It has been a good number of years since I was in the USA during the summer as I generally opt to visit during the winter to escape the darkness of Scandinavia. While the winter trips are great there are limitations to where I can climb so you can imagine my excitement when a short trip to the USA in late June fell in my lap. I only got a week but it served as a perfect opportunity to explore the high Sierras and I arranged to meet my sister in Tuolumne Meadows for some trad-climbing and a bit of bouldering.
Tuolumne is located in the eastern part of Yosemite National Park and offers a welcome respite from the crowds and the heat of Yosemite Valley during the summer months. A seemingly endless granite playground, Tuolumne offers something for climbers of all abilities and disciplines. While I'm generally a boulderer I decided this trip would be primarily for traditional-climbing on the plethora of granite domes in the area. My sister has spent a couple seasons in Tuolumne and she served as my guide, lining up what routes we should do and providing the necessary equipment. It was an awesome trip.
Here are a few pictures...
There is lots of granite in Tuolumne. So much climbing, so little time.
Tools of the trade.
Fairview is a fine example of the granite domes that draw climbers from around the world. Unfortunately I didn't get around to climbing it on this trip. Next time.
Hiking toward Matthes Crest, which follows the sharp ridge on the horizon.
Matty on Matthes Crest. The views are stunning.
Cathedral Peak is one of Tuolumne's most popular climbs and one my favorites from the trip.
The view from on top of Cathedral Peak
OZ is an amazing climb that tackles the beautiful dihedral for the 3rd pitch. If you look closely you can see a couple climbers on the wall.
This trip would not have been possible without Prairie and Matty to show me the ropes. Despite a week of bad weather (it rained every day) we still managed to get quite a bit done. Here is an obligatory summit shot after climbing OZ.
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