North America, United States, California—Yosemite, Kolana Rock, North Face
Kolana Rock, North Face. On Memorial Day weekend, Warren Harding and I made the first ascent of this 1800-foot face in Hetch Hetchy Valley. An attempt in March had failed after three awkward aid pitches, a bivouac, and an oncoming storm. We left our haul bag at the high point and retreated. The approach involved almost a complete circuit around the rock to gain a prominent ledge 200 feet above the water in the Hetch Hetchy reservoir. The route began in a giant dihedral which continues almost to the summit, but after four pitches we decided to avoid the ugly moist overhangs above by traversing up and left. We bivouacked in bat tents suspended from oak trees on an oversized ledge, which was so rocky and downsloping that we could not find a level spot. Three pitches above the bivouac we traversed almost a full pitch to the right to avoid an overhanging headwall. Above this, mixed climbing led into fourth-class near the summit. Of 16 pitches more than half went free. NCCS V, F9, A3.
GALEN A. ROWELL