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Zion/Touchstone
Rachel's first aid wall, jugging the fixed line first thing in the morning... Rachel and I spent the last three weeks in Yosemite Valley after a great Southern Utah tour through Bryce, Capitol Reef, and Zion Natl. Parks. Presently we are in the luxury Ahwanee Hotel poaching as much electricity as we can to recharge cameras, phones, and the confuser.
The weather here has been absolutely splitter with bluebird skies and nary a drop of rain. We have been ticking many Yosemite classics averaging 8-10 pitches a day, five days a week. Climbs include Serenity/Sons of Yesterday, East Buttress of Middle Cathedral, E. Butt of El Cap, cragging at the Cookie and Pat & Jacks, the Nutcracker, a day at Glacier Point, Astrobaby (the first three pitches of Astroman) and most recently a one day ascent of Half Dome via the Regular Route. This was a stellar route approached via the not-so-bad Death Slabs. We bivied at the base of the classic Northwest face and set off in the am after oversleeping. The route is 24 pitches long and was Rachel's first grade VI and despite a large traffic jam at the zigzags (including a celebrity photoshoot and a pair of wallhauling bumblies) we topped out in 15 hours, completing the last
Rachel leading the Grack
Rachel leads the second pitch of the Grack a stellar splitter 5.6 on Glacier Apron three pitches in the dark. For those of you who have climbed the route, we linked four pitches and still managed to climb 25 pitches out of it??? (Little route finding trouble combined with bad beta after Thank God Ledge; and what about that 5.8 squeeze immediately after the Ledge, what a totally weird pitch?!!) Rachel did great wearing a heavy pack all day and doing her first real lower-outs and cleaning pitches on jumars after following 18 pitches free (ish, having embraced the concept of french-free).
We have been resting and eating the last day or so and treating a tweak to the shoulder but otherwise are still psyched on the Valley and plan a traditional attempt at the Prow on Washington Column next week. Camp 4 has been more comfortable than I remembered despite new 7 day max. regulations (thankfully we brought two tents and have been able to register weekly. Last week we registered under a Japanese friend's name!) Plenty of characters and some familiar faces including JJ, Jen Olsen and Leila from Canmore, a strong Boulder contingent and plenty of new faces.
We head to SF this weekend in hopes of getting a China
Regular Route
This is the start of the Regular Route on Half Dome a long route with surprisingly good climbing.. visa and seeing some friends. We are also giving a ride to a young German stranded after his partner took a 65m factor 2 fall on the Nose, apparently involving a very dramatic helicopter rescue from the YOSAR crew. His partner will recover but thanks to our new War on Terror policy, 23 yr old Germans are not allowed to drive automatic transmissions or some such bullshit... so patriotic Americans Rachel and I will escort him to the airport and then head immediately for Trader Joe's for discount Tuna Panang.
Anyway, a quick wall and then off to the High Sierra for a few weeks of uncrowded five star alpine climbs...Any recommendations or beta are always welcome. Peace and love to all from two masterful 5.9 A1 rockaneers.
P
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Tot: 0.085s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 8; qc: 51; dbt: 0.0478s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Jason Price
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You guys are studs. Rachel's doing great! (you too Philippe, but you've been around a few times...)