PRINT: Rock Climb Truckin' Drive, Yosemite National Park

Truckin' Drive

5.9 R, Trad, 300 ft (91 m), 3 pitches,

Avg: 2.9 from 28 votes
FA: Dick Dorworth, Chris Vandiver, 1971
California > Yosemite NP > Tuolumne Meadows > Lembert Dome > W Face

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Description

Truckin' Drive is a great and humbling intro to slab climbing.

To the left of The Water Cracks, is a short headwall.

Climb up to the right side base of this headwall (5.4~5.6).

Climb up and left along the edge and top of the headwall (a little scary for the follower), to a bolt. Continue left, then up past another bolt to a two bolt belay.

Climb a 5.8 pitch, past two bolts to the walk off ledge.

Or rappel twice with a 70 m rope.

Protection

A light rack, draws.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Every route needs an obligatory buttshot. Taken from the Water Cracks.

Climbers truckin.

Route Overlay Truck'N Drive

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Greg DeMatteo
W. Lebanon, NH

5.8+ PG13

I always loved this route! A great and humbling intro to slab climbing. May 17, 2007

Luca Keushguerian
Yerevan, AM

For the record the original name for this route is Truckin' Drive NOT Truck N' Drive.
I read an old R&I article that mentions it. 5th paragraph down.
rockandice.com/lates-news/w… Jul 9, 2013

Rob Dillon
Tamarisk Clearing

From Dorworth's article:

" Chris Vandiver and I named a route on Lembert Dome in Tuolumne Meadows Truckin' Drive. It is next to the older route Rawl Drive, named after the Rawl drill which was used in the early days of placing bolts by hand (as was done on both routes). Truckin' Drive was named after the Grateful Dead song "Truckin'" and particularly for the famous verse:

Sometimes the light's all shinin' on me;

Other times, I can barely see.

Lately it occurs to me ...

What a long, strange trip it's been.

In the guidebooks, Truckin' Drive is misnamed Truck 'N' Drive, a misnomer that matters mostly to those who named the route and to those curious about the long, strange trip between the two very different names. A truck and truckin' are as different as a pair of pants and pantin'." Aug 8, 2013

Jeffrey Lieberman
Simi Valley, CA

Truckin' Drive, what a great representation of Tuolumne slab (the old school 5.9). Oh yeah, this one is going to work your feet and calves...super intense with the slippery gold varnish....edges here and there...but run out....definitely not PG with only two bolts on the 2nd pitch. A fall from the top and it is slabby and thin, would be a disaster. Aug 1, 2016

Matt N

5.9 R

Great route, beautiful golden face up there. Should be done more often. Plenty of gear available for follower on P2 traverse section.

No gear available for a "ground" anchor for P1, but you can climb up (.75) or left (.4?) and place a piece for your first pro and/or the belayer.
Our 70m was about 8' short on the rap to the starting ledge also, but not too bad to downclimb. Aug 10, 2020