Swan Slab Guide

1. (5.7) 150': Sidepull a wide crack to step over a bulge to start, then a few bolts on easy face lead to a steeper wall with a splitter crack. Jam the crack to more blocky crack and face climbing to a bolted anchor at a nice ledge.

2. (5.10c or 5.9 A0) 95': Easy fifth and a bolt to a ledge, clip the bolts here and either do 10c moves on a small blank section, or 5.9 A0. Four bolts spaced very close together makes for easy aid. A couple more bolts and face moves. Bolted anchor.

3. (5.9+) 105': A short 5.7 crack section, and then either right on bolts at 5.7 or left on harder slab with a 5.9+ section that isn't easily aided. Bolted anchor just above the roof.

4. (5.9) 120': Likely the best pitch, a finger crack section heads to ledge (skip the anchor) followed by a short, easy 5th section. Bolted anchor.

From the end, either walk off via the Swab Slab gully or continue on for three more pitches of "Yose University". For the latter, walk a little right then cut left on a nice ledge until you spot a couple bolts for the next climb.

To find the climb, either climb "Into the Wild" or go up Swab Slab gully past Swan Slab and hang a left to take a midway ledge to base of climb.

1. (5.9) 125': Wild 5.9 lieback and crack on the left (Do not take the bolts right off the ground - the bolts lead to very dirty climbing so don't get suckered that way). Stuck gear at the crux (maybe 5.9+) just after the Manzanita tree as of 5/20/23. Bolted anchor.

2. (5.9) 115': Locate a bolt up and right and wander up a little munge into an excellent thin crack with a slightly wide finger crux. Stellar pitch, bolted belay.

3. (5.7+) 125': Make a slightly heady traverse left and eventually up a slab to a bolt, avoid the dirt and find some trees in a beautiful corner. Take the corner up with fingers and hands to a tree belay. Might be slightly harder than your average 5.7 pitch.

Walk off via Upper Falls Trail.

A great place to take first-time climbers for several variations of slab climbing in the 5.6-5.8 range. To access the large platform at the top, walk around left or climb Bobcat Crack to the right. Sling the tree and back it up with gear.

Named for the bobcat that regularly scrambles up it, this easy-to-protect crack runs up the right side of the West Slabs to the base of the Penthouse Cracks. To top-rope this and the West Slabs, sling the tree and back it up with gear. Descend by walking off to the left. Pro: standard rack.

Obvious flake up to the ledge. To reach the top anchor, traverse right and follow 5.easy climbing around and then left to the 2-bolt anchor with rap rings. Remember to place gear to protect the second. Rappel descent to the top of West Slabs, then walk off. Pro to 3".

An interesting crux move from an undercling leads to good finger crack climbing. 2-bolt top anchor shared with the other Penthouse Cracks.

Hand jams and finger cracks. 2-bolt top anchor shared with the other Penthouse Cracks.

Lieback your way up to the small roof (mind the swing). 2-bolt top anchor shared with the other Penthouse Cracks.

Follow the chimney on the left side of the block shared with Oak Tree Flake. Can be top-roped with a 60m rope from the anchor shared with Grant's Crack.

Pro to 4.5".

Optional second pitch for Grant's Crack, Oak Tree Flake, or Swan Slab Chimney. Climb past blocks to the bay tree then continue up the fingers-to-hands crack. One old bolt marks the belay. Pro to 2.5".

For the descent, walk left and down some 5.easy terrain to a gully, then either downclimb the 5.5 gully, rappel from a tree, or walk off left to the top of Penthouse Cracks and rappel from the 2-bolt top anchor there.

Obvious chimney above the top anchor for Grant's Crack.

Start right of the blocks at the base of Grant's Crack and continue up the thin crack to the top anchor at the tree.

Same start as the Unnamed Thin Crack, but at the top of the blocks, traverse right to the base of the thin seam. Face climbing takes you to the top anchor.

Shared top anchor with Hanging Flake.

Start farther left.

The crux of the climb is the 5.11b start, but don't let that grade discourage you. French free or aid the first 15 feet, and the grade falls to 5.10a C0. Save some strength for the finger locks through the last 15 feet of the route.

Topo is approximate.

Route is described in the Falcon Guide (Yosemite Climbs: Free Climbs, Don Reid, 1994. ISBN 978-0934641593)

New route spring 2023, not in most guide books. Starts a couple meters right of Claude’s Delight. Follow thin diagonal crack past a small tree to where it switches to face climbing on knobs, with a single bolt in this face section. Has its own ring anchors. Double rack to 0.75”.