| Lost Arrow Spire | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 6,930 ft (2,112 m) |
| Location | |
| Location | Yosemite National Park, Mariposa County, California, USA |
| Range | Sierra Nevada |
| Geology | |
| Type | granite rock |
| Age of rock | Cretaceous |
The Lost Arrow Spire is a detached pillar in Yosemite Valley, California, located immediately adjacent to Upper Yosemite Falls. The structure includes the Lost Arrow Spire Chimney route which is recognized in the historic climbing text Fifty Classic Climbs of North America.[1] The last two pitches of Lost Arrow Spire Chimney are called the Lost Arrow Spire Tip and completes the detached portion of the spire. The Tip route is often reached by rappelling into an area known as The Notch. Once the route is completed climbers will often return to the main wall via a dramatic and famous Tyrolean traverse.
The spire was originally summited by lassoing the summit from the main wall and then Ax Nelson prusiked the lassoed line to the peak and was followed by Jack Arnold. While Steve Roper called this "one of the greatest rope stunts ever pulled off in climbing history" many climbers did not recognize this "rope trick" as a true ascent. An undisputed ascent was completed later that season by John Salathé and Ax Nelson via the Lost Arrow Spire Chimney.[2][3]