Yosemite adventure with Eliza and Nate - Day 4 - Higher Cathedral Spire with Margaret

Lower and Higher Cathedral Spires

This has been such an active trip that I haven't had the time or energy for my last two blog posts until this morning! On Friday both my hosts were busy with work, but Eliza is so popular around here that she easily managed to round up another climbing partner for me. We decided to climb Higher Cathedral Spire's Regular Route (5.9), which Eliza had recommended the previous evening. This route features a rather long approach from a parking area across the valley from El Cap, two peaks down from Middle Cathedral Rock (which I had climbed two days before with Nate and Eliza). It turns out that Margaret, my partner for the day, is from Marietta, GA, just a few exits up the highway from where I live now, and that she came to Yosemite a few years ago. As we walked up to the trailhead we were joined by three other guys who, we quickly figured out, were also from the Atlanta area. What a coincidence! Not wanting to become stuck climbing behind a (presumably) slower party of three, Margaret and I put our legs into high gear on the approach trail, a steep path winding its way through both forest and talus fields. Our fast pace turned this already steep ascent into a serious enduro-fest. I guess that makes up for my lack of running all week. But the three guys behind us managed to stay with us for a long while, so we had to try to go even faster! We lost the trail a few times but finally came to the base of the climb, breathing hard but ready to climb. The three southern boys were only a short way behind us, but it turned out that we hadn't needed to hike so fast after all. They happily agreed that we should go first, as they would definitely be the slower party; they had just wanted to follow us, because they were concerned they might get lost on the approach! In the end, there was already another party starting up the climb when we arrived, but these two were moving quickly enough that they didn't slow us down by more than a few minutes.

Topo map of Higher Cathedral Spire's Regular Route

I was certainly a bit nervous about this 5.9 climb, especially given the spanking I felt I had received the previous day on an "easier" 5.8. But Margaret had assured me earlier that she would be willing to lead any of the pitches that I felt uncomfortable leading myself, and the guidebook seemed to indicate that the climb had a bit less crack climbing and a bit more face climbing than the typical Yosemite route. We decided that I would lead the easy 5.6 first pitch and the 5.9 third pitch, and she would lead pitches two and four. After waiting for the previous party to finish up, I set off up a gently sloping ramp and left-facing corner system, then traversed left and up some more to belay at a tree. This pitch was relatively casual.

Margaret at the first belay

Kenton at the first belay

Margaret led the second pitch, which went up about 15 feet, then traversed left around a bulge with a horizontal finger-crack/undercling to easier climbing above. This pitch finished at another tree belay. I then started leading the third pitch, which followed a bulging pillar for a while before traversing left into a rotten orange chimney. Here there were two variations I could have followed, either climbing left around the bulge and then up, or climbing a portion of the rotten chimney, then traversing right onto a section of exposed and exciting face climbing (5.9 face variation on the topo map). I chose the second option, especially since a party that had just rappelled down next to us assured me that it was easy to protect. True enough, there were some small but reliable cam placements in this section, which finished with a narrow, balance-y mantel. I must have stared at that move for a full five minutes before giving it a good try, even after the girl belaying above me assured me that she could see a solid (though invisible from below) handhold to which I would be moving. In the end I succeeded, but not without the grace I might have hoped for! Instead I ended up on my knees, performing the move in a style more like the long-lost cousin of the beached whale. With a huge sigh of relief, I found the "thank God!" handhold and pushed myself the final 10 feet to yet another tree belay. Backing the tree up with a few cams, I watched as Margaret made quick work of this pitch and joined me.

Margaret just after moving through the crux mantel on pitch three

From here she started up into the fourth and final pitch, traveling through some rather blocky face climbing terrain protected by old pitons. Then the climb moved right, following a huge horizontal jug in somewhat chossy rock to a short section of crack climbing (5.9 steep hands variation in the topo). This portion was the only part that felt very similar to the splitter crack systems I had encountered during my first few days in Yosemite, and I was very glad to be wearing my crack gloves. By now, I felt that I was finally getting the hang of climbing these cracks! Now I just need to learn how to do them without putting myself in too much pain. Easy terrain led to the top of this beautiful climb, which finishes directly on the spire with beautiful views of the valley floor. It was a short but really fun ascent!

Margaret atop Higher Cathedral Spire

Kenton atop Higher Cathedral Spire with El Capitan in the background. On the far right, snow covers the peaks of Tuolumne Meadows in the distance.

One thing I noticed for the first time while on this peak were the birds. There are birds here that move so fast, you feel as if someone has thrown a projectile at you when they pass by. As quickly as they appear, they’ve passed by, an encounter almost too brief for me to figure out what they look like. Nate later told me he thinks they’ve evolved this way to avoid their ever-present predator, the peregrine falcon. There are a few of these endangered raptors in the park, and this sometimes leads to closures of popular climbing areas. I gather the falcons can be disturbed if people spend too much time nearby.

After taking a break to eat lunch, rehydrate, and enjoy the view, we started the four rappels we would need to get back down. This was a bit tricky, as the rope got stuck once or twice when we pulled it down. Still, the descent didn't take too long, and we were back at the car about six hours after we had left it. We finished with another quick dip in the frigid river. Wow, is that refreshing!

Margaret starting the first rappel off of Higher Cathedral Spire