Type: Trad, 1000 ft, 10 pitches
FA: Bob Jensen, Josie Mckee, Patrick Warren 5/2017
Page Views: 1,161 total · 61/month
Shared By: bob jensen on May 22, 2017
Admins: M. Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer suchoski, Justin ., Vicki Schwantes

You & This Route


2 Opinions

Your To-Do List:

Add To-Do · View List

Your Star Rating:


     Clear Rating

Your Difficulty Rating:


-none- Change

Your Ticks:

Add New Tick
    -none-
Access Issue: Yosemite National Park climbing closures and conditions Details

Description

  • *Currently this is an adventure route.**
    We did not fix lines and just went for it so expect a fresh experience.

    Climb the first seven pitches of Hail To The Chief. Ratings for those pitches are 9, 10-, 11-, 10, 11, 9+, 7 fuzzy wuzzy. At start of pitch 6 traverse right clipping bolt. Go around blunt arête and climb gonger flakes (5.7) back to join original line.

    From the giant ledge atop pitch 7, after moving belay to base of pillar. Climb up a ways then around left side of pillar. "The finger" Once around climb towards the huge block that is in the right gaping crack above. Belay up under block where smaller gear is available and is safe from above. Save the 5 & 6 for the next pitch. 9+

    Climb over left side of block and engage flare utilizing a range of techniques. You will pass an old aid ladder (upper north face Rowell/Macdonald 6/1962) the last bolt on this old ladder serves as a fine directional to keep the rope from going deep. Next, you will have to wiggle through a Harding Slot sort of affair. Once out of the womb, move left a few feet and fire up #6 crack to anchor ledge. Exhale. This pitch is probably more like 10+ or 11-.  Really steep. 

    Thanks to Kevin Deweese and Steve Bosque for putting up Hail To The Chief and then telling me about it. The work they did was a lot!! Much appreciated.

Location

Located on the West Face of Lower Cathedral Spire. Follow approach for Higher Spire. Start is located in an obvious corner to the left of obvious fractured roof system.

Protection

Rack we took for entire route:
One 00 tcu
Two 0 tcu’s
One set totem basics
One set offset aliens (very very helpful)
Two sets C4's to #4
One each C4 #5, #6
Solid set offset nuts down to small.
8 shoulder length slings
4 ten inch draws

Descent

Option 1- Rap "Hail To The Chief". Beware to place pro on way down first two. Otherwise you will be in space. Two ropes so bring tag.

Option 2 - Rap South By Southwest with one rope, but you'll have to go get your packs or come up to route with just what you're gonna bring.

I would recommend option 2. The raps down the NW face suck. Especially when it’s getting late and/or dark.

Add New Photo
Photo Photo (copy)
Photos

Upper variation topo <br> The "unreported aid route" is the upper north face Rowell/Macdonald 6/1962
Upper variation topo The "unreported aid route…
 0
Photo overlay of Long Live the Chief
Photo overlay of Long Live the Chief
 0
Line of entire route
Line of entire route
 0
Upper variation goes up rightmost of the two big cracks
Upper variation goes up rightmost of the two bi…
 0
Upper half of route. Shows pitch 6 var. and LLTC headwall var.
Upper half of route. Shows pitch 6 var. and LL…
 0
Lower 7 pitches of Hail To The Chief <br> 9, 10, 11-, 10, 11, 9+, 7 fuzzy
Lower 7 pitches of Hail To The Chief 9, 10, 1…
 0
Pitch 9
Pitch 9
 0
Pitch 9
Pitch 9
 0
Heading up start of pitch 8. About to cut around to the left side of pillar.
Heading up start of pitch 8. About to cut arou…
 0
Pitch 9
Pitch 9
 0
5th pitch
5th pitch
 0
4th pitch
4th pitch
 0

1 Comment

Sort by: Oldest
Newest Oldest Best Beta
kevin deweese
Oakland, Ca
 
kevin deweese   Oakland, Ca
 
This free line that Bob and Josie created from DeWeese/Bosque's Hail to the Chief and Rowel/Macdonald's Upper North Face is destined to be a classic. Because of their work, climbers now have the ability to freeclimb the entirety of the West Face of Lower Spire in its entirety at a readily accessible grade. Jun 8, 2017