Unicorn (10823') and Cathedral (10911') Peaks, Yosemite*

Pics by Harlan W S + CP + MM
Sept 14+15, 2022

A gpx track you may USE AT YOUR OWN RISK is HERE. DO NOT just click on the link; right-click or long-press to bring up a menu with either "save link" or "download" options.

For Unicorn Class 4 route, the "hand-traverse" (or reverse jump) is the single iffiest move.

For Cathedral Mountaineer's route, the most unnerving part may be the 15' horizontal eastward shuffle before the crux "chimney."  This slippery slope is right above 300' of exposure on the S face. To get to that shuffle, start on the N side of the crest (where there is a sudden big drop to the E), then travel upward and SE through a narrow gully (just W of the true summit block) to a notch overlooking the S face. At the notch, turn L and E around a boulder. The crux chimney, on the S side of the summit block (15'-20') has no difficult moves; but is close to vertical, and is horribly exposed with a big step at the bottom (I'm 5'6"). A fall would be fatal. It is not a true "chimney" in a rock-climbing sense; there are two cracks a few feet apart, and together with a few horizontal joints, there are abundant holds. I exited R (E) to a block below the summit, then mantled L (W) onto the top crag. For the descent, I hooked some 16mm webbing around a N-pointing horn on this lower E platform (about 5' down from top), for more confidence on way down. A soloist might bring a short sling for that horn, as it will be hard to pull rope off the rough granite. It is creepy to drop E off the summit block to this small platform. You may just wish to take the cracks down. Better yet, don't solo, and place cams that can be clipped on descent.

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Overview
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Sept 13 I drove out
to camp on BLM land,
and took a quick hike
up onto a volcanic dome.
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View S to Mono
Lake from highest
crag on this one
dome.
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View W to Sierra,
where CP and Michelle
are hiking in the rain!
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SW
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The last crag on
Sept 13.
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Overview for next
2 days.
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On Sept 14, we
went up Unicorn,
which looks "unicorn"
only from NE
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View from NE
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View SE from Summit
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Lots of rap slings
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This is the way
I took down, a 4-5'
jump to avoid...
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...the way I
came up. We
later used a handline
for folks who didn't
want to jump!
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Selfie. I think that is
Cockscomb to S
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CP comes down
a knife edge
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Michelle and CP chill
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"Unicorn" to N,
we are climbing
a very-slightly
higher peak to S.
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This is from the peak
N of unicorn; view SW
to Cockscomb and
WSW to Echo Peaks (R).
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Chilling by Elizabeth L
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Believe it or not, that's
what "Unicorn"
looks like from E.
The ridge on R is
actually very thin, and
culminates in several
sharp peaklets.
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On the 15th we
went up Cathedral.
The blue dots show
the ridge crest; NOTE
the scramble route stays
N of the crest till near the
very east side, when it
climbs a gully up a route
just W of summit block,
heads around a creepy
corner to S side, and heads
up a very exposed but
technically simple chimney.
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Scramble route on
N slope Cathedral.
(Picture courtesy
Sarah Meiser,
13ergirl, from
Eichorn Pinnacle.)
Blue is the normal
scramble (mountaineer)
route. Light blue dots
indicate route has gone
behind rock to
South Face. Pink
route is harder.
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Unicorn to SE
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Cathedral as we head
to rough climb on
E side
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View NE on
typical terrain
below N-trending
ridge
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Michelle comes up
crappy sand to
crappier steep slabs
mixed with sand.
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Cathedral to SE,
before topping lesser
ridge N of peak.
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Eichorn Pinnacle
to W, start of scramble
route on N side of
peak
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View E, below crest.
One can always find
a class 3-ish way up
cracks as one climbs up
to R and ENE and E
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View back W
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View back W to
Half Dome
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View back W
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View of Half Dome from
Cathedral Summit. I went
ahead to see if I could set
up protection.
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Selfie on summit
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Here I'm looking down
WNW from summit. CP
(foot only visible) is
belaying Michelle. They
will then head up a hidden gully
to L and up from CP's foot,
and emerge at creepy corner
on S side.
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More views W
from top
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Coming down, view S.
I am just below hidden
gully, acting as a spot.
There is a very big drop
to L (E) just off camera.
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CP lowers pack.
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Waiting for the pack
(in another place)
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Eichorn to W, as we get
ready to head down on
W side of peak.
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Where Mountaineer's
trail diverges
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Our camp spot that eve.
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next day in
Fish Lake Valley
E of White Mountains.

*I planned trips to Cathedral in 2008, 2012, and 2017...all were cancelled. I fnally got here, thanks to Michelle and CP. This was the first time I had been to the Sierra in over 5 years, and the first time I had driven more than 200 miles since my accident in 2018. This was CP's 9th time to Cathedral, and he slowed to keep me from blowing a gasket. If ever I seem "ahead of CP" it was because he had stopped to belay.