Matthes Crest facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Matthes Crest
Matthes crest from the west side.
Highest point
Elevation	10,923 ft (3,329 m) NAVD 88
Prominence	278 ft (85 m)
Parent peak	Echo Ridge
Geography
Location	Yosemite National Park Mariposa County, California, U.S.
Parent range	Cathedral Range, Sierra Nevada
Topo map	USGS Tenaya Lake
Geology
Age of rock	Cretaceous
Mountain type	Granite arête
Climbing
First ascent	1931 by Jules Eichorn, Glen Dawson and Walter Brem
Easiest route	Rock climb class 5.7

Matthes Crest is a cool, long rock formation that looks like a giant fin! It's about a mile long and has two high points with a deep dip in the middle. This amazing rock is found in the Cathedral Range, a group of mountains inside the famous Yosemite National Park. The Cathedral Range is also part of the larger Sierra Nevada mountain chain.

Discovering Matthes Crest

Matthes Crest got its name from a person named François E. Matthes. He was a cartographer, which means he made maps. He also wrote about the geology of this area. Geology is the study of how the Earth is made, including its rocks and landforms.

How Matthes Crest Formed

Long ago, Matthes Crest was called Echo Ridge. This was because it was close to some other peaks called the Echo Peaks. Matthes Crest was once a "nunatak." A nunatak is a mountain peak that sticks out above a huge sheet of ice, like an island in a frozen sea. This happened during the last ice age, when much of the land was covered by glaciers.

Climbing Matthes Crest

People love to climb Matthes Crest! The very first time someone is known to have climbed it was on June 16, 1931. Three climbers named Jules Eichorn, Glen Dawson, and Walter Brem made that first climb.

A Popular Climbing Adventure

Today, climbing Matthes Crest is a very popular activity. Many climbers like to go along the ridge from the south end to the north end. This type of climbing is called "alpine climbing." It means climbing in high mountain areas, often involving different kinds of rock and weather. The easiest way to climb Matthes Crest is rated as a class 5.7 rock climb. This rating tells climbers how difficult a route is.