Yes, you can climb in Yosemite. Even if you can't do a 5.10, you can enjoy Yosemite's rock.

It was three pitches and several hundred feet above the valley floor when the thought "What in the hell am I doing up here?" first ran through my head. My feet tenuously gripped the near-vertical slab of gray granite while my fingertips pulled on dime-sized bumps. The cool breeze and warm sun lapped at my back, and my guide reassured me "you're almost there" from above, encouraging me to keep moving.

I took a deep breath, looked up the looming walls of El Capitan to my left and pushed down with my legs. If I was going to start to lose it, I'd do it up on the ledge where I could feel solid ground. Rock climbing in Yosemite can be scary. And not just in the Oh-crap-there's-nothing-between-me-and-the-valley-floor-except-this-rope kind of way. While that realization can definitely be a reality check, rock climbing here can intimidate you before ever setting foot in this most famous of U.S. national parks. That's because scores of neophytes— as well as intermediates— are wary of Yosemite's reputation and lore. I can make such a claim because, as a novice climber, the thought of climbing Yosemite had me nervous right up until I drove up and actually did it. And until I climbed Yosemite, I was hard pressed to believe I could actually do it.

I'm a good case study of a rock climbing newcomer. A lover of the outdoors (and a 27 handicap golfer), I'm always up for a new challenge. And so, soon after I took up rock climbing in Southern California, the opportunity to visit Yosemite arose. My first reaction to taking on the park's smooth granite surfaces and preponderance of crack climbing was "no way." After all, I was just working my way up to 5.10's on feature-filled rocks of the high desert. How could I manage the imposing routes of Yosemite, from whence the rating system originated?

But the pull was strong and my friends reassuring. Sure there are a multitude of routes in the five-teens, but even a newbie can find vertical bliss on the little siblings of El Cap or Half Dome, right? So I called Yosemite's reservation line and booked a weekend with some friends, determined to join the fraternity of Yosemite climbers and earn the right to buy my "Go Climb a Rock" T-shirt.

1. GET LODGING:
But first I needed to get situated with lodging. This is the actually the trickiest part of visiting Yosemite. With two hotels, plenty of campsites and a village of cabins and tent-cabins, one might think there would be space for everyone in the valley, even in the summer months. But the valley floor gets extremely busy from May through October, and some months you can't even reserve a tent site.

So the first step is to get something locked down early, or during the off-season. You might get lucky in the summer, or you can take your chances with non-reserved (or perhaps cancelled) spaces. Yosemite has several websites with information on lodging, listed in the table to the right.

Not wanting to completely rough it, our group stayed in the infamous Curry Village, which was started by a hospitable couple nearly a century ago. Now a self-contained group of cabins, tent-cabins and even a motel surrounding a common dining area, Curry Village also boasts a market and the winter home of the Yosemite Mountaineering School. Heated cabins (some with private bath) go for about $90 per night, and heated tent cabins run approximately $50 per night.

2. GET CLIMBING:
The next step was lining up the actual climbing. I spoke with Dave Bengston, Director of the Yosemite Mountaineering School, to see what our options were. Dave's a friendly and informative guy who's been climbing these rocks since the '70s and leads a world-famous group of experienced guides. He's been with the school since '85 and also holds numerous climbing records. He's made many notable climbing ascents up to 5.13a including Kaos, El Capitan, VI 5.9 A4, made 48 ascents of El Capitan, several guided Big Wall Ascents, Half Dome, and many other Yosemite Big Walls.

Dave described several climbs that would provide a mix of challenging rock and spectacular settings - and allow our whole group to take a crack at the rocks without a long hike in. The Yosemite Mountaineers' experience is available to anyone willing to pay the price, approximately $100 per person for a half day of guiding in the park. But it's worth it, as very little of Yosemite is sport climbing (with anchors and bolts). So unless you're confident with your ability to set your own protection, you should consider hiring a guide. In our opinion, it's money well spent, as the guides will provide everything you need for a memorable day, including any equipment you might be missing.

With a place to sleep and a guide lined up, our intrepid MountainZone.com crew made drive to Yosemite on a Friday afternoon, with visions of natural splendor in our heads. Arriving under the cover of night, we couldn't see what we were driving into, but could just make out the massive cascade of Yosemite Falls under a half moon as we slowly drove to Curry Village.

Upon waking the next day we were treated to a crisp clear day and temperatures that would hit the 60's - not bad for spring. And the view! Towering gray peaks of granite ensconced us, while happy campers wandered around with craning necks and big plans for the day. People often make a big deal of how crowded Yosemite gets, but even a sold-out weekend couldn't spoil the park's relaxed and wide-open atmosphere.

After coffee in the central dining hall we met up with Dave and our guide Scott Stowe (who has made over 50 ascents of El Cap) in the Mountain Shop in Curry Village. We signed releases and finalized our game plan for the day. With several climbers, cameras and differing agendas we decided to head over to one of the valley's most popular climbing spots, the Manure Pile just past the infamous climbers' Camp Four (Sunnyside). We'd warm up with some top-rope action and photo ops for our group. Then three of us would make a six-pitch climb to the top of the rock with Scott - getting a taste of what Yosemite climbing is all about.

While half of our group ventured out on a hike, Scott and Dave set up two top ropes for the climbers— one rated 5.6 and the other 5.8/5.9— talking about the nature of Yosemite climbing and offering tips on negotiating the smooth surfaces. Dave explained that the area known as Manure Pile (Ranger Rock to the guides) is far from representative of Yosemite climbing, yet attracts large crowds because of its convenience (just a minute walk from the parking lot). He encourages anyone with the time and adventure to search out the many climbing spots around the valley, many of them rated below 5.10.

At two o'clock we began our "After Six" multi-pitch climb, which headed 600 feet up C.S. Concerto. We were treated to a fun and challenging mix of crack climbing and near-vertical granite slabs. Once above the tree line the view became spectacular, mixing with the amazing rock features to clearly illustrate why Yosemite holds such appeal. Even if you're not heading up the nose of El Cap, it's amazing what you can see from a 5.8 pitch.

By 4:30 we were nearly to the top, but, due to time constraints, had to cut it short with one pitch remaining. We said goodbye to another party that had been crisscrossing and shadowing us on an easier parallel route, offers of post-climb beers in our pockets. Then after a short rappel to solid ground we were hiking down a steep trail to our launching point. In an afternoon we had made a half dozen top-rope ascents and climbed hundreds of feet, and were back in the village even before the sun set.

Sunday morning was relaxed as our group attacked the $9.95 all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet in Curry Village before checking out of the cabins and enjoying our last day in the park. Part of our group headed out for self-guided climbing at an area called Grant's Crack and Oak Tree Flake at Swan Slab, also near Camp Four. The rest of the group decided to explore Yosemite's other great attraction, spectacular hiking up two waterfalls.

The Mist Trail leaves from the end of the valley floor after a walk or shuttle ride, sending hikers up next to Vernal Falls for great views and leg-burning rock stairs. Inspired hikers can continued to the top of Nevada Falls, 3.4 miles and 2,000 vertical feet from the trailhead. From there it's an easy hike down the John Muir trail, which hooks up again at the bottom of the Mist Trail for a total roundtrip of approximately four hours. Or, you could hike up to the top of Yosemite Falls in about the same amount of time. Either option provides postcard views and plenty of running water.

We headed back to the cars with a good burn in our legs and prepared for the drive back to the city, but not before stopping off at the main village for souvenirs. Yosemite shot glasses anyone? On the way out of the valley we pulled off the road to take in the towering monolith that is El Cap. And after a few seconds we spotted a pair of climbers hauling up their "pig" bag up the lower third of the nose.

I grabbed a pair of binoculars and watched them for a few minutes, then followed the route skyward until I saw the famed roof section through my field glasses. And there was another team, working their way toward the top of this 3,593-foot skyscraper. Amazed at their feat, I could at least take satisfaction in having shared a bit of the rock with these athletes. I too had headed up the Yosemite rock, if only for a few hundred feet and under full supervision. But I left this valley paradise with an even greater appreciation of climbing... and the inspiration to come back soon and go a bit higher.

— Ari Cheren, MountainZone.com Correspondent
Ari Cheren is a freelance journalist living in Los Angeles. Cheren is MountainZone.com's Gear Editor and Correspondent covering the World Cup mountain biking series.