California·United States
Photo: Roy Luck · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Yosemite Valley is the most famous climbing destination on earth, with sheer granite walls that shaped the history of the sport. The Nose on El Capitan and the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome are bucket-list big walls, while Tuolumne Meadows offers high-country domes and the classic Cathedral Peak.
In season: Apr–Oct · Peak: May, Sep–Oct
Crack and slab climbing on flawless granite, from single pitches to multi-day walls with hauling and portaledge nights. Summer is hot in the Valley, so climbers head up to Tuolumne; spring and autumn are prime time on the walls.
High country granite, single and multi-pitch at altitude
The classic easy alpine rock route, Yosemite's introduction
The most famous big wall climb in the world
The other great Valley wall, 23 pitches
Base at Camp 4 or book park lodging far ahead, and get a wilderness permit for overnight walls. Build crack technique on Valley cragging and Tuolumne domes first, climb Cathedral Peak, then work up to the big walls or hire a guide.
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