| Matthes Crest | |
| Elevation Ft: | 10,923 |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Prominence Ft: | 278 |
| Map: | California |
| Map Size: | 240 |
| Label Position: | below |
| Range: | Cathedral Range, Sierra Nevada |
| Parent Peak: | Echo Ridge |
| Coordinates: | 37.8233°N -119.3974°W |
| Coordinates Ref: | [2] |
| Topo: | USGS Tenaya Lake |
| Type: | Granite arête |
| Age: | Cretaceous |
| First Ascent: | 1931 by Jules Eichorn, Glen Dawson and Walter Brem[3] |
| Easiest Route: | Rock climb [4] |
Matthes Crest is an approximately mile-long fin of rock with two summits separated by a deep notch. It is a part of the Cathedral Range, which is a mountain range in the south-central portion of Yosemite National Park. The range is part of the Sierra Nevada.
Matthes crest is named for François E. Matthes, a cartographer and author who described the geology in the region where Matthes Crest lies. It was originally named Echo Ridge due to its proximity to the Echo Peaks. Matthes crest arose as a nunatak in the glacial field which covered Tuolumne during the last ice age.[5]
The first known ascent of Matthes Crest was by Jules Eichorn, Glen Dawson, and Walter Brem on June 16, 1931.[3] Climbing Matthes Crest by traversing the ridge from south to north is a popular alpine climbing activity today.[6]