First time for a friend and I, 6 hours up, 4 down N Dome gully. Grueling. Second time, following a buddy who did it like 15 times before, we were up in 2 and rapped down in 1! A late start and still back in time for lunch. I love it.
I've climbed this at least twice since 1991. Lurid details in journal; will update later. BTW, Chris Kopczynski has the top of the Rotten Log on his home office desk in Spokane: it tumbled down right in front of him & John Roskelley some years ago. Chris retrieved it at the Arches' bottom after they topped out.
Cookie Addict - Jul 20, 2006 11:10 pm Date Climbed: Jun 15, 2006
a snake at the rap rings
A buddy and I did the route in fine weather in 8 hours. There was a balack and white California Kingsnake near the top rap rings that scared the crap out of me as I was 70 from my last piece. A great day out though.
thedus - Jun 4, 2006 7:29 pm Date Climbed: Sep 8, 2005
Royal Arches Route
Four of us climbed as two rope teams. Jason and his dad, Larry, led the way, and Karissa and I followed. Great climb on a great day, even if my hands were feeling abused still from following Jason up The Cookie, Right two days before. We rapped instead of thrashing our way down the NDG.
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: May 1999
My first long route in Yosemite. A great day and we made real good time untill taking a break just below the now fallen rotten log traverse. After this we got behind schedule. With 3 people rapping and getting lost somewhere over by Devils bathtub we didn't get back till after dark.
Climbed wth my main climbing partner Thomas French and his brother David
Route Climbed: well, you know Date Climbed: 16 October, 2005
6 October, '7
This time with Kris. Fun blast up. This time got a LITTLE earlier start (10.04 or so) & didn't make any wrong turns on the way. Weather was great & views & climbing were of course wonderful. Ran into Miguel on the way up. Got down at 20.04. Great time with a good friend & partner.
16 October, '5
Climbed with Gordon. A 130-some mile drive from Strawberry the night before, little sleep, needing to get a nut tool, and difficulties finding the start shot down our attempt to get an early start.
Started the first pitch at 10.45. After the 1st pitch R-hand chimney variation in ST, went up what seemed to be a little-climbed (if at all) unprotected 5.5 groove that took us to the main ledge. After the prominent ledge system following the pendulum, took the wrong dihedral- dirty, mungy, marginally protected, 5.7+, to a ledge. It was here that Gordon discerned we needed to go down to get back on track. Reluctantly & out of necessity, I agreed. Rappelling off of that manzanita bush was perhaps the most thrilling part of the day (the only reassurance I took was that there were some old, natty slings that some other confused party used to rap' down off of when the bush was even smaller). Once back on track, we moved fairly quickly until the sun set. The topo somewhat inaccurate, it took us a while to determine the correct way to continue. Finally found the correct way to go & cruised from there. Was quite relieved to finally reach the first rappel anchor.
Despite the bolted rap' anchors, the darkness made for slow going (I'm so glad the moon was out!!). We made it down w/o incident, however, in the wee hours of the morn'.
Great day of climbing in unusually good weather (esp. at night!), with a good partner and amazing scenery. I'll be back to do this in one in a reasonable amount of time.
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: October 16-17, 2005
Followed Dirk in beautiful summer-like weather for my first rock climb inside Yosemite Valley, lasting about 18 hours, 5 of which on the rappell route. Full moon light helped tremendously since we got a late start and by night fall made it to pitch 11 (McNamara), where we got off route and had to rappell from a 2-ft tall manzanita bush (with much trepidation) to get back on route. The rope swing (aid) move was an interesting psychological twist, as were the long rappells (with two 50m ropes) in the cool, still night.
The views of the Valley in the moon light was astoundingly serene, especially from tiny rappell perches high above the valley on the huge, featureless, very steep face.
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: Sept. 1985
Climbed with John Pfeiffer, Russ Stein, and Russ Patton. A social climbing experience with a party of 4 but we moved surprisingly fast. Descended North Dome Gully and consumed mass quantities of beer.
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: August 14, 2005
We chose to do the alternate 1st pitch, as there was already another party climbing the chimney. I went half way up and then bailed out. Pavel finished the pitch. The rest of the climb went pretty smoothly. There were two other parties on the route , which slowed us down a bit, but not too bad. Chose to hike down the North Dome gully this time. I'm not quite sure though if this is a better option than the rappels.
Route Climbed: royal arches Date Climbed: 70's and 80's
My first very long climb, got hung up by other parties and finished hike down in the dark. Did it later in much finer style and again as a warm up to Middle Cathedral to work on speed. classic route and definitly fun
Route Climbed: 5.8 variation Date Climbed: October 3, 2004
At last I had my revenge after getting rained off the 9th pitch earlier this year. As Etsuko and I approached the base of the route, we found several parties to be ahead of us. Instead of taking the queue below the chimney, we walked around the base and climbed the 5.8 variation of the 1st pitch. Great! After that lots of painful waiting for other parties continued throughout the route (maybe 3-4 hours of waiting altogether). We finally made it to the beginning of the rappel route by 5pm. After teaming up with Bela and Adam (who we've met on the route that day), we joined our 60m ropes and started the rappel. About half way through it, the night descended on us making it very hard to navigate (2 and a half headlamps between four of us). After lots of routefinding challenges, we finally made it do the section of the route we could recongize. Few more rappels delivered us safely to the ground, at 11:30pm!
Memorable pitches (as per SuperTopo) were: 1 (5.8 var), 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12/13 (we linked these two)
The first long multipitch of the year, my climbing partner and I alternated leads. The climb was great fun. The views were amazing and there were lots of water in the yosmite falls. The chimney wasn't as bad as expected, but the rap descent was long.
Route Climbed: Regualr Route Date Climbed: June 1975
We were newbies, started at 8 and finished at 5. Inching across that log with all of that air was a unique experience. It is a fun climb and I've done it twice since, both in much faster times.
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: August 1996, September 2000
I climbed it together with my wife Rike and my buddy Klaus "Alaska" Irmler. It was a great pleasure ...
I climbed the route a second time in 2000 toghether with Jörg Dufner in 2 hours as approach to the North Dome. Together with the North Dome it was a big epic.
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: Summer 2002
Free-soloed the route. Well, not really because I grabbed the fixed rope at the pendulum. The route is more of a scramble with a few steep parts than it is a rock climb. Still, it's quite worthwhile. Descended the horrible North Dome Gully.
I've been up this 3 times, and my 1st 2 rookie efforts were much more epic than they should have been. Once in the dark, once in the dark with rain/snow, and the last time it finally went smoothly (and relatively fast) in the daylight.
mow10 - Mar 17, 2007 7:17 am
Twice so farFirst time for a friend and I, 6 hours up, 4 down N Dome gully. Grueling. Second time, following a buddy who did it like 15 times before, we were up in 2 and rapped down in 1! A late start and still back in time for lunch. I love it.
Sharon - Dec 22, 2006 4:31 am
Rotten LogI've climbed this at least twice since 1991. Lurid details in journal; will update later. BTW, Chris Kopczynski has the top of the Rotten Log on his home office desk in Spokane: it tumbled down right in front of him & John Roskelley some years ago. Chris retrieved it at the Arches' bottom after they topped out.
Cookie Addict - Jul 20, 2006 11:10 pm Date Climbed: Jun 15, 2006
a snake at the rap ringsA buddy and I did the route in fine weather in 8 hours. There was a balack and white California Kingsnake near the top rap rings that scared the crap out of me as I was 70 from my last piece. A great day out though.
thedus - Jun 4, 2006 7:29 pm Date Climbed: Sep 8, 2005
Royal Arches RouteFour of us climbed as two rope teams. Jason and his dad, Larry, led the way, and Karissa and I followed. Great climb on a great day, even if my hands were feeling abused still from following Jason up The Cookie, Right two days before. We rapped instead of thrashing our way down the NDG.
Rileywyna - Dec 19, 2005 7:42 am
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: May 1999My first long route in Yosemite. A great day and we made real good time untill taking a break just below the now fallen rotten log traverse. After this we got behind schedule. With 3 people rapping and getting lost somewhere over by Devils bathtub we didn't get back till after dark.
Climbed wth my main climbing partner Thomas French and his brother David
Diggler - Oct 18, 2005 4:46 pm
Route Climbed: well, you know Date Climbed: 16 October, 20056 October, '7
This time with Kris. Fun blast up. This time got a LITTLE earlier start (10.04 or so) & didn't make any wrong turns on the way. Weather was great & views & climbing were of course wonderful. Ran into Miguel on the way up. Got down at 20.04. Great time with a good friend & partner.
16 October, '5
Climbed with Gordon. A 130-some mile drive from Strawberry the night before, little sleep, needing to get a nut tool, and difficulties finding the start shot down our attempt to get an early start.
Started the first pitch at 10.45. After the 1st pitch R-hand chimney variation in ST, went up what seemed to be a little-climbed (if at all) unprotected 5.5 groove that took us to the main ledge. After the prominent ledge system following the pendulum, took the wrong dihedral- dirty, mungy, marginally protected, 5.7+, to a ledge. It was here that Gordon discerned we needed to go down to get back on track. Reluctantly & out of necessity, I agreed. Rappelling off of that manzanita bush was perhaps the most thrilling part of the day (the only reassurance I took was that there were some old, natty slings that some other confused party used to rap' down off of when the bush was even smaller). Once back on track, we moved fairly quickly until the sun set. The topo somewhat inaccurate, it took us a while to determine the correct way to continue. Finally found the correct way to go & cruised from there. Was quite relieved to finally reach the first rappel anchor.
Despite the bolted rap' anchors, the darkness made for slow going (I'm so glad the moon was out!!). We made it down w/o incident, however, in the wee hours of the morn'.
Great day of climbing in unusually good weather (esp. at night!), with a good partner and amazing scenery. I'll be back to do this in one in a reasonable amount of time.
gordonye - Oct 17, 2005 7:18 pm
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: October 16-17, 2005Followed Dirk in beautiful summer-like weather for my first rock climb inside Yosemite Valley, lasting about 18 hours, 5 of which on the rappell route. Full moon light helped tremendously since we got a late start and by night fall made it to pitch 11 (McNamara), where we got off route and had to rappell from a 2-ft tall manzanita bush (with much trepidation) to get back on route. The rope swing (aid) move was an interesting psychological twist, as were the long rappells (with two 50m ropes) in the cool, still night.
The views of the Valley in the moon light was astoundingly serene, especially from tiny rappell perches high above the valley on the huge, featureless, very steep face.
tdoughty - Oct 16, 2005 2:25 pm
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: severalBoth with and without the log (man was that classic?) and free both times.
Dave Dinnell - Sep 19, 2005 12:24 am
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: Sept. 1985Climbed with John Pfeiffer, Russ Stein, and Russ Patton. A social climbing experience with a party of 4 but we moved surprisingly fast. Descended North Dome Gully and consumed mass quantities of beer.
Zzyzx - Aug 22, 2005 2:36 am
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: August 14, 2005We chose to do the alternate 1st pitch, as there was already another party climbing the chimney. I went half way up and then bailed out. Pavel finished the pitch. The rest of the climb went pretty smoothly. There were two other parties on the route , which slowed us down a bit, but not too bad. Chose to hike down the North Dome gully this time. I'm not quite sure though if this is a better option than the rappels.
kovarpa - Aug 16, 2005 12:07 am
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: August 14, 2005Fun. Climbed with Kris. 6.5 hrs up, 2hrs down the North Gully.
Brian Frederick - May 17, 2005 12:50 am
Route Climbed: royal arches Date Climbed: 70's and 80'sMy first very long climb, got hung up by other parties and finished hike down in the dark. Did it later in much finer style and again as a warm up to Middle Cathedral to work on speed. classic route and definitly fun
Misha - Oct 4, 2004 1:32 pm
Route Climbed: 5.8 variation Date Climbed: October 3, 2004At last I had my revenge after getting rained off the 9th pitch earlier this year. As Etsuko and I approached the base of the route, we found several parties to be ahead of us. Instead of taking the queue below the chimney, we walked around the base and climbed the 5.8 variation of the 1st pitch. Great! After that lots of painful waiting for other parties continued throughout the route (maybe 3-4 hours of waiting altogether). We finally made it to the beginning of the rappel route by 5pm. After teaming up with Bela and Adam (who we've met on the route that day), we joined our 60m ropes and started the rappel. About half way through it, the night descended on us making it very hard to navigate (2 and a half headlamps between four of us). After lots of routefinding challenges, we finally made it do the section of the route we could recongize. Few more rappels delivered us safely to the ground, at 11:30pm!
Memorable pitches (as per SuperTopo) were: 1 (5.8 var), 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12/13 (we linked these two)
Fantastic adventure!
Carbo - Jul 2, 2004 9:27 pm
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: 6/6/4The first long multipitch of the year, my climbing partner and I alternated leads. The climb was great fun. The views were amazing and there were lots of water in the yosmite falls. The chimney wasn't as bad as expected, but the rap descent was long.
Romain - Jun 28, 2004 1:46 am
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Route Date Climbed: June 25, 2004Climbed with Rene' Renteria, alternating leads. Great weather, great views, great climbing, what more can you ask for? Trip report
depclimb - Mar 12, 2004 5:55 pm
Route Climbed: Regualr Route Date Climbed: June 1975We were newbies, started at 8 and finished at 5. Inching across that log with all of that air was a unique experience. It is a fun climb and I've done it twice since, both in much faster times.
kletterwebbi - Mar 12, 2004 5:31 am
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: August 1996, September 2000I climbed it together with my wife Rike and my buddy Klaus "Alaska" Irmler. It was a great pleasure ...
I climbed the route a second time in 2000 toghether with Jörg Dufner in 2 hours as approach to the North Dome. Together with the North Dome it was a big epic.
Rob - Mar 12, 2004 12:49 am
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: 1997Fun, even though it's way easy.
Josh - Mar 12, 2004 12:44 am
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: Summer 2002Free-soloed the route. Well, not really because I grabbed the fixed rope at the pendulum. The route is more of a scramble with a few steep parts than it is a rock climb. Still, it's quite worthwhile. Descended the horrible North Dome Gully.
bearbnz - Mar 12, 2004 12:35 am
Route Climbed: Royal Arches Date Climbed: SeveralI've been up this 3 times, and my 1st 2 rookie efforts were much more epic than they should have been. Once in the dark, once in the dark with rain/snow, and the last time it finally went smoothly (and relatively fast) in the daylight.