Royal Arches Route
Mountain climbing route on the Royal Arches wall in Yosemite Valley, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Royal Arches Route is a big wall climbing route in California's Yosemite Valley on the Royal Arches wall. The route is recognized in the historic climbing text Fifty Classic Climbs of North America.[1] The route was first climbed Oct. 1936 by Ken Adam, Morgan Harris, K. Kenneth Davis.[2] The route is moderate in difficulty and is frequently climbed. The first 4 pitches are along a west-facing dihedral. At Pitch 5, the route turns north and ascends the main face along crack systems. Pitch 10 can be free climbed at 5.10b however, most climbers use a fixed rope to pendulum to a long ledge. At the end of Pitch 15, begins the bolted rappel route. It is 18 rappels to the Valley floor.[2] Some climbers prefer to continue to "The Jungle" at the end of Pitch 16. Beyond The Jungle is a 5.4 slab and 4th Class scrambling to the Valley Rim. The descent is usually accomplished by traversing northeast to Washington Column and descending the exposed North Dome Gully.
| Royal Arches Route | |
|---|---|
| Location | California, USA |
| Coordinates | 37.74840°N 119.569°W |
| Climbing area | Yosemite Valley |
| Route type | Traditional climbing, Big wall climbing |
| Vertical gain | 1,400 feet (430 m) |
| Pitches | 16 |
| 5.7 A0 or 5.10a (6a) | |
| NCCS grade | II |
| First ascent | Oct. 1936. Ken Adam, Morgan Harris, K. Kenneth Davis |
The Royal Arches route has long been a popular free solo, and the competition over the years has led to some astounding ascent times. Even as far back as 1979, the 15-pitch ascent was being done in under an hour.[3] However, many people find themselves spending the night on the route. There have been several accidents on the route and rappel route.[4][5]
