One of THE all-time 5.10 finger cracks. This single, 110-foot section of fractured granite offers more perfect fingerlocks (on clean stone and in a breathtaking setting) than many climbers will encounter in their life times. This is the sad truth, and lines such as Mr. Natural are among the rewards and privileges of having access to the cradle of American rock climbing.
Start the climb by traversing from the sometimes ant-infested tree, first up, then across climber's right, and finally down and right again (5.6 on obvious features, sparse pro) to the bottom of the business. Slot the first of +/- three dozen flawless fingerlocks that await you on your bid for the anchors and you're off. The occasional handjam will provide decent rests, and let you conserve your finger-sized cams. The wall gradually steepens and the crack gradually thins as you near the chains.
Clip anchors, dumbfounded and euphoric, and reconfirm to yourself that it is in fact worth it to pay such high rent to be able to live near stuff like this. (Or plane tickets to get here).
Location
Approach from the parking lot as for other climbs on the Apron. Continue up and right (West) along the base, keeping an eye out for a finger crack with a sculpted-by-the-hand-of-god look to it which begins about 120 up the wall in a section of clean, grey rock. To reach the tree belay at the start of the climb, which sits on a ledge 110 feet above the talus, either climb Apron Jam (5.9 layback), or scramble up the 4th class ramp that angles up and left from directly beneath Mr. Natural. Two 2-rope raps get you to the ground from the anchors.
Warning: there has been serious rockfall in the GPA vicinity, and fatal rockfall in the area of this climb, in recent history. GPA is a rockfall zone. The same could be said for virtually all of Yosemite Valley, but perhaps more so here than other areas. See below for more.
Protection
Many, many finger-sized cams and nuts, from very small to wide fingers, plus a few hand-sized pieces (up to 1.5-2") for the occassional pod. Bring runners for the first few pieces (traverse and lower crack). The bolted anchor on top is pretty poor (two old, rusted bolts, one new bolt, all three with chains/rapid links cross-loaded on the hangers).
By Mike Morley Administrator From: Oakland, CA May 1, 2007
I climbed this a number of years ago (1998?) with a Korean guy named Han that I had met only minutes before in the Camp 4 parking lot. He spoke no English at all and I spoke no Korean whatsoever. Upon arriving at the base of Glacier Apron, I pantomimed that we could either scramble up to the base of the route by the 4th class approach, or climb a WIDE 5.9. Han indicated that the 4th class way did not interest him. With that, he picked up my rack (consisting at the time of a set of nuts and hexes, and single cams up to a #4) and started up the WIDE crack - Apron Jam. For those of you who have climbed Apron Jam, you'll know that when I say wide, I'm not kidding. Anyway, Han climbed up about 30 feet placing no pro, placed the single #4 Camalot (which was tipped out), then continued up another 30 feet, at which point the #4 Camalot pivoted and slid down the rope to me. So here is Han, 60 feet up with no pro and nothing left on the rack big enough to fit the crack, and another 60 feet to go to the anchor. So what does he do? He starts gunning it for the top! (Meanwhile, I'm slowly moving myself to the side so if/when he falls he won't land on me and kill us both). Well, thankfully he makes it to the anchor without falling and belays me up. Not the least bit shaken, Han is itching to lead Mr. Natural. I say okay, go for it. He starts up, gets into the crux finger section, and yells at the top of his lungs the only English word he knows -- TAKE!!! So I took. Unfortunately (for Han), he didn't know the nuances of the word "Take". What he meant to say was "Watch Me", but didn't know those words. So when I took, I pulled him right off the route and he took a nice 20-footer. He got back on, finished the route, belayed me up, and was totally pissed off. Unfortunately, we couldn't "debrief" the misunderstanding due to the language barrier, so we rapped down and walked our separate ways without saying a word. Pretty funny in retrospect.
By Chris Miller Administrator May 1, 2007 rating: 5.10c
A striking splitter that just begs to be climbed and isn't nearly as difficult as it looks (rememember, it's on a slab). Approach via Dr. Feelgood (5.10d) for an amazing two pitch combination.
Another possible approach to the start of Mr. Natural is Green Dragon, which Chris Cantwell and Dean Young put up in 1979. Reid, who is pretty stingy with stars, gives it the full array, but also gives it an R/X. It can be safely toproped (two ropes, maybe one 70 would make it?) on your way down from Mr. Natural.
Meant to add in the description, there's no need to rap off of either of the trees near the start of Mr. Natural - a bolted anchor is there, on top of Green Dragon, to avoid any unnecessary damage to the trees themselves.
I also agree that this is a great lead for anyone looking to push into the grade. Used to be rated .10d and since downrated, I heard. Much easier than other .10c lines like Lunatic Fringe and P1 Bombs Over Tokyo, and probably even Sacherer Cracker. Might be on par with first pitch of Salathé.
A climber was killed by rockfall on Mr. Natural in the summer of '99.
By Mike Morley Administrator From: Oakland, CA May 3, 2007
The climber's name was Peter Terbush.
Kevin Worrall reported in CLIMBING No. 188 the following. . .
"On Sunday, June 13, 1999, Peter Terbush and two friends, identified only as Kerry and Joseph, were climbing in cool evening temperatures on Yosemite's Glacier Point Apron. Terbush belayed as Kerry led the Apron Jam, a 5.9 corner often used to approach Mr. Natural, a popular 5.10c thin crack. Terbush (belaying) and Joseph were on the ground when an estimated 150 to 200 tons of granite suddenly cut loose from approximately 1000 feet above. Kerry, leading some 60 feet off the ground, looked up to see car-sized boulders careening down the slabs. As granite exploded all around them, Joseph fled the onslaught, and Peter Terbush stood his ground belaying while Kerry attempted to place an anchor. Miraculously, both Joseph and Kerry survived with minor injuries, but Terbush, 21, of Gunnison, Colorado, was killed instantly."
Glacier Point Apron
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