Kung Pao Chicken climbs the right side of a small exfoliation flake at the bottom of a west-facing buttress just uphill from King Tut's Tomb. From the popular splitter

Manana

, walk west and then scramble uphill through forest and talus. The climb will be on your left.

Kung Pao Chicken isn't that remarkable of a route, but it makes a nice addition to any day spent cragging in the area. The left side of the flake is the first pitch of "Into the Fire", which goes at 5.9 and is quite enjoyable.

Begin the climb in a corner. About 20' up, move left to the flake on good face holds. Leaning hand jams bring you to the crux where the flake widens to rattly fists. Above this, straight forward crack climbing leads to the top of the pillar. There used to be a tattered mess of webbing and fixed gear at a block up and right of the top of the formation, but this has recently been replaced with a bomber 2-bolt anchor with chains.

Kung Pao Chicken

Mental Block

Pohono Pinnacle- Northwest Corner

Into the Fire

Vanishing Point

Unagi

Mantra

Yin-Yang

Yama Shama

The Sphinxter

Whiskers

King Tut's Tomb

Juan-Tawn

Boulderfield Gorge

The Hand Me Down

Unknown 5.9

North Face Pohono Pinnacle

Manana

Brownoser

Pharaoh's Beard, Regular Route

Tilted Mitten, Right Side

Spiderman

Tilted Mitten, Left Side

Hari-Kiri

Unknown 5.10

The Sceptor

Post Tramatic Climbing Disorder

Located on a west-facing buttress just uphill from King Tut's Tomb. See the following photo:

Kung Pao Chicken and Into the Fire  Update May 2015: The old natural anchor at the top of the pillar has been replaced with 2-bolts w/chains. The anchor at the top of the second pitch of Into the Fire is still 1/4" bolts with tat.

Pitch 1 climbs the left side of the pillar at 5.9. Mostly the crack is hands to offwidth size. Belay off a bolted anchor at a sandy ledge.

Pitch 2 starts by climbing up to a flake and past some questionable rock in order to traverse left along the roof. The crux is the last bit of strenuous underclinging with poor feet. After turning the lip into the left-facing corner, make certain the rope is running on the outside of the roof. If the rope starts going into the crack it will get jammed and possibly drag your gear up into the crack with it. Lieback up the corner until it turns into a slab, then make another 5.9 move standing up onto the arete. Jam the spectacular thin-hand crack until you pass through a bit of squeeze chimney and climb over a detached block, then traverse right 20ft across the face to a bolted anchor.

Rap the route with a 70m rope. A 60m could possibly make it but I'm not sure, and it would be super close. The upper bolted anchor is 1/4"ers with tat and badly needs to be replaced. The first anchor atop the pillar is fat new bolts w/ chains.

This is classic route that has not seen much traffic. The entire route is following right facing corner from pitch 2 to the end. Considered as a good step forward on the road to Twilight Zone

supertopo.com/climbing/thre…

After climbing this route twice I still think this is true 10c, and despite that all individual moves there is  easier that start of Generator Crack - you do crux section in the middle of pitch 3 with huge rack and you already not fresh. No way it is 5.9  - it is  5.10

Using one 70m rope is a best for climb and rappel this route. With 60m rope you can have down-climb several feet while rappelling p3

P1. Dirty and not well defined pitch. Bad pro. Start from the tree. First move is very insecure. My partner started on my shoulders to reach a jug.  Do not stop at the tree with the rappel slings, - but continue to the  right facing corner - the base of pitch 2. Gear belay.  100' , 5.7-5.8.

P2. This is stellar  off fingers- thin hands pitch.  100', 10c, Two bolts belay.

double Red aliens,  Camalots 2 #0,75 2#1, 2#2 2#3, nuts. There is a new bolt 30 feet up on this pitch.

P3. The crux pitch. It has no well defined  cruxes, but I felt two harder sections at about one third and two third of the  of this pitch. Most of the pitch is easier to stay right side in, except of last 20 feet , where is thin crack appears on the right side which I used for small gear. You can walk #5C4 Camalot all the way except of first 25 feet.

Pro in order of appearance : #3 Cam, #4 Friend, #4 Friend, #4C4 Cam, #5 Friend , #2 BigBro, #5C4 Cam, #5Cam (old), #3 BigBro, Yellow alien, Green Alien, Blue Alien, Green Alien, Red Alien, #5C4 Cam.  110 feet. 10C. Two bolts belay

P4. OW 10c section there is short.  But 5.8 move - entering in chimney with head jam - is amazing and remarkable. Its remind the entering in SS Narrows, but with different body positioning. 70 feet, 10c. Gear belay.

P5. Can be linked with p4, unless you got a tremendous rope drug. Probably possible with double rope system. 30 feet , 5.8-5.9. Two bolts

Start on 4th class face up to a ledge walking left to a hand crack corner climbing up to another ledge. Up a slabby finger crack toward a large tree passing it on the right to a ledge. 3rd class up and left 100ft then climb up and left on the right wall and belay underneath a ginormous boulder. Follow a ramp on your left up to a splitter into a slot that has a hand crack in the back up onto a slab. Follow a finger crack until it ends climb to the right up to a grassy ledge passing easily to the left up into a chimney belaying at its top. Up off a ledge following a crack onto a large open slab climbing up and right, then down and out of a small gulley up another crack. Climb up avoiding bushes and follow a crack up on the left wall to an alcove. From the alcove scramble to the summit.

Down scramble west a few hundred feet staying left when possible until the slab begins. Rappel from the lowest tree possible. Two raps from trees down on top of a large boulder. down scrambling to a slung block, Rappel to a ledge then walk south to a bolted rap anchor. Rap to another tree to the ground. 70m recommended, bring tat.

A classic and isolated line. Work your way up the first 15 ft of vegetation and choss to a stance beneath the small but prominent roof split by a laser-cut crack. From here on out, the rock is good quality. Pull up to the roof on jugs and muscle your way over the lip on off-finger jams.

This crux rattly-finger section lasts a few body lengths before you sink a thank god hand jam. From here, fun climbing w excellent views leads a long, enjoyable ways to the top. Scramble your way up and left to the rap station at a tree. Two ropes to rap.

Dirty corner starts first pitch to thin fingers 70 feet

Traverse right at start of second pitch a little dicey

Lieback to good hands 130 feet

The route starts  5 feet to the right of Ying-Yang.  A bolt protects the initial face moves as you traverse left to the corner. The crack used to be vegetated and dirty, and is now cleaned up and climbable, but still cary the nut tool in case you need to clean some dirt from the crack.

The route have 3 distinct cruxes - first for face moves after you clip the bolt, second 35 feet up reaching for good finger-lock  via thin crack in the corner (10c/d)  and last surmounting small bulge (5.10) to reach the final ledge.

The route is climbing better than it looks

1st Pitch: Great laybacking pitch, gets greasy/slick higher up, with interesting moves to exit onto the ledges. Sustained. (10d)(120ft)

2nd Pitch: Off width pitch, doesn't seem to get as much traffic.(10a)

EDIT: Based on comments bring at least 1 #5 and 2 ropes, 75m doesn't reach for lower down

The first (money) pitch can also be top-roped after leading Hari-kiri (10a) as they share anchors

Follow the bolts up to a crack, reach right and find the good holds. Move left and finish on the anchors left of the tree. You should probably have a second clean the route as the anchors are pretty far away.

This doesn't even look like a climb from the ground, but it is.  Many locals break a sweat on this one even in cool weather.  The crux is the offwidth above an old bolt.  Backside to the wall and just squeeze and wiggle your way to the top.

This is an excellent finger crack on the upper headwall of Pharaoh's Beard.

See

Pharaoh's Beard, Regular Route

for more approach beta and information on the approach pitch.

Some sections of the route have a bit of lichen on them which makes the already tenuous foot smearing that much more desperate. With some more traffic and new hardware, this would clean up nicely. In terms of it's exposed position and quality of the moves, I think this climb rivals popular tespieces at the Cookie such as Red Zinger and Crack-A-Go-Go.

From the midway ledge (top of p1 of the Regular Route) climb up a flake and then slightly right to a mungy offwidth lieback (this section is hard to protect without very big gear). This leads to a ledge just right of the large tree.

A bit of scary A0 past a very old bolt and an equally old pin leads to the crux. A series of small (fingertip sized) flakes work as sidepulls as you face climb up and right, to the start of the crack. Once you've gained the crack things get easier but it's far from over. Here things ease to sustained 5.10+ climbing with the occasional half-decent rest. Plug your way up the splitter for a while until you near the top. Here the crack thins to a seam and you must make a final cruxy move off face holds to gain the arete which leads to the top. Save a micro cam for this final crux.

It is possible to lower back down to the ledge from the bolted anchor with a 70m rope. It's also easy to toprope this climb after doing the Regular Route (which is what I did).

The topo also shows an 11a traverse coming in from the left at a point level with the start of the crack. This would bypass the mungy offwidth, dangerous A0, and 5.11+ face climbing leading up to the start of the crack. I haven't tried this variation myself but it did look doable on rappel. You would need to do 2 approach pitches (a pitch to the ledge, and then a short pitch to the tree) in order to do this variation.

This route climbs the right side of the 500ft tower located directly above Manana. It's dirty but has a couple redeeming pitches. The rock is mostly good and the climbing is mostly well protected. Gets morning shade. The Reid Guide calls it 5.10b, but doesn't list any info on the FFA. Galen Rowel surely used aid on his 1968 ascent, and the green Roper guide lists the route as 5.9 A1. So I don't know where the 10b rating comes from, but the crux pitch felt harder than The Sceptor (11a) to me.

We did a direct start by climbing a gully just to the right of Manana. It's possible to avoid these first two pitches by hiking uphill to the west and then cutting back left on 3rd/4th class ledges to reach the base of pitch 3. I'll describe the route as we climbed it, so the pitches will differ from what is in the Reid topo.

Pitch 1 (10a/b) Climb up the gully past a big tree and a ledge. The chimney pinches you out and you must make a couple big reaches between jams to get situated in the crack system above. Burly. Then follow the 6" crack a bit to the right and cut back left to belay on a big ledge.

Pitch 2 (4th class) Do a little boulder problem to get up on the next ledge, and then follow the broad ledge system along the base of the wall for about 80ft to the right. Scramble up some more easy terrain and belay at the highest ledge.

Pitch 3 (5.8) A short pitch following the crack system up and left. Climb the double cracks with some stemming onto a big 30-degree slab. Walk to the back of the slab and belay at the base of the corner. The anchor takes nuts and 1-2" cams.

Pitch 4 (5.9) Bushwhack past a small tree and then climb up the enjoyable steep corner. This would be a nice pitch if it were clean. This brings you up onto another tree covered ledge. You can belay here, or climb a bit further through a short steep section. There is a dirty crack a bit to the right which is undercut at the bottom and looks really hard to get into. I think this is perhaps the best way to go? I got off route here and climbed the crack just to the left which gains a long narrow ledge. The climbing above was hard and poorly protected so I followed the ledge all the way to the left near the arete and a small tree. I climbed up 20 ft and then traversed way back right on unprotected face climbing and features (5.4 R/X) to rejoin the route. My follower was able to climb directly up on toprope since I didn't place pro anywhere on my round-a-bout variation. Whichever way you go, there is a good spot to build an anchor (nuts and small to medium cams) at the base of the steep crack and a place to sit on the big ledge immediately to the right.

Pitch 5 (5.11a) Another pitch which would be really fun if it were clean. Climb up the steep hand and fist crack. It is easier than it appears thanks to several large features to grab and step on. This brings you to another ledge. It's probably a good idea to belay here if you didn't climb all the way to the base of the crack on pitch 4. Otherwise keep going into the crux "10b" pitch. This section is just as steep and dirty as the previous, but also much thinner and less featured. Continuous climbing in a right-leaning corner and crack with a very pumpy finish. Move left along the sandy debris covered ledges and belay by some blocks under a roof.

Pitch 6 (5.8) A short bit of insecure climbing up the thin crack and face reaches a horizontal crack below the roof. Traverse right to where the roof is split by a chimney and wiggle up to the top of the formation.

A few face moves lead to a left facing crack and flake system with a bolt protecting the last moves to the anchor.  Some loose rock and hollow flakes.

This is a typical Yosemite gully thrash. There are a couple cruxes low down on the route that are interesting and challenging, but most of the climbing is unexposed and not very fun. It's got lots of dirt and moss, but the bushwhacking isn't too bad except for a pitch near the top. If you just want a mungeineering route up a wall that no one ever climbs to the top of, then go for it. If you want a gully with some actual good rock climbing, go do

The Cleft

or something. Oh, and don't attempt this route if it has rained recently and it's wet.

Approach by hiking up the climbers trail to the base of Manana, then follow the wall uphill to the right. Boulderfield Gorge is the massive gully in the corner where the west facing wall intersects the water-polished north facing wall. Pharaoh's Beard should be visible a couple hundred feet to the right. On the left-hand wall inside the gully will be the overhanging 5.12 crack "Lost and Found".

The first few pitches lead up through three "steps" in the gully. Each step is guarded by a crux chockstone which must be climbed past. The first chockstone is passed on the left with some awkward jamming. The second chockstone requires some wild stemming and then a difficult mantel. The third chockstone is passed on the right with a "pull-up" move on a good hold. After some brief scrambling, climb onto a secondary ledge system on the left side of the gully. This avoids some mungey chimneys in the back of the main gully.

A couple more easy pitches tunnel behind two large chockstones to arrive at a debris strewn ledge below the "Colossus". This enormous chockstone (more of just an overhanging wall) is passed by climbing features on the right wall of the chimney. Start up a left facing OW flake, make a traverse right, then straight up on more flakes to a mungy ramp with another crux move.

Next is a rope-length of 3rd class up vegetated gully with ferns and thistles. Take the left gully. On the next pitch, step left to avoid scary looking chockstones and a dead snag, then bushwhack through a tree choked chimney. A couple rope-lengths of 4th class lead to the shoulder of the wall.

To descend:

Option 1: Rap down the main face of the wall. Two ropes are maybe required. Bring lots of webbing and stuff to leave as you will probably be establishing most of the rappels. If you can make it to the top of King Tut's Tomb, it's only 3 double rope raps to the ground from there.

Option 2: Bushwhack east and then north through breaks in the cliffs to reach the Valley rim. Hike cross-country to meet up with the Pohono Trail, which you can take to Glacier Point and either hitchhike back or walk down the 4-mile.

The Hand Me Down adds a couple more interesting pitches of climbing to either of the routes leading up the Tilted Mitten.

From the top of the Mitten downclimb to the left and make an improbable traverse over to a flake. Handjam or lieback up the flake to reach a small bulge with a grassy crack on the wall to the left. Jam past the bulge and then continue up the narrow corner to an awkward belay at the tree.

The second pitch continues up the corner and underclings out the large arching roof with a lot of lichen on the face. Turn the corner and get in the chimney. I'm not exactly sure where the climb is supposed to end. We stopped at a small ledge to the left that had a bunch of rap slings around a chockstone. There is a tree up higher but the rock looks very vegetated getting up to it.

A nice short hand crack, a little dirty but will clean up over time. It shares an anchor with the climb on the right.

A fun adventure up a to a neat summit. More of a mountaineering type route, in a bushy way. Excellent views of the cathedrals and el cap.

Fight your way up a bushy 3rd class ledge up 4-5th class ramps and ledges into a chimney of sorts exiting onto a ledge. From the ledge climb the left chimney starting on the outside before passing an old old bolt to slab traverse into the chimney, climbing to its top. You are now at the notch. Down scramble and set belay before a short off width section. Climb up and left into the bowl and follow that into the notch towards the summit. Climb a  cool chimney to it top. Exposed 3rd to the summit.

This climb ascends an off finger crack with multiple cruxes.  The first crux is just above the roof.  The second is at the top, where the crack thins.  Ring locks with a few and jams along the way.  A must do for the .10d enthusiast.  Rappel this route with one 70m rope to the top of the block.

This is a newer route, and thus is pretty dirty and would not be a good beginner lead. Once it cleans up it should be alot better. Just follow the left facing corner hand crack while also taking advantage of face holds. Be sure to save a #3 cam for the final section.

Pharaoh's Beard is a small exfoliation flake propped up against the Sentinel Creek Wall. It is located a couple hundred yards uphill and to the right of Manana. The Regular Route is a historic climb that doesn't get done much these days. Like most climbs at Sentinel Creek it's in the shade until the afternoon, and the second half of the route is always in the shade.

The route begins on the right side of the formation. Jam your way up easy flakes to reach a tree. Monkey your way through the tree and climb a fun clean offwidth to a ledge with an old piton anchor.

The next pitch climbs the right side of a flake and then you step left into a corner. Move to the left side of Pharaoh's Beard and climb some chossy flakes to a tree. You can belay here if you want or link this with the 3rd pitch if the rope drag's not too bad.

Claw your way through the tree (this one's much more difficult than the first) and enter a chimney. Pass a chockstone and then tunnel up behind the last portion of the formation to the summit.

Rappel the route with one 70m rope. The summit anchors are new bolts. The rap station at the top of pitch 1 belongs in a museum and consists of a 1/4" bolt, 2 pitons (all over 50 years old!) and a fixed nut that I added in 2011.

This is a good low angle climb up to a great ledge.

Pitch 1) Climb up the offwidth crux to a flat area and belay with gear from blocks under a chimney.

Pitch 2) Continue up the chimney, also a crux, and jam your way to the platform and the belay bolts.

This climb can be done in one long pitch if desired  but most do it in two.  The flat ledge at the top is an awesome place to hang out for a while.  It also is the first belay for The Hand Me Down .10a

Rappel with two ropes.

The nice crack system just to the left of Vanishing Point. Follow the same approach to reach the base.

The climb shares the same first 15ft of scrambling as Vanishing Point. Below the roof, walk to the left end of the ledge and make a dicey mantel onto a shelf which is protected by an old pin. Walk further left past a bush to reach a splitter finger crack. Jam on up to the next overlap, then undercling out right. Pull through a cruxy sequence on face holds and sidepulls to gain the next crack system above, then climb easier terrain to the top.

The rap anchor is off a tree, and is shared with Vanishing Point.

This somewhat obscure route features one good pitch and one bad pitch.

First is the bad pitch. Climb up the corner that's half rock and half munge to reach some scary thin flakes wedged in a chimney. Squeeze up between the flake and the outside wall to reach some easier terrain. Climb past a tree with a bunch of rap slings on it and build a gear anchor (nuts, small-medium cams) at a stance just above the tree.

The second pitch is pretty much all chimney climbing and is considerably cleaner than the first. The crux is a "roof" where the chimney pinches down to a tight squeeze and it requires some thoughtful moves to wiggle past. There is another constriction above that is similar but easier. Belay at the new bolted anchor at the top of the Mitten.

Rappel from the summit with two ropes. One 70m rope doesn't quite make it but it is possible to downclimb the first few feet of the Right Side Route.

This is a good climb to warm up on if you plan on climbing other routes at Sentinel Creek.  The crux is a short finger section down low.  A good one to get on if you are just breaking into the grade.  Many people will top rope pitch one of Ying-Yang .10d after climbing Hari-Kiri.

The start is the hard part with a strange slot that you grovel up, after that its a nice crack up the face. Be careful of the loose dirt at the top. (Shares an anchor with the 5.9 to the left).

This is a really nice crack which is on the west facing buttress a little further uphill from "Into The Fire" and "Kung Pao Chicken". It would be a 3-star climb if it was cleaner. Scramble onto some small ledges from the right and build a belay anchor at the bottom of the crack (bring some extra .75" cams for the belay). Climb straight up the crack, with a crux in the upper section. Near the end of the crack, traverse left to a bolted anchor on a small ledge.

I think an 80m rope will just barely make it back down. We had a 70m but I was able to make it to a ledge system where I could scramble off to climber's right on some 4th class terrain.

Also bring a bolt kit if you have one. The anchor is a couple 1/4" bolts with old tat.

Crack in big left facing corner just 20 feet  left from Manana.

Someone put this route and you can see ancor bolts from the base.

It is interesting line goes with wide hands crack to the hands roof and than thin corner.

Description

Protection

Routes in N. Sentinel Creek Area