vantage

Last
update:
April,
2008

WARNING


Rock
crag list

red rocks

yosemite
joshua tree
tahquitz
NW cragging
scandinavia
worst crag
local crag
wa pass
pasayten



Boatbuilding
home

People
jesper ritzau
sally
craig delbrook
   
 
   

Routes, mostly long.

Comments to some of climbs done in Tuolumne Meadows, in ascending order of difficulty as fivenineclimber sees it.

 

   
 

great white book, .6
The only multipitch route route I've ever soloed, if not the only route period. How this insane idea became a reality is described here.

hobbit book, .7
This is a good outing. Long approach followed by a scenic and also longish descent helps to fill in the day and create a fine adventure. The climbing isn't bad either. Bring long runners to tie off flakes on the R pitch, which probably reduces the seriousness a bit.

south crack, 8
A brilliant finger crack that ends way too soon and sends you out sailing on a sea of featureless granite. Some where in the midst of all that tedious slab climbing is a placement under a flake for a #2.5 Friend.

west crack, .8
On this climb the crack continues in fine form all the way to the top. Unfortunately it doesn't quite reach the ground to start with, and that's the crux of the day. Especially fine is the 60' finger crack up high.

fairview dome, regular route, .9
Climbing doesn't get much better than this in the .8/.9 range. Anywhere. One of my all time favorites, if the mood is for a day of beautiful cracks and corners, instead of the usual high strung, all out adventure. Once that cruxy, but low angle move on the first pitch is over it's pure joy onwards. With a 60 m rope you can conveniently and with good belays reach the big ledge at the end of the major difficulties in 3 long pitches. Watch for crowds.

dike route, .9
In 89 when we did this one there was some really old bolts sparingly placed here and there. They've more than likely been replaced by now, which would make this striking face climb a must do.

on the lamb, .9
Unique route. It's a 3 pitch traverse, following a horizontal thin crack across the upper part of the Lamb. Who leads doesn't matter and it can be climbed both ways. In fact if you had a good time, you can turn around at the other end and climb back to your starting point, saving having to bring shoes and packs with you. For a one way journey it is probably best to go right to left. The crux 40' finger traverse is quite difficult and very strenous to protect.

phobos, .9
Steep painful cracks. But good.

deimos, .9
More steep cracks. An excellent route with all sorts of challenges, from OW to thin face. Probably a tad better than Phobos, contrary to common opinion. The guidebook I have show a fixed pin or bolt on the 3rd pitch. It would be nice if it indeed was there, but alas, when we did the route there was nothing. Bring a small alien instead.

the coming, .10-
The west face of Medlicott makes me nervous, for some reason. Part of it might be Bachar's heady exploits on the right side, even though I never aspired to get anywhere close to them. Medlicott is just a dark, foreboding sweep of featureless granite. For a crack climber you got few places here for your eyes to seek the comfort of a continous route prospect. The Coming way over left is almost an obvious line. It starts out good, with a fun, hard crux followed by a long difficult corner (the .10- start is strongly recommended, since the original is an overgrown chossy groove). Somewhere up there however, the corner starts arching right and peter out. Progress gets tedious now. Pro is limited. A strenous overhang later sees you on a small ledge, squinting up into the midday sun, looking for a way to the top. Ahead lies 300-400' of knobs, big and small and not much else. As one inches on up, passing remains of sketchy rap anchors and other debris, the tension builds. Where to go? There's no bolts or chalk or other clues. I guess this is standard Tuolumne fare, and in the easier catagory too, but for me it was rather unnerving.

lembert dome, nw face, .10
A good straight forward route, with a thin, thin crux.

sticks and stones, 10-
A not so good straight forward route, mainly due to grainy rock.

crescent arch, .9
Despite the nine rating, I think this one belongs up here with the tens. It's sustained, with crux after crux thrown at you, until the final memorable moves escaping the grip of the arch. One of the better long routes in the Meadows, but be prepared for some strenous climbing. See here

lucky streaks, .10-
Like Crescent Arch, sustained is the name here.

eichorn pinnacle, west pillar, .10
This one is in the Tuolumne guide book, but it is more of an alpine rock climb so I'll dicuss it later on another page.