Yum Yum Yab Yum 

There's a nest of black vultures about 10-20 ft left of the P3 belay under a roof. We backed off after P2 to avoid any issues.

I agree with John, YYYY is a great climb. I rate it significantly above Three Pines and just slightly below Gelsa in quality. Swain has it as a 5.3 but P1 does offer some challenges and probably deserving of a 5.4.

Other than the traversing P2 to the alcove the route is clean. Maybe I will get the brush and pruning shears out on the next trip up it.

Nice pictures! I'm sorry I didn't get to do this one when I was up there.

Dick Williams lists four pitches for this route; does your P2 combine his P2 and P3?

Obviously haven't looked at this in awhile. Since John hasn't replied yet I will throw my $.02 in for what it's worth.

I don't have the Williams guide. However I assume it describes a short first pitch, maybe 30 to 35 feet, to a ledge with a small pine tree at the base of the left facing corner. Many people belay here. It would seem John's P1 combines what I surmise is Williams' P1 & P2. You can see this belay pine tree just above Tricia in the photo entitled "Tricia at the Start" from Denis.

My comment above about P1 deserving of a 5.4 is assuming you don't belay at the pine tree ledge but continue up the left facing corner. You probably end up with a pitch of about 150 feet. But I haven't been on it in awhile and my memory isn't always the best.

Sorry about not responding. I'm afraid I'm no longer a Gunks local and I can't find my old copy of Williams. I believe the previous poster is correct - my P1 = P1 + P2 in Williams. There are 4 good belay points on the climb - at the first big tree, at a nice ledge with a big tree (rap anchor) after the corner (70' above the previous stance), a nice stance on the GT before the leftward traverse (about 60' higher), and a good stance at the base of the final corner (about 60' more). Doesn't much matter which of these you use - my current theory is to solo to the 1st tree 30' up and then take a really long pitch up to the great ledge at the base of the final corner. Probably need a 60m for this. Climbed YYYY last summer and I continue to be impressed with it.

A bit of a choss-fest up to the last pitch, and then it's all worth it. Really surprised there is as much loose stuff on P1 and P2.

P1 felt more like 5.4 in some sections and the very start of P3 felt more like 5.5.

The traverse at the end is absolutely awesome! Not hard at all, definitely a Gunks 5.3 or 5.4.

Possibly my favorite climb in the nears. Pitch 2 (or 3 if you're doing 4 pitches) is a joke and might have some loose stuff on it, but P1 and 3 are great. There's an optional 5.7ish exit that pulls up out of the p3 traverse onto some lichen covered rock, then steps right to rejoin the original route. I definitely recommend that finish if you want to kick it up a bit on the last pitch. It'll save you some rope drag too.

This was my very first route that I ever climbed at the Gunks, followed that is. Looking up at those impossible giant roofs from the ground was a wake up call. I said to the veteran Gunks leader (Jonathan) , that's 5.3? How are you going to get over that roof? Then I heard it for the first time, "welcome to the Gunks''. In those days I was T.R.ing 5.9 and not leading at all. This line kept my attention as I remember. 8 years later (last wknd) I got back there to lead it my myself with 76 year old Al and much younger, Mirriam following. Al has been climbing in the Gunks since before aluminum carabiners were all the rage. He had never climbed this route. I have led both High E, and Shockly's, I found this route to be just as memorable. Al, who has climbed the nose of El Cap twice among many other feats of daring, called this a "great route". He has lost some of his leading head since a recent leader fall, so I led all but the third pitch left traverse. Mirriam was also impressed by the exposure of pitch 3.

Anyway I would not combine pitch 1 and 2. The first pitch ends at a wide ledge. Climbing off the ledge with that much rope out would guarantee a bad day if you fell. Also the second pitch is pretty long, quite sustained for the grade. The third pitch, the traverse, traverses way left, so don't even think about combining the last two pitches. The last pitch ,from the belay looks very intimidating and unlikely. Climb the corner to the crappy pin, and traverse right on a wonderful hand rail with easy feet the whole way. The exposure from here is amazing. The handrail eats up pink tri cams nicely, well protected.

I think the new Williams guide is mistaken on one of the variations for the fourth pitch. It reads 5.0 for "Yabba Dabba Do" (variation 3). Taking a newbie up this, I was considering that option, but it seems to much harder than the 5.3.
Great exposure on the last pitch. We walked off so someone else can confirm this, but I doubt that two 60 meter ropes would hit the ground.

We used the Fat City rappel a little ways back on the wall (near Gelsa). Didnt see any rap from the top despite rap stations on the climb...

We used double ropes of course, most raps in the Nears require them.

Traverse is very nice, thoughtful moves and of course great exposure. Pitch 2 (or second half of pitch 1 here) was quality as well.

As Mican suggested, ledge fall potential exists linking pitches one and two together. We did this in four today, and we commonly link things whenever possible. It would also be helpful if someone revised the pitch 2 description here to include the diagonal left climbing 25 feet up into the large corner. It's not obvious when you get to the ledge on P2 where to go. Fortunately the dick williams guide mentioned this, but had we only MP's description we'd probably have flubbed this section and climbed lord knows what to the top. :-P

Haven't checked in here in awhile. What a great post by Michah! Gud'on ya Al! Climbing is such a great sport!!!!

I did not see a rap station at the top of this one, though given the two pitches with rap anchors I would have expected it. After hunting around for a while my partner and I went down the Eenie Meenie rap (to climber's left 50ft). I wouldn't recommend this one though as only the top rap anchor is really good. The second one is on slightly small tree, third one is a bunch of slings (quantity is abundant, at least 1-2 high quality ones in there) but the anchor is a pinch between two very large boulders that are disconnected from the face on a small ledge. While very unlikely that these would go anywhere I personally would skip using this rappel in the future for YYYY.

Great climb. I bet it's actually less far from the main West Trapps parking than more famous 5.3-5.4 routes (Beginners Delight + Minty).

But YYYY is not for (most) beginners because of the long traverse at the top - and with the top belay not positioned well for communication.

A good reason to stop and belay at the first pine tree ledge is so that the leader can demonstrate to followers the somewhat-tricky move sequence just above the ledge. WIth careful placement of protection, I was not feeling in danger of hitting the ledge (or not hard anyway) if I fell (but I'll check more carefully next time).

Seemed to me somewhere in the upper section of P2 (if doing four pitches), there's a bulge where it's likely to hit a ledge if leader were to fall. (This is not just above the first pine tree big ledge, it's higher than that). And one of the moves thru that bulge seemed kind of height-dependent - like for a leader much less than 5 ft 5 inch tall, could be a lot harder than 5.3.

One obviously loose stone somewhere in the middle, otherwise did not seem much looser than lots of other easy climbs in the Gunks -- though some sections are more vegetated than popular 5.3 climbs in the Trapps.

I did not place anything larger than a #1 Camalot (red). I guess there was a place on the first part of the top pitch where I could have placed a #3, but there were other options so I didn't. Lots of small-medium cams useful.

Finding the start:
I think this has gotten easier, because there's now some signs marking a property boundary, near YYYY on the informal trail.
(YYYY is around 650-700 feet / 200-220 meters past Gelsa)

First follow the directions from the Parking to "Disneyland" (see in the Comments under Disneyland ).
Then continue walking (SSW) on the the informal trail at the base of the of the cliffs ... When you reach those property boundary signs, you've gone too far. Turn around and go back north about 70-85 feet (20-25 meters), and I think the bottom of YYYY is the only clean rock around there. If you look up and slightly left, should see a Left-facing corner that starts about 20-25 feet up. Might be able to spot the pine tree on the ledge about 55-65 feet up.

For the more complicated "normal" way of trying to find it, by checking landmarks going forward south on the informal trail at the base of the cliffs ...
First follow the directions from the Parking to "Gelsa" (see in the Comments under Gelsa ).
After Gelsa, go about 165-175 ft, soon pass by one big open book (Roseland) then uphill to reach second big open book (Birdland).

another 225-240 ft, see a block leaning against the cliff, about 7-9 ft high, 7-10 ft wide, 2-3 feet thick. (Wildmere)

another 55-65 ft, see a rock standing with only a small space between it and the cliff (Elder Cleavage)

another 110-120 ft, finishing with uphill to less-steep face with a wide crack above. (Aint Dis Yab Yum)

another 90-100 ft, soon passing by a small triangular slab, reach some (relatively) clean rock:
Yum Yum Yab Yum ... (see confirmation details on second paragraph)

... (another 70-85 ft, reach the property boundary signs)

A climb as good as this deserves a more detailed description, so here's my try:

P1 - Starting up slab, trend slightly left to reach Left-facing corner, follow that to ledge with a large pine tree with rappel slings - about 50-65 feet off the ground.

P2 - First go up 10-15 feet on right side, then Left about 10 feet (tricky moves, perhaps more like Gunks 5.4) to reach left-facing corner, follow that (steep) to its top. Then up face (with a bulge) to a wide ledge - on its right side is a large pine tree with rappel slings.
. (long pitch, possibly as much as 125ft)
. (? potential leader-fall-and-hit-ledge ?)
. (the lower section of left-facing corner does not have such good protection options, yet might still be exposed to ledge-fall-hit, so consider checking carefully for protection option just before entering the corner).

P3 - at first go up, then diagonal left (vegetated) and left, finish horizontal left to reach wide ledge at bottom of wide corner.
. (While climbing, as you look up you see a roof above which seems would be impossible to make a traverse close underneath. That is not the roof of the top pitch of YYYY, which is out of sight above that roof. The point of P3 is to get around the lower roof, well below it. The point of P4 is to climb up past the lower roof, then traverse between the lower and upper roofs.)

P4 - up the wide corner like 20 ft (some trickiness), then traverse 30-40 ft horizontal under roof (exposed but good holds), then less-steep up to the top.
. (Old piton at top of corner. Perhaps could bypass that to reach the roof traverse quicker with less rope drag. But placing a small cam (with long slings) next to the piton might help protect followers on upper section of wide corner).
. (Once above the roof, the anchors and belay stances get nicer the higher you go, but then communication with followers gets more difficult).

Descent: The rappel slings on trees on P1 + P2 might make you think there should be a rappel station at the top of the climb, but there is not. Instead walk off to the north (right) and soon meet a trail.

Great description kenr! I lead it yesterday and it was just as you desribe. About he start of P2 you suggest ledge-fall potential, which is real. I solved it this way: There's a good crack just before the tricky leftward moves (use a long sling), and there's a small crack at the very base of the corner system (though there is a better nut placement a little higher, and back-cleaning any gear in the small crack will reduce drag).

As you say, there are no rap slings above the ones on the pine trees along the route, but if you go south along the top you can find a large pine with rap slings above Eenie Meenie. The rappel is hugely exposed and free hanging (about as exciting as the Le Teton rap), but two ropes will take you down in 2 rappels.

Extremely fun and adventurous climb! Varied climbing, with the slab, face and traversing under a roof. The top, after the traverse under a roof is unnerving because of the potentially slippery grass on low angle slab.

NOTE! It's very hard to find the rap anchors above Eenie Meenie! Possibly because of tree fall, but they were scary to get to and we opted to walk down to the Fat City rap; much easier to find and to access.

I'd imagine any rappel setup above Eenie Meenie would be removed since that climb is part of the closed portion of the Nears.

Thanks, Ken. My next project will be to clean up the Nears, and I'll definitely incorporate your description. In defense of the original -- it used to be a whole lot harder to distinguish the start, before the boundary signs were in place. Now it seems easy.