Hotline
5.12b,
Trad, 7 pitches,
Avg: 3.8 from 50
votes
FA: FA: Bridwell & Chapman - 1973FFA: Kauk & Bachar - 1975
California
> Yosemite NP
> Yosemite Valley
> Lower Merced Ri…
> Bc. Elephant Ro…
> Elephant Rock
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Details
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Description
Hotline, commonly thought to be the first 5.12 in the Valley (though this is not actually the case), is a fantastic crack system that has the "feel" of a cragging route even though it's technically 7 pitches long. It takes the obvious roof to splitter system on the left side of the main face of the giant pillar on Elephant Rock. This system climbs along the margin of a rectangular orange scar of rock -- many people incorrectly assume that the beautiful splitter of Fatal Mistake which is visible from the road is Hotline, but Hotline is actually just left of this.
P1: Climb up a corner system up and into the obvious roof. Pull this roof at 5.10 and then continue up the crack to a single bolt belay (supplemental gear is available). 5.10. This pitch is easily linked with the next one (recommended) if gear is well-runnered under the roof.
P2: Continue up the crack system on increasingly difficult jams that eventually lead to a stretch of 5.11+ finger stacks. Near the end of the crack, bust a finger-traverse right along a horizontal dike at 5.12 all the way to a nice bolted anchor. There aren't many good options for doing this traverse, unfortunately: If your last bit of pro is before the traverse, you're looking at a swinging fall, but the only other option is to climb up past the traverse, clip a fixed wire, then downclimb to the traverse (strenuous and it makes things scary for the second). A single bolt along the traverse would have made this section much nicer for both free climbing or aiding your way through.
P3: Splitter 5.10 hands forever. Belay at the top of the crack.
P4: Climb a 5.9+ corner -- a short pitch, easily linked with the next.
P5: Climb another 5.9+ corner to a bolted belay.
P6: Option one goes straight up then pulls the strenuous roof at 5.11d. Option two goes up, skirts the roof to the right, and then goes up a very weird chimney system. Somewhat reminiscent of the Wilson Overhang, this interesting pitch requires some contortion and has less than optimal gear, but is significantly less difficult than the roof. However, if you do the roof you can link this pitch into the next one, thus reducing the climb to four pitches.
P7: Climb the short face past a lone bolt to an anchor. The Reid guide gives this 10a, but I thought it was closer to 10c.
Rap the route with two ropes.
Location
Approach: From below park at first pullout on the south side of the road west of the Cookie parking lots. Cross the river just upstream of the pool below the parking area. Although difficult to locate, find your way directly up from where you crossed the Merced. A cairned trail emerges and generally goes up and left and will take you to the base of the Worst Error Pinnacle. Continue to traverse up left and past the amazing Fatal Mistake and look for a jumbled block right facing dihedral with a finger crack splitter going through the roof.
With double 70m ropes, you can get down in 3 raps (7-6, 5-4, 3-ground). I think with double 60s you could do it in 4 raps.
Protection
Double set of cams to #3 Camalot (possibly three #2's). A few wires and slings.
![Looking up from start of pitch 3]()
[Hide Photo] Looking up from start of pitch 3
![Looking up pitch 1. The X'd chockstone 2/3 of the way up can't come out unless you lift 100lbs straight up.]()
[Hide Photo] Looking up pitch 1. The X'd chockstone 2/3 of the way up can't come out unless you lift 100lbs straight up.
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San Jose
Or/And the other option available - to rappel from top of Pink Dream to beginning of Hotline p3? Nov 1, 2007
Petaluma California
A fantastic route. The bolts on the last pitch are old button heads. If one blows you're in real trouble. Mar 30, 2008
San Jose
p1 - 90 ft, p2-40ft ,p3- 130ft ,p4-70 ft, p5 80ft Apr 27, 2009
Tamarisk Clearing
Then go check out the relics at the top of the chimney.
Does anyone really think that traverse is .12a? Sep 5, 2009
San Jose
Also first time checked 10d bombay flare second to last pitch.
Rare type of climbing and very brutal.
You basically paste your knee at one wall and feet and shoulders on opposite one. But configuration of the flare, its angle and absence of holds/features on the walls make upper progress very difficult. And when you move one knee up you feel excruciating pain on the other even with knee pads. The pitch is relatively short , but take a lot of skin away. There is opportunity for good gear placement in the corner, but it is not continues line and it has some gaps.
And take rope gun for last pitch with now has new bolt Aug 28, 2012
We used all four #2 C4s we had on pitch three.
Next time I will bring an old #3.5 C4 or new #4 C4 for the start of pitch four. As described already, pitches 4 and 5 link with a 70. This is one of the best 5.9 pitches I've climbed.
The 10.d pitch six is great and takes as much gear as you want to place. I'm not sure why the OP states "less than optimal gear". You can sew it up. Go right side in until the your footholds disappear, then bust a move! There's a convenient brass nut at the crux for now. Oct 18, 2014
Sacramento, CA
These pitches can be linked 1-2, 4-5, 6-7 (if using .11d 6th pitch variation). We rapped route with double 70m and were able to get down in 3 raps (7-6, 5-4, 3-ground). I think with double 60s you could do it in 4 raps.
Gear: standard rack of doubles to #3 camalot, 1 x #4, (optional: extra #2 camalots)
Approach: From below park at first pullout on the south side of the road west of the cookie parking lots. Cross the river just upstream of the pool below the parking area. Although difficult to locate, find your way directly up from where you crossed the Merced. A cairned trail emerges and generally goes up and left and will take you to the base of the Worst Error Pinnacle. Continue to traverse up left and past the amazing Fatal Mistake and look for a jumbled block right facing dihedral with a fingercrack splitter going through the roof.
Pitch Beta:
The first pitch has some suspect rock and at least one big block that moves. The climbing is fairly well protected just be careful.
The upper part of pitch 2 is all of .11+. You can get good gear without having to go up and clip the fixed nuts if trying to free the .12 and while the moves seem pretty despirate to me the fall would be clean. For now there is a long cord on the fixed pin in the middle of the traverse that would make clipping it possible if freeing too. I ended up french freeing the top of the .ll, clipped a quicklink on the fixed nuts in the crack, then was able to penji over to the slung fixed pin. From there it goes free to the anchor at easy 5th. In short, don't let the .11+/.12 section keep you off this route!
Pitch 3 is long, splitter, sustained at easy 5.10, and probably the best handcrack in the Valley. Judiciously place your #2 camalots or bring extras. Need I say more.
Pitches 4-5 are easily linked and are typical valley physical 5.9.
Pitch 6 .11d variation is mostly 5.10a with a hard but well protected crux. Go for it!
Pitch 7 slab has one bolt that may be difficult to reach from the good feet for shorter climbers. Hard climbing eases a body length above the bolt but stays spicy enough to keep your attention since there is no pro till just below the anchor. Jan 20, 2015
San Carlos
reno
Tahoe
Our 70m is "long" but we had about 6 feet left on the longest rappels; be sure to tie knots in the ends when rapping from the top of P3 and P2. Oct 23, 2018
Pitch 1 (easier for smaller hands). Loose stuff is not too much of an issue. One big loose chock that you'll end up standing on, but can avoid pulling on if you're careful. Maybe...maybe the roof goes at 10c if you hit all the feet perfectly...its definitely not just a "crank" 10c move. Anyway it's easy to aid through.
Pitch 2 starts out as fun 5.10 hands and quickly gets harder. Really easy to aid as the feet are descent so you never really have to clip direct into a piece. As said in the description the aid penji would be way easier with a few bolts. Either way a short penji and a long reach gets you to a 5.10 crimp from which you can clip the piton. From there one more short penji gets you to the chains (intermediate gear is available to assist as well). Unfortunately (if using 1 rope), then the follower just has to let er' rip and take the swing....its safe and easy, just spooky and may take a little coaching. Gear can be used for them to get back up the rope as the fall/swing puts them beneath the 5.12 crack left of the handcrack.
Pitch 3 absolute amazing hands takes a few greens at the start then reds then yellows and maybe a blue and red to finish. Good perch at the top.
We then tr'd the handcrack for an extra lap and rapped with a single 70 from 3 to 2, then 2 to the ground. The exposure makes its seem farther than it is, but our 70 had plenty to spare.
EDIT: FOR COMMENTS FURTHER DOWN!!!********
We then tr'd the handcrack for an extra lap and rapped with a single 70 from 3 to 2, then 2 to the ground. THE EXPOSURE MAKES IT SEEM FARTHER THAN IT IS, but our 70 had plenty to spare. Aug 31, 2020
Seattle, WA
When I was on the route today the loose block on P1 shifted 2-3" and was wiggling when touched. This was really scary and I climbed around it without touching the block at all, which was difficult. This block should really be trundled. There are a number of other loosish blocks on P1.
Likewise, one of the two fixed nuts on the runner for the penji on P2 popped while I was weighting the runner. I'm unsure of how solid this nut was before but it had clearly been in there for a long time. I couldn't get it back into the crack so when we left the sling was hanging on just one of the fixed nuts. Both nut have very rusted wires.
I tend to trust fixed pieces and sometimes even X'd out bocks, but I always test them first. This was a good reminder to keep doing that. Use good judgement and stay safe when climbing the first two pitches of this climb. We stopped after the splitter P3 so I can't speak to the quality of the rest of the route. Nov 5, 2020
Boulder, CO
Im not sure why there isn't a midway anchor halfway up the splitter 10c hands bc thats the only one you can't rap with a single rope. Nov 6, 2020
San Mateo, CA
Both 5.9+ pitches have awkward wide climbing above a ledge that protects with a #4.
P2 and P3 finish at bolted anchors not shown in the Sloan topo. Oct 19, 2022
St. George, UT
Yosemite Valley
Boulder, CO