North America, United States, Wyoming, Tetons, Yosemite Point, Chouinard Route, Variation

Publication Year: 1968.

Yosemite Point, Chouinard Route, variation. Sheldon Smith and Jim Erickson on August 12, climbed an F9 variant of the difficult Chouinard Route. They began their climb left of the Chouinard route on the left side of the prominent 150-foot pillar on the east side of Yosemite Point. The first 120-foot lead ascended a short jam-crack into a dark overhanging chimney. After two thin cracks up and to the right, the chimney opened out onto smooth low-angle slabs (90 feet). The third pitch (F8) ascended a short but damp overhanging cleft in the wall to the left and then traversed across moderate slabs to a small belay stance. The very difficult fourth pitch (F9) moved right and up a thin and poorly protected crack on small holds over a small overhang to a down-sloping belay position under a wet roof. The next 50 feet were nailed (A2) first over a roof and then up a dihedral to a pitifully small belay stance at the top of the crack. The final 120-foot lead (F9) traversed right and up across slabs to a crack leading to a belay position. After stepping around the corner to the right, the Chouinard route was joined.