Yosemite Valley 2025

Created on May 23, 2025

This spring I got to take my first climbing trip to Yosemite Valley. Over a couple weeks I got to climb many classic routes including Astroman, Royal Arches, Serenity-Sons, Freeblast, and Lurking Fear. Overall, the Valley met my expectations: Starbucks, crowds, and beginner climbers alongside the highest concentration of quality granite and crusher climbers I’ve ever seen.

El Capitan — can you spot the parties climbing the wall? There are at least 4!

Astroman! THE free climb of the Valley. We got absolutely wrecked by the infamous Harding Slot, but had so much fun.

Biking past 2,000 ft waterfalls on our way to 2,000 ft rock climbs??? What a treat!

Jack Taylor on the Royal Arches.

Jack, soaking it in!

The ditch! As seen from the prow of WA Column.

WA Column, Half Dome, the splitter cracks of Serenity-Sons, and (finally) a rest day!

Me working up the first pitch of the Freeblast!
Jack on pitch 4 and me on Heart Ledge. What an awesome route! I did not quite onsight but had a "blast"!

Looking back up at Heart Ledges. 🩶

Lurking Fear! My first ever big wall climb. Everyone asks about sleeping on the ledge, but that was no problem after the real challenge: hauling the pigs!

Day 2 on Lurking fear.

Our final bivvy and top out! A magical time with a great friend.