[Hide Comment] You can also approach this climb from the Tioga Pass road. This cuts out all the elevation gain to the base, although there is more hiking and some nasty manzanita thrashing.

The original route was initially rated 10c/d, but this was ridiculous, it's only about 5.9. I'd recommend this alternative if you're not up for the direct start. Nov 25, 2006

[Hide Comment] We hiked in from Porcupine Creek trailhead on Tioga Pass Road, five fast, easy miles. Left some water under a tree and thrashed down the manzanita gully on the right (as you look down) side of the Dome. An hour and a half later, we found the start. I don't recommend doing it this way; the climb may be set up for double-rope rappels to avoid the epic bushwhacking.
The climb itself was fun, a Topo on steroids if you will (you Splatte rats know what I'm talking about). The friction characteristics of the orange polish took some getting used to. I agree, George: 5.9 with a few well-protected moves of 5.10- on pitch 6 (I think).
It was over 100 degrees that July day in the Valley; probably 80-ish up here. By the time we finished, we were both spitting cotton. The quart and a half of water we'd stashed wasn't nearly enough. Next time, I'd bring as much as I could reasonably carry. (There is a creek from which you could filter, but it's too close to the parking area to do much good. Stashing wins here.)
10 miles, 10 pitches...good day. Apr 5, 2007

[Hide Comment] I agree whole-heartedly that this is one of the great slab climbs. The rock, position and climbing are all top notch.
As for the approaches, I feel that the Royal Arches way is better and actually a bit easier. I know I felt kinda tired the one time we came in from Tuolumne.
For a real fun time , you also bivvy at the top North Dome after the climb and then get a cool Valley sunset/sunrise the next day. May 28, 2008

[Hide Comment] Car to Car in 7.5 hours. Crux P8, stay on the White Granite dishes through the first four bolts and you'll be fine. No move was harder than .10a on this pitch and they were all very pos.

Fun route and must do. There is no "R" anywhere on this route. Well protected in my book. You want some real "R" Slab, go to Stone Mtn. NC. There you can taste some real "R" Slab lines.

Even better, for some local spice "R", "Hair Raiser Buttress" at Granite Basin, an hour and a half away on the Eastern Side, will definitely give you some "R" nerve racking momments on all three P's. Jun 17, 2008

[Hide Comment] Crest Jewel is certainly not ''R''. CJD might have a spot of runout, but I distinctly remember the crux of Crest Jewel being bolted so tightly that you couldn't hurt yourself if you tried. 9+/10- seems about right, 5.9 would be a little bit of a sandbag (but not by much).

I did this with Thomas Keefer in (I think) June of 2004 and there was not a soul on either Royal Arches or Crest Jewel when we were on them. It was supposed to thunderstorm that day, but instead we just got pleasant breezes and beautiful views of Half Dome the whole time.

Walking down North Dome gully did not appeal to us so we rapped Royal Arches and got back to the base in time to hit the pizza deck for a pie and some beer. Next day we went and climbed one of the couloirs on North Peak, which ended with us outrunning the belated thunderstorm as lightning touched down all over Saddlebag Lake. Rather stark contrast. Moral of the story: bring a lightweight rain jacket with a hood on long routes like this, it might save your life.

Either CJ or CJD linked with Royal Arches makes for a lovely day out. Neither one is going to involve a 'running belay', which is the norm for 'R'-rated slabs such as the ones mentioned at Stone Mountain (or, for that matter, many slab pitches nearby in Tuolumne and the Needles). Simul-climbing Royal Arches to get to the base is probably a lot riskier than any move on Crest Jewel or CJD, for what it's worth. Jun 20, 2008

[Hide Comment] Amazing slab climb. On the easier terrain, the bolts are spaced far apart - one of the upper pitches has just one bolt - though the 5.9-5.10 terrain is well protected. As Josh mentioned, a topo is helpful but if you forget it the route generally trends right. If you come across any old manky bolts, you're off route, as all the bolts and anchors on this route are new. Jun 5, 2009

[Hide Comment] 1000' feet and barely a hold to mention. This route is truely slab climbing most of the way and a pretty amazing experience even if you are not a fan of slabs. When you are done with it, you'll be a better climber for having done it.
The setting is stunning, particularly early in the season when the surrounding areas still hold snow. May 22, 2010

[Hide Comment] Definitely run out. Up to 30 feet between bolts on hard 5.8. (The 9th pitch is rated 5.8 and has 1 bolt in 100 feet of climbing, but it's easy compared to the other 5.8 pitches). Maybe if you're doing the direct start 5.8 is too easy to care about the pro on, but if 10a is pushing your limits, you're going to find some of the pitches quite run out.

In typical summer weather in early august we found the rock hot to the touch and pretty greasy. Aug 3, 2010

[Hide Comment] I think adding an "R" to this route is totally fair. Okay, so all the crux moves are essentially well protected, and if you're a pretty good slab climber in the ~.10 range on granite than you have nothing to worry about and will love the climb. But, honestly folks, 1 bolt in > 100 ft of climbing even if it is ~5.7 is, well, run out. There are plenty of opportunities for someone, particularly with little slab experience, to get injured on this route. That being said, it's a great day on the rock. Nov 7, 2012

[Hide Comment] Crest Jewel - mostly 5.7-5.8 face/slab climbing with a few spots of 5.9 and maybe a 5.10a move. Bring a good selection of runners (many singles, a few doubles/triples should do) will help avoid rope drag, and bring plenty of water if doing it in a hot month like Jun-Aug. The times I've done it, I've hiked the Porcupine Flat trail head on 120 and love that way. May 11, 2013

[Hide Comment] I found the first .10a section (pitch 2) to be harder than the upper .10a pitch. Maybe because your getting used to smearing on the orange polish but the lower pitch seemed like it had harder moves. The upper .10a pitch is more sustained with delicate moves through about 3 bolts.

I don't know whether I would call this route R or not. There are large runnouts but as stated on easier ground. The 9th pitch has one bolt and so technically you could take close to a >100ft cheesegrate if you blew it. That being said, if you can lead the or even follow the .10a pitches there is very little chance you would fall there.

Very classic route! May 14, 2013

[Hide Comment] Climbed Crest jewel approaching from Porcupine creek. A note on the approach, We steyed kind of high on the manzanitas and walked all the way the edge of the slabs to a crack and found a rapping station (webbing around a choketone). I agree that first 10a portion is harder (it felt more slippery) than the upper 10a portion. Short traverse sections were the mental cruxes for me. I must say that "Run out" means different things for different people. This route is definitely R in my book specially when a >100ft cheese-grate although unlikely, is possible. Indeed a classic calveathon. Kudos to those of you who link up with Royal Arches; you are in good shape. May 20, 2014

[Hide Comment] Rope Solo'd this route a week ago. Did the long,LONG approach from Camp four! That approach adds on some unnecessary miles but gives the whole experience an entirely different feel. Passing by Lost Arrow and the Falls was rad! Bivied at the top of North Dome and descended the next day (total bushwack shit show)!!

The Route itself is beautiful in every way, truly a gem of a slab climb. A sea for a slab happy climber! Perfectly protected and full value. I found some sections actually a bit slick due to traffic?! Its remote so i found nobody else up there for the two days I spent up on North Dome. BRings loads of suncream because its exposed all day long.

Rivals The Classic slabs of NOrth Carolina!! Beautiful!! Oct 15, 2014

[Hide Comment] Porcupine Creek Trailhead approach is fast and painless. As on Oct 30 2014 there was a good trail down in between bushes west to North Dome. It took 2 and half hours to approach the base of the route and 2 hours to hike back. A perfect day on a perfect rock.

Early season climbers do not have this option due to Tioga Pass winter closure. I linked up Royal Arches with Crest Jewel in May 2013 and it was much harder than hiking that perfect flat trail.

Do not forget to look around. Crest Jewel is that scenic so most likely you need a spare battery for your camera. Nov 4, 2014

[Hide Comment] 5.10d for the direct start, 5.9+ for the regular route. Not too runout on anything harder than 5.7. Direct start was a bit hard to find. I recommend heading to the Washington Column/ Norh dome saddle to head up towards the start, regardless of where you approach from. The climb starts left of north domes gigantic roof, just left of the very large right facing corner. There is a small roof which you pass on the right just below the highest treed ledge. Oct 26, 2015

[Hide Comment] "R" is a rating for protection availability, not for difficulty. 100' mandatory run outs on 5.7 is "R" and you don't want to ever fall, though (like any "R" rated route) if you are up for the grade it seems just a little spicey. This route is a Yosemite Classic and arguably the greatest moderate slab route in the world. Jul 21, 2016

[Hide Comment] if you’re doing the royal arches/crest jewel link up, expect a tough hour to hour and a half hike from the top of royal arches up and pretty far right (google pictures of crest jewel topo) to the base of crest jewel, involving some bushwacking, routefinding, and 3rd class slabs Jun 8, 2018

[Hide Comment] Did this in early November, car to car from the tioga pass road in about 8 hours. Carried a large pack to the descent. A nice alternative to combining this with Royal Arches when daylight limits climbing hours. Hot in the sun but with a cool breeze at time. Locate the climb as follows.... Descend the dome prior to North Dome following the well defined path. At the saddle between North Dome and the prior dome look west/hikers right to locate a tree filled gully. Hike down the gully through thickening bushes staying in the center along a stream or dried stream path. The descent takes 30-45 minutes. Begin looking for a carin trail to the hikers left after 30-45 minutes. Follow carins east around dome to gain the ledge system. Cross several slabs trending up and right (east) to find the base of the route. Nov 6, 2019

[Hide Comment] A sea of polished granite slab climbing with incredible views.
Very enjoyable and a bolt whenever you feel the need for one.
Another bonus....the rack (just slings and carabiners) weighs next to nothing. Jan 24, 2020

[Hide Comment] Simuled Arches to CJD and it was a great adventure and 31 pitches of quality climbing. Tips for doing the direct start:
Walk onto Washington Column and then scramble up to highest point of talus at the base of North Dome.
Bring a micro traxion, 70MM rope, and 14 alpine draws. You can link almost every pitch into another with a micro and a bit of simul-climbing.
There are multiple 40+ foot runouts but not on cruxes, so they are quite tame. Jun 15, 2020

[Hide Comment] Climbed Royal Arches to CJD in about 13.5 hours, car to car. Superb, full value day from start to finish! We linked most pitches on CJ with a 70 meter rope, sometimes needing a bit of simul climbing. It took a quick pace all day to catch the fall daylight on the steep, bushy descents from Crest Jewel to the top of Washington Column, and then down North Dome gulley. We downloaded GPS tracks to guide the descent, which probably saved a lot of time, but we had trouble finding the start of the CJ direct route - look for the highest point of a talus ledge of white rocks, maybe 500ft to the left of the giant book. Nov 2, 2020

[Hide Comment] Amazing climbing linking RA to CJD. RA spring is still flowing with water in a dry Nov. No need to carry as much water as we did. And there are a few easier sections where there are no bolts to protect (since everyone seems to argue there is no such thing called run-outs). The start of the climb is the left of the arch, more left than it appears in Eric Sloan's guide book. It sits on top of the talus field. You should be able to see the first shinny new bolt near the dike. If you find an old bolt, don't go for it. Nov 2, 2020

[Hide Comment] Great climb. There are really no holds and you always think you're gonna fall. Don't listen to the R rating. I took a 20 foot fall and I just slid down. The rock is incredibly smooth and there are no ledges to hit. Kind of like one big slide. Another note. While the next bolt may be hard to spot, you can always see it from the last bolt, so do take the time to look for it as it's incredibly easy to go the wrong way. Jun 14, 2021

[Hide Comment] Awesome route that is a must do if you like slab climbing! We did the approach from Porupine Creek trailhead which is fast and slightly down hill. As for the climbing, all of the 5.9 and 10a moves are well protected, with the 5.8 and below climbing having more spaced out bolts. That being said, if you can lead the 10a sections, you probably won't notice this much. I found a lot of the run out routes in Tuolumne more mentally challenging than this one. Epic views and a really fun day, will definitely be doing again in the future. Jul 1, 2021

[Hide Comment] Was in 83, Scott Stowe and I did this route via the Arches. It was an adventure and remember that it was an outstanding. In addition to the beauty of the climb I clearly remember the views of Half being spectacular. I do remember some long runouts, none the less you must add it to your list of must do Yosemite climbs. Aug 4, 2023

[Hide Comment] Correct GPS coordinates for CJD: 37.751591,-119.560335

Josh Janes annoyingly refuses to accept simple factual corrections to routes.

The SuperTopo is much better for route finding than the Sloan guide, but don't trust the bolt counts on either. You need 10 draws for the final 10a pitch, and a couple of others require 9.

The optional cam placement shown on topos is gone. There's now just a rock scar at the roof.

The crux pitch felt harder than some 5.11- Valley slabs. Bring good edging shoes to have a chance.

Crest Jewel Direct really should have its own route page. Sep 25, 2023

[Hide Comment] Interestingly enough, with the anchor repairs, you can rap this whole thing with an 80m or two ropes really easily. Jan 27, 2025

[Hide Comment] holy moly this was a spicy meatball. some notes for your ascent:
- once you get on crest jewel direct there's no bailing onto south face. buckle up you're climbing the slabs.
- there are rap rings on every anchor of cj and cjd
- on p3 of cjd (the crux), the bolts are close enough that you can aid through the really hard slab sections
- on p3 of crest jewel, as others have stated, don't get suckered into the long beautiful dike. look up at the second bolt for the bolt line and don't do the really hard move right and end up on a 100ft runout. if you do thankfully there is an anchor at the end and hopefully you can convince your partner to reverse your mistake.
- on p6 of crest jewel someone added bolts at the start and there is no longer a 30 ft runout at the start
- but they didn't on p7 so there is still a 30 ft runout
- on p10 of crest jewel stay on the dike longer than the sloan guidebook would indicate, you'll eventually reach bolts

we linked this from royal arches and had a great day - 2.5 hours up RA, 1.5h to get to start of CJD, 5h on CJD + CJ, .5h to celebrate not dying on the slabs, 3h to descent via the north dome gully. Crest jewel was very full on, and be sure to bring someone that has a cool slab head Sep 23, 2025

[Hide Comment] This thing should not get an R rating at all. Oct 5, 2025