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The Sequel
5.8,
Trad, 550 ft (167 m), 3 pitches,
Avg: 2.9 from 10
votes
FA: Joe Faint and Chuck Pratt (Oct, '66)
California
> Yosemite NP
> Yosemite Valley
> Valley S Side
> P. Cathedral Area
> 5. Higher Cathedral Rock
Access Issue: Latest updates on closures, permits, and regulations.
Details
Please visit
climbingyosemite.com/ and
nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/… for the latest information on visiting Yosemite, including permits, regulations, and closure information.
Yosemite National Park has yearly closures for Peregrine Falcon Protection March 1- July 15. Always check the NPS website at
nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/… for the most current details and park alerts, and to learn more about the peregrine falcon, and how closures help it survive. This page also shares closures and warnings due to current fires, smoke, etc.
Description
The Sequel is a great moderate climb that you won't have to wait in line for. It follows the huge left-facing corner just uphill from Braille Book. If Braille Book looks like a cluster, just keep walking. The Sequel starts off a big ledge that is accessed from above. Some bushwhacking is required on the final approach, so stash whatever you're not bringing on the climb out in the talus, before the going gets tough (or you'll end up doing the bushwhack thrice). Faster parties would do well to link this climb with another of the shorter routes on HCR, or a route on HCS.
The rock at this end of Higher Cathedral is exceptionally featured with diorite knobs. Unlike most chimney climbs in the Valley, you're not using pure oppositional force on glassy rock the whole way up. It's more like the chimney climbing in Red Rocks, where half the time you're just face climbing up one of the walls of the chimney. It's a pretty unique climb on very solid rock that's surprisingly clean given the lack of traffic. The climb receives morning shade, then a bit of sun in the late morning/high noon before the whole wall goes into the shade in the afternoon.
You can start by just climbing fun knobs on the wall outside the chimney. After 40ft or something, the features get smaller and you'll want to enter the chimney. Stem and chimney your way up for a full ropelength. There's a bit of 5.7-5.8 stuff towards the end of the pitch. Belay at a stance in the far back of the chimney. There are a few nuts behind a chockstone and you should back this up with a biggish cam (3-4") in the crack.
The second pitch climbs a steep and flared squeeze chimney (5.7). There's occasionally a good placement for nuts or small cams in the various cracks you'll find on one of the walls of the chimney. But if you want to really sew-it-up you'll need some 6" (or bigger) gear. At the top of the chimney climb out the right side to a ledge. You can set a belay here or continue up a fist crack off right and then up the face on big knobs. Belay at a large ledge.
The final pitch is shared with Braille Book and most other climbs in the vicinity. There are a variety of ways to go. My favorite is to scramble up and left, passing a triangle overhang on its left side, and then ascend straight up the remarkable headwall on bucket-sized knobs and flakes. Some of the most fun 5.4 jug-hauling you'll ever do.
To descend, follow cairns and a climbers trail south-west through brush, and then contour to the left, descending open slabs. This leads to a short 3rd/4th class gully (just two downclimbing "boulder problems") after which you will be back at the top of the Spires Gully.
Protection
Pro to 4", 6"+ optional.
[Hide Photo] Crux pitch, which was 3rd pitch for us, since we couldn't quite reach this belay from the ground with a 60m rope.
[Hide Photo] First pitch of The Sequel
[Hide Photo] The flared squeeze crux at the start of pitch 2.
reno
Here's a small one of it.
rockandice.com/images/stori…> Oct 15, 2012
San francisco
Berkeley, CA
I'm sure many have taken the advise on this page to treat this as a back up for Braille Book, found the first pitch engaging and enjoyable and then bailed off of the rats nest anchor after looking up in to the maw the wide flaring chimney above. As happened to me on my first go on this route. The second time around my buddy attempted the 2nd pitch by going deep in the squeeze so as to be able to get some protection in, but backed off due to the slippery and seemingly unprotectable nature of it. I went on the wider outside, back on the right wall, find sparse protection, including a ~45ft section with a basicly useless brassie half placed in a shallow crack. Maybe there is more protection that I wasn't seeing, but this was a pretty serious lead and felt very R rated to me.
Highly recommended. There are no drugs better than topping out pitches like this. Jun 26, 2023
Portland, OR
Good route, but don't take p2 lightly. P1 by contrast is straight-forward fun. Jul 1, 2023