This is a common strategy for parties not wanting to haul gear up the route; it also avoids the slippery scramble with large packs down North Dome Gully, the alternate descent from the summit. This is one of the most popular climbing guidebooks for Yosemite, and features an even spread of climbs of varying difficulty from 5.4 to 5.12 while covering over 230 of the best routes in the Valley. Soon we see lots of activity. Then it was off to the north dome gully descent. My brother Paul and I decided that we were going to spend a day hiking in the Catskills during my yearly visit to New York, by climbing North Dome and Sherrill. (1), Images The Royal Arches route has long been a popular free-solo, and the competition over the years has led to some astounding ascent times. Be the first to beta test this topo - drawn in 2003 after several trips down and up the gully: There is a ? Just keep traversing north until the slabs get easier. Let us know! For example, the Topos | Guidebooks | Route Tioga Road is closed during the winter so this route is for summer use only. The third option is to hike up the North Dome Gully to the base of North Dome, allowing you to scope the descent on the way up. Snow Creek or Yosemite Falls + Porcupine Creek: If you hate climbing hills but don't mind long descents, try starting at the Porcupine Creek trailhead, visit North Dome, then descend either the Snow Creek or Yosemite Falls trail. Yosemite Valley non-camping lodging options Note: I had my wedding reception at the Ahwahnee Hotel. Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. Climbing is dangerous. People often climb it as an approach to North Dome Routes including: Crest Jewel, South Face, West Face, etc. 4.2 miles, +580 ft, -1180 ft. You can access Indian Rock from this trail. The Official Trip Report, Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 20, 2008 - 08:35pm PT, Topic Author's Reply - Apr 20, 2008 - 09:08pm PT, Topic Author's Reply - Apr 21, 2008 - 09:35am PT. On Friday, June 12, a day after Yosemite opened back up, a group of us made an afternoon ascent of the Royal Arches route, a 15 pitch 5.7 A0 regarded as one of the all-time classics. Another option to consider is to arrange for a pick-up at Porcupine trailhead if starting from the Valley Valley. you should not attempt this shortcut if you have a haulbag or are a beginner. Route: 6.3 miles, +4850 ft, -1310 ft. [. It was a cool, cloudy, misty day. The trail from the top of the column traverses east all the way to the forested gully and completely above the death slabs. Rock Climbing Sierra Links | Terms | Privacy | FAQ | Contact My friends and I actually camped on the small dome west of North Dome on Thanksgiving, after climbing the Yosemite Falls Trail. This view is from the top of Washington Column. Darkness compounds all these challenges. On our descent down from Sherrill toward North Dome the cloudy sky began to release the pitter patter of light rain. FFA: 1960: Mort Hempel, Irene Ortenburger & Steve Roper. Descent Options – Rappelling the Royal Arches has only recently become a common form of descent. How can we improve SuperTopo? Hiking off the route via the North Dome gully was for many years the standard descent option and reduces the risk of becoming stranded on the rappels. This is the most popular way of reaching the summit and is reached by the three class 1 trails: Porcupine Creek, Snow Creek, and Yosemite Falls Trails. By Dingus Milktoast By Dingus Milktoast QUARTER DOME IS FULL ADVENTURE The first clean ascent of East Quarter Dome's North … Photos | Articles Park rangers made phone contact with the party, who denied injury but was nearly out of water after ascending the Royal Arches climbing route that day. No medical care was necessary. Rock Climbing Tahoe | The Column is far and away the Valleys most overworked wall. The elevation gain is about 1200 ft. until you arrive at the canister on the summit of North Dome (3610 ft.) Head west again and drop into the Col between North Dome and Mt. Near dusk on August 13, 2013, the Yosemite Emergency Communications Center received a report of two climbers requesting assistance near the top of North Dome Gully. The descent required some short belays and rappels for safety. Walk-offs are considerably less risky especially if running on empty. However this third option involves a lot more hiking than actual climbing! [, Ken Adam, Morgan Harris & W. Kenneth Davis, 16 pitches. The Porcupine Flat campground is only one mile from the Porcupine Creek trail, and thus the best choice. In addition to cutting three miles distance from your return trip, this would … Climbing Half Dome and El Capitan was unthinkable. The descent down North Dome Gully is the scene of frequent accidents. Beta | Forum | Trip Reports | There are rescue people all over the place looking for the missing climbers. Our strategy was to climb in three independent teams and join at the top to walk off North Dome Gully via a … Follow signs to "Mirror Lake" before turning uphill on Snow Creek Trail to join North Dome Trail. Messages 1 - 18 of total 18 in this topic, Yosemite Valley, California USA, Apr 30, 2019, Yosemite Valley, California USA, Apr 18, 2019, Yosemite Valley, California USA, Apr 17, 2019, Yosemite Valley, California USA, Mar 31, 2019, The Kohala Ditch Trail: 36ish hrs on foot... to and from the headwaters. Route: 8.4 miles, +4440 ft, -910 ft. [, Trailhead: Start from Sunnyside Walk-in campground, 1 mile west of Yosemite Village. This view is from the top of Washington Column. I pondered for an hour on the merits of knocking down rocks on other climbers if I rapped the South Face Route or taking the big ride down the "death slabs." YOSEMITE VALLEY APPROACH (Yosemite Falls & Snow Creek THs): For general transportation information, refer to the Yosemite Valley page. The climbers, who were from Boulder, Colo., were taken to … Approach: Royal Arches, Tioga Road, or ND Gully. Make your way to Yosemite Village on Highway 140. Follow this trail down hill heading slightly away from the dome. Do not miss this gem on your travels to Yosemite :-). Sherrill. Refer to trailhead summary in Routes Overview section above to reach this trailhead. In retrospect, Russell believes that trying to navigate North Dome Gully without prior experience was a mistake, a concern the guidebook emphasizes. Rather than crossing Indian Ridge at 8100' as you head north, away from North Dome, follow Indian Ridge to the northeast until you come to Indian Rock. Progress was slow and our simple plan evolved into a nearly 23 hour epic climb through the night with a top-out at sunrise! Common descent route for technical climbs. Finally we got to the Ahwahnee and then ran the last bit to catch the shuttle bus back to the truck. I will update and credit you here. Across the valley Half Dome is lit up vibrant red, but all you can think about is the infamous North Dome gully descent and the treacherous “death slabs” that await below. A Tuolumne Meadows/Tioga Road ski tour could be great fun, if a bit long and flat. Information on YARTS can be found here. [5 of 5], A Winter Traverse of the California section of the PCT Part 8, Balch Fest 2013. Sometimes the cliffs can be scaled but other times it is better to just go around. Home | Climbing Areas | Free If you plan on using the North Dome Gully descent, I recommend that you (first) climb the Royal Arches Route and then descend the North Dome, since (1) it is good training, (2) you won't be pooped and carrying a heavy haul bag, and (3) you will be less stressed later. The descent is usually accomplished by traversing northeast to Washington Column and descending the exposed North Dome Gully. (71), Climber's Log Entries (18), Yosemite Valley non-camping lodging options, Morgan's "North Dome Loop" Backpacking trip, A climb of North Dome Gully - Nov 2, 2002. The best trail for Yosemite Falls trail is the Sunnyside walk-in campground in Yosemite Valley. this is advanced beta for the north dome gully. [. My wife skied Mount Watkins (8500 feet high, east of North Dome) in May (of an El Nino year) with her brother, climbing up Snow Creek trail. Eventually break east crossing the slabs that were seen during the approach. | About Us, Climbing AreasRock Climbing Yosemite | Ken Boche, Dennis Hennek, Judy Sterner, Russ McLean, Sibylle Hechtel, Tim Auger & Mike Farrell. North Dome Gully Though by no means enjoyable, this is the best and fastest descent option. [, Trailhead: 2 miles east of Yosemite Village. Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children. Im sure if your just entering the 5.7-5.8 range on trad, this climb is something, but for us (not to sound cocky) it just wasn’t all that it was hype up to be. 10 pitches. At the next trail junction with the trail to Upper Yosemite Fall, the trail to North Dome takes a hard left and zigzags down into the forested gully under Indian Ridge and … Regardless, it was more of an adventure route than anything. "Thank goodness. The best bet is to go early, go midweek, go at night or go in the winter. The most logical approach is via the Snow Creek Trail, with a great descent option being a direct drop from the ridge connecting Indian Rock and North Dome down to the Snow Creek Trail. Got feedback? Trail or via Royal Arches in the valley. Consider All Descent Options – The standard descent from Washington Column is to walk off via North Dome Gully. © 2006-2021 SummitPost.org. Royal Arches is a better alternative for a Valley approach. There we got some food and a much needed shower before driving back up to Tuolumne. The concept of a crux mutates from ascent to descent. Half Dome – Approach Slabs Rock Fall Half Dome with the “Death Slabs” approach below. If you have skied this area, please add information! It is possible to avoid use of the Rotten Log by a class 6 lead upward and to the left of the trunk. The 1400-foot Royal Arches, however, was covered with just enough features and ledges to forge a route.While the first part followed large, 4th class ledges, the upper half of the route looked more challenging. Upper and Lower Pines campground in Yosemite Valley are the logical choices for the Snow Creek trail. Approach: Royal Arches, Tioga Road, or ND Gully. A sort of delicate traverse and downclimb followed by a long hot steep dusty slog followed by a while on a trail. Descent: Either rap the route or go down the North Dome gully trail. HTML Guide Warning - Guide view may take some time to load for areas with large numbers of routes Instant PDF Generic pre-created PDF - for North Dome There are too few routes to pre-prepare an instant PDF. North Dome Gully Descent: Walk north along the top of the dome looking for a trail that eventually heads west. Climb at your own risk. At the summit of North Dome we assembled a makeshift tarp out of a cheap plastic … Either way, you can utilize Yosemite's shuttle bus (YARTS) to drive you back to your car. Right where the North Dome Gully trail emerges onto the North Dome/Washington Column saddle, there is a large boulder with a stack of rocks on it marking the North Dome Gully trail. The climbing quality was no where near worth the rappels to get down and I doubt it for the North Dome Gully Descent. Generally, the consequences of a slip during a walk-off is much less than mis-rigging a rappel in technical terrain. Had told the rangers there was no sound and no lights. Mike and Russell got their descent information from Yosemite Valley Free Climbs (Supertopo). Easy way up from West Face vincinity. Varying types of climbs from crags, topropes, multi-pitch climbs, as well as many hard Yosemite testpieces are include We had done it before and were confident on getting down. --The Tick, Routes Rock Climbing Southwest | Allow 1-2 hours if experienced with the descent and 2-4 hours if it is your first time. Don’t descend too early; if in doubt and contemplating rappels, keep traversing.” Rock Climbing Red Rocks | Climbing Alaska. North Dome Gully, one of the descent routes for Royal Arches, is notorious for its exposure, loose rock, and difficult route-finding. Two Days in and Around and On The Flake. Conversely, if you perversely enjoy lots of climbing, reverse your path. Washington Column (5,912) Lunch Ledge (5,000). We had descended North Dome gully without headlamps using Moonlight to illuminate the way. Descent to the valley floor can be made by rappel if one is careful to follow the route used for the ascent, or by traversing along the rim of the valley (E) to North Dome gully (see Washington Column). We hiked on Friday September 10, 2010. Analysis . It is not such a good angle for the actual route in North Dome Gully, though. Hmmmm, but I still had that damn North Dome Gully Descent - yuk! It is inexpensive, for tents only, and first-come-first-served. Schultz was having problems with his headlamp so Gillett went first in order to find the rappel stations using his functioning headlamp. 5 pitch route on Southeast Face. The unidentified climbers were using the North Dome Gully descent route when they were caught in the Monday storm. FFA: 1960: Mort Hempel, Irene Ortenburger & Steve Roper. Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' If you are willing to spend some serious money ($300+/night), a stay at the Ahwahnee is an unforgettable experience. Here is a picture of the North Dome Gully with the descent route marked in red. From Indian Rock, you can quickly and easily descend to the east and rejoin the main trail out. A COSMIC DESCENT Pain and salvation in the North Dome Gully in Yosemite Valley. This continued for the rest of the day making everything a bit damp. Joins North Dome Trail. Retreat is easy, the approach is short, and even the dicey North Dome Gully descent can't keep the masses from eating this one up. Getting there from the North Dome trail is easy. Big Wall Rock Climbing Yosemite | My Other Climbing Pages The North Dome is a area inside of Yosemite Valley. The drop is between 500 and 600 ft. Whether climbing into and out of deep canyons or scaling alpine walls where the approach and descent are far apart, you’ll face extended periods of time when … Rock Climbing Zion | Park on CA SR-120, aka Tioga Road, at Porcupine Creek Trailhead 1 mile east of Porcupine Flat Campground on CA SR-120. Half Dome and El Capitan rise from the park's centerpiece, the glacier-carved Yosemite Valley, and from its vertical walls drop Yosemite Falls, one of North America's tallest waterfalls at 2,425 feet (739 m) high. Approach: Start near Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Valley. This climb is not "officially" a part of North Dome. Approach: Royal Arches, Tioga Road, or ND Gully. Trailhead: Approach: Either Porcupine Ck. Certainly one could exit Yosemite Valley via either Snow Creek or Yosemite Falls trail. This route is also used for decents off the top of Washington Column. Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. "Well, third time down the gully descent is always a 'charm' so here I go." Approach: Royal Arches, Tioga Road, or ND Gully. Downloads. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports. This reinforces my simplistic world view." 8 pitches. Novel descent from North Dome and Sherrill 09-26-2010, 11:03 AM. All Rights Reserved. Do not attempt it at night unless you’re familiar with the descent. Rock Climbing Tuolumne | 0.5 miles. Note that this option is only possible when Tioga Road is open (June-November). If you lose the trail (which I found likely) you will have serious bush whacking good times. View North Dome Image Gallery - 71 Images. (87), Comments The second photo (posted by Werner) shows the trail from the top of Royal Arches over to North Dome Gully. Royal Arches, Yosemite With the major Valley spires climbed, the pioneers of the 30's turned to the unclimbed faces. Mike McGrale, Urmas Franosch, Marlo Finney & Marty Lewis. It at night unless you ’ re familiar with the descent is usually accomplished by traversing northeast to Column. Spend some serious money ( $ 300+/night ), a concern the guidebook emphasizes of objects that logically under! On a trail shortcut if you perversely enjoy lots of climbing, your... To go early, go midweek, go at night unless you ’ re familiar with descent. Tuolumne Meadows/Tioga Road ski tour could be great fun, if a damp... Pages Hmmmm, but I still had that damn North Dome after trips! And to the unclimbed faces much less than mis-rigging a rappel in technical terrain Arches has only north dome gully descent a... Example, the consequences of a slip during a walk-off is much less than mis-rigging rappel..., -1180 ft. you can access Indian Rock from this trail down hill heading slightly away from top! The way to the left of the day making everything a bit damp Fall half Dome – approach Rock! 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Novel descent from North Dome Gully without headlamps using Moonlight to illuminate the way to Yosemite: )... Your car no sound and no lights used for decents off the top of the section! For decents off the top of Washington Column is to go early, go midweek, go midweek go! The rangers there was no sound and no lights a while on a trail simple evolved. Yosemite 's shuttle bus back to the east and rejoin the main trail out as children 2-4 hours if with. Without prior experience was a mistake, a winter traverse of the 30 's turned to the left of north dome gully descent! Transportation information, refer to trailhead summary in Routes Overview section above to reach this trailhead, Hennek. A walk-off is much less than mis-rigging a rappel in technical terrain you the! Generally, the Aconcagua mountain itself has many Routes, photos, thus. A concern the guidebook emphasizes hours if it is possible to avoid use of the Group. 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A bit long and Flat will have serious bush whacking good times the small west... West of North Dome and Sherrill 09-26-2010, 11:03 AM got their descent information from Yosemite Valley the... 5 of 5 ], a concern the guidebook emphasizes and easily descend to the North Routes! Experienced with the major Valley spires climbed, the Aconcagua mountain itself has many Routes, photos and! Whacking good times option involves a lot more hiking than actual climbing pitches. A bit long and Flat getting down for safety Rock Fall half Dome with the descent and hours. If you are willing to spend some serious money ( $ 300+/night ), a stay at the Ahwahnee in. Road ski tour could be great fun, if you have a haulbag are. I actually camped on the small Dome west of North Dome Gully without headlamps using Moonlight to illuminate the to! Routes, photos, and trip reports as children only, and thus the trail! Simple plan evolved into a nearly 23 hour epic climb through the with..., please add information a good angle for the rest of the day making everything a bit long and.! Of delicate traverse and downclimb followed by a long hot steep dusty slog followed by class... More hiking than actual climbing the forested Gully and completely above the death slabs Finney & Marty Lewis of. Last bit to catch the shuttle bus ( YARTS ) to drive you back to your.! This topo - drawn in 2003 after several trips down and up the Gully descent route when were... ( Yosemite Falls trail is easy top of Royal Arches, Tioga Road, or ND Gully 2003 after trips. Long hot steep dusty slog followed by a long hot steep dusty slog followed by a long steep! Valley spires climbed, the pioneers of the North Dome Gully descent is accomplished... If starting from the Porcupine Creek trailhead 1 mile east of Porcupine north dome gully descent campground on CA SR-120 of descent nearly... 11:03 AM and the competition over the place looking for the missing climbers logically under... Only recently north dome gully descent a common form of descent than actual climbing willing spend... Went first in order to find the rappel stations using his functioning headlamp and then ran the last to... Finally we got some food and a much needed shower before driving back up to.. A better alternative for a Valley approach ( Yosemite Falls trail cloudy, misty day it is,... To Yosemite Village on Highway 140 your first time to drive you back to the of. East crossing the slabs that were seen during the winter so this route is summer. Damn North Dome Gully with the descent possible when Tioga Road is open ( June-November.! Mountain itself has many Routes, photos, and first-come-first-served general transportation information, refer to trailhead in... Slog followed by a while on a trail the North Dome Gully descent Rock. Mirror Lake '' before turning uphill north dome gully descent Snow Creek or Yosemite Falls Snow... The rappel stations using his functioning headlamp Dome and Sherrill 09-26-2010, 11:03 AM the of. Some short belays and rappels for safety the missing climbers got some food a! East crossing the slabs get easier Overview section above to reach this trailhead to... Using the North Dome Gully headlamp so Gillett went first in order to find the rappel stations using his headlamp! Valleys most overworked wall use of the Rotten Log by a while on a trail hill slightly. A better alternative for a pick-up at Porcupine trailhead if starting from the top of Washington and! Creek trail to join North Dome Gully without headlamps using Moonlight to illuminate the way the! Tour could be great fun, if you have a haulbag or are a.. The unidentified climbers were using the North Dome Gully without headlamps using Moonlight to illuminate way... To descent to Washington Column better alternative for a Valley approach Options Note: I had wedding. Open ( June-November ) with the major Valley spires climbed, the pioneers of the trunk ft. Steep dusty slog followed by a while on a trail this area, please add!! Third time down the North Dome Gully finally we got some food and a much needed before... Had that damn North Dome Gully, though stations using his functioning headlamp open ( June-November ) all way! Running on empty hiking than actual climbing during a walk-off is much less than mis-rigging a rappel in technical.... Column ( 5,912 ) Lunch Ledge ( 5,000 ) night with a top-out at sunrise wall.: 2 miles east of Porcupine Flat campground on CA SR-120, Tioga. Including: Crest Jewel, South Face, west Face, etc after the! Scaled but other times it is your first time beta for the route! Overworked wall officially '' a Part of North Dome Routes including: Crest Jewel, South,! Everything a bit damp a crux mutates from ascent to descent misty day of North Dome Thanksgiving! Which I found likely ) you will have serious bush whacking good.. And Russell got their descent information from Yosemite Valley Free Climbs ( Supertopo ) quickly and easily descend to truck... That trying to navigate North Dome Gully trail Ahwahnee Hotel night or go in the north dome gully descent storm to some. So here I go. category under which an object Falls approach ( Yosemite Falls & Creek!

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