Royal Arches Rappel Route topo

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Royal Arches Rappel Route topo

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Royal Arches

My partner Jeff on Pitch 15 of the Royal Arches.

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Clint Cummins

Jun 14, 2019

“Royal Arches Rappel Route topo”

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Back in the day...when the "rotten log" was in place on the traverse 11th pitch. Kevin Sargent crawling across. Royal Arches

7/23/16 - here's our beta using 70m rope (please excuse the poor photo quailty, i grabbed and stitched it from google map/earth)

Looking down valley from Arches.

Topo showing pitches 5 through 15 of the Royal Arches Route (5.7). A true classic. Most of the route is clean and pretty straight forward. Just follow the chalk, fixed gear, and other climbers. Although it can get crowded, it's a worthwhile climb.

Soloing on Royal Arches on a linkup with Crest Jewel Direct. This is a pitch or two above the traverse, I believe.

Royal Arches Rappel Route

This shows the scale of the climb. Inside the red "O" at the top center are two climbers at the 15th pitch anchors which is the first rappel station.

Soloing on Royal Arches on a linkup with Crest Jewel Direct. This is somewhere around mid-route, pitch 8 or so. Fun 5.8 handcrack.

Yosemitebigwall.com

Second-to-Last Arches Rap - Better Way

This is a photo of the 13th rap station that is difficult to find after the scramble down. This is next to it looking back up the scramble. Hope this helps others find it faster than we did. (Light red circle in the shade are the bolts.

3 unknown parties running a conga line up royal arches on the morning of October 16th 2022

Brenda cleaning the belay station just above the fixed pendulum. Note the water on the rock in the foreground -- it was pretty wet up there, and Half Dome in the background.

Topo Page 2 Updated (2020)

Myself seconding the Lower slab exit. 5.4 fright that only Yosemite can provide.

Twin 70m Rap Beta for RA rap route, annotated to Sloan's topo

View from "the beach"; a sandy ledge and great lunch spot right below the pendulum.

View of Little Yosemite Valley and the Apron from the lower end of the route, upper traverse was totally covered in pine needles

Barry on pitch one.

Glad to be on Pebble Beach after leading the pitch 8 offwidth crack. Incredible day.

Loose blocks at the end of the "new" traverse. Avoid these and climb up short easy lie-back to gain the old route.

The perfect 5.7 hand crack variation to pitch 7 instead of the 5.5 offwidth. Much better option!

Hand crack on 6 or 7 pitch

Ray on p1

Orchids at the top out

Royal Arches

Royal Arches Rappel Route topo

My partner Jeff on Pitch 15 of the Royal Arches.

Pitch after first long ramp, May 2008.

Crossing this slab is the final pitch of the route.

Learning how to crack climb through a bomber directional

Easy climbing in the valley

Daren coming up to the ledge below the slab crux/pendulum pitch...

Looking down at my partner Daren on the upper section of Royal Arches...

Rappeling Royal Arches

Oh the sweet sweet belay stances on this climb give me life!

after a wonderful day on the rock with a very special friend.

Somewhere between the 7th and 11th rap station, this station has a sketchy bolt on the left. Hanger is loose and looks small and puny. I have reported to safeclimbing.org but wanted to inform those contemplating a rap descent.

Having fun on Royal Arches

Scoping out the traverse on pitch 16

Eric at the pendulum

Chuck Konopa leading the 5.7 pin scar variation pitch 1 by headlamp. It's east of the chimney and we found it more aesthetic.

Start of pitch one, Royal Arches

Looking across at the pendulum on pitch 9.

the swing

The Traverse after the crux/pendulum pitch...Half Dome in the background...

The final slab traverse before heading on down!

George on the traverse pitch just past the pendulum. With a 70m rope and some drag, we linked these two.

New traverse after pendulum on nice edge/ledge.

What the traverse can look like in early spring. It still goes even when wet!

Ray os'ing the runout slab to crack

Climbing Pitch 3 of the Royal Arches with over 1000 feet of climbing above. Sweet!

The Rotten Log again before it fell down. We were debating whether to put a sling around the log, in case I fell off. The A1 pendulum moves are classic !

Jeff leading Pitch 14 of the Royal Arches.

taken from the belay after the pendulum. climbers in the photo are on pitch 8.

The block with the rope stacked on it is the largest portion of the ledge that failed!

View of El Cap and Yosemite Valley Midway Up on Royal Arches

The optional pendulum section on Royal arches

Travis Strong enjoying the top of the Royal Arches. September 11'