Sentinel Rock

For the granite dome near Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, see Sentinel Dome.

Sentinel Rock is a granitic peak in Yosemite National Park, California, United States. It towers over Yosemite Valley, opposite Yosemite Falls.^[5] Sentinel Rock lies 0.7 miles (1.1 km) northwest of Sentinel Dome.

Sentinel Rock
A photo of Sentinel Rock in Yosemite Valley
Highest point
Elevation	7,038 ft (2,145 m)[1]
Coordinates	37°43′44″N 119°35′40″W[2]
Geography
Sentinel Rock Location in California Show map of California Sentinel Rock Sentinel Rock (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location	Yosemite National Park Mariposa County, California, U.S.
Parent range	Sierra Nevada
Topo map	USGS Half Dome
Geology
Rock age	Cretaceous
Rock type	Granite
Climbing
First ascent	June 30 - July 4, 1950 by Allen Steck and John Salathé[3]
Easiest route	Circular Staircase (class 5.8)[4]

Geology

Sentinel Rock formed when masses of rock split off Yosemite Valley's south-side cliff, along steep joints trending nearly east–west. This formed the near-vertical north face of Sentinel Rock.^[6]

Climbing

The most famous climbing route is the Steck-Salathé route, which is rated a class 5.10b G A0.^[3]

Climber Derek Hersey died while attempting to free solo climb Sentinel Rock in 1993.^[7]

Gallery

• 
  Northwest aspect
• 
• 
  Sentinel Rock (right) in Yosemite Valley. (camera pointed east)

See also

• Sentinel granodiorite

References

1. "Natural Resource Statistics". Yosemite National Park. National Park Service. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
2. "Sentinel Rock". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
3. "Steck-Salathe". rockclimbing.com. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
4. "Circular Staircase, Sentinel Rock 5.8". SuperTopo.com. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
5. "Rock Formations in Yosemite". Yosemite National Park. National Park Service. Retrieved August 14, 2007.
6. "Bedrock Geology of the Yosemite Valley Area Yosemite National Park, California". Geology and National Parks. USGS. Archived from the original on March 21, 2017. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
7. Roberts, Paul (November 1, 1994). "Risk". Psychology Today. Retrieved July 27, 2011.

External links

• Media related to Sentinel Rock at Wikimedia Commons