North Ridge

This rarely climbed route follows the left edge of the NW Face of HD.  A fun and adventurous "alpine" climb, this route deserves more traffic.  It has a reputation for being R rated, which I did not find warranted.  The crux arete moves are done with the bolt at your waist, although they are still committing and exciting!  The second pitch also has some exciting climbing that is insecure due to some vegetation clogging the crack, but adequate protection is available.  Potential climbers should be very solid at the 5.10+ grade in Yosemite due to committing moves, tricky protection and lichenous rock, but they will be rewarded with an amazing adventure!

We climbed the route as follows:

Pitch 1

Climb easy cracks up to an easy stem box.  When the opposing corners end follow a hidden splitter up to the tree.  Belay at the tree.  

63m

Pitch 2

Climb a dirty splitter (5.9) up and right, step left to a nice and clean splitter.  When it seams out place high gear before stepping left to dirty splitter. Climb by stemming or using small edges right of crack. Save a .75-2 for pods.  Fun and technical 5.10. Continue up into a broken right facing corner. Belay below a bush filled corner. Belay takes fingers to #1. 

60m

Pitch 3

You are aiming for a large block about 20 feet above the belay. Climb up and right into large right facing corner feature before stepping straight left onto the block. Continue up and left into a nice off fingers crack.

Rock gets very dirty and occasional loose blocks makes the 5.8-5.9 finish on under clings and face holds exciting. Continue past the first tree and belay at the second large tree. 

35 m

Pitch 4

Romp up grainy flakes. Choose your own adventure. You are aiming for a large right facing corner near the arete. 5.6.  

65m

Pitch 5

Climb right facing corner. The grade belies the seriousness of this pitch. (5.6 in the book) Sustained stemming on good but slightly lichenous rock. There is gear, but not much!  I only got about 3 pieces.

5.7 extreme! RP’s helpful.  

35m

Pitch 6

Traverse left on easy knife edge ridge

40m

Pitch 7

Climb blocky corner up to a nice belay below a right facing corner.  5.6

75m

Pitch 8

Perfect fingers in a corner to hands with the whole of the NW Face to your right. Glorious!!

25 m

Pitch 9

Arete

Hard moves in a shallow tips corner get you established on the arete. Climb a crack up and right on the arete while dubiously eyeing the lone bolt high above, thinking to yourself “how am i going to get to that!?”  Follow the crack up and right to where large face holds lead back left to the arete and the bolt.  Commit to a safe but spooky move past the bolt.  Continue by gingerly jamming up the wedged flake on the left.  Continue up cracks before moving left at a horizontal crack. Belay at a good stance.  Belay takes #.4-.75.  5.10+

40m

Pitch 10

Climb the finger crack directly above the belay. As the crack seams out begin compression climbing the twin aretes. Make a few committing moves a ways above your gear before the climbing eases off. Large face holds and seams lead up low angle terrain. Not much gear in the second half so take what you can find. Be careful with loose rock on the ledges on top of this pitch.  5.10

50m

Pitch 11

60 m of low angle third or fourth class leads up to 40 m of exposed but easy 5th class climbing joining the top out of the regular route.  Hard to say what’s best here. We unroped for the scrambling to prevent the rope getting tangled up in loose rock and then roped up for the last pitch.

Have at it!

This route begins off a slab just east of the eastern edge of the NW Face.  If approaching from below follow the trail along the base up until it turns onto the East aspect.  If approaching from above walk down the descent from Subdome until you are about to round the corner onto the NW Face.

Double rack of cams #.2-2, single #3; RP's, and medium nuts. 12 draws, 8 alpine.