California · Rock climbing · Yosemite National Park

The Chief

The hardest alpine line at Valley North Side, with no fixed protection.

5.12b
grade
Alpine No Fixed
style

Is The Chief open right now?

No closures listed

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

As of · Source: NPS · Yosemite National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit The Chief

Best months: June–September. 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.

  1. Jan

    41° / 13°

  2. Feb

    38° / 12°

  3. Mar

    42° / 15°

  4. Apr

    45° / 22°

  5. May

    54° / 27°

  6. Jun

    65° / 33°

  7. Jul

    71° / 38°

  8. Aug

    70° / 36°

  9. Sep

    65° / 32°

  10. Oct

    57° / 26°

  11. Nov

    47° / 20°

  12. Dec

    40° / 12°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tuolumne Meadows Rs, CA, 11.1 mi away at 8,694 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

One of the hardest alpine lines catalogued at Valley North Side, this climb stands at the top of the grade span for O. YaSoo Dome sector and represents the steepest challenge among the 11 routes graded in this system at the crag. No fixed protection has been recorded on this route.

Photo of the crag

Valley North Side — the crag this route is on
Valley North Side, California — this photo shows the crag, not this individual route.Photo: kalestews, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Valley North SidePhoto: kalestews, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Valley North Side

~4 min drive

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Olmsted Canyon Boulders

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Olmsted Area

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Olmsted Canyon Right

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Half DomePhoto: SymphonicPoet, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Half Dome

~6 min drive

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Southwest Face

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Washington Column

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Valley South Side

~7 min drive

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Royal Arches Area

~7 min drive

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May Lake Area

~7 min drive

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