I'm looking for any information on climbing the Arrowhead Arete in Yosemite.

Approach. Descent. Quality of climb.

Thanks.

-- Dan Rampe (rampe@pacbell.net), May 15, 2000

Answers

Great climb and fairly mellow for Yosemite. There is not a whole lot of 5.8 on it. What we did is climb Arrowhead Spire first (5.5?) and then rap off the spire right to the base of the route, I'd recommend this.

The top of Arrowhead Arete is easy but quite wild, it's only a foot or two wide and drops sheer for 500 feet on either side. This part is rated 4th class or something like that on the topo! We did the route in the spring, and there was water coming down the descent gully (L of the route), which made it unpleasant. The descent is definitely loose and ugly.

-George

-- George Bell (gibell@uswest.com), May 22, 2000.