Windchill

Approach: Park at Wawona Tunnell parking lot and walk down highway 41 towards Yosemite Valley. Look for a large talus field that leads up to the Widow's Tears Amphiteater. Hike up towards the amphiteater, pass the large road that runs horizontal to the approach and cut right when you reach the base of the wall that forms a buttress on the right side of the waterfall. Continue walking west at the base of the wall till you can scramble up and right on 3rd and 4th class ledges. When you gain some elevation and hit vertical walls, turn east and find the base of the route. There is a large tree right across from it. Yes, you will really have to climb over that giant roof that looms above.

P1. Jam, lay-back, and do some off-fingers jamming for 70 feet. There is a fixed piton which is backed up by cams for the belay. 5.10a (felt no easier than 5.10c pitch higher up)

p2. Climb over the giant roof. Helps to be able to do a pull up on fingerjams. Also, helps to not place gear above the lip of the roof so you can use it for jamming. After you figure it out traverse right and belay at the tree. 5.11a 70 feet. Felt harder than 11a.

p3. Traverse back left from the tree and to the base of the giant dihedral. 80 ft 5.8

p4. Overhanging corner with hand jamming, fists and thin hands to cap it off. Bring a variety of cams from BD#1 to #4. 0.75s are good for building an anchor on top of the pitch. 120 feet, 5.11a - physical.

p5. Climb up the zig-zagging thin hands and off fingers crack. Great climbing and fun moves. 120 feet 5.10c.

Now you are on top of Windfall.

P6. Scramble left and up to a dirty chimney. 5.7 chimney that feels hard till you look around and find more features all around you. Climb up and belay at the base of a short headwall with a splitter crack. 150ft

P7. Climb over to the top of the short headwall and traverse a bit left. Best to skip placing pro till you get to the base of the AWESOME 5.10c crack. It starts from BD #0.75 (green) size. It would be even better to belay at the base to avoid rope drag, but make sure you have a few extra .75s for the belay. This pitch accepts lots of finger and mid size pieces, bring nuts. Great pitch. 150 ft from the ledge at the base of the headwall.

P8. Climb up the white headwall and into a wide crack to your left. Make sure to bring your #4 cams. 140 ft 5.10a. Belay past the tree below the chockstone. Wild belay spot.

P9. Squeeze chimney with sparse pro. Don't fall till you place your first pro 25ft up or so. Continue up via enjoyable chimneying. 5.8/9 120ft. Belay from trees at the base of a little forest.

P10. Scramble over the 200ft section of forest and bushwhacking. 4th class ledges in places. WOuld be hard to fall off here though because concentration of bushes is far greater than exposure.

P11. There is a jamcrack that starts from an obvious corner. You will see a beautiful fistcrack that marks the end of the route higher up, so climb towards it. 120ft 5.8. Stop at thebase of a corner with a lieback.

p12. Do a few burly layback moves and get on the ledge with a little tree growing on the west side of the ledge. This tree seemed like the best pro that could be used to protect the slab traverse (5.10a) which starts up from the eastern side of the ledge. Pay attention to your foot work and don't blow it. Continue up the wide crack to the top of the route 160 ft.

Descent: Scramble over to the top of Stanford point, take a bunch of photos, and walk down to Wawona Tunnell using a perfect class 1 trail. One of the best descents I have done.