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Voyager
5.11c,
Trad, 700 ft (212 m), 7 pitches,
Avg: 3.7 from 135
votes
FA: Dan McDevitt & Ryan Kelly. October 2013.
California
> Yosemite NP
> Yosemite Valley
> Valley S Side
> Leaning Tower Area
> Fifi Buttress
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Details
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Description
Voyager is a fantastic route. Established in 2013, it offers sustained climbing on surprisingly clean and solid rock. Each pitch is high-quality, featuring numerous stem corners and hand cracks. Almost all of the belays are at comfortable ledges and the route catches shade until around 1-2pm (May). Great route for a warm day in a secluded spot.
P1: Blocky bolt-protected climbing leads to a long clean stretch of fingers in a corner. Stemming and jamming segues into fun face climbing on edges and knobs. Step right to a bolted anchor below the tree. Alternatively, continue to a larger ledge and below directly below the base of the next pitch. 11a. 105'.
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[Alternative Start: Begin on Running Wood (5.10 c/d, 4P) and traverse over to the ledge at the base of the Incinerator (P3 of Voyager).
The starting corner of Running Wood is hard to miss as it leads through an obvious crack system in orange granite directly right of a big roof. It's immediately left of Voyager. Awesome pitch!
Alt. P1: Stemming and reaches lead through varied cracks down low. Reach a stance and follow a perfect hand crack though overhanging bulges. A short squeeze leads to a bolted anchor on a ledge. 10 c/d. ~115'.
Alt P2: Climb up a nice crack in a left-facing corner. Traverse right past a shrubby ledge to meet the original route. Continue up a short left-facing corner to the base of P3. ]
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P2: Move up and past the tree to the base of a stem box. Climb the corner past a small roof. Wide stemming leads to a bolted anchor next to a large ledge. 10c. 105'.
P3: The Incinerator! Flared fingers in a left-facing corner. Lay it back or stem it out. Keep your cool or you might get...burned. Heh. Bolted anchor. 11c. 80'.
P4: Boulder Problem. Move right across a ledge to the first bolt. Nice movement leads past a couple bolts to a stance at the base of a short right-facing corner. Technical difficulties begin as the corner ends and the slab begins. Draws and a few finger-sized pieces are all you need for this pitch. Bolted anchor. 11c. 70'.
P5: Delicate opening sequence of stemming in a steep corner. Hit a jam and pull into a stretch of hands and fists. Bolted anchor. 11a. 105'.
P6: Follow the cracks up into lower angle terrain. As the crack thins and the angle eases look for a bolt on the right. Clip it and move right onto the slab. Face climbing leads past another bolt to a stance. Work your way up a fist crack in a short left-facing pillar. Bolted anchor. 10c. 105'.
P7: Starts out with a punchy crux of overhanging tight hands. Gain a stance, catch your breath, and press on through an enjoyable hand crack to a blocky section below the anchor. Watch for loose rock here. A tricky mantle guards the anchors. Bolted anchor. 11a. 105'.
Rap the route with a single 70m rope.
Location
The route is easily identified by looking for a large section of orange and white rock with several large roofs. The route begins in a corner just right of these large orange roofs. Look for a series of bolts that leads into a thin crack in a corner below a tree.
Rap the route with a single 70m rope.
Protection
Double 0.5".
Triple 0.6"-0.75".
Double 1"-3".
Single 4".
Nuts & Draws.
P1, 4 & 6 have protection bolts.
All anchors are big, shiny and rap equipped.
[Hide Photo] "The Incinerator" Great pitch. Offset cams not necessary at all but they would work terrifically.
[Hide Photo] Looking down the beautiful corner on pitch one
California
SAR site, Camp4
Russia
We did not find any spot where #4 could be of any use. I placed it at some random spot just because it was hanging on my harness. And it was a real challenge to find a wide enough crack for #4. One #3 is enough. Offset nuts are useful.
Sun hits the climb around 4pm. Sep 15, 2014
On the sixth pitch traverse, stay below the second bolt.
We didn't bring a #4 and the the route still felt plenty safe, but both my partner and I found places where it would have been nice to have it on at least three separate pitches. It could also make the tricky gear section on P1, less tricky.
I would opt for three yellow alien sized pieces next time, either in place of or in addition to three purple Camalot sized pieces.
In shade until 2-3pm. Sep 22, 2014
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
Walnut Creek, CA
Great climb, good location, nice ledges. Easy raps. Oct 13, 2015
Small nut is useful for the beginning of the fifth pitch, that's the only part of the route where I would use nut.
#4 is good to have. Oct 26, 2015
North Carolina
Bay Area, but not in SF
BETA ALERT: I've heard at least two people got busted up having decked at the start of the Incinerator pitch. It's very easily avoided. When the leader finishes Pitch 2, do not set up anchor at the bolts, which are well placed for rappel; instead, go ahead and step left around the corner and set up a gear anchor on the huge platform. It takes great gear (BD #3 and nut, etc) that you won't need for P3. This way, the leader starts right above the belayer. There is no extra rope needed for the step left around corner, and the belayer can easily spot the leader because she/he is on a giant platform. No more broken ankles!
I won't take credit for this idea. My partner belayed me this way and I thought it was ingenious! Didn't think he even paused to ponder about it even though it was both our first time on the route. This is a retired Chamonix mtn guide, who had to go through some grueling and very demanding certification process (4-year school). The skills showed! Jun 10, 2016
Oakland, CA
San Jose
Oakland, CA
San Francisco, CA
There are much worse ethical transgressions happening in the valley to worry about like people leaving trash all over, bolting anchors in the middle of established pitches, and doing routes on shit gear like beaks and copperheads without regard for us - weaker climbers (-: Nov 16, 2016
San Jose
I do not know you Babarata, but when you start talking about " ethical standards" you make me worry - Is he is really an asshole and can make one more trip to Voyager to chop the route? I hope you not. I personally know Dan McDevitt [ who made Voyager] and he is making stelar routes in the Valley all his life. He does not do overbolted routes, he just does not like when climbers brake bones on his routes. Believe me - he does not need those bolts for himself to make FA, he need those bolts for majority of climbers who can have a good time there. Nov 16, 2016
Oakland, CA
Alexey, I have no desire to argue. I just expressed an opinion, you're entitled to yours. At any rate, this is not a discussion forum, so PM me if you wanna discuss more. Cheers Nov 17, 2016
San Jose
If you worry generally about "trend these days for more and more bolts to pop up all over the place and for new routes to become more and more sanitized on average" you can complain to the God Nov 17, 2016
Silver Spring, MD
Boulder
Other dudes up-thread...get a room for the wang-slapping about bolts. Nov 28, 2016
a few notes for those that want some beta:
1. You can rap it with a 60m.
2. You don't need to bring nuts. I placed cams throughout the entire route and felt well protected.
3. Before the incinerator pitch I plugged a #3 camalot around the corner as mentioned before in the comments. It was great beta because you can belay comfortably using the enormous ledge.
4. When you start the Incinerator pitch, put all of your gear on the right side of your harness.
5. A #4 came in handy multiple times during this route so I would bring it. May 25, 2017
Seattle, WA
-Note on gear: Most of the gear beta is spot on. The only extra gear I would add is a .2 (yellow X4). If you decide to stem the 11c this can be super useful. Also not sure what people where climbing who said you don't need a #4 C4. We found tons of placements for this. I even bummed it for about 20ft on one of the 10c sections. Oct 10, 2017
Golden, Co
Gear: I thought doubles from .1-2, single 3,4 was fine
I stemmed the Incinerator pitch so found it quite easy to plug gear in the small crack on the right wall. If you went full layback you'd want the 3x .4/.5
Can't wait to try the other lines on this wall Jun 4, 2019
Covina
Santa Cruz + Silver Meadow, Ca