As a bonus, we met up with our friend Lis at the end of the trail in Tuolumne Meadows. We had just finished a 2 week push across the Sierras, and Lis was nice enough to take us up Cathedral Peak for a quick finale romp! Our trail legs were strong, but our climbing skills were a bit rusty, good thing we had Lis at the helm as our Rope Gun!
We left our camp early and headed towards the trailhead of the Cathedral Peak nestled in the heart of Tuolumne Meadows. We could see the large peak jutting into the sky from a long way off, it looked like a white pyramid beckoning all climbers in the immediate vicinity towards it. We made quick work of the approach across creek-laden meadows and soon found ourselves on the final push to the base of the huge granite peak. We could already see quite a few parties on the wall, plus some commotion at the start of the climb.
As we made our way closer, we realized there was a Search and Rescue (SAR) event unfolding before our eyes. A young lady had fallen on the first pitch, and broken her ankle. Already on the stretcher, being tended to by the medical personnel, we decided to push on and try not to let it rattle us on the climb.
We flaked the rope, tied in, and Lis was off! She made quick work of the run out protection of the first pitch, found a good ledge, made a gear anchor, and yelled down “Off Belay!” It was time for Izzie and me to get to work. Izzie tied in short, just 15 feet before the end of the rope, and I followed tied in at the end. It had been a while since either of us had climbed, so we were both very focused and moving slowly over the fine granite face. This was a wonderful way for Izzie and me to experience the climb together, supporting each other as we ascended the huge granite monolith.
After we reached the next belay, Lis gathered the gear and took off again! We were flying up the peak despite waiting for other climbing groups to make their way up the face. Lis picked different lines than most, really charging the lead, making the run out pitch look effortless as she danced up the endless grey face of rock.
We were chatting as we went and really taking in the views at the belays; this was a great way to spend our last day of the trip. Climbing in the Sierras feels like your swimming in a sea of grey rock. Granite everywhere! It can be good and grippy in some places, and slippery as a wet snake in others. It definitely keeps you on your toes, even on an entry grade such as the south face of Cathedral. While waiting on the final pitch for the group ahead of us to summit the peak, we took a moment to snap a few pics before Lis took off for the final pitch to the top.
Once on top we took a moment to call Christian, Lis’s partner to tell him we’d made the summit. After some pictures and appreciating the Sierras in the far distance, we packed up and headed down the north face of the mountain. Picking our way down slowly through a few technical scrambles, we quickly found the top of the climbers’ path headed down to the valley below.
We soon found ourselves back in the valley below, peering back to the peak from which we had just descended. Man, what a good way to put the cherry on top of an incredible journey across the Sierras! Nothing left to do but grab some food at the Whoa Nelly Deli and head home!
