Best scrambles in Yosemite / Tuolumne Meadows?

I'm taking 3 non-climber friends to Yosemite for the first time and wanted to give them a good adventure off the usual trails.  Can anyone recommend some good scrambles that can be done in a day? Ideally we'd bag a fun peak, maybe in the 3rd or 4th class range.  Short technical sections would be OK ... they all have harnesses so I could lead and belay them up.

Thanks!

Anthony

Mountaineers route on cathedral peak isn’t a bad option, to summit they’d have to do a small amount of 5th class but for the most part it’s 4th and hiking

This may not be what you want, but with non climbers I would.consider hiking to the top of North Dome from Tuolumne and spendimg the night. One of my greatest unintended experiamces in the mountains. We went there to decend and climb North Dome. In the process we spent an incredible night watching the alpinglow wash 1/2 Dome in front of a fire. Good luck and PM me if you want beta.

On Mountaineer's I'd take a rope for them (60-100 ft of 9-10mm and maybe a couple or 3 cams to tie yourself in with), especially when it comes to downclimbing it. Maybe I was off route (but don't think so) and remember a pretty "blind" move downclimbing, about 1/2 way up the north(?) face.  If I hadn't made the move on the "up-climb" I doubt I would have done it solo.  Also, the actual summit block, if you want to do it with them, would probably be best done belayed.

I forget the name, but there's a nice lake about a mile or two south of Cathedral Peak; climbing out of that lake is a path (trail?) to the saddle west of Cathedral.  The "climb" up the left ridge from  that saddle is class 3, maybe a class 4-5 move but WAY easier than the move I found on "Mountaineer's".  Also, the peak on the right of the saddle has a class 3-4 with a few easy class 5 moves.  Great Views!!!, esp of Mathias Crest.  At one point along the ridge to the left you get to look straight down the axis of Mathias to see what a "blade" this formation really is.

If by saying the "Mountaineers" route on Cathedral Peak is meant the normal modern Descent route, keep in mind that there is a long horizontal traverse across the N face. Might be scary for beginnners. Might be difficult to protect with rope. Might be difficult to protect with rope in a way that the beginners _felt_ protected.

Also the routefinding for doing the descent in reverse as a climb is non-trivial: If you have not done it before, might not be confidence-inspiring for your beginners to have you "figuring it out" in front of them.

Ken

obvious choice, but nw but of tenaya has almost no 5th class and is a super fun outing.

This one is pretty fun - https://www.mountainproject.com/route/112389857/ne-ridge

Its a fun ridge scramble, with a short 4th class crack crux

I'd stick to stuff like hiking up the back side of Lembert Dome rather than taking non-climbers of unknown fitness on ANY climb after a significant approach. View will amaze.

Summit of Fairview, summit of Mariuolumne Dome etc would be fun hikes (Class 2) with incredible views.

Stick to Class 2...plenty of Class 3 will sketch the hell out of non-climbers and you don't want an epic. The beauty of Tuolumne makes them totally worthy.

You could always hike the descent route on Stately Pleasure Dome, then rap off. New bolts! :)

Harumpfster Boondoggle wrote:
Summit of Fairview, summit of Mariuolumne Dome etc would be fun hikes (Class 2) with incredible views.

The Fairview summit is amazing, but the 'hike' up and down Fairview would terrify most non-climbers wearing hiking shoes. 

Poor suggestion IMO

Jared M wrote:

The Fairview summit is amazing, but the 'hike' up and down Fairview would terrify most non-climbers wearing hiking shoes. 

Poor suggestion IMO

TBH I think you are right!

I didn't really flesh out the concept but what I really wanted to communicate is not to even take Class 2/3 summits in the Meadows lightly. I think taking non-climbers on anything "4th Class" is nuts in the meadows. What passes for Class 3 is gonna freak them the hell out.

If you're looking for a cool summit go hike up Clouds Rest, a great view of the Half Dome and the valley!

+++1 for cloud's rest (just a hike but a mind blowing view of the valley), +1 for NW Butt of Tenaya. There are very few 5th class moves (stay left), and the descent is fun too. +1 for the descent route of Stately Pleasure Dome (but maybe i'm just a sucker for Tenaya Lake).
I'd also recommend scrambling up the south face of lembert dome, there's tons of options there. Mt. Dana might be a nice hike. In the valley you might consider bringing them up Sunnyside Bench regular route, most of it is 4th class at best.

I recommend checking out Vogelsang Peak - while it's a long approach (7mi each way), it's all on good trails (JMT) and guaranteed "off the usual trails" feeling, not to mention magnificent views from deep inside Tuolumne backcountry. A buddy and I tagged it c2c in ~9 hrs last weekend at a mellow pace.

Specifically, check out the NE Buttress/Ridge: https://www.summitpost.org/northeast-buttress-north-ridge/158806. It's a fun scramble with some 4th class choose-your-own adventure at the top.

The Echo peaks in Tuolumne are awesome! Most of them are 3rd/4th and the views are epic.

I agree with harumpfster.  You don't want to be taking friends (at least ones you like) on any 4th class stuff.  For that reason I think Cathedral isn't the best choice.  One of the easier Echo Peaks would be a better choice. I was going to suggest Fairview, but that has sketch potential as well depending on the crowd, comfort level and footwear.  I think Lembert is a terrific hike.  Lots of slab up top to make them feel like they've done something unique.  Even just peaking a class 1 or 2 peak in the Meadows is outstanding given the scenery.  Mt. Dana is one of my favorite hikes anywhere.  Even Mt. Hoffman has killer views given its central location in the park.  You get this amazing angle on Half Dome you don't really see anywhere else.  Even hiking to Glen Aulin (bring swim trunks) is outstanding.  

Mt. Hoffman - if you want more off -trail and a better adventure go the north end of may lake, then go west, up the broad drainage, then south up 3rd class blocks to the plateau (not the far right edge, but looker's left past small trees), then over to the NE ridge of Hoffman which is fun 3rd class.  Then go down the use trail.

Unicorn Peak - take trail to north end of Elizabeth Lake, then up.  The true peak is 4th/easy 5th, but the sub-peak to the south is 3rd/4th with great views and doable in approach shoes.

Echo Peak 3 - you can 3rd class up EP1, then over 2 to 3, which has the summit register.  Outstanding views.

Hike to top of mount Watkins via old rock quarry west of olmestead

brian burke wrote: obvious choice, but nw but of tenaya has almost no 5th class and is a super fun outing.

As a solo, this is a very bad suggestion for non-climbers. I went with a climber who wanted a belay for many sections, but it is possible we went a slightly more 5th class variation... As a fully belayed climb it would take way too long with that large of a group.

Fun question and some good suggestions.

If I were in the Valley, I'd check out Sierra Point, Sunnyside Bench to the base of Yosemite Falls and Turtleback Dome.  The latter is awesome at sunset.  You could do all that in an autumn day.

Up towards TM,  I'd give another vote for Mt. Watkins.

The fisherman's trail up to Lower Cathedral Lake is a short ticket into nirvana.  No shortage of domes and peaks from there, like the east end of the ridge from Tenaya.

I'd take Budd Creek over the Elizabeth trail up to Unicorn and the other side of Cathedral.  Head up a drainage towards the east for Unicorn, where only the last hundred feet or so warrant a belay. You could spin your buddies out one by one and reel them in.  Easy climbing, a short traverse, just some exposure.  The Cathedral approach leads to a vast sea of granite if you carry on past Cathedral.  The Echo Peaks are well worthy, but I'd also hit Echo Ridge, the high point in that area.

How much time do you have?  You didn't say.  Have a fun time, Anthony.

Sunnyside Bench to the base of Yosemite Falls

It's not really particular to Sunnyside Bench but my girlfriend and I (experienced climbers) took another couple (non climbers) up that route awhile back and it turned into a mess. One of the non climbers froze up and started crying mid pitch. It all worked out but it was difficult to get everyone calmed down and back on track safely. It also inconvenienced the party behind us and resulted in everyone hiking out in the dark, which was as scary as the climb for the person who was already shaken up.

It wasn't the person's fault, they were put in a position they never should have been put in, but I have vowed not to take a non climber on multipitch again. Too much stress, not a good experience for anyone if it goes wrong. Although Sunnyside Bench is not difficult climbing the exposure can be overwhelming if a person doesn't know they can trust the rope.