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Anyone Tried the Echo Peaks in Yosemite?
#57709 07/14/20 07:44 PM
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I would like to do some fun high altitude class 3 scrambling, but unfortunately I couldn't find much near me since I live in the Bay Area. So I looked around, and the Echo Peaks in Yosemite look pretty fun. It looks kind of exposed, but the rocks look solid. I've seen that it gets anywhere from a class 2 to a class 5, while most of the 9 peaks are a class 3. Has anyone scrambled up here? Any advice on how safe/fun it is?

Last edited by climby_climber; 07/14/20 07:45 PM.
Re: Anyone Tried the Echo Peaks in Yosemite?
climby_climber #57710 07/14/20 08:13 PM
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I climbed #1-8 and Echo Ridge back in 1987. I climbed #6-8 again in 1990 and then hired Peter Croft to take me up #9 (and the SE Buttress on Cathedral Peak) several weeks later. The route we did on #9 was a little rotten. The others were all good rock. All were fun. Nearby Cockscomb and Unicorn are also worthwhile. And of course, Cathedral Peak is my favorite piece of rock anywhere.

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Re: Anyone Tried the Echo Peaks in Yosemite?
bobpickering #57711 07/14/20 10:37 PM
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That sounds good. Would you say #1-8 are fairly straightforward rock scrambles? I don't think I've done any "real" class 3 scrambles although I've recently been on a streak bagging peaks mostly through snow climbs. My friend and I just want some fun alternative to the rock climbing gym being closed and we don't have any ropes or protection.

Re: Anyone Tried the Echo Peaks in Yosemite?
climby_climber #57712 07/15/20 12:19 AM
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Hi, CC. Don't forget that you need a day pass to get into Yosemite. Currently July and half of August dates are booked:

Yosemite National Park Ticketed Entry

Re: Anyone Tried the Echo Peaks in Yosemite?
Steve C #57713 07/15/20 07:18 AM
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What happens if you ride the YARTS bus into the park? Are those still running?

Re: Anyone Tried the Echo Peaks in Yosemite?
RichardK #57714 07/15/20 08:08 AM
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Looks like YARTS is running. Face masks required, limited to 30 passengers.

Re: Anyone Tried the Echo Peaks in Yosemite?
climby_climber #57715 07/15/20 11:24 AM
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Echo Ridge was class 2. #4 was class 4. Croft and I did a non-standard 5.7 route on #9. The rest were all class 3.

Re: Anyone Tried the Echo Peaks in Yosemite?
bobpickering #57781 07/24/20 09:06 PM
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I checked Summit Post, and it says that #6 is a class 4. How was that? Did it seem kind of treacherous in the sense that if you slightly slip or let go of a hand hold you die or something?

Re: Anyone Tried the Echo Peaks in Yosemite?
climby_climber #57800 07/26/20 07:55 PM
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When I climbed them, the only information I had was “The Climber’s Guide to the High Sierra” by Steve Roper. It provided the following description: “Peaks 5 through 8 are all class 3 via their northern sides.” I didn’t disagree with Ropers ratings. That was 30 years ago, so I don’t remember any details.

Note that every time some clown gets scared on a route, the rating tends to go up. The first time I did the SE Buttress on Cathedral Peak, it was 5.4. Croft rates it 5.7. The U-Notch to Polemonium Peak used to be class 4, and the NE ridge on Bear Creek Spire used to be “class 3 or 4.” Both are now class 5. My oldest guide says the Swiss Arete on Mt. Sill had a class 4 variation. Secor (3rd edition) says it’s 5.7. There is a 14er in Colorado that I summited wearing climbing boots and using no hands. The climbing guide rated it class 5. Ratings are not nearly as consistent as we might like.

Re: Anyone Tried the Echo Peaks in Yosemite?
bobpickering #57801 07/26/20 09:19 PM
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Well, I'll be checking out peaks #0-8 while skipping #4. I might check out #6 and end up being the clown that gets scared on that route laugh

Re: Anyone Tried the Echo Peaks in Yosemite?
bobpickering #57964 08/24/20 11:19 AM
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Well, I did many peaks and it was all very easy and fun scrambling. Certain sections felt exposed and sketchy which I avoided. I did try doing Echo #6 and I made it to the summit and back, and I gotta say...it was definitely a lot scarier than most of the other peaklets in the area. Probably the most scared I've ever been on an outing, though the scramble up and down didn't take more than 20 minutes. I'm not sure if it's worth doing a trip report since that area doesn't seem to be very popular in Yosemite, but I found it to be some the most fun I've had in the park. I plan on doing Lyell early next summer. I did take a short video of Echo #6 for anyone who may be interested. All the trip reports I've seen mark it as a class 4, but I can probably see why a really good climber would see it as an easy 3. I did put on my climbing shoes when going back down to feel more safe, though the rock was already very grippy.



https://youtu.be/CItrsSK8_eU

Last edited by climby_climber; 08/24/20 11:45 AM.

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