PRINT: Rock Climb Velvet Elvis, Yosemite National Park

Velvet Elvis

5.12a, Sport, 100 ft (30 m),

Avg: 2.8 from 4 votes
FA: unknown
California > Yosemite NP > Yosemite Valley > Valley S Side > P. Cathedral Area > 7. Lower Cathed… > Mecca

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Description

Stellar climbing through the first ~8 bolts at around 11a brings you to a very thin crux section before you get to the last bolt. After that the route takes some finger to medium sized gear for 20 feet through some heavily lichened flakes to an anchor with a red sling (visible from the ground). The route changes its character a lot after the 11a part with a hard slab crux and I think would be a lot better if it had an intermediate anchor. Retro anchor anyone?

Location

20 feet right from the start of Giblit and Beggar's Buttress.

Protection

9 bolts, a few small to medium cams.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Michael Dom

I believe this was the climb just left of sub-mission. I climbed this to what I believe is the top and once there I found no anchors or tat anywhere.

Luckily, my friend had just finished climbing sub-mission and I swung into submission and used his rope to climb the second pitch. Because of that I was able to retrieve all of my draws on this climb.

Maybe I totally missed the anchor, but I didn't see anything around. Heads up. Dec 13, 2015

Vlad S
San Francisco, CA

5.12a

I might have the name on this wrong, but the route that I described is about a few hundred feet up and left of the one you are talking about - just next to Giblet. I heard that the bolted route left of submission is a project and also seen it called "The Mission" 13a (F.A. Honnold?). Dec 14, 2015

Patsy
Merced

More people should get on this climb. Clean it up. It is safely bolted. Also, the top is climbable without cams, but a bit runout. Wouldn't want to fall on the blocky section above the crux. Oct 13, 2021