United States » Klettern

Right after the fast track up Mt. Shasta I headed for my next goal. Due to tired legs and some driving that day I was forced to choose a small goal: Castle Crags. Well visible from Shasta Summit, I was litterally drawn down to these fantastic grantie spires. The only bad thing about was the unbearable heat down in the valley,...

There's just one mountain in Northern California. At least one big mountain. The huge volcanic cone of Mt. Shasta can be seen from almost every place between Sacramento and the border to Oregon. Since the Mountain's base is at a mere 1000 m (~3000 ft) any climb on Mt. Shasta is strenuous with a huge height gain. The regular route...

Auf unserer Reise mit dem Auto ging es weiter von Texas Richtung Norden nach Arizona und weiter nach Utah. Hier in Utah ist der Zion Nationalpark. Dieser Park besteht aus riesigen Schluchten mit geschliffenen Felsen in Rot- und Weisstönen. Die schiere Grösse der Canyons lässt einem erstaunen und macht definitiv Lust zum...

Piwiack Dome is a small, turtle-like rock neighboring Tioga Road. Therefore the approach is very short and inviting for a short try: We weren't sure to find a route to the top which is feasible for us without rope. To our surprise we found a line that offered 5.3/5.4 (UIAA III-IV) friction climbing in perfect rock with some...

Mit dem Mietauto fuhren wir von Miami Florida durch halb Amerika in den Bundesstaat Texas und weiter runter an die Grenze zu Mexiko. Ein Freund hat uns den Nationalpark Big Bend im tiefen Süden von Texas empfohlen. Dieser südliche Teil von Texas ist sehr trocken und heiss. Der Park besteht vorallem aus Gestein, durchsetzt...

Toulumne Meadows is the second climbing gem in the Yosemite National Park. As soon as it gets too hot to climb down in the celebrated Valley, Tuolumne offers cooler spots due to its elevation around 9000 ft (~3000m). The only hard thing about it may be the pronunciation of "Tuolumne", all the rest is pretty easy going: The Tioga...

Mount Whitney is one of the most popular mountains in the US, most likely due to the fact that it is the highest point in the contiguous US and it has some rather easy paths to it's summit. It is so popular that the government decided to regulate the access and only allow a certain number of people per day to climb it. This would...

Lembert Dome is a perfect model for the numerous "Domes" that accompany Tioga Road. These interesting geologic phenomenona formed by glaciers ressemle turtle panzers and are made of compact granite rock. Therefore they are an invitation to parctise friction (slab) climbing. Lembert Domes southface is not too steep allowing several...

Climbing Half Dome is a dream for almost everyone visiting the Yosemite Valley. Once you see that incredible granite monolithe from the right perspective, the question "why?" is already answered. "Climbing" Half Dome means to most people standing in a line for the (in)famous regular route via "the calbes" - if you were lucky...

After my 100k hike I arrived in Yosemite Valley, missing climbing gear as well as a partner. Nevertheless, I got to knew some nice people and I had the chance to do some easy climbing routes like After Six, Snake Dike and the Regular Route at Sunnyside beach. The last is regarded as one of the easiest routes in the Valley and...