Routes as trad in Tuolumne Meadows

Pro to 3".

Pro to 3".

Pro to 4".

Starts atop Hermaphrodite Flake. Pro to 3", 7 draws.

1. 5.8 40m Sustained slab to bolted belay. Although it's well protected, some of the bolts are a bit old and manky.

2. 5.10b 40m Continue up past two new bolts (crux) to West Country. Follow this until you see the bolts above, and follow those.

It's also possible to escape up and left from the belay to join West Country, if you wish to skip the crux.

Pro to 7".

Pro to 4".

Pro to 3".

Stellar climbing up a disappearing crack, then scary slabs above.

1. 50m 4th Class. Scramble up the apron from the road until you get to a large ledge below the steepening dome. The climbing starts here.

2. 50m 5.7 Easily up the left crack until it makes sense to move into the right hand crack system.

3. 40m 5.8 Follow the now single crack system. An exceptional finger crack pitch.

4. 35m 5.8 Continue up the single crack system until it disappears into the dome.

5. 30m 5.6 Runout slab up and left to an overlap (only gear in the pitch is here), then belay on a ledge just above it.

6. 55m 5.4 Several variants from here to the top, all of which are runout (in some cases exceptionally). Although there's a tempting groove to the left of the belay, going this way will incur a mandatory 40m runout with zero gear - not recommended! It's better to move up and diagonally right from the belay, which offers some (spaced) gear. Belay on low angled slab at a set of double bolts, shared with 'Great White Book' (this belay can get crowded).

7. 30m 5.2 Pleasant and better protected climbing straight up and over the overlaps above, or easier terrain (4th class) to the right of them.

Head over the back of the dome to an obvious left-trending gully - descend this.

A good introductory route for Tuolumne. Anchors are hard to spot. Trend right after 2nd horizontal break.

Runout knob climbing. Links with a 60m rope. Climb this to set up topropes for the routes to the right, but be careful on the 5th class traverse to those anchors. Pro to 2". A tricam or purple linkcam works especially well in a pocket before the last runout on P2.

Pro to 1".

Pro to 1.5".

2 bolt top anchor.

Small pro to 2". New bolts as of Aug, 2004.

Pro to 2".

Pro to 1.5", 7 draws.

Pro to 4", 2 draws.

Mostly a low angle slab climb with a short corner offwidth exit pitch. Pywiack Dome has two small pine trees visible from the road and growing in the middle of the slab about 1/3 of the way up in large huecos. The route is just right of the right one. Bring 10 draws for lower pitches and pro to 4.5" for the last short pitch.

Approach Pitch: Easy scramble with no protection to two bolt belay station few feet below steeper darker rock. The anchors are hard to spot, but can be found 10 ft. to the left of the section of rock which looks like it might offer some natural protection.

Pitch 1: Follow a line of 5 bolts towards the hueco (solution pocket) with a small tree. The path of the route can be spotted because of the lighter color on the darker rock. The bolts to the tree are about 2-3 body-lengths apart. Follow 5 more bolts on the easier terrain with more distances between bolts, in this section finding the next bolt can be quite hard. This pitch is about 50 meters long and ends at two bolt anchor.

Pitch 2: Follow line of 3 bolts while doing easy (~5.5) face climbing to two bolt anchor.

Pitch 3: Follow the bolts up and right until reaching a 1-2 foot wide roof with a crack underneath. Create natural gear belay at the crack or continue to the next pitch.

Pitch 4: Follow the roof-crack to the left as it become a corner crack. The climbing protects easily and is at around 5.3 level. Follow the crack to the headwall and build natural gear belay station. If you are using 60 meter rope and combined pitches 3 and 4, than you might be ~15 feet short of the optimal belay location.

Pitch 5: Move left to the short wide corner crack and follow it to the top. Gear up to 4.5 ''. Last pitch can be skipped if you want to rap down other routes on the wall.

Descent: Once on the top walk East (away from the lake, and towards the Meadows) and locate 2 bolt rap anchors at the East most corner. Rap 40 ft to the ridge heading East. Follow the ridge until walking down 3rd class slopes towards the road.

Pro to 4.5" (if topping out), 3 draws.

Pro to 1". Bolted top anchor.

Pro to 1".

Bolted top anchor.

Mini documentary Bachar-Yerian

A classic 4-5 pitch dihedral with all types of crack climbing but mainly liebacking and finger locks. This is another great route on Daff that gets plenty of summer afternoon sun.

Three starting options exist. The first two options start from left of West Crack on the ledge and end at the same fixed anchor in the corner (tat with a rap ring),

Original start pitch 1: The original 5.9 dihedral that passes a fun roof to an awkward and physical slot then sweet jams - a great pitch,

Middle start pitch 1: A runout 5.8 face to easy crack pitch with one bolt.

Original start and Middle start pitch 2: From the fixed anchor at the end of the first pitch you should continue the second pitch left past easy jamming with lots of knob footholds until a 5.8 traverse at a big hand hold / pod in the crack allows a crack switch left about 5 feet, this is exciting for the second. Continue liebacking and jamming until a moderate traverse is possible left to at huge ledge / low angle recess about 70' feet.

Original start and Middle start pitch 3: Jams and layback up a wonderful corner to belay at a small stance, easy 5.9 with #3 camalot belay about 70'.

Pitch 4 up to a large loose flake then undercling the quick 5.10- crux (small offset stoppers or tiny cams) to more great liebacking. Belay at the top of the dihedral to watch your partner or continue to the top with easy safe climbing.

Left start: 5.7 left facing dihedral with steep juggy face 5.7R face to enter it. With this option, it is best to start low and left with an easy slab approach about where the climber's trail reaches the rock.. With this option you will want to make an interesting face traverse left at the end of the easy left facing dihedral to gain some large blocks and gear belay on the nice ledge just above. From here, the next pitch clmbs up to the crack about 15' to joint the second pitch of the other two starting options at an undercling / lieback up and left.

Another great pitch 2 option from either start option's pitch 1 belay point - skips the left traverse to the large ledge at 70' out and continues up corner that becomes narrow with great finger jamming / liebacking also 5.9. Setup a gear belay for THIS second pitch option on the narrow corner where the angle eases a little at a pretty decent stance about 20' below the large loose flake and climb's crux undercling at about 110'. From here the next pitch will continue up the corner to the large loose flake and the routes 5.10a undercling crux. Lieback to the top.

Up west crack for first pitch. Follow west crack up second pitch, past first set of anchors out left to second set of anchors on left of crack. Bolted face climbing on third pitch. Nicely run out rising traverse up and left towards a notch on left side of wall. Fourth pitch up through groove and bulge. scramble to top.

The obvious arch dihedral. Three pitches of lay backs, smears and traversing under rooves. Third pitch is the crux and longest pitch. Crux is placing gear. Move just past apex of arch and head upwards to belay. Scramble to top.

Short crux. Pro to 3".

1. 5.9 35m Crack then slab past 2 bolts to a bolted anchor.

2. 5.10a 15m Glacial polish slabbing rightward past 2 bolts to a bolted rappel anchor (bring two 50m+ ropes to descend).

Can be led as a single pitch with careful extension and/or double ropes.

A 9 mile traverse of the northwestern section of the Cathedral Range. Can be made as easy as desired by skipping peaks.

1. 5.6

2. 5.9+

3. 5.10a

4. 5.10b

Walk off the summit.

Approach: gear-up at the car park and walk under Lembert Dome. To access the first pitch, follow the first ramp you come to, leading up & right above where you've hiked. Set-up a natural belay next to a tree.

1. Up some mantles with the hardest protected by a bolt. Up to the roof and follow the corner out up and left. Well protected corner with cams/wires in crack. Belay at ledge where crack steepens to vertical.

2. Straight up the crack.corner is 5.9, instead, climb out to the right on easy terrain and back above the crack. Continue up wide off-width crack to top. Belay under the final ledge (no gear).

Descent: walk-off right down 3rd and 4th class slabs.

Intimidating face moves on pockets/pin scars at the bottom that need tricams to tame.

Crux is pulling the prominent bulge at the top.

A hike up and around by Puppy Crack provides access for setting up a top rope.

On the Lamb, 700’, 5.9

1st Pitch- 80m- 5th/ We soloed this pitch and most climbing this route will be comfortable with that. I solo this grade a lot but still appreciated having my climbing shoes on versus trail runners. This corner is plenty steep on a bit of flaky granite. Some summit logs go on about a “cave”, “trees vs bushes”, etc. It is actually really simple. Climb the corner to its top, traverse right onto a nice ledge and set up a belay for the first pitch. You can’t see the horizontal crack that makes up the majority of the route until you turn the west face. There is not much of a north face, you pretty much turn from east to west crossing the first arête to the west on the third pitch.

2nd Pitch- 30m- 5.5/ Traverse straight out right over run-out slab and up a short distance to reach a right facing corner. Don’t climb this first corner. Down climb a bit and keep traversing to a much cleaner and smaller right facing corner with a variety of comfortable belays to choose from.

3rd Pitch- 30m- 5.8/ Climb the corner above to meet the horizontal feature that makes up the majority of this climb. Climb right over one arête (can be windy) and continue along to a small gear belay with a comfortable stance or a few more meters and down climb to a fixed belay.

4th Pitch- 60m- 5.9/ Continue on the traverse. When you get to another blunt arête and check out the other side, you will see the crux 40’ hand rail section with blank slab below it. Place a solid .75" at the arête and keep your arms straight to avoid pumping yourself out for no reason as some do on this section as you hand-over-hand the rail to the next foot rest. If your 2nd has limited experience, you might want to plug a piece or two along the way, but you will be hanging by one hand as you do it unless you aid it. A competent second can plug gear back in that they cleaned if they need a rest. Once you get through this crux, the climbing is still enjoyable for a bit. When it starts to really ease up, look for a short left facing corner and bolt above. This is the first pitch of Jailbreak. Set up a medium gear belay in the base of the corner with a comfortable stance.

5th Pitch- 20m- 5th/ If you are not finishing on Jailbreak to the summit, which is what I recommend you do, then finish off the horizontal to the western shoulder of Lamb Dome and walk off.

Great face climbing on wonderful knobs and flakes that turns into low grade slab at the top.

Bolted at the bottom. A small rack is needed to reduce the runouts and increase safety.

You'll also need #1-#3 pro for a belay anchor on the ledge.

Great face climb just to the right of Black Nepalese. Wonderful knobs, flakes, and crimps await you on this one.

Bring a rack of .5-#1 cams and a set of stoppers to protect the top section or you'll be in ground fall territory.

#1-#3 cams are needed for a belay anchor as well.

A bolted face leading into a roof crack and headwall climbed on gear.

4 pitches up the major left facing corner towards the right hand end of the wall. The crux 3rd pitch is exciting, but exceptionally runout face climbing on patina chicken heads just left of the corner. While not difficult, the runout is serious (25m) with no real pro to speak off after a bolt just out from the belay (some of the chicken heads can be slung, but it is exceptionally unlikely that they'd hold a fall).