Routes : North America : United States : California : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley : Royal Arches : Royal Arches : Royal Arches

Royal Arches - 5.7 A0 popular

Average Rating : 4.48 out of 5
Route sequence (left to right): 1
Route Summary | Ascent Notes (175)

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First Ascent:

Type of Climb:

Rock

Safety Rating:

PG13

Pitches:

Protection:

to 3"

Length (ft):

1600

Consensus Ratings
Difficulty	5.7 A0
Safety Rating	G
Exposure
Rock Quality
Scenery
Fun Factor

Description:

15 pitches or so, if you belay them all. Start in a chimney. This is the hardest climbing on the route (physically) head to the top of the buttress (3 pitches), then get on the main wall above. Follow cracks a few pitches to the 1st traverse. It can be freed at 5.9, or tension traverse it. go left one full rope, then up and thru the overhangs. move left, then up again. follow pretty much straight up till the big pine tree. Go left and up 2 more pitches. traverse off the slab. climb thru the jungle up and left to the rim. I think I would rather drop BOMBER rap's than stumble down a gulley, so instead of going into jungle start to rap from the second to last pitch. All you need is 1 60M. and you can make 15 raps down face back to the base of the route or go to the washington column descent, asnd go down that gully. .

Submitted by: arete on 2004-08-19
Last Modified: 2012-06-02
Views: 6605
Route ID: 909

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175 Ascents Recorded

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Ratings
Difficulty	5.7 A0
Safety Rating	G
Exposure
Rock Quality
Scenery
Fun Factor

Onsight ascent by: leoand23 on 2014-05-18 (View Climbing Log)

Only about 5 quality pitches but I see why it is a classic.

Early start (6:30am) and a beautiful Sunday day. Conditions were perfect and route is dry (dry winter). Traded Linking a couple of pitches and simulclimbed the 3rd and 4th class portions of the route. Highlights of the route were the P1 chimney, and the pitches before and after the pendulum. Bear hug flake was awesome. Best pitch of the day IMO was linking p11-p12. (where the Rotten Log used to be); perfect finger crack with good pro and exposure; together with the parallel cracks that follow make for an awesome full pitch.
Mental crux of the climb (if you don't rap) is the 5.4 friction along the crest of the face with 1,400' of air beneath you (I call that exposure) with no pro and a crappy spinner old bolt to protect (don't fall).
Started at 6:30am; topped out at 1pm; had lunch at top and started hiking down at 1:30pm. Trail is very obvious, but good to have the super topo directions; only missed the trail once after second slabby area (second set of manzanita trees); only lost about 10-20 minutes, and finished the descent in about two and a half hours (with getting lost for a bit). down at the car by 4pm.

Added: 2014-05-19

Ratings
Difficulty	5.7 A0
Safety Rating	G
Exposure
Rock Quality
Scenery
Fun Factor

Second ascent by: savygal on 2012-02-12 (View Climbing Log)

Awesome views!

My first multi-pitch I ever did! Great climb!

Added: 2013-10-23

Ratings
Difficulty	5.7
Safety Rating	PG13
Exposure
Rock Quality
Scenery
Fun Factor

Onsight ascent by: klass7 on 1984-08-18 (View Climbing Log)

Royal Arches in the heat

Paul Sydnor and David Engel

Added: 2013-06-18

Ratings
Difficulty
Safety Rating	G

Onsight ascent by: bowleggedgoat on 2012-10-13 (View Climbing Log)

royal arches

simul for most of it

Added: 2012-11-01

Ratings
Difficulty	5.7
Safety Rating	G
Exposure
Rock Quality
Scenery
Fun Factor

Onsight ascent by: mathdesj on 2012-05-17 (View Climbing Log)

Thank God it was cloudy

Only cloudy day of the week, woohoo! Nice and easy climbing, but figured mostly a classic because of its length.

Added: 2012-10-23

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