New Yosemite Guidebook Soft Release Today - Call For Editors!

If the website checkout isn't working you can also paypal me $20 for the pdf at erik@yosemitebigwall.com.

Hey Crew,

https://rockclimbingyosemite.com/product/2025-ebook-rock-climbing-yosemite-valley-750-best-free-routes-downloadable-pdf/

First off—huge thanks for the endless stoke and support. Yosemite’s fire burns bright in all of us, and there’s no way this guidebook would exist without the collective cheers and energy of our tribe. You all rock.

Now, for the exciting news: the new guidebook is almost ready for prime time! I’m dropping a beta version today, hoping you legends will help me fine-tune it before it heads off to the printer. Honestly, I don’t know why every guidebook author doesn’t do this—sharing a PDF early has been game-changing for getting solid feedback and making these books as good as they can be. So, huge thanks in advance for your sharp eyes and suggestions! (And yes, everyone who buys the beta will get the final version emailed to them when it’s ready—shooting for mid-April or sooner!)

When’s the print book coming?
I’m aiming to start presales in early April, with books landing on your doorstep by July (maybe even a little sooner). And don’t stress—if you snag the PDF now, you’ll score a discount when the print book + PDF bundle drops.

Oh—and yes, I know there’s no cover photo yet. I just haven’t had the time to pick one! If you’ve got any epic shots that deserve the spotlight, send ’em my way.

Thanks, thanks, thanks—seriously.

Much love,
E

Morning Erik, good job on your new book, the pdf book we swapped for  my Fresno dome book, does not work anymore the link is no longer supported anymore to view the pdf file on your Yosemite book, but no biggie I still have my reed&meyers book for the valley. lol

Hey Mike! Yeah this is a new book, 600 pages! ......old guys like you don't need guidebooks anyway haha. 

Thanks for the stoke right away guys - some have texted and emailed the site is not loading of course I got some oldie but goodie site so working on getting everything working smoother and for those who got it to work don't worry, I'm gonna email ya.......... 

I stayed up late but didn't get it totally where I want it, for your eyes, so I will be emailing everyone who orders starting at 6pm Yosemite time, so please bear with me.

Woot Woot! E

Some folks are having trouble checking out on the site - if that's the case you can also just paypal me $20 for the pdf at erik@yosemitebigwall.com

Lol no reviews here but the feedback I"ve gotten so far has been positive. It's still coming along - no cover photo, and also room for a Northeast Buttress of HIgher Cathedral shot if anyone has one? ......the presale for the print book should start by the second week of April - I'll post the link up here when it's live. Woot Woot! E

We are getting so close to finishing up this guide - the printed books should arrive in July. I will announce the preorder sales in the next days! Thanks Thanks Thanks to Josh Kalven @ Lone Pine Creative and all of the Monkeys far and wide who pitched in to make this the greatest guidebook to the greatest climbing area on Earth. Woot Woot! E

E you have a route list for this thing that you can post?

Sure Rob give me a sec - it's not that many more new routes, except for all my routes around the Lodge it's mostly just jammed full of beta, written descriptions of most climbs, Freerider mini-guide, Nose mini-guide - a kind of hybrid guidebook for the modern mindset.

Here is the route list - oh man I can already feel the heat for calling El Cap Gully 4 stars, no sweat I can take it hot lol:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/z1ppytghnngggq8fpjtua/2025-Yosemite-Free-Climbing-index-2025.pdf?rlkey=74ys38ta207djzpy6fycqnzip&st=y26oyu23&dl=0

We took a lap up the EC Gully last weekend:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/698622569232956

Erik Sloan wrote:

Here is the route list - oh man I can already feel the heat for calling El Cap Gully 4 stars, no sweat I can take it hot lol:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/z1ppytghnngggq8fpjtua/2025-Yosemite-Free-Climbing-index-2025.pdf?rlkey=74ys38ta207djzpy6fycqnzip&st=y26oyu23&dl=0

We took a lap up the EC Gully last weekend:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/698622569232956

I’ll be the first to call you out on this, Erik—EC Gully is five stars!

Lol the book traditionally is a 3 star book - 4 Stars is for only the best of the best .....any other comments on the route list? Rob?

I don’t even climb there anymore but hey I can talk smack so ….

Star ratings seem pretty traditional, except maybe I’d give the DNB and Demon’s Delight at least 3. Sadly,  no slab happy. Four stars for Coup d’Etat? Generous. The Gunsight? Same. Except as a means to dip. Speaking of which, where’s the Aqua Variation? 

Dunno if the Voyager is in the same league as the Rostrum (much less Freestone and astroman) but that’s the obvious comparison at 4-star longish .11c. I’d probably dock it one just so the scale has less upper-end compression. Or go to 5 stars, because the very best in YV are very good indeed, and then After Six would finally get its due .

also , Lena’s Lieback ****??!! GTFO with that.  Greasier than your pepperoni napkin blotter. Four star 5.9 also should perhaps not include the Kor-Beck., unless you’re just trying to make people feel better cause they got skunked on the central pillar. Am I missing the Chockstone Chimney? 3 stars. 

I don’t see Happy Gully, an unheralded **** 5.5 or something. Bit of an approach but so worthy. 

Anyhow, my opinions mean nothing next to Alexey’s input. 

Lol I hear ya about Lena's Rob but I put up a new route right next to it, and the trees in the area got pruned so Claude's Delight is really exceptional, and my Jesus Loves route is decent - more a ploy to get folks over there with the "established greatness" a la the previous guidebooks.....when you're here all year the full shade climbs of Fifi that aren't subject to the closures and crowds of the Rostrum get more action, but yeah star ratings so arbitrary I was just changing from a pullout Ticklist to a 'in the book mode' and figured folks would like to have more 'almost worthy' options, even if they argued with me from time to time, lol....if I had to say there is one thing in this book that most climbers haven't done other than the Gunsight or El Cap Gully it would be the newly cleaned old 5.7 route Psycho-good Path - that route blows my mind everytime I climb it and that's pretty often

Preorder is live - get sum! $20 off if you preorder and you get the pdf today!

https://rockclimbingyosemite.com/product/2025-rock-climbing-yosemite-valley-pdf-print-book-preorder-july-aug-delivery/

For the shipping options, where is local pickup?

Hi Sierra!

 I work at Yosemite Lodge in Yosemite Valley right across from Camp 4 - have since 2008. So local folks choose that option and then just meet me before or after work. I work 4 - 10pm ish at the Mountain Room Restaurant - for this printing unless you live right here I would recommend paying for shipping. There are several factors that can change the book's arrival date - so right now I am saying July 20 - 30th for the books to arrive to me and for shipping to begin, but that is just an estimate and could easily be a week or three later. 

Thanks for all the preorders gang - everything costs more these days so I really appreciate offsetting the considerable printing costs with preorders!

Here's the preorder link:

https://rockclimbingyosemite.com/product/2025-rock-climbing-yosemite-valley-pdf-print-book-preorder-july-aug-delivery/

 Woot Woot!E

Hey Erik. Will you have copies available to buy/pick up in Yos Village? 

Yo D! When the books arrive in July they will be carried in the all the stores in Yosemite. If you preorder and choose 'local pickup' you can meet me before or after work and grab your book. Thanks Thanks Thanks for the preorders yall!

Awesome. Thanks for your work on this.