TR: Royal Arches to Upper Yosemite Falls Trail 2005-08-05

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nutjob

Trad climber

San Jose, CA

Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 20, 2006 - 06:49am PT

After the pendulum & traverse on Royal Arches:

Hanging out, Lower/Middle/Higher Cathedral in background:

Cool flowers after slogging through bushes on a "short cut" to meet North Dome Trail:

North & South Dome:

North & South Dome from a little higher up:

A welcome break after cooking our brains on the slabs and brushland (Lahamite Creek):

Getting high enough to see the high country beyond half dome:

Near Indian Creek... expecting Ewoks to jump out any minute. It's a darn good thing we didn't try to skirt close to the "rim" around this area. Extremely rugged terrain leading to drop-offs:

Pictures seldom let you feel the magnitude of a view like this. We sat near here for a while, just unbelievable looking down on Yosemite Point Buttress, all the valley laid out before us in a visual buffet:

And here's looking in the opposite direction:

The top of Arrowhead Arete with Glacier Point peering in the background:

Joe wrapping up the burliest free solo of all time, somewhere between Lost Arrow Spire and Yosemite Point Buttress:

I decided to snag the second ascent while passing through the area:

Shot of Lost Arrow Spire... hey Ritwik, our new route from last year is highlighted in Yellow... you can see the tree that started our post-midnight rap down big Aqua Mist chimney (just to right) and the following odyssey. This angle shows the final chimney to walk-off (but we had no idea where we were or where the top was):

Joe scaring the tourists on the bridge over Yosemite Creek just before the big drop-off (Upper Yosemite Falls):

Cruising down the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail. At this point we're marching machines. Just don't stop or we'll never get back up:

We're racing the sun to the bottom, half-dome catching late sun, our route from the morning in mid-left frame below half-dome:

The usual parting scene for every Yosemite weekend warrior:

Thanks Joe, I had a great time. An amazing string of activities and scenes to put in one day.