Wayward Son follows a proud line up the middle of Lost Brother and stands among the most classic 5.12 multi-pitch routes in Yosemite. It’s a modern-era free climb with bolt-protected cruxes featuring techy face sequences on immaculate, off-vertical granite—and, of course, some beautiful splitter cracks for good measure.

The route goes at 5.12c, 5.11 A0, or 5.10 C1. All hardware is stainless 3/8" and bomber. It’s an excellent line for anyone looking to push their grade; I don’t consider myself a 5.12 climber, but with the 5.11 A0 option it felt quite approachable.

Wayward Son is roughly 55% independent and 45% shared with Call of the Yeti. It faces northwest and stays shaded until around 2 PM (depending on the season). The first ascent was completed in the morning of a day that later reached 94°F in the Valley.

I climbed the route with Wade Morris, a fellow former Coloradan with whom I share several mutual friends and acquaintances. We climbed in a fix-and-follow style, alternating leads by blocks. Wade led Pitch 1 (5.11c); I took Pitches 2–5 (mostly 5.10 with one 5.11a); Wade led Pitches 6–9 (5.12b, 5.12b, 5.12c, and 5.11b); I took Pitches 10–11 (5.11b and 5.12a); and Wade finished with Pitches 12–13 (5.11d and 5.10c). I climbed it at 5.11 A0, while Wade managed to free several of the 5.12 cruxes.

We both agreed it’s a superb route—well-protected, technically demanding, and set on flawless granite.

This page includes a route overlay, time stats, and pitch-by-pitch photos from our climb.