Lunch Ledge, Yosemite

Sierra Club Bulletin Vol. 19, No. 3, pg. 99-100
Mountaineering Notes by Richard M. Leonard
Yosemite Valley-

"Rock climbing possibilities of the highest order can be found in this accessible and beautiful location. With this in mind, the first annual trip of the Rock Climbing Section of the San Francisco Bay Chapter was scheduled over Labor Day holidays, Sept. 2, 3, and 4, 1933. Seventeen climbers participated and nine other members and friends of the club joined us at our campfires. Some unusually fine climbing was accomplished. Kenneth May, Elliott Sawyer, and Jean Husted traversed Mt. Starr King, then bivouacked high on the slopes of Mt. Clark. The next morning they made a very fine attempt up on the unclimbed and very difficult Northwest aręte; but at 11:30 they were obliged to stop because of the necessity of being home by the following morning. Herbert B. Blanks took Mary Vaughan, a girl who had never climbed before, on the ascent of the Lower Cathedral Rock via the narrow gully between it and the Middle Cathedral Rock. It is a very interesting and beautiful climb and is rather difficult. Hervey Voge, Dick Johnson, and Jack Reigelhuth made the ascent of Half Dome from Mirror Lake, finding it disappointingly easy (for them). However, it can be recommended as a trip that offers some of the most magnificent views in the valley. Marjory Bridge, Lewis Clark, and William Horsfall made a fine climb out of Illilouette Cańon opposite the fall. They rated the climb as very difficult, requiring almost constant careful belaying and several shoulder-stands.

On Saturday, Jules Eichorn, Hervey Voge, Bestor Robinson, and Richard Leonard, on two separate ropes, made what is probably the first serious attempt on Washington Column from below. The route started at the base of the chimney between the Column and the Royal Arches and kept 100 to 200 feet to the southeast upon the face of the Column. We were not able to start until 2:30 P.M. and it took three hours to accomplish the first thousand feet of climbing. As the time was short, we had to abandon the attempt and rope on down. On Monday, September 4th, we returned and covered the same thousand feet in two hours. However, the next crack required over an hour to climb only fifty feet. Since we had to be down early, in order to get back to town in time, we again had to abandon the attempt. This climb should not be tried except by those who thoroughly understand the proper technique."

So, there you have the trip report for the first technical rock-climbing route in Yosemite Valley. This climb on Washington Column later became known as Lunch Ledge. The 1956 Climber's Guide to the High Sierra described "the Lunch Ledge and the routes above it as undoubtedly the most popular roped climbs in the valley." Originally rated fourth class, it is now grade II, 5.6.

On May 5, during the SCMA spring outing (like the SF Bay Chapter outing in 1933?), Joe LeMay and Jim Mathews decided to find the Lunch Ledge route and climb it to the Ledge. Joe did a little research in the LeConte Memorial, finding the Sierra Bulletin write-up, and had a route description from an early Roper guidebook.

We left the Ahwahnee parking lot at 3 P.M. and got to the start of the climb. Joe forgot his harness, had to fashion a swami belt, and also kept his rock shoes clipped to his belt for the climb. This was going to be a bit closer to original style.

We found the start of the climb at a well-scarred wall with a piton. It sits in the steep left facing dihedral between the Arches and Column. Continuing along the way, we passed several other pitons, some of them the ringed type with the classic irregular shaped ring. Since they had been there for so long, they must be solid and were clipped for good protection.

Near the end of the first pitch is a tree wrapped with slings. The right traversing ledge the tree sits on extends to a steep smooth wall split by a beautiful crack. This crack is part of "Lunch Ledge Direct" put up in 1961 by Yvon Chouinard and Wally Reed. They nailed up this crack. Today, the crack has become part of the free route "Space Case" and is considered to be a 5.8 hand crack. I found the crack while trying to find Lunch Ledge on a rope solo a few days before our climb. It looks like a 'must do' crack.

The route follows the path of least resistance. If there's an easy ramp, its probably on-route. Once, we followed a sucker pin and got into an overhanging crack. Not class four, wrong way. So we backtracked and found the next set of ramps.

We reached a big pine on a good size ledge that gave us a really great view of the valley. From Washington Column the view is more directly of Half Dome. Features like the Diving Board show so much better from there. If I were to take a lunch along on the climb, this is the ledge I'd plan to stop on for a while.

Proceeding upward, we came to a ledge and traversed left past a rappel anchor to the base of the obvious crack called the Reigelhuth Chimney. It's more of a flared crack and stem than a chimney. Above a bolt at the flare is a fist jam over a ceiling. It wasn't apparent, being buried in dirt and vegetation. After the crack was cleaned out, holds appeared. We moved over the lip to clean holds. The rest was fun fifth-class climbing to the top of Lunch Ledge, which wasn't all that impressive a location. We sat back and ended a really enjoyable climb. Several other climbs pioneered after Lunch Ledge, continue above and eventually end at the top of the Column.

The route is really a lot of fourth-class ramps moving upward in about 5 modern length pitches. They may have done it in a lot more originally. The manila and hemp ropes of the time didn't come in any standard lengths. Hip belays and bowline on a coil tie-ins may have lessened running the rope out.

The Route no longer appears in new guides. Here is the description.

Go to the base below the separation line between the Column and the Royal Arches. Walk a couple hundred feet left. A huge 3rd class ledge leads right and up to the base of the climbing 200 feet above. It starts on a sloping ledge in the big left facing dihedral, at a piton.

The first lead is down about 20 ft. and right around the bottom of the left facing corner, then up a broad ledge. Move up passing a tree wrapped with slings (its part of the rappel route) and belay at a small ledge opposite the tree.

Proceed up easy rock for 60 ft. and traverse upward and rightward to a large ledge then climb 4th class up to the forked tree and belay. Next lead up 25 ft. and right around a bulge passing a bolted rap anchor. Go up 4th class climbing over steps to a big pine tree on a large square ledge and belay. There is a fine view from this pine tree ledge.

Continue 175 ft. up cracks and chimneys until one can see a traverse left to the base of the Reigelhuth Chimney. Traverse over to the base of the chimney and belay at a three-bolt anchor of the rappel route.

Now for the crux: Move up and clip a bolt then chimney up the wide flare at 5.6. Clean dirt out of a crack above and fist jam over the ceiling. Continue up fun fifth-class climbing to the top of Lunch Ledge.

Use 2 ropes to rap the route. There are slings at every rap station, most of them bolted. On the third rap, diagonal climbers' left to a bolt anchor. The fifth is down through brush to an old bolt and slings from a tree.

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