Continue with onX Maps
Sign in with Facebook
All Locations >
California
> Yosemite NP
> Yosemite Valley
> Valley S Side
> P. Cathedral Area
> 6. Middle Cathedral Rock
East Buttress
5.10c YDS 6b French 20 Ewbanks VII UIAA 20 ZA E2 5b British A0
Avg: 3.6 from 931
votes
Routes in 6. Middle Cathedral Rock
|
|
Bircheff-Williams T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a |
|
|
Border Country T 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b R |
|
|
Bottom Feeder T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13 |
|
|
Cat Dancing T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
|
|
Central Pillar of Frenzy T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
|
|
Chicken Ten-D's S 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
|
|
Coffee Snob T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c |
|
|
Corner Pocket T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
|
|
Desperate for Doughnuts T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
|
|
Direct North Buttress (DNB) T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
|
|
Direct Start to Central Pillar T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a R |
|
|
East Buttress T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b A0 |
|
|
Ennui T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c PG13 |
|
|
Exodus T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13 |
|
|
Fall Guy T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
|
|
Father Time T 5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c PG13 |
|
|
Feel so Numb S 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b |
|
|
Flakes, The T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R |
|
|
Freewheelin' T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b R |
|
|
Gaia T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c A3+ |
|
|
Gaia (1st 7 pitches) T 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b |
|
|
Grand Wazoo, The T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
|
|
Ho Chi Minh Trail T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c |
|
|
Hole in One T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
|
|
Home Run T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b PG13 |
|
|
Kor-Beck T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
|
|
Lap Lobster T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
|
|
Micro-Apron Far Left T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b R |
|
|
Micro-Apron Far Right T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b R |
|
|
Micro-Apron Left T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13 |
|
|
Modern Alchemy T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
|
|
Monogamish T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c R |
|
|
Mother Earth T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a PG13 |
|
|
No Butts About It T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
|
|
North Buttress T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
|
|
Northwest Face T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 |
|
|
Paradise Lost T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13 |
|
|
Pedestal, The T,TR 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
|
|
Pee Pee Pillar T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
|
|
Pee Pee Pillar Left T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
|
|
Punny People T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
|
|
Quicksilver T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R |
|
|
Rainbow bridge S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a |
|
|
Ramer S 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
|
|
Reefer Cruise T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c |
|
|
Scorpion Tale T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13 |
|
|
Slip on Slime S 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a |
|
|
Space Babble T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c R |
|
|
Spank Your Monkey T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13 |
|
|
Stand And Deliver T,TR 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
|
|
Stoner's Highway T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b R |
|
|
Stupid Pet Tricks T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b |
|
|
Sweet Thang T 5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c |
|
|
Tapestry T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R |
|
|
Tears of Joy T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
|
|
Together Forever T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
|
|
Top Dog S 5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a |
|
|
Up the Down Staircase T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
|
|
Volkswagen Mechanic, The TR 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
|
|
Walk of Life T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b PG13 |
Order Wrong?
Sort Routes
| Type: | Trad, Aid, 1100 ft (333 m), 11 pitches, Grade IV |
| FA: | FA: 1954-W. Harding, J. Davis, B. Swift FFA: 1965-F. Sacherer, E. Leeper |
| Page Views: | 69,246 total · 318/month |
| Shared By: | Nick Storm on Feb 1, 2007 · Updates |
| Admins: | Mike Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer Ski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes |
Your To-Do List:
Add To-Do ·
Your Star Rating:
Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.
Access Issue: Latest updates on closures, permits, and regulations.
Details
Please visit climbingyosemite.com/ and nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/… for the latest information on visiting Yosemite, including permits, regulations, and closure information.
Yosemite National Park has yearly closures for Peregrine Falcon Protection March 1- July 15. Always check the NPS website at nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/… for the most current details and park alerts, and to learn more about the peregrine falcon, and how closures help it survive. This page also shares closures and warnings due to current fires, smoke, etc.
Yosemite National Park has yearly closures for Peregrine Falcon Protection March 1- July 15. Always check the NPS website at nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/… for the most current details and park alerts, and to learn more about the peregrine falcon, and how closures help it survive. This page also shares closures and warnings due to current fires, smoke, etc.
Description
Fantastic moderate put up in 1954 by Batso and friends. The East Butt of Middle is a mandatory route for those looking to bag one of the fifty classics or for people just looking to get some great views of El Cap from across the valley. Mostly 5.6-5.8, this route ascends the springtime shadow line on the buttress. With an A0 section on the 5th pitch that can be climbed at 10c (slabby but well protected), this route offers a few variations above for those wanting to climb it numerous times or for when it is high season and you may need to pass folks.
The approach is easy, but steep. The descent can be the crux in the early season due to snow in the gully. Other than that it is classic, aesthetic, accessible and fun. Enjoy.
The approach is easy, but steep. The descent can be the crux in the early season due to snow in the gully. Other than that it is classic, aesthetic, accessible and fun. Enjoy.
Location
Drive, walk or bike on the Yos Loop Road past Bridalveil Falls, around the base of Middle Cathedral and park in one of the pullouts on the side of the road. Find the climbers trail that leads back toward the formation and slog up about 800 feet to the base of the route. It starts on top of a large offset pillar with oak trees adorning the top (great shade).
The route has two descents.
For the rappel:
DO NOT climb pitch 11 which is the last pitch. A 60m rope is sufficient, no rap longer than 90'. The top rap anchor is 6' down and 20' left from the top of the 10th pitch. From there rap about 20m to broken blocks (climbers) left of tree. Next rap is about 20m, again trending (climbers) left. See here for more information.
For the Walk-off:
The basic description is to continue heading up above the climb to hit the kat walk (a psuedo trail), essentially traverse the kat walk till you hit the decent gully, the head down the decent gully.
Getting To The Kat Walk: From the top of pitch 11 after the v-shaped grove, head mostly up and a bit right (just right of a rocky ridge terrain). This should put you on a bootpath with some cairns (very exposed in places) heading gently up and into brushy area. Hike for about 100 yards following mostly clear cairns. Scramble up some class 3 gravel-covered rock. About 300 yards from the top of the pitch you should get a nice view of the very prominent north prow of Upper Cathedral Rock. The trail then crosses some more exposed class 3 slabs as it gently turns left. Beyond the slabs, the trail is better worn and easier to follow (more cairns). It also levels off mostly. Follow it through the woods and brush (exposed in places once again, some winding up and down) till you reach the top of a downward bound talus gully. Look for cairns as its easy to head up too high or too low (and cliff out). Follow the gully down for ~100 yards. It ends with a huge drop (careful) into the Middle-Upper CR gully. At this point, turn right following a faint path into the bushes as it skirts the edge of the huge drop. You’re headed for the top of the Middle-Upper CR gully. This should all be hiking, if you're scrambling you're probably off trail.
Getting Down The Middle-Upper Cathedral Rocks Gully: Scramble down the gully (~200 feet) till you reach a bolted rap anchor on climbers right. Either do one double rope rap or (there’s an intermediate station; low angle raps) two single raps. The intermediate rap anchor is a slung chock stone in a bit of a narrow slot. Uncomfortable but safe for 2 people. Once off that rap, scramble down for another ~200 feet and look for another bolted (but damaged!) rap anchor. At the time (Oct. 2018) the anchor was one bolt with a flattened hanger w/ quicklink, backed up by a long sling around a large boulder. Several more bolts where there but looked busted up from rock fall. Rap this with a single rope. Maybe another 150' down the gully come to one last drop, maybe 15'. There was a fixed rope with several loops for hand and feet almost like a ladder. Scramble down this. Keep scrambling down this gully (500+ feet?) till you come to the main trail along the base of the valley. It was dark but we didn't see a clear place to cut back to the start of the route to grab a pack etc. if you left something at the base of the route.
The route has two descents.
For the rappel:
DO NOT climb pitch 11 which is the last pitch. A 60m rope is sufficient, no rap longer than 90'. The top rap anchor is 6' down and 20' left from the top of the 10th pitch. From there rap about 20m to broken blocks (climbers) left of tree. Next rap is about 20m, again trending (climbers) left. See here for more information.
For the Walk-off:
The basic description is to continue heading up above the climb to hit the kat walk (a psuedo trail), essentially traverse the kat walk till you hit the decent gully, the head down the decent gully.
Getting To The Kat Walk: From the top of pitch 11 after the v-shaped grove, head mostly up and a bit right (just right of a rocky ridge terrain). This should put you on a bootpath with some cairns (very exposed in places) heading gently up and into brushy area. Hike for about 100 yards following mostly clear cairns. Scramble up some class 3 gravel-covered rock. About 300 yards from the top of the pitch you should get a nice view of the very prominent north prow of Upper Cathedral Rock. The trail then crosses some more exposed class 3 slabs as it gently turns left. Beyond the slabs, the trail is better worn and easier to follow (more cairns). It also levels off mostly. Follow it through the woods and brush (exposed in places once again, some winding up and down) till you reach the top of a downward bound talus gully. Look for cairns as its easy to head up too high or too low (and cliff out). Follow the gully down for ~100 yards. It ends with a huge drop (careful) into the Middle-Upper CR gully. At this point, turn right following a faint path into the bushes as it skirts the edge of the huge drop. You’re headed for the top of the Middle-Upper CR gully. This should all be hiking, if you're scrambling you're probably off trail.
Getting Down The Middle-Upper Cathedral Rocks Gully: Scramble down the gully (~200 feet) till you reach a bolted rap anchor on climbers right. Either do one double rope rap or (there’s an intermediate station; low angle raps) two single raps. The intermediate rap anchor is a slung chock stone in a bit of a narrow slot. Uncomfortable but safe for 2 people. Once off that rap, scramble down for another ~200 feet and look for another bolted (but damaged!) rap anchor. At the time (Oct. 2018) the anchor was one bolt with a flattened hanger w/ quicklink, backed up by a long sling around a large boulder. Several more bolts where there but looked busted up from rock fall. Rap this with a single rope. Maybe another 150' down the gully come to one last drop, maybe 15'. There was a fixed rope with several loops for hand and feet almost like a ladder. Scramble down this. Keep scrambling down this gully (500+ feet?) till you come to the main trail along the base of the valley. It was dark but we didn't see a clear place to cut back to the start of the route to grab a pack etc. if you left something at the base of the route.
Photos
76 Comments