[TR] Dragtooth - North Buttress / The Dragway 08/19/2025

[bedellympian]

Trip: Dragtooth - North Buttress / The Dragway

Trip Date: 08/19/2025

Trip Report:

 

Got to sneak in a quick 24hr mission with my friend Miles while visiting family in Reno. We climbed the Dragway on the Dragtooth of Sawtooth Ridge because it was a short drive for High Sierra climbing, a "short" approach, and a short route. We failed to factor in the ridge traverse and descent as significant factors and it took a little longer than anticipated.

 

Sawtooth Ridge is the NE boundary of Yosemite NP but this route is approached from Twin Lakes on the E side of the range, so you are in FS and Hoover Wilderness the entire day unless you drop off the ridge line to the W. The rock quality is good by N Cascades standards but poor by Sierra standards, as is apparently the case on much of Sawtooth Ridge. This route felt quite a bit harder than other 5.10s I've done down there, but if you like 5.10 OW and fists with the occasional thin stemming move you will have a good time. 

The descent has several options, none of which are great. We traversed the summit ridge for quite a while but didn't like how it looked so dropped down a gully to the W to some sandy slopes and reascended to the Matterhorn/Dragtooth Col. In retrospect continuing the ridge traverse just below the crest on the W side appears to go easily. The couloir from the col back to the E was pretty atrocious scree/dirt/ice. We opted for the skiers R couloir after the initial rappel, which appeared better than the L, but was quite awful by any standard, even Canadian Rockies! Maybe bring crampons? Or climb Matterhorn on the 400' of shattered 4th class ledges and descend the 3rd class dog route on that peak, which would add some mileage but would be way faster than waiting for a helicopter rescue after getting pounded in the couloir.

Here are the pictures...

Approach, Dragtooth with the route and the Matterhorn visible.

Head up and R to the Tarn after the scree at the head of the valley.

Creek next to the tarn. Horse Creek Tower on the R. Saddle to it's L is way to route.

View of the route following obvious dihedral, note ice on the water.

Sawtooth Ridge N of the Dragtooth.

Route up close.

3rd pitch, 1st dihedral pitch

Fun anchor shenanigans.

Rest above Crux on Pitch 4.

Sawtooth Ridge to N

Last hard pitch, amazing splitter crack from fingers to wide hands.

Looking over to Tuolumne.

Miles on the summit.

Ridge traverse shenanigans. Matterhorn is the prominent peak. 

Miles in the col, starting down the gully of choss.

Yummy choss gully.

Negotiating firm snow once out of the couloir. Matterhorn in the sun.

Back in the meadow by the tarn. Route not visible from here. Just 3k' hike down to the car and a 2.5 hr drive home!

 

Gear Notes:
Doubles to 4

Approach Notes:
Free day parking at Annett's Mono Village, Horse Creek Trail to the top of the scree field then climbers trail to the tarn and cross country to the route.

Edited 2 hours ago by bedellympian