Yosemite Pilgramage: Tick List

[telemarker]

Yes, my second trip to Yosemite. The first trip we climbed Half Dome, RNWF. This trip the list is. 1) Royal Arches; 2) Nutcracker; 3) E. Butt El Cap; 4) CPF of Middle Cath; 5) Lost Arrow Tip; and 5) misc. Cragging we'll be there 5/22 thru 5/30. Any comments or useful tips on any of these routes that you care to share?

 

Thanks!

Edited May 8, 2010 by telemarker

[tradhead]

I would substitute E. Buttress of Middle Cathedral for Royal Arches or Nutcracker. Much longer then Nutcracker and much more sustained than Royal Arches. A Fifty Classic so it will be crowded but so are most/all moderates in the Valley...

[summitchaserCJB]

Ya expect crowds. But you know that. Royal arches is worth it, IMO.

[marc_leclerc]

Thanks for reminding of how much I want to go to Yos.. but can't because I have 6$ to my name

[billcoe]

Great list, but scope out E Buttress of El Cap before you leave the car, as it's often sopping wet to being a waterfall at the crux this time of year. E Buttress of Middle is good advice. You can easily see the water on El Cap, if it's there, with binocs @ 1/2 way up, you might spot it on the way into the valley as there's great views.

[Rad]

NE Buttress of Higher Cathedral is choice. Braille book is fun too.

 

Nutcracker is crazy popular, and I think both of the routes above are better. If you do it maybe go in the late afternoon to avoid a mid-morning crunch. It has several variations that all lead into the third pitch, so there tends to be a funnel of newbies channeling their enegies there. Better yet, go solo the thing first thing Monday morning and score yourself a new set of cams they left behind.

[Dane]

Central Pillar on Middle is likely as busy as Nutcracker. But well worth it as is East But of Middle. West Face of Rixons and the Good Book are excellent as well. Serenity and Sons is a must do. Snake Dike worth the walk over RArches which is a good solo as well. Best advice on Nutcraker has already been said..solo it by the 5.9 crack start.

 

Spend some time at Sunny side bench and do Jam crack, Bummer, Lazy Bum and then Bishop's Terrace. All of Reeds and Lunatic Fringe are also short must does down the Valley. List can go on forever of "must does".

 

Tough part about Yosemite is wanting to do everything you have done before plus all the new stuff every trip.

 

Have a great trip!

[Off_White]

Alpine starts rule for the popular routes. I did Nutcracker last May, first time back on it since my first route in the Valley 34 years ago. It was worth getting up early to be the first party of the day. That route has seen a lot of traffic and is pretty slippery, I personally wouldn't solo it but YMMV.

 

Use a similar strategy for routes on Middle, there's often a little party inflicted rockfall on that formation, and being first is best.

 

Bishop's Terrace is at Punchbowl, not Sunnyside Bench, but well worth doing on a cragging day. Do it in one pitch, double rope rap.

 

If you do Royal Arches, keep going and do Crest Jewel above on North Dome, include the direct start (10d) for full value and a little less hiking between the routes.

[summitchaserCJB]

Ya I wouldn't solo Royal Arches this time of year- too much water.

[Dane]

Which reminds me. All that water makes the Devils bath tubb (by Serenity) something not to be missed late in the day. Visuals can be stunning

 

Kinda like this.

 

[Pilchuck71]

Thanks for posting that Dane!

After a few sleepless nights with my newborn, I awoke to see this while eating a quite breakfast.

That is a great way to start the day, dreaming of Yosemite and sweeter water drenched goodness.

Thank you sir and a million times thank you!

[telemarker]

Excellent recommendations e eryone, and Dane thanks for including the cragging thoughts.

 

I remember R n' I or Climbing Mag publishing something on obscure multi-pitch options in the valley. Anyone have a good one they did in the 5.9 range, as an altertnative to the more crowded classics?

[Dane]

Absolutely Free is a great 5.9...couple of ways to do it as well.

The Doggie climbs Diversions/Diviations and Lancelot are as very good but not multi pitch.. You get three pitches on Reeds.

 

Commissioneers Buttress, Pos. 4th Street come to mind as well. Rad already mentioned Braille Book. Grack and Mr. Natural are short ones on the Apron, both way fun one easy one hard.

 

Something that is fun but some aid is a quick trip (easy one day) of the s face of the column. Easier and resonably long is Arrowhead Arête.

 

Here is some recent beta (not mine) off Rixon's which is one of my favorites..and better than it sounds. Mostly 5.9/.10a.

 

p1 was challenging, with the crack a bit too thin for solid fingerlocks.It took good wired stoppers for pro, though, and once I committed to using my feet it was not too desperate (5.9).

p2 had the famous 5.10c long reach or "cartwheel move" to traverse to the right crack. I took one hang when I could not make the reach my first try. I went back to the corner, and tried it with my left foot on the smaller right foothold, which gained me a little more distance but not enough to make a solid reach. So I told Chris to watch me and I lunged for the hand jam, which worked just fine. I ran it out up the easy crack to the belay, so I could belay to the left and give Chris a proper overhead belay for the crux. Chris is 5'3" and was

able to reach her foot over to the flake, but couldn't set up for

a lunge, so she made 2 solid attempts, but fell twice and then left it for another day.

p3 is the fun low angle crack to the undercling - no problems.

p4 is a steeper face with a couple of fixed pins, which I have always thought of as the "Gunks simulator". It had a fun reach left from a big pocket to a flake which I had forgotten about. Chris took a couple of falls on the last part of this pitch, which is a left-leaning corner which is a combination lieback and jam.

p5 has a brief but intense slightly overhanging corner hand crack

that I remembered well. Chris had a couple of hangs on it, which I explained had happened to all my other partners on it in the past!

 

 

[markwebster]

I did royal arches last summer. After all the hype we were dissappointed. The views are nice, but, considering the number of cool moves, and the descent, I won't repeat it. We got lost on it too, ended up off to the left on some tennish open book before hooking back in on pitch 6. We saw two people all day (september). Rapping off with a single 60 meter in the dark, not knowing the rap line = scary.

 

 

In 1984, Sue and I saw some nudists doing the horizontal dance in plain view at Devils Bathtubs while climbing Serenity. Sue was disgusted with them, but later we checked it out. We got nude, swam, took pictures, and thought about finding someplace private. Her shorts and bikini top blew off the ledge down the cliff, leaving her with no clothes at all.

 

It was quite the dilemma. How could we get back to camp 4 nude?

 

We roped up, nude of course, and she lowered me down the cliff looking for her clothes. Half way down, on a ledge I came to a huge pile of lost bikini tops, shorts, socks, shirts, etc. We weren't the first to lose clothes to the wind.

 

Harry Daley is a really fine 5.8 route over on the Apron. It's sort of deserted over there due to the rock fall, but it's between the active zones.

 

Pictures of my favorite valley routes here:

 

http://www.websterart.com/html/yosemite9-09.html

 

and here:

 

http://www.websterart.com/html/yosemite08/index.html

[summitchaserCJB]

haaha was it a really thin crack? If so, why did you even start it. That doesn't look anything like 5.7.

[telemarker]

Funny anecdote Mark! Did you at least wear your knee pads?

[markwebster]

During which part of the activity? I guess that would be a no, and a yes. It's painful to look back at those photos. We were so young and hard bodied.

[summerprophet]

Lets see if I can blow thde dust out of my memory banks and remeber Yosemite.

 

Super routes:

Royal arches linked with S.Face of North dome OR Crest Jewel.

 

E.Butt El Cap

 

EBMC

 

Nutcracker /After 7

* there is also a rarely done 5.9 to clmbers left of nutcracker that is super (the guidebook calls it runout, but it is not that bad.)

(Hit up MP butress @ 3pm and you will ahve the place to yourself)

 

5 open books is also a great place for climbs in the 5.9 range

Commitment is good, as is munginella, also a great area to to review easy wide crack skills before jumping on either of the East Butts.

 

Pillar of Frenzy of course is good. also a great one to hit later in the day.

 

There is also a 5.0 To the right of Yosemite Falls called the regular route. barely shown in the guidebook. Climbing is remarcably fun for the grade and offers incredible views of both halfdome and the falls.

 

THe Cathedral spires are also very good, although the climbs are pretty stiff for 5.9, Cant remember the exact routes I did, but both seemed to have tricky route finding from awkward stances. One had the Bathtubs section (if that helps).

 

Enjoy the valley.

[Rad]

I think Crest Jewel is much better than Royal Arches, though very different creatures. Hike in and out from Tuolumne, leave the rack behind, and avoid the North Dome Gully descent.

[Peter_Puget]

1) Royal Arches – Pass

2) Nutcracker – short route that you can do at the end/beginning of the day.

3) E. Butt El Cap – never climbed but it’s true it might be wet.

4) CPF of Middle Cath good but while your in the area add an apron route like Quicksilver. I’d pass on the East Butt. Braille Book rocks.

5) Lost Arrow Tip haven’t done it but I’d pass with so many other gems around.

 

Serenity Crack – I’d pass if it was me.

GoodBook might still have rockfall issues.

 

DO the West face of El Cap – Much better than the Half Dome route you did.

Silent Line/Gold Wall 10

Reeds Direct (3 pitches 10a) and then go to Stonegroove and Lunatic

Nabisco Wall (3 pitches 11a or harder depending on pitches)then walk over and do Outer Limts

Gripper 10, New D 11a but a couple of great 10 pitches and an easily aided 11 section. Most routes at Arch rock.

Hot Line (might be tough to cross river) but throw in a few points of aid (like most ascents) and its still rocks!

 

If you want to do mostly sub-5.10 climbs Id say take some time and go to Lovers Leap much better routes at that level.

 

Sentinel has some nice moderate routes too....

 

Edited May 10, 2010 by Peter_Puget