The Word from Mount 7

Yosemite
Glacier Point Apron
The Grack Center 5.6
2 or 3 pitches
October 9th, 2007
R. Gmoser and O. Sofer

We took the route described in SuperTopo to get here and this seems to be the best option.  We met another couple who bushwhacked up from the hikers’ trail.  We also saw a trail heading down from the Goodrich Pinnacle area that might shorten the approach.  The approach isn’t very long anyway and the views along the base of the apron are beautiful.

You could climb this route in two pitches with a 60m rope if you don’t mind climbing up the 4th class start and setting up a belay near the downward facing flake feature.  The move up this is more committing than your average 5.6, then you have the rest of a rope length of hand crack on low angle slab.  We set up a belay where this crack stops.  From here follow the thinner crack system and do a few face moves to the top.

Rap with two 60m ropes from the rap stations on to the right of the climb.  You can pass the 1st rap anchor you see and set up on an anchor at 55m.  From this anchor you can rap to a ledge that you can scramble off.  This is about 15m of low 5th class scrambling.  Otherwise rap again from the tree just below the overlap. It was covered in slings.

The Grack crack is an awesome feature and it is right in the middle of a blank slab.