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summerprophet
Mountain climber
Cali Via Canada
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 23, 2007 - 11:01am PT
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Is this possible? I have been on the arcehs rap route and been on the rim, but have never rapped from the rim. Is there an obvious rap point that will take you to the rap route?
Heading up north dome and determined not to do either the falls trail or north dome gully anymore.
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DRoots
climber
Lake Tahoe
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May 23, 2007 - 11:15am PT
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N. Dome Gully is by FAR the best (& quickest) way to get off both the arches and N. Dome. Just thinking about that many raps down a giant slab makes my knees start hurting.
Have Fun
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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May 23, 2007 - 11:24am PT
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We got asked that a lot yesterday... while I believe that the rap route start is obvious, if you've never been there it might not be...
At the high point of the climb, which is not the endpoint of the climb, there are two anchors with chains. This is the start. You have to be aware that there are a large number of stations making many different rope length options possible.
I think most people grossly under estimate the time it takes to rap from the rim. It is also very important that this is done safely, as a mistake, e.g. not clipping into a station, would be fatal. That being said, I don't think many accidents have occured on this descent.
I vastly prefer walking the NDG descent. It is better exercise, is far safer, and builds navigational skills for a Valley filled with like descents and approaches. And the scenery is better. It is just as fast, maybe faster because you can more easily pass slow parties on the trail.
PLEASE BE AWARE that a description of the rap stations in both Reid's and SuperTopo are detailed, but that getting to the last rap is a little inobvious if you are doing it for the first time... while you are probably very tired at this point, you have to think it through before jumping on what seems obvious.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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May 23, 2007 - 11:30am PT
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It's possible but it's not sweet and easy. There's a big batch of slings and rope as an anchor but you have to look around. Dirt get's in your eye and the sequence of raps to get to the top of the rap route is diagonal and weird. Better to just hike down to the forest and reverse the last pitch
PEace
Karl
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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May 23, 2007 - 11:32am PT
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Ditto Ed- The North Dome gully descent is not so horrific as to be worth avoiding. Just dirty and a bit unpleasant perhaps. I have no bad memories coming down it. The old advice is likely still good. Stay on dirt. Stay on the outside track. Do not look to begin rappelling at any point. Otherwise, have a lovely outing!
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the Fet
Knackered climber
A bivy sack in the secret campground
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May 23, 2007 - 12:00pm PT
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NDG is not so bad IMO, but it's pretty far from RA, while the RA rap route drops you right at the start of RA.
Not sure about what's best from North Dome, but I'll never hike the NDG from RA again, unless I was free soloing. We rapped the RA rap route in 2 hours with a single 60M.
I'd do what Karl suggests. Hike down to the spring, then reverse the last pitch traverse to the start of the rap route.
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rlf
Trad climber
Josh, CA
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May 23, 2007 - 12:38pm PT
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While I have only done it once, the NDG is really not all that bad. I was dreading it after a wall, we were out of water, in the middle of august. We just took our time, and slowly plodded down. Besides, when are people going to learn that rapping is plenty dangerous, especially when your tired. I'd rather do NDG than rap ump'teen pitches any day.
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Chaz
Trad climber
So. Cal.
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May 23, 2007 - 01:52pm PT
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A partner and I rapped straight down from The Jungle in '83. I don't think there was an established "rap route" then.
We rapped pretty much off trees, some pretty solid, others not so much. The anchor for the second rap was 150' down and slightly right from The Jungle was off a rusty, corroded Lost Arrow. Very exciting.
It took us all night. Rope got stuck twice, and we had to climb back up it to rig it right so we could retrieve it.
We didn't count the number of raps, but we were using 150' ropes.
It started raining pretty hard on the last climbing pitch, the traverse into The Jungle. We had never been down the North Dome descent, and decided against it because we didn't really feel like walking across something called Death Slabs in the rain.
Royal Arches. Two n00bs. Car-to-car in exactly 24 hours!
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Clayman
Trad climber
CA, now Flagstaff
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May 23, 2007 - 03:03pm PT
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The rap station from the rim can be hard to find. we got super lucky and found it a night. we looked around for ever for that station. its off a well defined trail if you are coming off the column towards the top of the arches. i remember a bucha static line and some rap ring. lands you at the top of the arches route. look for a carin.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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May 23, 2007 - 03:21pm PT
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When I did the Cobra, we simply downclimbed the finish of Royal Arches (from rim to Jungle) and traversed the slab over to the first rap anchor.
The descent I have always done from North Dome is to hike the 4.3 miles to Tioga Road. It's mostly level with a few slight uphills. Stash a car at Porcupine Creek trailhead, so you can drive back down to the valley. At present there is snow in the shade of the trees, so the trail may not be too easy. It should melt in the next couple of weeks.
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Larry
Trad climber
Bisbee
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May 23, 2007 - 09:49pm PT
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I have been known to have trouble finding the start, even though I know where it is.
The first rope pull can be very tough.
Also, watch for the rope hanging up when it falls somewhere around the 3rd rap down (trees on ledge, climber's right). Rapping full length is not always advantageous.
Some stations may be hanging stations.
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summerprophet
Mountain climber
Cali Via Canada
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Topic Author's Reply - May 31, 2007 - 07:08pm PT
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Well I found the rap station from the rim and will add it here for future searches.
From the obvious resting point at the top of the arches (identified by a few large logs and boulders suitable for sleeping under) hike uphile for about 100 feet. Keep your eyes peeled for openings in the trees that you would access from the uphill side. The second opening has the Rap station.
At time of writing this the static line has some serious wear on the sheath. Rapping to the slabs will put you about 40' left of the top bolted anchors. Likely need atleast 2 50 meter ropes for this rappel.
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scuffy b
climber
The town that Nature forgot to hate
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May 31, 2007 - 07:14pm PT
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A second-hand story.
My friend climbed the Arches route in company with his brother
and nephew a few years ago. At the top, Brother headed to NDG
while Friend and Nephew rapped. Friend has much experience
descending large cliffs and mountains.
Brother beat them down by a small margin.
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punjab
Trad climber
oregon
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recently did RA and crest jewel and came down the RA raps...the raps took about 40 mins with a 60m...however we simul-rapped and down climbed a little...
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nick d
Trad climber
nm
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Simul-rapping? Jeez, I'll be looking for you guys in the obituaries. Take Steve Grossman's advice and walk down the gully.
MS
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scooter
climber
B loop site 15
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never rap when you can walk, ever.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Duke- and I did this on 5/22 with a huge number of people on the route, we passed 13 people in 6 teams... we tagged the top, had time for a short repast, and then blasted off down the NDG.
Got to the bottom and wittnessed a huge line of people rapping... which is another factor to take into account when you choose, if you are behind the line there is no passing, where as on the trail you can pass without a problem.
We did come upon another team hiking the NDG. Unfortunately for them, they had gotten into a funk at the low point of the traverse, not wanting to climb back up for the relatively small bit of trail to get into the east gully which is the descent to the sandy slopes below. From where they were, it looked like you could do a relatively short rap to low angle terrain and walk to intersect the trail. NOT A GOOD IDEA unless you have it ruthlessly wired (and I do not). The "low angle terrain" is not vertical, but it isn't walkable either, it would be a heinous scramble, and probably more raps on low angle, dirty, loose, vegitated crap.
Hiking down and circling around, we couldn't see them, and they weren't in front of us!
Upon return to the car at the Ahwanhee parking area revealed the conga line on the rap route.
It is my goal to do the NDG enough times to be able to navigate it in any weather at any time (though a out and out thunderstorm deluge would have me ensconced under boulders, that would be truely ugly in parts of the gully).
You should be familiar with the rap route, absolutely, but I still think walking is the best way to travel.
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hoipolloi
climber
South Bay
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Hey I just did Arches to Crest Jewel Direct the other weekend, we were right behind this party (sharing belays all the way) and when we got to the top we turned and rapped down (which was actually a pretty fun rap in the ways of raps) but this other party hiked off the top of north dome down to Yosemite Falls trail. They said it was about seven miles but not a very hard hike, most of it is downhill after the first portion.
We did the raps off of the top of north dome in 1 hour 45 minutes, which was pretty fast, I thought. We were cruising the whole way, had a good fast system. Then we hiked down and it took about the same amount of time to get back to the car.
When we got to the store to get beer, the other group was there, and had already been down about an hour and a half. It was WAY faster to just hike down from the top than rap and do north dome gully. Seemed neat too, rad hike over to the falls, then down. If you ditch a car there (if you have two) it would be way fast and easy.
just a thought
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Hoipolloi, the exact same thing happened to me when I did Royal Crest a couple of weeks ago. In fact the story is so darn similar that I think you must have been my climbing partner!! WTF,O.
Let's go back.
Yeah, from the top of North Dome, those guys blazed down the falls trail, hitched from C4 to the Awahnee, got their car & drove to Curry to visit some Village People, then hit the Store -- all in the time it took us to rap ND, run down NDG, and sledge over to the Store.
No second rope for me next time!!
:- k
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nick d
Trad climber
nm
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Chaz, that is a very funny story! No matter how accomplished any of us have become, those are the kind of events that you'll never forget. Any lesson you live through is a good one!
MS
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