Red Dihedral (aka "Yggdrasil")

This long strenuous route is a back country classic, and one of Peter Croft's "Big Four Free Climbs" of the High Sierra (see Peter's book here).

Free topo at supertopo.com/freetopos.htm…

Start early, or move fast, or both. A very popular climb for the High Sierra.

Start on the right side of the west wall - close to where the descent gully emerges. Class 3 ledges lead left across the face.

P1 - Class 4 ramp/cracks lead to the first stiff bit - a 5.8 bulge above a short corner - a couple of moves regain easier climbing and a ledge below a steep vee chimney.

P2 (long pitch) - A technical, steep, and strenuous pitch. The chimney is tricky, follow cracks and vertical flakes up and right, with another cruxy move before the old stance (and a bolt) - keep going up enjoyable and technical moves until right underneath the Red Dihedral, stiff final moves lead to a small footledge (small pieces), rappel slings located here. Some sparse protection in places.

P3 (CRUX) - Your mates big lead. Steep and sustained 5.10- dihedral with good pro to the best rest beneath the bulge, over the bulge (5.10) to a step right, then big flakes to a belay alcove - a super-classic pitch.

P4 (long pitch) - Around onto the exposed ramp which leads steeply to easier ground, with strenuous steeper bits (5.9), followed by a 5.6 ramp/groove to a ledge below the "Splitter Crack".

P5 (200ft) - Nice approach to the splitter @ 5.10a (pure and classic), or a dihedral to the left at 5.9 (more varied) - it all depends upon what you like. Continue up more steep steps and cracks barely reaching a notch beneath the "Shattered Pillar".

P6 - Left of the pillar, corner and cracks lead to a fierce lttle lieback and a superfluous bolt. Ledges then to a 5.8 lieback, then a ledge on the left.

P7 - Up the easy corner/slab, then right beneath an overlap to a steep crack through a horizontal crack with a bulge (5.9) to step right onto a ledge/ramp, go right then up a steep crack, wander then to a ledge below a corner, and a wavy crack.

P8 - The corner and crack (5.7) lead to a slab and the notch in the north ridge.

P9 - The Class 3 ledge easily (with a final exposed step) to a chimney jammed with big blocks.

P10 - The chimney at 5.8, over blocks to a large ledge.

P11 (short) - The 5.8 corner behind (will it ever end?) and up the sandy ledge (ugh) to the bottom of the final chimney.

P12 - The chimney (5.6) to the "Keyhole" where you make your final strenuous effort and are finally birthed by the Red Dihedral. Big people will have trouble - shed all gear.

See descent on Incredible Hulk page.

On the right side of the west wall, up a shallow buttress of somewhat less monolithic rock - the actual dihedral can be seen here too.

Full rack of cams with doubles in the 1" to 1.5" sizes. Wires and small cams are useful for some of the belay anchors.