PRINT: Rock Climb Green Dragon, Yosemite National Park

Green Dragon

5.11b R, Trad, 160 ft (48 m),

Avg: 3.5 from 38 votes
FA: unknown
California > Yosemite NP > Yosemite Valley > Valley S Side > I. Glacier Poin… > 6. GPA - Right Side

Access Issue: Rockfall danger higher than usual on Glacier Point Apron Details

According to Yosemite's website in 2016, Glacier Point Apron is open to climbing, but the Park Service does not recommend climbing there due to recent and ongoing rockfall.

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

This is a killer route that had a rock fall fatality at the base in the past. The lower crux is very polished face and friction, and the upper half has what seems to be an impossible set of off balanced mantle cruxes leading to the belay bolts. This route currently sports quality ASCA 3/8" hardware.

Location

Cliff base directly below Mr. Natural.

Protection

mostly bolted and light rack. 50 just makes it and 60 rope better. It was originally done in 2 pitches.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Following the first pitch of Green Dragon in April 1983. Photo: Urmas Franosch

Dave Sessions on Green Dragon. (Sept 1982)

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Clint Cummins
Palo Alto, CA

The 1999-06-13 rockfall down Punch Bowl, which killed Peter Terbush - probably erased some bolts on Punch Bowl climbs, but did not damage any bolts on Green Dragon.
The original 1/4" bolts on Green Dragon were replaced with 3/8" stainless in 2009 by Roger Brown. No bolts were added. Oct 24, 2016

phylp phylp
Upland

I've followed this route and also led it a twice. One of the times I led it, I did take a fall on the first pitch (right after feeling a very distinct snap in my heel) and later developed a very nasty bruise on my hip/butt. But the pain of that impact was over-ridden by the pain in my foot - a chip had snapped off my end of my talus bone, and that injury kept me on crutches for a while. Dec 3, 2017

Kevin Mokracek
Burbank

Green Dragons was one of the first routes i climbed on the apron back in 1984. I recall it being a very challenging route but lots of fun. Feb 7, 2018

Matt M
Boston, MA

Did this route back in the late ‘80s. Thought it was a great but tough climb. The upper half had a weird mantle that I barely got through by what I remember as being a kind of finger-tip iron cross mantle that I was straining on with all my (meager) strength and absolutely minimal (ok, zero) technique. Dec 23, 2022