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Middle Cathedral Rock Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in 6. Middle Cathedral Rock

L › R R › L A › Z

	Bircheff-Williams T 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a
	Border Country T 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b R
	Bottom Feeder T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13
	Cat Dancing T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Central Pillar of Frenzy T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Coffee Snob T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Corner Pocket T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Desperate for Doughnuts T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Direct North Buttress (DNB) T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Direct Start to Central Pillar T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a R
	East Buttress T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b A0
	Ennui T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c PG13
	Exodus T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13
	Fall Guy T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Father Time T 5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c PG13
	Feel so Numb S 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b
	Flakes, The T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R
	Freewheelin' T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b R
	Grand Wazoo, The T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
	Ho Chi Minh Trail T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Hole in One T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Home Run T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b PG13
	Kor-Beck T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Lap Lobster T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Modern Alchemy T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Monogamish T 5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a R
	Mother Earth T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a PG13
	No Butts About It T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
	North Buttress T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Paradise Lost T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13
	Pedestal, The T,TR 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Pee Pee Pillar T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Pee Pee Pillar Left T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
	Punny People T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Quicksilver T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
	Rainbow bridge S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
	Ramer S 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Reefer Cruise T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c
	Scorpion Tale T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13
	Slip on Slime S 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Space Babble T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c R
	Spank Your Monkey T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13
	Stand And Deliver T,TR 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Stoner's Highway T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b R
	Stupid Pet Tricks T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Sweet Thang T 5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
	Tapestry T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
	Tears of Joy T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Together Forever T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Top Dog S 5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a
	Up the Down Staircase T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Volkswagen Mechanic, The TR 5.10a/b 6a+ 19 VI+ 19 E2 5b
	Walk of Life T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b PG13

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Elevation:	6,234 ft
GPS:	37.7165, -119.6363 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	248,167 total · 1,217/month
Shared By:	Josh Janes on Jun 15, 2006 · Updates
Admins:	Mike Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer Ski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes Page Updates (admin only)

Access Issue: Latest updates on Covid and falcon closures. Details

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Ongoing Issues:
Yosemite National Park climbing closures and conditions.

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Always check the Yosemite website Peregrine Closure page at nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/… for the most current details and park alerts, and to learn more about the peregrine falcon, and how closures help it survive. This page also shares closures and warning due to current fires, smoke, etc.

Description

Anywhere else in the world, a rock formation the size and quality of Middle Cathedral Rock would be a full-on climbing area in it's own right. It has the unfortunate problem of residing right across the road from THE ROCK (El Capitan), however. Still, Middle Cathedral has some excellent, long free routes on it that are well worth checking out. The most popular route on MCR is probably The East Buttress (5.9 A0 or 10c), included in the 50 Classic Climbs of North America. The next most trafficed route is probably Central Pillar of Frenzy (5.9), a nice crack line to the right of the East Butt (most parties climb five pitches and then rappel).

Warning: Some rockfall has occurred on MCR in the area of the Direct North Buttress (DNB) route and in the descent gully. Ask around for the latest scoop and watch your head!

Getting There

Middle Cathedral Rock is the (surprise!) middle of the three Cathedral Rocks, found just south across the valley from El Capitan.

Descent

Rap Route beta - Supertopo (scroll down page for full color picture of the rap route)

Bryan G. adds descent beta from the summit of Middle Cathedral: "There are several potential ways to get down from the top of Middle. The option which looked the best to us is as follows:
Begin by hiking downhill towards Higher Cathedral Rock. Heavy bushwhacking will be encountered. By staying near the left edge of the ridge (above Cathedral Gully) and with careful route finding we were able to make it down to the notch without too much difficulty. From here you scramble up 3rd class ledges and ramps with only minor bushwhacking until you're nearly to the summit of HCR. Then you can simply walk east and pick up the well-established descent trail which leads into the Spires Gully. **Don't try avoid scrambling up HCR by contouring east too soon or you'll encounter a ridge of 5th class rock blocking your path.

A couple other descent options mentioned in the Reid guide include:

-Descending slabs to the northeast to gain the Katwalk. Depending on the number of rappels required, this option could either be great or terrible, I don't know. It probably involves some fairly complex route finding in any case.

- Descending to the Middle-Higher notch, then hiking southwest toward Bridalveil Creek before contouring into the Gunsight. I'm pretty sure this is an ungodly bushwhack. Don't even think about it."

53 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Middle Cathedral Rock

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.

5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b 27 ● Pee Pee Pillar Left Trad
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 970 ● Central Pillar of Frenzy Trad 5 pitches
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a 158 ● Kor-Beck Trad 13 pitches
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R 9 ● Quicksilver Trad 4 pitches
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a 118 ● Pee Pee Pillar Trad
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13 21 ● Paradise Lost Trad 7 pitches
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b 40 ● Direct North Buttress (DNB) Trad 17 pitches
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b R 10 ● Freewheelin' Trad 5 pitches
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b R 57 ● Stoner's Highway Trad 10 pitches
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b 21 ● Ho Chi Minh Trail Trad 19 pitches
5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b A0 807 ● East Buttress Trad, Aid 11 pitches
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c R 6 ● Space Babble Trad 7 pitches
5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a 34 ● Bircheff-Williams Trad 5 pitches
5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b R 27 ● Border Country Trad 12 pitches
5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c PG13 8 ● Father Time Trad 20 pitches