbing partner.

I bet it's not as easy in August as it is in September. I'd still get something lined up through Supertopo if I could.

E
 Enty 28 Feb 2014
In reply to GridNorth:

> There is a route called "Stoners Highway", I think, on Middle Cathedral. One of the best routes I've done anywhere.

Yeah - another horror show sandbag - I shit my pants on that big slab pitch.

E
 Ian Parsons 28 Feb 2014
In reply to SteveSBlake:

Just realised that should have actually been "nearly thirty years"!
 JJL 01 Mar 2014
In reply to Heisenberg:

If your best lead grade is E1 and you don't want to be just hauled up something by a guide, then I'd drop back a grade or two; the climbing feels different to UK.

I wasn't that impressed by Royal arches - nice but not the very best.

Snake Dyke is superb, but run out; we did it in one day from Camp4.

Lost arrow is a different experience - at your grade (and mine) it's an aid route, but the tyolean and position makes it very memorable.

I would go with Cathedral Peak in Toulumne, but it's quite a schlep from the valley up to the meadows even before you start the walk in.

Agree you're best looking for a partner on Supertopo (or even in Camp 4) rather than a guide.
 GridNorth 01 Mar 2014
In reply to Enty:

We did the direct start which is harder than the rest of the route but in my opinion spoils the flow. My mate led that which was a wise decision as even though there is not much pro it is where the leader needs it. I got to the bolt seconding and, just as the metal of the krab scraped against the bolt as I removed it, my foot slipped and I swung a hell of a distance down and across. One of the longest falls I've ever experienced so it's ironic I was seconding.
 Enty 01 Mar 2014
In reply to GridNorth:

Can't remember too much about it it was 1995 but I do remember being miles out from anything on a massive slab with lots of that polished smooth granite - shitting it!!!

E
 GridNorth 01 Mar 2014
In reply to Enty:

I did it around about that same time. I seem to recall a series of leftward leading grooves one on top of the other. We reckoned it was about E2,5b. The first direct pitch however was a lot harder and as I said made the route a little less consistent.
 jon 01 Mar 2014
In reply to GridNorth:

> We reckoned it was about E2,5b.

Hmmm, I'd say that's a bit of a sandbag right there! I'm ashamed to say that I failed to SECOND the second pitch in 1978! We bailed. Sadly never been back. Very belated apologies to Chris Hunter - hope you found a competent second eventually!
 GridNorth 01 Mar 2014
In reply to jon:

Perhaps, after the desperate direct start, the rest felt relatively OK. Me and my mate were climbig E4 on a regular basis at the time. We thought the direct start definitely bumped it up to E4.
 jon 01 Mar 2014
In reply to GridNorth:

> Me and my mate were climbig E4 on a regular basis at the time.

So was I! Even now I have this vivid recollection of looking up at Chris's feet as he was leading. They appeared to be on relatively good holds all the time and he just kept moving upwards with no problem, yet when I got there they'd completely disappeared!
 Ian Parsons 01 Mar 2014
In reply to jon:

> I have this vivid recollection of looking up at Chris's feet as he was leading. They appeared to be on relatively good holds all the time and he just kept moving upwards with no problem, yet when I got there they'd completely disappeared!

I've often wondered whence you acquired that particular trick!

OP Trobbo 01 Mar 2014
In reply to Heisenberg:

Many thanks for these replies. My cup runneth over! Just need someone to climb with now.

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