Avg: 3.4 from 101
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The West Pillar route is a fun route and a great link-up with a route on Cathedral Peak. When linking these two routes, you effectively make a loop, hiking out on the John Muir trail, instead of the Cathedral Peak approach trail. The first pitch begins with a wide crack (5.9). There are two ways to go on the next section. The original route moves right and climbs 5.9 cracks to a horn in one pitch and climbs back left via 5.7 and 5.8 climbing in the next pitch. A direct route is also possible at 5.10 and is popular. This variation climbs directly above the first pitch belay for two pitches, both 5.10, and meets up with the original route where you can belay on the ridge. The 4th pitch is mostly 3rd class and ledgey with some 5th class terrain. It traverses underneath the ridge proper. The final pitch appeared to have some options but should stay left of the ridge, climbing one section of 5.8 and easier climbing before the summit.
If climbing Eichorn's West Pillar after Cathedral, you will have to descend Cathedral to the ground and traverse around Cathedral to the west to reach the West Pillar route. If climbing the West Pillar route from the car, approach via the John Muir trail and Eichorn's West Pillar route is visible from the trail. The West Pillar route starts with an obvious, wide crack. Descent from Eichorn's is possible with one rope via a rappel from the summit.
Nuts, double set of cams to #1 Camalot and single set of cams to #4 Camalot. One rope.
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San Rafael
Reno, NV
Pitch #2 starts with some beautiful hand jams through a committing bulge (5.8) followed by a steep ramp with more great hand and fist jams (5.8+) to a sloping ledge.
Pitch #3 starts with a committing layback or finger jam up a steep corner. Good hands but thin feet, it only last for about 8 feet. IMO 510a/b. Then there's a good rest followed by another nice but easier layback. Then a bunch of easy 5th to a great belay. Jul 3, 2013
South Lake Tahoe
Princeton, NJ
Bishop
Bishop
Moraga, CA
Cupertino, CA
Descent: take the descent of Cathedral Peak. The “direct” 3rd class descent again is not defined, dirty, and you’ll have to do some cross country erosion hike back to JMT again. Sep 7, 2020
Yosemite/Lone Pine, CA
CA
1st pitch - Awesome, steep climbing with a series of bulges that you can mostly stem through. Belay at the top of the last bulge when you see the route split into two options, there will be a piton with a quick link here.
2nd pitch - From the belay, you climb slightly down and climber's right along the edge of the ramp in order to make turning the corner as easy as possible. From here, you head up the right facing corner toward a daunting headwall/crack. I found the moves to get past this to be closer to 10a/b but protected well. Above this is the 5.9 squeeze/stem/flare that will feel hard if you aren't good at wide/OW technique. Protected well with a #4 and #2. At the top of this is a nice ledge that I ended up belaying at because my rope drag was heinous.
3rd pitch - Looking up, you see a very steep crack system that initially looks good but as you climb, the quality gets worse and the rock gets fragile. Before you hit the committing left facing flake/lieback, go right to the slung rock and then head up, good quality rock. This meets up with the 3rd pitch from the direct variation.
4th/5th pitch - continue as described for direct version. Of note, the 5th pitch can be a rope stretcher for a 60m, finish the 4th pitch as far as comfortable. Additionally, my partner and I have had communication issues on the 5th pitch with wind/distance. Plan this out before or carry comms. Jul 6, 2025