Film on Top Climbers Sending New Big Yosemite 5.13d

After the Dawn Wall, Kevin Jorgeson focused on Higher Cathedral Spire in Yosemite and established Blue Collar V 5.13d “I wanted an ‘anti-Dawn Wall’ project,” Jorgeson says in the film. “I just wanted my own little project to toil away on in the shadows … literally, this spire is almost always in the shadows.”

Royal Robbins and Tom Frost made the first ascent in fall of 1961 via the Northwest Face. Jorgeson followed The Frost/Robbins route until pitch seven, where it then follows a new line which includes a direct finish. Joreson and Ben Rueck nearly freed the route, but Rueck injurned his shoulder. He returned with Ryan Sheridan and led every pitch in a day.

“I’ve been going to the [Yosemite] Valley since I was 16, and I’ve never really given much thought to Higher Cathedral Spire … It’s like a skyscaper sticking up right out of the ground like a pencil. And it’s really big, and really proud, and really steep.”

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Pretty proud of this new line on Higher Cathedral Spire. Details later (name, topo, etc). For now, here’s a great shot by @jeffrueppel of the relatively spicy 7th pitch that clocks in around 5.13-.

A post shared by Kevin Jorgeson (@kjorgeson) on Oct 26, 2018 at 1:37pm PDT

Blue Collar