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Northwest Books

5.6, Trad, 250 ft (76 m), 2 pitches,  Avg: 2.6 from 446 votes
FA: Warren Harding and Frank de Saussure, 1954
California > Yosemite NP > Tuolumne Meadows > Lembert Dome > Northwest Face
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Description

This is a great climb for the grade on Lembert Dome. The first pitch is the meat and potatoes of the climb with a fun 5.6 lieback section.

P1: 5.6 (or 5.9 variation). Start up a 3rd class ramp and belay at a thick shrub / small tree (whatever you want to call it). There is a good bolt that protects the face friction to gain the corner / lieback about 15' from the belay shrub. Then follow the lieback up to some broken ledges until you reach another belay shrub. Avoid the steep crack that looks harder than 5.6 (5.9) or charge up it with good pro.

P2: 5.6 or less. Continue up the broken ledges and up a short crack that accepts wider pro. Finish near the lip with a gear anchor wherever is convenient.

Walk off right to gain the upper sloping section of Lembert, then follow it down the backside on the easiest path pack to the parking lot. No real downclimbing required and pretty easy (unless wet).

Location

The first route on the Northwest Face of Lembert Dome when approaching from the parking area. Ascends the obvious broken section just right from where the wall turns very steep.

Protection

Tree/shrub anchor for belay 1,2, and gear anchor for the top.

Cams to 2.5" (optional #3&4, not really necessary)
set of nuts
long slings

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Route Overlay for Northwest Books and DirectNorthwest Face.
[Hide Photo] Route Overlay for Northwest Books and DirectNorthwest Face.
Tradmeister Mark Landreth on NW Books
[Hide Photo] Tradmeister Mark Landreth on NW Books
Courtney exiting the book after the laybacking
[Hide Photo] Courtney exiting the book after the laybacking
Looking down at the middle belay from the top belay.<br>
<br>
Photo by David Poulsen
[Hide Photo] Looking down at the middle belay from the top belay. Photo by David Poulsen
The start of the easy walk up to the first belay station.
[Hide Photo] The start of the easy walk up to the first belay station.
Pitch 1
[Hide Photo] Pitch 1
Starting up pitch 3 from optional second belay.
[Hide Photo] Starting up pitch 3 from optional second belay.
NW Books
[Hide Photo] NW Books
5.9 Variation Northwest Books
[Hide Photo] 5.9 Variation Northwest Books
"forgot my climbing shoes"
[Hide Photo] "forgot my climbing shoes"
Northwest Books 5.6
[Hide Photo] Northwest Books 5.6
At the top of Lembert Dome with Brian :)
[Hide Photo] At the top of Lembert Dome with Brian :)

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

C Miller
CA
  5.6
[Hide Comment] This is a good route worth doing if you don't have much time and want to get in a few more pitches. The 5.9 variation is short, well-protected and seemed the logical way to go as I recall. Sep 25, 2007
Greg DeMatteo
W. Lebanon, NH
  5.6
[Hide Comment] A terrific way to zip up Lembert Dome in time for a glorious Tuolumne sunset! Apr 7, 2008
Mark Roth
Boulder
 
[Hide Comment] How hard is the Orange spot variation? Is there any gear? Looks like a better way to finish, but I didn't want to risk it... Sep 21, 2009
Angie C
Salt Lake City, UT
 
[Hide Comment] I highly recommend the 5.9 variation on the second pitch. I do not think I would have enjoyed this route so much with out it. The views are great.

Regarding the walk off, if you cut right too soon, the third class walk off turns into fourth class, which I found to be unfortunately stressful at the end of a climbing day. Aug 20, 2012
Ryan Myers
Tempe, AZ
 
[Hide Comment] This was my first Harding route. Great time. Do the 5.9 variation. Nov 11, 2012
[Hide Comment] One of the oldest routes in the Meadows, just imagine!! A great introductory climb with a little bit of everything. Aug 29, 2013
Stevee B
Oakland, CA
[Hide Comment] Did the 5.9 in approach shoes when my partner mistakenly lead partway up it then freaked. Good times. Jul 18, 2014
Patrick Mulligan
Reno, NV
 
[Hide Comment] This route has a little bit of everything. We did it with my son for a quick day out. I'm not sure how folks can give this two stars. Its clean, a cool line with good exposure and some cool moves at a very easy grade. Sep 1, 2014
Anouk Erni
Mammoth Lakes, CA
  5.6
[Hide Comment] First pitch is getting a bit slimy, but otherwise a quality route for the easy grade. Sep 8, 2015
[Hide Comment] A useful note is that there now appears to be a hornet or wasp nest behind the big flake on pitch one. I avoided getting stung, but it did not feel pleasant to jam my hands in there. Other than that, great route. We hiked easily to the top of Lembert Dome after topping out, and simply took the hiking trail down to the right. Oct 11, 2015
John Clark
Sierras
  5.6
[Hide Comment] Fun route, but worth more as a way to avoid walking around the back on the hiker trail than as an enjoyable multi. too short. Jul 16, 2018
Christian Hesch
Arroyo Grande, CA
 
[Hide Comment] As many have said, if you're comfortable with valley 5.9, the variation is wonderful. Just a small dose of spice to liven up the route. Also, the topo that says "no pro" up after the 2nd pitch is interesting, as I found about 12 placements between the ledge at top of pitch 2 and the top of the dome. Kept my newer climber partner feeling a bit more secure, and didn't really take much more time to hike up to the top. Just a hand belay and a few pieces (black, blue, and yellow totem) should be enough to calm any beginner nerves. Sunset is well worth the investment for "only" two pitches. Sep 3, 2019
Lorenzo Riano
San Francisco
  5.7+
[Hide Comment] I think this route should be rated more than 5.6, at least a 5.7. There's a few sections here and there where leading requires great concentration and skill. Maybe 5.6 by the "old" standard, but definitively harder than that. Oct 6, 2019
Shelby Kincaid
Flagstaff, AZ
 
[Hide Comment] the real crux is navigating the polished X-rated descent slabs :) Angie C is correct about cutting right too soon.
the mantle getting above the bolt was spicy but super unique and interesting. gotta love that old school 5.6.
do the 5.9 variation!!! Aug 20, 2020
J. Albers
Colorado
[Hide Comment] ^^^^ if you find yourself on 'x-rated' decent slabs, you are not on the decent :)
Going down and around in either direction, when done right, is very casual. Aug 20, 2020
[Hide Comment] Agree that this would be rated higher at a local crag, but seems consistent with grading in Yosemite. I think I struggled most with the polish to the bolt (and failed miserably at some other Tuolumne slab routes).

The 5.9 crack is phenomenal, and if no one is in line you can zip it up and easily build an anchor on the ledge above for a short pitch and retrieve your gear. I think I struggled at the top of the crack, if I remember correctly I needed to go right to exit. Apr 4, 2021
Wes Arrrr
Venice, CA
  5.6
[Hide Comment] the 5.9 variation is fun and a surprise to your climbing partners ready to warm up for a week at tuolomne Sep 8, 2021
Shu-Yuan Liu
Cupertino, CA
[Hide Comment] Walk off. I've never been a fan of 4th class walk-off although I've done quite a bunch in Yosemite. After the top (by the tree), we unroped and exited climber's right to a very flat and big ledge. From there, we tried to cut further right but eventually came back the ledge and went up then continued on right until there's an easy 3rd class descent into the woods (then walked along the base a bit before cutting through the woods and walked along the road). It's longer than the 4th class walk-off, but very safe. Jul 22, 2024
Leon Lian
  5.6
[Hide Comment] Awesome climb! Definitely climbs like a 5.6.
I would recommend the 5.9 variation. It was super engaging.
Walk-off wasn't terrible, mostly 3rd class with small sections of 4th class. Would not want to do it wet though. Nov 11, 2024