Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is perhaps the mecca of worldwide rock climbing. Featuring towering granite walls, beautiful Sierra scenery, and amazingly short approaches, Yosemite is both the birthplace of modern rock climbing, and also home to some of the world's most famous routes.

Located just four hours east of San Francisco, Yosemite National Park sees almost 4 million visitors a year. While many rightly complain that it turns the several square mile Valley floor into an unholy zoo, it takes but a small bit of either hiking or climbing to leave the crowds far below and enter into the spiritual sanctum that is one of the world's most beautiful natural settings.

Directions: From San Francisco, take 580-E to 120-E all the way to the Valley Floor. The drive itself is approximately four hours long, but requires motorists to suffer on congested highways for only the first hour and a half. After that, the roads are of the one and two-lane variety, and actually make for a nice, relaxing drive amongst ever-improving scenery as you approach the Valley.

Where to Stay: There are many options for lodging in Yosemite, but navigating through the choices can be something of a pain. Below is a breakdown of the various lodges and campgrounds and approximate prices for each (although the pricing is variable depending on the season and the demand.)

First and foremost is Camp 4, the 'climbers' campground,' located just west of Yosemite Falls. Camp 4 is recognized as one of the world's three most famous base camps, with Chamonix and Everest Base Camp being the other two most notable operations centers when it comes to famous climbing achievements.

The campground itself is rather plain with open campsites and picnic tables spread out over a few hundred yards. Its charm comes mainly from its location in the Valley, as well as its astounding history. In 1997, the Park Service planned to develop an employee housing site over historic Camp 4 after severe flooding destroyed much of the housing, but were stopped when legendary climber Tom Frost led an effort to secure Camp 4 on the National Register of Historic Places for, "its significant association with the growth and development of rock climbing in the Yosemite Valley during the 'golden years' of pioneer mountaineering." During the '60s, '70s, and '80s, many of the country's (if not world's) best climbers made Camp 4 their semi-permanent home. The lax approach to enforcing camping limits and the Valley 'dirtbags' willingness to live for months at a time in the dust and dirt of Camp 4 was perhaps one of the critical factors in allowing climbers to push the standards higher and higher as a constant commitment to climbing and the climbing lifestyle allowed these denizens of the Valley to squeeze out every last drop of talent.

Camp 4 is a walk-in campground and thus reservations are not available. To secure a site, one must arrive early (pre-8 am) and wait in line at the ranger station located just inside the camp. Depending on availability, climbers can stay here for $5/night per person (a total of 6 people allowed in each campsite) for up to 14 days per year. The campground is open year round, has community bathrooms, and no showers. If a shower is desired, one can shower at Curry Village for a cost of $2.

Lastly, despite its lack of accoutrements, Camp 4 offers dozens of classic bouldering problems, including the famed Ron Kauk FA, Midnight Lightening, on the Columbia Boulder located in the middle of the campground. While officially V8, it is regarded as much harder than that now given the amount of polish the holds have undergone after a few decades of visiting climbers testing themselves on this, the world's most famous boulder problem.

Midnight Lightning

Curry Village: Curry Village is one of my favorite places to stay in the Valley. Open all year long, it features canvas covered tent cabins offering guests several options including heated or non-heated tents, 'Signature' cabins that have wooden walls or the standard canvas covered tent type cabins, and also a number of all wood cabins that include their own private bathrooms, but typically must be reserved months and months in advance. Each tent cabin includes several cots equipped with pillows, sheets, and wool blankets. Also provided are towels for the community showers. Curry Village offers several dining options for guests including the ever-popular pizza deck, a tacqueria in the warmer months, an indoor bar and grill, a buffet, and a coffee shop for bagels and various baked goods. There is also a small grocery store where visitors can pick up snacks, drinks (including beer, wine, and liquor), and other sundry items.

Reservations for Curry Village can be made at the Yosemite National Park website: www.yosemitepark.com/plan-your-visit.aspx.

Prices range from $40 for the unheated tent cabins in winter, up to $100(ish) dollars in the busy summer months.

1921 Promotional Poster

Housekeeping Camp: This area is located along the Merced River in the center of Yosemite and while more rustic than even Curry Village, it offers a great deal of charm given its river bank setting, its large group feel, and due to the fact that guests here are allowed to have campfires (which are only allowed at a few places in the Valley.) The 'rooms' are really three-walled structures with cots much like those found in Curry Village. Each unit has a private picnic table and fire pit near the entrance to the unit, with small stick fences delineating the space. Guests are directed to drive up to, and park directly in front of, their units allowing for easy unloading for the scores of families and other large groups that bring cooking equipment, coolers, rafts, and bicycles to the park for what are typically longer stays. Its not unusual to see guests hang chili pepper lights around their encampment and I've also seen movie projectors set up with kids seated around watching Disney movies under the stars in Yosemite. This is a real gem of a location and reservations should be made several months in advance using the Yosemite Reservations website: www.yosemitepark.com/Accomodations_HousekeepingCamp.aspx.

Reservations are typically $75-$130 per night. Housekeeping Camp offers no eateries of its own, but does feature a small gift shop with groceries and firewood. For hot food, guests can make the short (<1 mile) walk to the restaurants at Curry Village.

Housekeeping Unit


Yosemite Lodge at the Falls: This lodge can best be described as a typical hotel. Each room offers comfortable beds, private baths, and even televisions (why on earth you'd watch television in the world's most beautiful place is beyond me, but its there if you'd like to use it.) The rooms are not particularly fancy, but are ideally situated near Yosemite Falls. There are several dining options available including a food court with a wide range of self-serve items, a fancier restaurant called the Mountain Room, a bar called the Mountain Room Lounge, and a small grocery. The Lodge, like Curry Village, also has an outdoor pool that is open during the warmer months. Average prices range between $120-$200 per night depending on season and demand.

The Ahwahnee Hotel: Exorbitantly expensive, but rumored to be worth every penny, the Ahwahnee Hotel was originally built as a way to draw influential and wealthy people to the nation's more breathtaking natural sites in order to garner their support for the concept of the National Parks. Located on the Valley Floor east of Yosemite Lodge, the Ahwahnee offers luxury accommodations and dining in the fabulously designed four star hotel. Prices range from $330-$500 depending on season and demand.

Ahwahnee Hotel

There are several other campgrounds in and around Yosemite, but generally must be reserved up to a year in advance. For further details and booking information, please see: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/campground.htm.

When to Go: Yosemite is breathtaking no matter the season. In fact, some of the best times to visit the Valley are in the colder months in late Fall and early Winter. But, if you are limited to just one or two trips a year, the following breakdown of seasons, conditions, and available activities should be of interest.

Spring: Warm days and cold nights punctuate this season. The Park is somewhat uncrowded in the Spring offering a chance to enjoy the Valley without all the hustle and bustle. On the plus side, the waterfalls are typically peaking in late May/early June, so if you are visiting to see peak water conditions or take photographs this might just be the ideal time to plan your visit. On the downside, much of Valley's granite walls are streaked with water from the dozens of seasonal cascades that fall from the high Sierra as the snow begins to melt. Plan on climbing on the Park's shady south side if visiting in Spring, or on any of the Park's hundreds of boulder problems.

Summer: By mid to late June, the temperatures and crowds both begin to skyrocket making climbing a sweaty chore, and navigating the available eateries, roads, and parking lots a nightmare. That said, the long days, mild nights, and warmer temps give visitors a chance to swim in the Merced River (use extreme caution!) or take a raft down the river (rentals available at Curry Village), swim in the man-made pools, and enjoy much longer hikes without the risk of getting caught benighted. If its too hot to climb, do what many Yosemite veterans do, and head to Tuolumne Meadows where the temperatures are much more mild and try your hand at run-out climbing up knob covered slabs.

Fall: Big wall season. Climbers flock to the Valley in the Fall, when the cooler days provide the best possible friction on Yosemite's glacier carved walls. Camp 4 is usually at its peak occupancy in the Fall, so make alternative plans in case there is no availability. You are likely to see many famous wall climbers tramping around the Valley and its a great time to lay in El Cap Meadows with a pair of binoculars to watch those brave souls as they work their way up the Big Stone! This is also the ideal chance to try and send some of those frustratingly slick boulder problems in Camp 4, below Sentinel, at the Ahwahnee, or in Curry Village.

Winter: While usually snow covered throughout the Winter, the Park Service does an excellent job paving the roads. Check the national park website for updated road conditions including chain conditions. I've traveled to Yosemite dozens of times in Winter and must say that it is one of my favorite seasons. The snow covered Valley, free of tourists, is paradise found! Opportunities for climbing depend on how cold the rock is. Its usually best to gravitate to the Park's north side as it gets the most sun in Winter and offers the best opportunities to go bouldering and the like. The rock can be very cold though, so consider a snowshoe trek followed by a hot toddy in the Mountain Room Lounge should you find it too cold to climb.

Route Suggestions: There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of established routes in Yosemite. There are many guidebooks available that should be used as a reference upon arrival in the Valley. In the meantime though, I'll provide a few suggestions for single pitch (or short multipitch) moderates that have stood the test of time as absolute must do classics, especially for newer leaders.

Sunnyside Jamcrack P1 (5.7). Sunnyside Jamcrack is just East of the bridge below Yosemite Falls. Perfect hand jamming takes the leader up to a comfortable ledge that has bolths that can be used to set up top ropes for the thin, Lazy Bum (5.10d) and Bummer (5.10c). Often crowded, its best to arrive early or later in the evening if hoping to climb Sunnyside Jamcrack otherwise prepare to wait in line. A standard rack with a few #1s and #2s should suffice for most leaders. The only better jamming I've ever found is on Double Cross in Joshua Tree (5.8.)

(L-to-R) Bummer, Lazy Bum, Jamcrack

Lemon (5.9): Just left of Bummer is the flake route, Lemmon. While much too short, and a bit awkward to place gear, Lemon is a very enjoyable route, that I highly recommend.

Lemon 5.9

Another great area for beginner to intermediate climbers is the Swan Slab area at the East end of Camp 4. Here, its possible for a competent leader to set up a large number of top-ropes. The only rub is that this area is commonly used by the Yosemite Mountaineering School for their guided classes. So, just like the Jamcrack area, plan to climb here either during the week, or very early/late on weekends.

A few classics in the Swan Slabs area:

Grant's Crack (5.9): A somewhat difficult lead due to the thin and somewhat liebacking nature of the cracks, this is a very fun and challenging route that ends at a prominent tree above.

Penthouse Cracks (5.8-5.10+): Located at the West end of Swan Slabs there is a prominent slab with various 5.6-5.8 routes that can be top-roped using a tree/flake/crack at the top of a wide and flat platform of rock that is accessed by walking up and around the left side of the slabs. Above the platform are the penthouse cracks that can be top-roped off of a two bolt anchor. To reach the bolts for these cracks, ascend 3rd-4th class up the left side (not very exposed but obviously, as is always the case when scrambling, can be quite dangerous). The Penthouse cracks are great fun, offering three (or four) routes off the same top-rope. This area is also somewhat less crowded than the main Swan Slabs area.

Penthouse Cracks

Pot Belly (5.8): Located at Knob Hill, this 5.8 crack route (with several variations) can be top-roped off gear anchors (several cams using cracks at top of route). The top can be reached by walking up on the right hand side. Knob Hill is found by parking in the pullout just past Cascade Falls off 120 after the Valley First comes into view. Take a climbers trail just right of the bridge over the falls up for 10 minutes or so until you see the route.

Pot Belly

We will continue to update Yosemite with route information and hope that our readers will continue to share trip reports and favorite Yosemite Routes with us!