One day in Yosemite

We will be passing through mid March and have 1 day plus a few hours in the park.

Where should we climb? We are out of shape and since I have never been to Yosemite scenery is more important than the routes quality. Preferably 1-3 pitches and 5.8 or less. Craging would be ideal. (The Yosemite page on here is overwhelming having never been there so I am asking for suggestions.)

Also, any great hikes or anything where we won't be following a line of tourists would be great.

Last question, is there a way to start heading to Salt Lake without going all the way back through Sacramento before Tioga pass is open? (I am assuming it will not be open in March?)

thanks in advance!

Are the El Cap base routes a good place to start?

J mac wrote:Are the El Cap base routes a good place to start?

Go climb munginella in the five open books area, that was y first valley route, super fun with great scenery. a step up from that would be central pillar of frenzy, which is... just awesome.

OK...

If you search the mp database for 5.8 and under the Valley options dwindle quickly. Just about everything is scenic.

The Manure Pile is a safe bet: scenic, sunny, not real hard. Cragging along the base is possible, but the longer lines are the main attraction.

The El Cap base routes are largely harder than what you're after, with the exception of Pine Line which is a perfect place to wind down the day. Ice falls off the top of El Cap in the winter (most years, anyway) and it's moving pretty fast by the time it gets to you.

The Glacier Point Apron has numerous easy routes, but might be a little cold. If stuff falls from this you'll probably make the news, but you won't get to watch it.

Other suitable crags of note: Church Bowl, Jamcrack area, Pat & Jack. I've always had a hard time getting excited about Knob Hill- stuff is kinda spread out along a hillside.

Driving Hwy 49 to get to I-80 via Auburn will be kinda pretty but really twisty and gets old after a couple hours.

Hope this helps. PM me for more if you need to.

RD

Munginella is great. Central Pillar is solid Yosemite 5.9 and north-facing.]

There won't be a ton of tourists in March. But you'll be one of them, so quit being such a snob and just gape like everyone does, there's no shame in that.

Rob Dillon wrote:Other suitable crags of note: Church Bowl, Jamcrack area, Pat & Jack. I've always had a hard time getting excited about Knob Hill- stuff is kinda spread out along a hillside. Driving Hwy 49 to get to I-80 via Auburn will be kinda pretty but really twisty and gets old after a couple hours. Hope this helps. PM me for more if you need to. RD

Great suggestions, thanks guys. Manure Pile or Munginella look perfect.

I am great at thinking I'm above the tourists in places where I am most definitely a tourist.

The 5 books suck..Sunnyside jam and lieback... Maxine's P1 is 10a but really 5.9 andwell geared.
Son Of Sam on the Apron is an easy 5.9 with great gear

royal arches is fun, you'll get some crack, chimney and some easy 5th in there.....and a rope swing. the last pitch is a slab traverse which will be wet, but there are rap stations that the guides use all the time before that last pitch.

five open books and manure pile butt would both be good spots to hit. if you're in the market for 5.8 climbing, central pillar might not be for you. yos grade is stout, you might consider dropping a grade until you get the hang of climbing in the valley.

just remember, the old school guys who put up a lot of the routes you will be looking at were motherfucking sorcerers on granite. they won't be giving any grades away.

Bishop's Terrace (in the Church Bowl Area is a great 2 pitch 5.8 route (maybe even one pitch), but very popular. If you've still got time and energy, wander down to the Jam Crack area and do the first pitch of Jam Crack, then throw a TR on Lazy Bum and Bummer. The second pitch of Jam Crack is a fairly soft 5.9 and worth doing.

I suppose you could go through Fresno & Bakersfield, or use US 50 through South Lake Tahoe to get back to SLC, but I don't see either option saving you any time or money.

it's a 9 hr drive from tahoe to slc and you lose an hour due to time change.....but it's mostly straight flat highway between if you need to make up time

After 6 on Manure pile is my recommendation. If you train a little, Nutcracker would be a great goal, but you need to be better at leading (5.9) or you will get shut down. Sadly, there is not much beginner stuff in the Valley. I've climbed Nutcracker many times over the past 20 years, often with Valley newbs, and it is always satisfying.

It's longer than you are asking for (8 pitches), but it might be your only chance to get a 50 classic to yourself

mountainproject.com/v/east-…

The 5.10 climbing is closely bolted, and can be aided (but is fun to free), and the rest of the climb is mostly 5.6 with some 5.8, so it climbs quickly. I did it in March 2010 and it was perfectly dry, and we were the only party, but there was a lot of snow on the descent. I don't know what the conditions are this year. But if you only have 1 day in Yosemite, climb something big!

The East Butt of El Cap would absolutely NOT be what the OP is looking for.

i think he meant e but of middle cath

I think you are right z_dirt. Still, East Butt of Middle would not be appropriate either. Both are long climbs that would tax the fledgling 5.8 leader.

Also, a cool hike that not many know about is Sierra Point. It's off the Mist trail on a hidden trail that was officially closed in the 1970s by the NPS due to a rockslide damaging a portion of the approach. The view is spectacular of 4+ different waterfalls, but only about a mile long.

Definitely stay in Camp 4 for the scene and history. Walk to the base of El Cap and touch it just to be close to it and feel how awesome it is.

Lot's of causal climbs on Swan Slab near Camp 4. Also stroll over to the Presidential Boulders. Just walking around and hiking to different formations and up any of the trails (to Glacier Point or up to Falls Trail) is great anytime of year. You will be stoked there no mater what you do!

Better yet, follow John Muir's advice that he wrote in 1912 in his book "The Yosemite" for one day hikes:

sierraclub.org/john_muir_ex…

These are not casual undertakings. He suggests starting at midnight.

Nutcracker is awesome and the original route is 5.8. Stay in the layback corner for p1. Then head out on to the face to clip bolts. After the giant ledge, it's all 5.7-5.8 stellar climbing, don't sweat the mantel. Easy approach, great climbing and pro, scenic summit, walk off? It's perfect! And that goes for after six and after seven, bith also nice. LMunginella is good, as is selagnenilla above. 5 open books has a couple of options, including the surprise...might be 5.9. Bishops terrace is nice too, if short. Just wish there was more.

You can climb a 5.7 blocky crack to the top of Penelope's problem, an amazing 5.9 layback. Toprope it to practice your lead-the pro is great and it is an awesome climb. There is also 10c sport route there you can toprope.

The grack is kinda cool, 3 or so pitches of 5.6 slabby crack. Might be kinda soggy.

Jamcrack is great too. First pitch is 5.7 and them you can toprope two great, hard 5.10s. There is also a fun but short 5.8 layback that is pretty cool.