I have actually read somewhere that the rock at the cables IS 5.11 and the rangers who used to put the cables up and take them down annually had to be very good climbers.
Last time I was up there ('89 or 90) there was a group of teenagers who walked down the slope right side of the cables, free from the cables, no ropes, tennis shoes. I figured they were insane, but I guess they wanted to impress some girls. They made it down. Don't think you would be able to do that on anything that's 5.11, or Dean Potter was one of those kids...
