Eichorn Pinnacle

Eichorn Pinnacle is the sharp, fifty-foot granite spire that forms Cathedral Peak's west summit, rising above the Cathedral Lakes in Tuolumne Meadows. It's one of the most recognizable profiles in the high country — and one of the most misunderstood: this isn't a hike to a viewpoint, it's a technical rock climb, and every route to the true summit requires ropes and rock shoes.

Getting there

The approach starts at the Cathedral Lakes Trailhead on Tioga Road, just west of the Tuolumne Meadows Ranger Station. Hikers headed to Cathedral Lakes on the maintained trail get a strong distant view of the pinnacle standing beside Cathedral Peak's main summit; climbers continue past the lakes on a use trail toward the peak's base.

What the climb involves

Eichorn Pinnacle has no easy way up. Its easiest documented route is rated 5.4, and many parties combine it with Cathedral Peak's Southeast Buttress (5.6) in the same outing — a full day of roped climbing, not a casual scramble. Cathedral Peak itself tops out at 10,916 feet.

Who this is for

• Roped, experienced climbers comfortable with exposed granite and multi-pitch movement
• Hikers happy to view it from the Cathedral Lakes Trail rather than summit it

If you're not climbing, treat Eichorn Pinnacle as scenery: photograph it from Cathedral Lakes or from Cathedral Peak's own summit, and leave the spire itself to parties carrying a rack and a rope.