Tuolumne Meadows.
Cathedral Peak’s southeast buttress.
Climbers at the base of the SE Buttress. View of Cathedral Peak Tuolumne’s Granite Church A DISCIPLE’S GUIDE TO ENLIGHTENMENT ON CATHEDRAL PEAK’S SOUTHEAST BUTTRESS By Bruce Willey • Photos by Bob Burd
climber’s faith is of the blind, Whatever the case, in the buttress a 5.4 in his book, “The A optimistic variety. The prayers frequent 1869 Muir was enjoying Climber’s Guide to the High Sierra.” … This rope will hold me if I fall; the nut (hardly a strong enough Croft and his contemporaries like Chris placement won’t rip out; the weather is word) what would be McNamara give it a 5.7. The latter going to remain good … Because by faith become “My First Summer grade feels more frank in a few, short we gain knowledge, and sometimes the in the Sierra,” sneaking sections, regardless of which of those summit. For that reason, and that reason away from his duties three climbers you stand next to. But alone, it’s good to go to church every as sheepherder to climb most of the climb feels, oh, 5.6ish. once in a while. And for me—an average the 10,940-foot granite And there are ways to beat the crowds. climber with atheistic leanings—that church steeple of Cathedral Peak Starting off from the trailhead at is Cathedral Peak, in Yosemite National and receive, as he put it, 4 a.m. is one way, but then that Park’s high country, Tuolumne Meadows. “sermons in stone.” He means going to sleep just when the claimed the fi rst ascent rights conversation around the Tuolumne Plus, I’ve always taken pathological on Cathedral by going up the Meadows Campground campfi re is pleasure in calling my grandmother from class 4 ledges (the descent just getting good. If the weather has the pay phone at the Tuolumne Meadows route) on the west side. concession stand on the morning of my been stable and without afternoon ascent. “Going to church today, Grandma.” Still, no doubt those class 5 thunderstorms—as so often is the moves at the top must have felt case in the mid-to-late summer—it’s For decades now, she’s been praying that I pretty damn stout in leather- possible to get on the climb in the afternoon might return to the fl ock. When she fi nds out soled boots. In other words, legends, and hundreds of less celebrated while the good folks who so wisely adhere to it’s just another rock climb, the excitement maybe he did have a religious experience folks like you and me. For those reasons the alpine start are topping out. in her voice drops faster than a loose nut, getting up the fi nal airy traverse and the and more, the climb is rarely a “poor lonely Just be sure you are fast. Leaving the car one despite my sincere telling of how John Muir 20 feet or so of exposed climbing to the worshiping” experience. Still, the crowds very late summer afternoon, my brother and proclaimed: “This I may say is the fi rst time tabletop-sized summit. (He’d already fallen don’t compare to the mega-church-sized I did the last two pitches on a moonless night I have been at church in California, led here on a steep snow bank on Cathedral’s fl anks congregations of Yosemite Valley an hour- with one headlamp. It was nothing short at last, every door graciously opened for the but managed to self-arrest, 19th century- plus drive away and 8,000 feet lower. of an ascent into darkness, the wrath of the poor lonely worshiper.” style, by digging in his heels.) And it’s been crowded for a long time. lord upon us. Better to wait for a full moon This statement of Muir’s always puzzled Today, Cathedral Peak’s Southeast Buttress Steve Roper was calling the Southeast that rises out of the east over Mono Lake me. Was he thumbing his nose at the is a highly coveted ascent with its perfect Buttress an “extremely popular climb” way and illuminates the face for late afternoon establishment or succumbing to his ecstatic granite that features moderate crack and back in 1976. More recently, Peter Croft approaches, and even night climbs if you’re brand of romanticism? Or more likely, a face climbing amid a bliss-inducing alpine dubs it the “most popular alpine climb in into that kind of thing. Again, only if you are little bit of both. Can’t fault the bearded setting. Plus, it boasts a summit where California,” giving it the “awesome” rank sure there are no thunderheads lurking. climbing naturalist. The latter is an easy you can sit your harness down in exactly in his book “The Good, The Great, and the On an earlier Cathedral climb, the thing to do to in the Sierra. So is the former the same place as John o’ the Mountains, Awesome.” With time and the crowds have importance of an alpine start was verily after the alpine environment has done its as well as a host of other Sierra climbing come some rating changes. Roper rated work on the blood and soul. www.adventuresportsjournal.com 9 mIP OFF
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shocked into my brother and I. There were Rain, hail, fi re and brimstone-type sermons clouds in the sky by the time we loitered up boomed in my pagan head. I was stuck the climbers’ trail, but nothing anvil-shaped on the tallest thing around, poking into a or thunderous. Benevolent clouds for all cloud, and stuck on belay. Eventually (what we knew. By the time we racked up it was seemed hours), my brother poked over noon. Our fi rst hint of trouble might have the top and we got the hell out of there. been the fact that we had the whole buttress We received some grace that day. And on to ourselves. But fools that we are, we the way down, as the storm abated, we started climbing. looked back up at Cathedral and gained a Not to be presumptuous, but sitting on the new appreciation for its role as Tuolumne summit block belaying my brother up the Meadows’ offi cial lightening rod. last pitch, I felt rejuvenated, marvelous Rather than tempt your maker with carefree even—as Muir would lose himself staring disrespect, better to just suck it up and join wistfully at an alpine fl ower, or a rock. the faithful throngs observing Cathedral’s Then, slowly, the air began to crackle congregational hours. Even with the like a high power line, and the hair on my masses, you’ll still fi nd plenty of granite arms stood up. So did the hair on my head, enlightenment. Unlike surfers, climbers mopping the inside of my helmet. Even the frown on dirty looks when racking up at the rope felt like I just taken it out of the dryer. bottom. Besides, there are really three routes up the buttress, all of them about the same 10 ASJ—May/June 2006 diffi culty, all of them deserves respect—all six pitches or so of it. In fact, it’s nearly mandatory to combine the leading to the same airy For many the Southwest Buttress represents North Face after Cathedral. It’s blasphemy summit. their fi rst climb that far away from the road. not to. Especially being that the improbable- With the conclusion the It was mine, and I remember it well with looking summit can be reached in just one same, there are bound to acres of clarity. Perhaps for that reason, I 5.4 pitch. Well worth it. fi nd myself returning to it almost every year be some traffi c jams near But fi rst you have to get up there. As just to exfoliate some winter rust from the the top. Thankfully, by mentioned, there are many ways to go. No limbs. And due to its moderate grade and geological inspiration, way is the right way, but a more southern being situated in one hell of a pretty place there is a wide belay start will add almost a rope length to the (can we use that word around here?), it’s a ledge one pitch from the climb. Then again, further up and to the good place for a tune up before getting on a top to rest and wait your right you get to climb on these really cool more serious peak. If this is your fi rst alpine turn. Just be careful not to knobs, which incidentally get their own climb the view from the top is nothing short knock the loose rock lying name in geology textbooks, “Cathedral of motivational. Mount Conness’s West around up there. Knowing Peak granodiorite,” characterized by large Ridge, Whorl Mountain, Matterhorn Peak, that, love one another feldspar crystals. About halfway up every Mount Dana, Mount Ritter and Banner, and wear a helmet even route, one gets the feldspar experience. A Mount Lyle, not to mention Unicorn Peak, though most of the loose few feet down from the famous chimney the Echo Peak (hidden behind the ever-lovely rock has been swept clean. granodiorite gets downright inspiring. Can’t Matthes Crest) and holy of holies, Eichorn miss it. Cathedral Peak is, after Pinnacle, standing proudly like some sort all, an alpine climb and of Chamonix aiguille—Cathedral’s dapper And speaking of the chimney. This is where (dare we say sexy?) cousin it gets congested because, well, it’s a lot of straight out of the French fun unless you’re wearing a pack. There Alps. are ways to go on either side, but there’s something to be said for pulling out of the chimney and grabbing the thank-god-hold up high as you lean out 400-plus feet over the shrinking lodgepoles below.
Climber on Cathedral’s summit. From there, fi nd some small belay ledges and hang your feet over the edge and wait for your partner to peek through the top of the chimney. It’s a beautiful sight. But then Cathedral Peak tends to open up a whole set of possibilities, and the climbing just gets better the higher you go. Keep the faith.
Tuolumne Store and Grill Looking for handouts.
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