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40-549: Tuolumne Meadows ( / t u ˈ ɒ l əm i / ) is a gentle, dome -studded, sub-alpine meadow area along the Tuolumne River in the eastern section of Yosemite National Park in the United States. Its approximate location is 37°52.5′N 119°21′W  /  37.8750°N 119.350°W  / 37.8750; -119.350 . Its approximate elevation is 8,619 feet (2,627 m). The term Tuolumne Meadows

80-524: A 17-year-old Georg Winkler free soloed the Vajolet Towers in the Dolomites . The Dolomites were the birthplace of big wall climbing, and where pioneer Emilio Comici invented many big wall techniques such as aid climbing with multi-step aiders , hanging belays and bivouacs , advanced rope maneuvers, and leading with a trail rope . In 1933, Comici climbed the overhanging north face of

120-524: A team led by Royal Robbins climbed the Northwest Face of Half Dome in Yosemite , ushering in modern American big wall climbing. In 1958, a team led by Warren Harding aid climbed The Nose on El Capitan using siege tactics (600 pitons and 125 bolts) over 47 days; while the ascent got worldwide recognition it was controversial due to the excessive use of aid. Robbins' ethos of minimizing

160-557: A worldwide search for new big walls. In 1963, a team led by Chris Bonington established the first big wall routes on the Cordillera Paine , Chile and Patagonia , followed closely by new Italian-led routes. In 1972, Doug Scott , and later Charlie Porter , developed big wall routes on Mount Asgard , and highlighted the enormous big wall potential of Baffin Island . In 1976, a British team led by Joe Brown ascended one of

200-615: Is a "big wall", there is not only debate about the height requirements but also on whether it includes alpine climbs such as the north faces of the Eiger and the Matterhorn , which also have a lot of snow and ice. Regardless, a number of walls are considered particularly notable in the development of big-wall climbing: In addition to the above big walls, several other locations are regarded as having impressive big walls that are climbed. However, their level of challenge (sometimes due to

240-471: Is also often used to describe a large portion of the Yosemite high country around the meadows, especially in context of rock climbing. The meadow vegetation is supported by shallow groundwater. The water comes from 1,000 mm (39 inches) of precipitation annually, predominantly in the form of snow. Water arises from snowmelt and hill-slope aquifers, and flows through the Tuolumne River , Budd Creek , Delaney Creek, and Unicorn Creek . In spring, as soon as

280-402: Is carried in haul bags , including portaledges , aid climbing equipment, poop tubes , and food and water. It requires additional techniques such as pendulums/tension traversing, aid climbing, using trail ropes , jumaring, and sometimes simul climbing . Big wall climbing began in the Dolomites with early pioneers such as Emilio Comici inventing many of the first techniques and tools in

320-691: Is overlap in the skill sets, and many famous alpinists such as Walter Bonatti , Catherine Destivelle , and Alexander Huber , were also big wall climbers. The most common grading systems used in big wall climbing are the French , American (also known as the Yosemite Decimal System), and to a lesser extent the UIAA rock climbing grades for free climbing ; the A-grade or C-grade systems are used for sections of aid climbing . In addition to

360-436: Is required for multi-pitch routes. Big wall climbers need to be able to haul gear and supplies up the route as they climb (using pulleys and haul bags ), ascend on fixed ropes (the non-leading climber), build major anchor points (for hanging belays ), hammer-in bolts and pitons as required, and set up portaledges for resting and sleeping. Given the length of the routes, this must happen efficiently. In determining what

400-403: Is that they remain after long-distance scarp recession. Moisture related weathering is what causes scarp recession. In the case of granite in a dissected landscape the dry granite high on a slope remains stable and acts as caprock. Granite below this is more easily weathered and eroded because it has been exposed to moisture and has weathered. This ultimately leads to the steepening of the slope and

440-470: Is usually done in pairs as lead climbing , however, due to the length of the climbs, the second climber usually ascends via a fixed rope to save energy and time. Big wall climbing can be performed as free climbing , however, it is common for big wall climbers to use some level of aid climbing on the route, as it is often impossible for very large multi-pitch routes to have a uniform level of difficulty (i.e. there may be some sections that are well beyond

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480-626: The Cima Grande in 2012 at 7a+  (5.12a), by Hansjörg Auer , with Fish Route on the Marmolada in 2007 at 7b+  (5.12c), and by Alex Honnold with Freerider on El Capitan in 2017 at 7c+  (5.13a). Big wall climbing requires the equipment used in traditional climbing and multi-pitch climbing (but in greater volume as the pitches are of fuller length), as well as specific additional items that are needed for extended multi-day muti-pitch big wall routes, including: While

520-529: The Cima Grande , then the world's hardest big wall route. Other pioneers such as Riccardo Cassin , himself a leading alpinist , created even harder new routes and spread big wall techniques across the Alps. In 1955, Walter Bonatti ushered in modern big wall climbing with his six-day solo of a new route on the southwest pillar of the Petit Dru , one of the most important big wall climbs in history. In 1957,

560-461: The Himalayas . Big wall climbing is rock climbing on large routes that often take a full day, if not several days, of continuous climbing to ascend. Big wall climbing is a form of multi-pitch climbing but there is no definition of how many pitches are needed for a route to be a big wall; a minimum of at least 6–10 pitches (or roughly 300–500 metres) is typically required. Big wall climbing

600-640: The 1930s, and then spreading throughout the entire European Alps by climbers such as Riccardo Cassin and Walter Bonatti with his milestone solo ascent of the Dru in 1955. From the 1960s, American climbers led by Royal Robbins developed Yosemite into the most important big wall climbing venue in the world, with Lynn Hill 's 1993 first free ascent of The Nose at 5.14a  (8b+) on El Capitan being an important milestone in big wall history. Major high-altitude big-walls have been scaled in Patagonia and in

640-542: The Earth's surface, minerals in the rock crystallize under uniform confining pressure. Erosion brings the rock closer to Earth's surface and the pressure from above the rock decreases; as a result the rock fractures . These fractures are known as exfoliation joints , or sheet fractures, and form in onionlike patterns that are parallel to the land surface. These sheets of rock peel off the exposed surface and in certain conditions develop domical structures. Additional theories on

680-749: The Storm on the Torres del Paine. In 1993, Lynn Hill claimed one of the greatest prizes in big wall climbing by freeing The Nose on El Capitan at 5.14a  (8b+). In 2001, Alexander Huber freed Bellavista  [ it ] on the Cima Ovest at 8c  (5.14b). In 2015, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson freed Dawn Wall on El Capitan at 5.14d  (9a). During this era, new milestones were also set in big-wall free solo climbing by Alexander Huber , with Brandler-Hasse Direttissima on

720-509: The above rock climbing grades (for both free climbing and for aid climbing), a National Climbing Classification System (NCCS) grade is sometimes quoted on North American big-wall (and alpine ) climbs, that are described by the American Alpine Club (republished in 2013) as follows: "North American NCCS grades, often called "commitment grades", indicate the time investment in a route for an "average" climbing team": Because of

760-487: The collapse of higher slope elements as well as the maintenance of scarps of essentially constant inclination and morphology during backwearing. Big wall climbing Big wall climbing is typically done in pairs in a traditional climbing format, but with the distinction that the non-lead climber usually ascends by jumaring up a fixed rope to save time and energy. It requires an extensive range of supplies and equipment over and above that of traditional climbing that

800-502: The difficulties of the rest of the route). Most big wall routes require traditional climbing techniques for climbing protection however some routes have bolted sections (or pitons ) like sport climbing routes. Big wall routes have also been free solo climbed. Big wall climbing routes are typically sustained and exposed, where the climbers are suspended from the rock wall during their entire ascent with limited availability to sit down (e.g. few large ledges), or to escape from

840-482: The east side of the Meadows. Since the area is all at a high elevation, the climbing season is mainly limited to June through September. The rock is porphyritic granite , a very strong form of granite. It has a tendency for exfoliation , which helps produce and preserve the distinctive dome shapes. The resulting climbing includes both face and crack routes, the former often runout due to limited numbers of bolts, and

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880-537: The edge of the meadows. Tuolumne Meadows has a good view of the Cathedral Range and Unicorn Peak (to the south), Lembert Dome , and Mount Dana (to the east). Camping is available at the Tuolumne Meadows campground (reservations recommended). Excellent hiking and rock climbing are accessible from Tuolumne Meadows, which tends to be less crowded than Yosemite Valley . Downstream (flowing to

920-447: The essence of big wall climbing is that of traditional climbing , and particularly multi-pitch climbing , it also uses a number of specific techniques that are important in being able to meet the unique challenges of ascending big wall routes, which include the following: Big wall climbing is used exclusively in relation to rock climbing. Long rock climbing routes that also have ice or snow, are referred to as alpine climbing . There

960-467: The first-ever high-altitude big wall routes with the granite Trango (Nameless) Tower in the Karakoram , which was followed in 1992 by the two-man team of John Middendorf and Xaver Bongard  [ de ] who ascended the east buttress of the neighboring Great Trango Tower , putting up The Grand Voyage (1,340-metres, 33-pitches, VII 5.10 A4+), the longest big wall route in the world. From

1000-433: The granite to expand radially and sheet fractures form tangentially to the radial stress . This indicates that the shape of the pre-existing land surface determines the geometry of the sheet fractures. One hypothesis is that granite domes are uplifted blocks. This is the case with some granite domes but the fracture related exfoliation joints are what controls the steep slopes. Another theory that regards isolated bornhardts

1040-525: The great length of big-wall routes, detailed topos are usually provided outlining the grades on each pitch, and the aid climbing versus free climbing options at key sections. For example, one of the most famous big wall routes is the 31-pitch 870-metre route The Nose , on El Capitan, which is graded VI 5.9 C2 as a partial aid climb (mainly due to its roof section), but which is graded VI 5.14a  (8b+) if climbed completely free. The following big wall free climbing redpoints (i.e. no aid) are notable in

1080-511: The late 1980s, leading sport climbers began to fully free-climb major big wall routes, and establish new testpieces. In 1988, Todd Skinner and Paul Piana freed the Salathe Wall on El Capitan at 5.13b  (8a). In 1989, Wolfgang Gullich , with others, established the mega-route Eternal Flame on Nameless Tower (fully freed by the Hubers in 2009), and in 1991, created Riders on

1120-473: The latter frequently following very thin cracks. The local ethic is to limit the placement of bolts on new routes and to forbid the addition of bolts to existing routes, resulting in distances of 40 feet (12 m) or more between bolts. The major domes include: See Granite Domes of Yosemite National Park for a list of granite domes in Yosemite National park, not just around Tuolumne. In addition,

1160-414: The origin of granite domes involve scarp-retreat and tectonic uplift. Sheet fractures are arcuate fractures defining slabs of rock that range from 0.5 to 10 meters thick. They normally form in sets parallel to the Earth's surface but may form in convex-upward or concave-upward sets. There are several possible explanations for the formation of sheet fractures. The most popular hypothesis is that they are

1200-568: The peaks of the nearby Cathedral Range , such as Cathedral Peak , Pywiack Dome , and Medlicott Dome , are traditionally considered part of the climbing area. The Tuolumne Meadows area is served by the Tioga Pass Road (California SR 120), which had been paved by the 1920s. Its present route through the meadows was laid out in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps . A housing area for seasonal employees

1240-670: The primary route to summit Mount Lyell , the highest peak in Yosemite National Park . The John Muir and the Pacific Crest Trails are long-distance backpacking trails and follow a route through Lyell Canyon into Tuolumne Meadows. A large number of backpackers hike these trails each year. Along with these longer trails, Tuolumne Meadows feature a wide range of day trails to locations including Gaylor Lakes, Cathedral Lakes , Mono Pass , and Lembert Dome . The day hike trails are popular, and become busy during

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1280-582: The relatively rare Purple Webber, a type of lupin . Plant species composition changes across the meadows with different landforms, landscape positions, and summer water-table depths. Areas with seasonal flooding and deep-standing water support the inflated sedge and Sierra willow . The main herbaceous wet meadow species include alpine aster , nearly-black sedge , King's ricegrass , western bistort , Breweri's reed grass , and dwarf bilberry . Thread-leaved sedge , pussy-toes , Sierra lodgepole pine , and Ross sedge are found in drier uplands within or on

1320-448: The result of expansion and tangential fracturing consequent on erosional offloading or pressure release . There is evidence that supports this hypothesis when looking at granitic landforms that have sheet fractures. Granite forms deep in the Earth's crust under conditions of high ambient or lithostatic pressure. In order for the granite to be exposed at the Earth's surface a considerable thickness of rock must be eroded. This unloading allows

1360-433: The right (western) side of the image), the Tuolumne River cascades over Waterwheel Falls near Glen Aulin , eventually pooling at Hetch Hetchy Reservoir . The road to the meadows is generally free of snow from June through October. Due to the extreme elevation, road access over Tioga Pass along Highway 120 is closed through winter season. Many backcountry hiking and backpacking trails start in Tuolumne Meadows including

1400-463: The snow melts, it is not uncommon to see large areas of the meadows flooded and practically transformed into lakes. While the mountains of the Sierra Nevada near the meadows have had some permanent snowfields, in the summer they are mostly free of snow. Although brief, the late spring and summer wildflower bloom in Tuolumne Meadows is host to a wide variety of California wildflowers, including

1440-510: The summer high seasons. These trails are serviced by the Tuolumne Meadows shuttle bus, typically from June to September, though the dates are subject to change due to weather. In contrast to the big walls of Yosemite Valley, climbing at Tuolumne generally consists of short- to medium-length routes on eleven major domes and a number of minor ones, stretching from the Stately Pleasure Dome above Tenaya Lake to Lembert Dome on

1480-680: The use of aid prevailed over that of Harding, and his legacy of partially aided ascents including the Salathé Wall (1961), the North American Wall (1964), and the Muir Wall (1968) cemented Yosemite, and the granite walls of El Capitan, as the world's most important big wall climbing venue and Robbins' place in big wall history. The development of big wall techniques and tools in the European Alps and Yosemite led to

1520-410: The variable or poor quality of the rock) has not been as notable in the development of big wall climbing; they include Troll Wall (Norway), Cerro Autana (Venezuela), Naranjo de Bulnes (Spain), Tsaratanana Massif (Madagascar), Potrero Chico (Mexico), Ketil (Greenland), and Notch Peak and The Streaked Wall (Utah). One of the earliest examples of "big wall climbing" dates from 1887 when

1560-435: The wall other than by abseiling back down the entire route (which can be itself a risky process). Big wall climbing is thus a more serious undertaking than multi-pitch climbing, and climbers will generally only attempt big wall routes at grades that they can easily manage as multi-pitch routes. The duration and sustained exposure of big wall climbs require greater equipment—and equipment-handling skills—over and above what

1600-642: Was relocated at that time, whose new site includes a surviving collection of fine National Park Service rustic CCC-built structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "Tuolumne Meadows" in 1978. Granitic dome Granite domes are domical hills composed of granite with bare rock exposed over most of the surface. Generally, domical features such as these are known as bornhardts . Bornhardts can form in any type of plutonic rock but are typically composed of granite and granitic gneiss . As granitic plutons cool kilometers below

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