Selaginella

Selaginella (5.8) offers liebacks, face climbing, off-width chimney climbing, and good ol' crack climbing. The route is sustained and committing and a real challenge for a 5.8 leader.

P1 - Start in the right facing flakes which form nice hand cracks and eventually merge with the main right facing corner to the left. Continue up the main corner, which appears wide and intimidating but can be adequately protected by smaller gear in the back of the crack. There is a small ledge halfway up this pitch, but you should continue up to the large, comfortable ledge at the end of the pitch. 165'. This pitch is very physical but very fun.

P2 - Continue up the obvious right facing corner. This will become a shallow bombay chimney with some exposed stemming. Right after the chimney, and right before a piton, traverse left on an easy 5th class ramp and up to belay at a tree or thereabouts.

P3 - Continue up and slightly right on some cool flakes to a chimney/flare. The chimney looks hard from afar; but fear not, there are good hands in the back. Continue above on some easy face climbing to another short exposed bombay chimney formed by a big jutting flake, much like that of P2. Above this, at a bolt and a piton, make a wild, exposed traverse left to a great belay ledge with cool crystals on it. This traverse is not well protected for the leader nor the follower, but it is fairly secure with good holds, just very exposed. Make sure to extend pieces properly before the traverse to minimize rope drag around the corner.

P4 - Straight off the ledge you can take the wide corner on the left, or some juggy face climbing to the right. The face climbing seemed easier to me and was very fun with some steep moves on great holds, but unprotected (beware expanding flakes). Continue up and left on obvious corners with hero jugs to a nice ledge, which you traverse left to a massive dinner place flake. Squirm inside the flake, or even better, layback it on glory jugs to the top as your victory lap (unprotected but easy and secure).

The route starts on the upper ledge above Munginella. Climb any of the lower climbs (Munginella 5.6, Commitment 5.9, The Surprise 5.10a, The Caverns 5.8, Try Again Ledge 5.8, or the Hanging Teeth 5.8). An alternate approach involves skipping the approach climbs by hiking the streambed west of the base using 3rd & 4th Class slabs. For the descent of Selaginella, jump into the stream of tourists working their way down the Yosemite Falls trail.

1 or 2 sets of nuts and cams up to 5". Bring lots of long slings.