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bedspring
Trad climber
uk
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 17, 2014 - 03:31am PT
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Hi,
firstly I am British so you will have to excuse me if this is a dumb question.
I have been reading a John Muir book about Yosemite and at the end he mentions that Yosemite is not the only valley of this type in the Sierra Nevada and then mentions Hetchy Hetch.
I am aware of Hetchy Hetch and was always under the impression it is like Yosemite but that it was flooded to create a Reservoir.
What I am interested in are there other valleys of this type that I have never heard of, possibly less or not visited because of access difficulties maybe even with new route or even new crag potential.
Regards Steve
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Dec 17, 2014 - 07:03am PT
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Hetch Hetchy IS climbed in, by the way. Boat starts.
Kings Canyon to the south of Yosemite is somewhat similar. That is about it for California, although of course much smaller versions or aspects of Yosemite are scattered about the Sierras. But one does not require a "yosemite" for climbing to be terrific.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
in the oil patch...Fricken Bakken, that's where
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Dec 17, 2014 - 07:09am PT
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The Valley that Angel Wings borders in Sequoia could be considered in a similar light. Amazing & fabulous place, that. Lots of stone there to be climbed. Varies from World class to serious choss.
Kind of a long walk, though. ;-)
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Dec 17, 2014 - 07:20am PT
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Kings Canyon, yup.
Google up some pictures of Tehipite Dome!
Agree with Skully also. You must see pictures of Angel Wings.
California is incredible for rock climbing, just don't expect a Yosemite Valley under every stone.
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Banquo
climber
Amerricka
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Dec 17, 2014 - 07:30am PT
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Little Yosemite Valley and Tenaya Canyon come to mind but they are extensions of Yosemite Valley. Balloon Dome on the San Joaquin River is Yosemite scale rock but isn't really a valley being more of a deep narrow canyon. Cherry Creek in Northern Yosemite Has a Lot of glaciated granite but isn't much of a valley either.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Dec 17, 2014 - 07:35am PT
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crankster
Trad climber
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Dec 17, 2014 - 07:46am PT
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Hetch Hetchy Valley was flooded in '23 by a dam. There is climbing there, albeit it is not so easily accessed.
There is only one Yosemite Valley. Tuolumne Meadows, in YNP, is the place to be if you're coming in summer. The Sierra Nevada range has numerous opportunities for first ascents, however, you'd be looking at long approaches.
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looks easy from here
climber
Ben Lomond, CA
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Dec 17, 2014 - 10:08am PT
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Mmmm, Balloon Dome.
I've been coveting that since I first saw it from Shuteye a couple years ago.
Big approach, big rock, sounds like big fun!
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Dec 17, 2014 - 10:47am PT
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Hetch Hetchy and Kings Canyon are both like 2/3 scale Yosemite valleys. HH is dammed and flooded and you can't take a boat on it, which is really lame. But there is a trail on the north side with good big wall climbs. And you can bush whack to the southern side. Not nearly as much moderate free climbing as Yosemite. Kings is easily accessible by car, but also doesn't seem as well suited to free climbs, compared to yosemite valley. Bur there's definitely FA potential in both places. There's FA potential is Yosemite if you are willing to hike and explore.
But as mentioned there's lots of other places in CA that aren't valleys that have virgin rock. They just take more effort and time to get to.
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Psilocyborg
climber
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Dec 17, 2014 - 04:33pm PT
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you must seek out the gorge of despair
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 17, 2014 - 05:08pm PT
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Wait, there's climbing elsewhere in the Sierras?
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bedspring
Trad climber
uk
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 18, 2014 - 12:21am PT
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Hi,
thanks for the replies. The passage I read was "Several other Yosemites have been discovered in the Sierra that occupy the same relative positions on the range and were formed by the same forces in the same kind of Granite" (page 192,The Yosemite, John Muir, ISBN 0-385-03032-0)and it was inspiring a little dream involving maybe a couple of mules and partner and setting of into the Sierra in search of a Shangri-la of new routing.
A little romantic but I`ll never forget my first view of Yosemite from Tunnel View(?) with all the waterfalls in full flow so maybe you`ll excuse me.
So what you guys are saying is there is other stuff, the San Joaquin stands out, but I`m not going to find a hidden Yosemite, or could I ??????
Its new routing in Morroco and the Greek Islands next year, hopefully the Sierras in 2016, maybe i`ll have look on Google Earth just check you guys aren`t hiding something from me ;-)
Cheers Steve
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Dec 18, 2014 - 01:32am PT
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Go globe trotting, learn to sail and speak Russian.
The stone here in California will wait for you. Seconds and thirds are the equal to the firsts in Greece. From what I have seen of the stone in Morocco makes me jealous of you.
Do you really think that every thing negative said about the Valley, (crowds and such)over rides all the Superlatives that are attributed the greatest one of a kind climbing zone??
The history and that we are a less adventurous location/destination in a 'free' 'safe' 1st world modern California is a positive to top flight climbing.
Train hard in those exotic locals and then come here and test my theory - You will be glad that you have arrived in Yosemite and be sad that you did not heed the call sooner!.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Dec 18, 2014 - 06:45am PT
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Each glacial granitic valley in the Sierra is unique with distinct features often quite spectacular. There are many with some similarities to Yosemite.
There is no other with quite the concentration of large vertical walls on each side as Yosemite Valley.
However I cannot imagine finding any of them disappointing either. I haven't been by the handful I have visited.
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christoph benells
Trad climber
Tahoma, Ca
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Dec 18, 2014 - 03:42pm PT
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John Muir's writing takes a bit to decifer.
Muir wasn't neccisarily a climber, he was a naturalist, botanist and a geographer.
When Muir refers to a "yosemite", he is strictly talking about granitic glacier carved valleys, which the Sierra Nevada has hundreds, maybe thousands of.
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