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Yosemite Falls Area 


Yosemite Valley


4 people found this page useful
Submitted By: Josh Janes on Jun 15, 2006
Administrator: Greg Opland
Elevation: 4,000 feet
Latitude: 37.7436  Longitude: -119.5990 
Aerial photo/map | Weather
Views: 823,555 page views

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Ribbon Falls area.
Photo by Blitzo.



Description 

Yosemite Valley is THE PLACE for many rock climbers. A literal mecca for climbers across the globe, the crags and walls of "The Valley" see thousands of climber-days in the course of a year. During the height of the season, it's typical to hear climbers on El Capitan yelling back and forth in English, German, Japanese, Russian and many other languages. In this one place, many factors come together to form a nearly perfect arena for rock climbing; mild weather, beautiful scenery, and incredible granite walls perfectly suited to climbing. On a rest day, visit the many tremendous waterfalls, hike some of the beautiful trails, and breathe in one of the most incredible places in the entire country.


Getting There 

Yosemite Valley can be reached from the west, south or east via highways 120 (west), 140, 41 or 120 via Tioga Pass. The Tioga Pass drive through Tuolumne Meadows from the east side is normally closed from sometime in the fall through mid to late May due to snowfall.

Traffic is an ongoing issue with Yosemite Valley during the tourist season. On especially busy days, cars are even stopped from entering the park once its determined that capacity has been reached. Plan accordingly.


Weather 



The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Yosemite Valley:
Midnight Lightning   V8     Boulder   Camp 4 Bouldering
Snake Dike   5.7 R     Trad, 8 pitches, 2000 feet, Grade III   Half Dome
Bishops Terrace   5.8     Trad, 1 pitch, 150 feet   Church Bowl
Nutcracker   5.8     Trad, 5 pitches, 500 feet   Manure Pile Buttress (aka R...
Central Pillar of Frenzy   5.9     Trad, 5 pitches   Middle Cathedral Rock
The Nose   5.9 C2     Trad, Aid, Grade VI   El Capitan
Salathe Wall   5.9 C2 R     Trad, Aid, 35 pitches, 3500 feet, Grade VI   El Capitan
Reed's Pinnacle-Direct Route   5.10a     Trad   Reed's Pinnacle Area
Steck-Salathe   5.10-     Trad, 15 pitches   Sentinel Rock
Royal Arches   5.10a/b     Trad, 15 pitches   Royal Arches
Sons of Yesterday   5.10a/b     Trad, 6 pitches   Royal Arches
East Buttress   5.10b     Trad, 9 pitches, 1200 feet   El Capitan
Outer Limits   5.10c     Trad, 2 pitches, 190 feet   The Cookie Cliff
Lunatic Fringe   5.10c     Trad, 1 pitch, 140 feet   Reed's Pinnacle Area
East Buttress   5.10c     Trad, 11 pitches, 1100 feet, Grade IV   Middle Cathedral Rock
Serenity Crack   5.10d PG13     Trad, 3 pitches   Royal Arches
The North Face   5.11c     Trad, 8 pitches   The Rostrum
Astroman   5.11c     Trad, 10 pitches, 1000 feet, Grade IV   Washington Column
Separate Reality   5.12a     Trad, 1 pitch, 50 feet   Wildcat Falls & Above the C...
Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome   5.12a/b     Trad, 23 pitches, 2200 feet, Grade VI   Half Dome
Browse More Classics in Yosemite Valley

Featured Route For Yosemite Valley
toward the top

5.10d Name? 5.10d  CA : Yosemite National Park : ... : U.S.G.S. Wall
This sustained route clips three bolts at the beginning and continues up the only crack on the wall past a pumpy finger crack....[more]   Browse More Classics in CA


Photos of Yosemite Valley Slideshow Add Photo
Troy Johnson on "Lightweight Guides" 5.10a.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Troy Johnson on "Lightweight Guides" 5.10a.
Photo ...


Pool, Lower Yosemite Falls.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Pool, Lower Yosemite Falls.
Photo by Blitzo.


Bill Price on "The Phoenix", the first 5.13.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Bill Price on "The Phoenix", the first 5.13.
Photo...


Steve Bosque on Lost Arrow Spire, 1975. Photo by Blitzo.

Steve Bosque on Lost Arrow Spire, 1975. Photo by B...

Mountain Kingsnake.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Mountain Kingsnake.
Photo by Blitzo.


Snowplant.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Snowplant.
Photo by Blitzo.


<br />Most handsome ditch on the globe.


Most handsome ditch on the globe.


Rainbow-Vernal Falls.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Rainbow-Vernal Falls.
Photo by Blitzo.


Sunrise over the Clark Range.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Sunrise over the Clark Range.
Photo by Blitzo.


Bridelvail Falls and Leaning Tower.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Bridelvail Falls and Leaning Tower.
Photo by Blitz...


Valley rim-winter.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Valley rim-winter.
Photo by Blitzo.


The Valley-Winter 1975.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

The Valley-Winter 1975.
Photo by Blitzo.


Mossy Boulder, behind Camp 4.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Mossy Boulder, behind Camp 4.
Photo by Blitzo.


The Nose

The Nose

Muir Wall...

Muir Wall...

Muir, spring...

Muir, spring...

<br />East end of Yosemite Valley and the high country above, view from the north.  Shot taken above Hetch Hetchy.


East end of Yosemite Valley and the high country ...


Uh, where's the road? Pay attention to the weather forecasts.

Uh, where's the road? Pay attention to the weather...

Merced River.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Merced River.
Photo by Blitzo.


Just another beautiful day.

Just another beautiful day.

Sunset looking back towards Wawona.

Sunset looking back towards Wawona.

A beautiful day in November.

A beautiful day in November.

Bored in Yosemite.

Bored in Yosemite.

Panoramic shot from the Five Open Books area.

Panoramic shot from the Five Open Books area.

Prescribed burn 7-19-07

Prescribed burn 7-19-07

Shot taken from Yosemite Village.

Shot taken from Yosemite Village.

1/2 Dome

1/2 Dome

Happy times!

Happy times!

The view from the top of Half Dome, looking west down the Valley.

The view from the top of Half Dome, looking west d...

The Leaning Tower

BETA PHOTO: The Leaning Tower

The mist trail on the way to half dome

The mist trail on the way to half dome

Out in the meadow.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Out in the meadow.
Photo by Blitzo.


El Cap...

El Cap...

Clouds lifting over the falls.

Clouds lifting over the falls.

Backside of Middle and Lower Cathedral Rocks, with El Cap and the Three Brothers in the background.  Taken from the summit of the Leaning Tower.

Backside of Middle and Lower Cathedral Rocks, with...

Some fine boulerig on the horse trail to Muir lake

Some fine boulerig on the horse trail to Muir lake

Bouldering in the Valley

Bouldering in the Valley

Sad but true

Sad but true

The Valley on a really cold day

The Valley on a really cold day

the extraordinary Julia Parker, Yosemite National Park Visitor's Center & Museum

the extraordinary Julia Parker, Yosemite National ...

February storm

February storm

El Cap Meadow

El Cap Meadow

"Do not stop in the path"

"Do not stop in the path"

Inspiration Point, Yosemite Valley.

Inspiration Point, Yosemite Valley.

Bridalveil

Bridalveil

Fire in the Valley, summer '97.

Fire in the Valley, summer '97.

I think this tree fell over, this was maybe in 2002?  On top of Sentinel Dome, Half Dome in the background.

I think this tree fell over, this was maybe in 200...

Vernal Falls, 2002 or so.

Vernal Falls, 2002 or so.

Just some random hunk of stone I decided to take a picture of

Just some random hunk of stone I decided to take a...

Ribbon Falls & El Cap during a storm

Ribbon Falls & El Cap during a storm

The Falls

The Falls

Washington Column and Half Dome

Washington Column and Half Dome

Awestruck in El Cap Meadow

Awestruck in El Cap Meadow

Looking out over the valley after climbing Snake Dyke <br />6.16.09

Looking out over the valley after climbing Snake D...

February in Yosemite Valley.

February in Yosemite Valley.

Shot 1 of 2, woefully underprepared but psyched to find this while biking though the Valley last month.  It's at the Housekeeping Boulder, Unknown V1? Pretty fun, not too bad without shoes or a pad.  This move and the next were the crux for me.  Starts in the little corner down and right, I guess, based on chalk patterns.

Shot 1 of 2, woefully underprepared but psyched to...

Shot 2 of 2, higher up on the jugs.  Sept 09.  See prior photo for a link to better beta about the boulder and the lines, but it's right across the road from the Housekeeping camp.

Shot 2 of 2, higher up on the jugs. Sept 09. See...

Not sure what this was, pretty cool looking bird.  Any ornithologists out there?  Sept 09.

Not sure what this was, pretty cool looking bird. ...

From the western end of the Valley, daytime, Sept 09.  Shot 1:2.

From the western end of the Valley, daytime, Sept ...

From the western end of the Valley, sunset, Sept 09.  Shot 2:2.

From the western end of the Valley, sunset, Sept 0...

Yosemite Valley from the Tunnel View vista, classic shot.  Sept 09.

Yosemite Valley from the Tunnel View vista, classi...

Not in Pisa.

Not in Pisa.


Comments on Yosemite Valley Add Comment
Show which comments
By susan peplow
From: Phx J-Tree
Aug 3, 2006

Effective July 31st access twice daily east/west bound with pilot car. See link for details and times.

http://www.inciweb.org/incident/news/article/236/820/

By marde
From: Germany
Dec 30, 2008

getting there without a car:
from San Francisco airport:
bart (local train, http://www.bart.gov) to Richmond Station
change there to amtrak
amtrak (http://www.amtrak.com) train to Merced
yarts bus (http://www.yarts.com) from Merced to the valley

By Ryan DeBruyn
From: Redlands, CA
May 21, 2009

Not many bouldering problems posted on MP. Looking to boulder check out an excellent guide my Matt Wilder. Yosemite Valley Bouldering by SuperTopo. http://www.supertopo.com/packs/yosemiteboulder.html

By C Miller
Administrator
Aug 4, 2009

A good link to Valley Bouldering - http://betabase.blogspot.com/