California · Rock climbing · Yosemite National Park

Higher Cathedral Spire

6 trad routes at Higher Cathedral Spire, California, spanning 6 difficulty grades.

Photo: Capt' Gorgeous, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

6 routes

5.8 – 5.13-

Trad

Is Higher Cathedral Spire open right now?

No closures listed

The National Park Service lists no closures for Yosemite National Park.

As of Oct 23, 7:30 pm PDT · Source: NPS · Yosemite National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Higher Cathedral Spire

Best months: March–June and September–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

Jan
48° / 29°
9 wet
Feb
51° / 30°
9 wet
Mar
57° / 33°
10 wet
Apr
63° / 38°
8 wet
May
70° / 45°
6 wet
Jun
80° / 51°
3 wet
Jul
89° / 57°
1 wet
Aug
89° / 57°
1 wet
Sep
83° / 51°
2 wet
Oct
71° / 41°
3 wet
Nov
56° / 32°
6 wet
Dec
46° / 28°
8 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yosemite Park Hq, CA, 3.4 mi away at 4,018 ft. The station sits about 1,600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Higher Cathedral Spire is a climbing area in Yosemite National Park, California, within the Yosemite Wilderness. The National Park Service manages the land, and the spire sits among several other climbing objectives, including Lower Cathedral Spire and Higher Cathedral Rock, each about 0.1 mile away. The area is a traditional climbing destination. Six routes are listed, all on trad gear, with grades ranging from 5.8 to 5.13-. The Regular Route (Higher Cathedral Spire) is 5.9, the East Corner is 5.10a, and the Spire it up (first 2 pitches) is 5.13-. The Steck Route, first climbed by Allen Steck and others in 1948, is 5.10+. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 70°F and October highs around 71°F, while July and August average highs near 89°F. That station sits about 1,600 feet lower than the spire, so temperatures up high run cooler. A fee is charged for climbing here. Bridalveil Creek Campground is about 3.6 miles away, and the Bridalveil Fall Trail is about a mile off.