To get to routes on N Face (e.g. Chouinard-Herbert) you have to scramble up this. The goal is to find a 4th/low 5th way. We took the ramp in the photo and it seemed to work okay.

All Locations > California > Yosemite NP > Yosemite Valley > Valley S Side > M. Sentinel Rock > Chouinard-Herbert (5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a)

To get to routes on N Face (e.g. Chouinard-Herbert) you have to scramble up this. The goal is to find a 4th/low 5th way. We took the ramp in the photo and it seemed to work okay.

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Chouinard Herbert with Merrill, early 90's. Such a classic

Pitch 5 lined with a bunch of old pins that have the intials YC on them...cool

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5.0 from 1 vote

Steph Abegg

Jun 26, 2017

“To get to routes on N Face (e.g. Chouinard-Herbert) you have to scramble up this. The goal is to find a 4th/low 5th way. We took the ramp in the photo and it seemed to work okay.”

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Nearby Photos

Route overlay for Sentinel approach.

There is an ASCA bolt next to this but when in Rome!

Route Overlay for Chouinard-Herbert.

Chouinard Herbert with Merrill, early 90's. Such a classic

To get to routes on N Face (e.g. Chouinard-Herbert) you have to scramble up this. The goal is to find a 4th/low 5th way. We took the ramp in the photo and it seemed to work okay.

Pitch 5 lined with a bunch of old pins that have the intials YC on them...cool

Pitch 11 or so. Maybe the best pitch on the route. 5.8 OW to 11a roof to 10+ layback to one seriously shitty hanging belay before the Afro Cuban flakes

Looking up from base of Chessman Pinnacle. For Pitch 1 we went right near Flying Buttress, then cut back left on a ramp. Seems like there are several options, some grungier than others.

P11, stellar 5.8+++ OW climbing

Afro-Cuban flakes

Pitch 12. Final easy (5.4) cracks to the top!

Corner up high

Nearing the top at sunset

following end of p12 [photo by Matt M.]

Descent gully by moonlight.

Pitch 4 (first pitch off the top of Chessman Pinnacle). At 10d, this is the first of the hard pitches of the route.

11c/C1 section on Pitch 5.

This chimney just before the final pitch to the top did not seem to make it into the topo, unless it is considered to be part of the "5.4 simulclimb to the top". It might be considered 5.4 if you can get back inside where it is easier, but it is a tight squeeze especially with gear on the harness; staying further out seems harder than 5.4.

Pitch 10. This section of the route is called the "Afro-Cuban Flakes". It is hard (11c) but riddled with pitons, so we aided through it using slings as makeshift aiders. Without real aiders and the traversing nature of the pitch, we found aiding it to be a bit difficult for both leader and follower.

Top of Pitch 9, 11a/C1. Excellent climbing on this pitch.

Nice crack on Pitch 7 (just watch out for a bit of looseness).

Also Appears In

Chouinard-Herbert (5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a)

Direct North Face (5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a)

This is a copy of the original photo.

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