Mount Conness Summit Bid - Part 2

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Talk about a real life cliff hanger!

Here I am, still hanging from the side of the 2^ndtower on the north ridge of Mount Conness . . .

Maikki rappels as far down as she can go, but contrary to what the book said, the rope is not long enough. Like a pro, she assesses the situation and calls up that she has a plan. Ok. I look forward to hearing what that is when I get down there!

Now it’s my turn. I start moving my hand along the secondary rope, pulling up more rope so I can move downward. It’s much slower than I thought. You really have to pull the rope to create slack. It also may be just the way she’s having me do it since I’m a rookie, I don’t know. I need to touch down further to my right, which means rappelling on a diagonal. It’s a bit awkward.

I’m careful to keep my body parts from between the granite and the rope. I understand that if I let go I will still be attached and won’t fall. However, I can also tell that if I let go or probably worse, lose my footing, I risk hitting the sharp edge of the cliff face and/or possibly get caught in between the rope and the wall. I need to watch out.

Now I’ve reached Maikki and she points below to where we need to be. The total descent is around 90 feet. We start pulling the rope down together and I’m surprised at how difficult it is to bring the rope through the anchor points. It takes both of us pulling fairly hard to slowly get the rope through.

Looking down the backside of Mount Conness, I can see a trail that is clearly a walk up! “Look!” I show Maikki. I’m thinking, if we could just get down there, we could walk right up the trail instead! Again, she laughs and tells me “but yes, then we would miss all the fun!” Okay, just checking. You see, I would be okay just walking up to the summit.

There is a rock sticking up right in front of us which she says will work great as our new anchor point. She’ll place the rope around it and this time I will lower myself down first. “Really?” This looks a little scary to me because the rock is shaped somewhat like a thin slice of bread pasted to the side of the cliff and it has a crack all the way down to it’s base. She assures me it’ s fine and I trust her, because I have to.

I go first, moving more easily this time because the descent is straight down. She calls down for me to control the rope behind me. I keep it sort of out and below me, making sure it doesn’t get hung up on any rocks. I make it down to the narrow ledge and now it’s her turn to come down.

I need to get out of the way so she has a place to land. We’re very high up on the eerily steep granite slab, but now also very far down from the top of the second tower as well as far down from the top of the third tower.

The third tower looks so slick and smooth. . . Just like it did from far away. The sun shines off it like a mirror.

Okay. It’s time for me to grow a huge set of balls and become a machine. I will succeed. I know this with all of my being and there is no doubt, because that is what is required. I’m ready.

Here she comes, so I start moving. I’d also like to get a little head start. Maikki is much faster than me and I know once she’s down she will blow past me. I want to be in position so I can follow.

I climb up one direction, still looking for the easiest looking route. Nope. Not this way. I come back down. Then I move further horizontally and up. Nope. Back down and further out and up. I try another. Nothing seems passable to me.

The rock is harsh on my hands and I have no gloves. But neither does Maikki. I suppose I’d rather feel the pain of the rock than not be sure of what I was grabbing.

Now I’m fairly far up from the rappel site, but also more towards the center of the rock face, versus being near the spine, which is supposed to be the best route.

So far, I feel somewhat natural on the rocks and understand the basics of leverage. It’s rock n’ roll time.

But I find myself unsure of which way to go so I turn to see how close behind me Maikki is. Uh oh. She is still at the rappel site, trying to get the rope free from above. She’s flinging the heavy rope up, trying to get it to come up and over the slice of bread.

This is one of the larger ledges. It almost supports one half of one of my feet. Of course I still need to engage my tired leg muscles to stay upright, so it isn’t really a rest, but a rest of sorts.

I wish I could help Maikki, but there is no way I can make it back down to where she is. I should have waited there, but now all I can do is wait here.

I glance down.

That was a mistake.

The height is dizzying and will surely make me fall so I vow not to do that again until I am on safer ground.

But I do want to try and get some photos! I realize additional risk is added by removing my camera and taking pictures while holding on perched to the side of a cliff harnessed to nothing, but document is what I do, and I feel certain I won’t be passing this particular way again.

The wind is hammering this side of the mountain. I try to stay as close to the wall as I can. I don’t want a gust to get in between me and the rock.

Maikki calls up that she is going to have to climb back up to readjust the rope, then climb back down and try to free it again. Yikes.

I snap a couple pics of her, climbing a vertical slab like it’s a walk in the park. She is amazing!

Then a couple more quick, un-aimed photos. First pointed down from my perch, then to my left, self portrait, (yes this is how I am feeling) and a quick shot above me, my destination. Not the best photographic documentation, but better than none.

Maikki is making short work of her climb up and back down. But now she has to pull down the rope and it’s not threaded through anchor points this time. It was a struggle with two people, and now she is burdened by getting the rope down all on her own. It’s taking a long time.

I don’t like having all this down time. I look up and around. Really? Briefly I think “If I wanted to be rescued, could that happen?” I try to picture a helicopter coming in and realize that wouldn’t work. Then I think, “could she maybe rappel me allllllll the way down to the trail, then I could just walk up and meet her?” Stupid, dangerous thoughts. They are quickly vanished and I’m back in focus.

I call down a useless apology for not being able to help as I watch her struggle to pull the rope down. One of the many pitfalls in taking a newbie along I suppose. But there is nothing for me to do but wait and watch.

She finally gets the rope down, bundled up and back on her pack and she’s heading up the 3^rd tower.

I wait to see which way she goes, but because of my position, she quickly disappears behind the rocks near the spine above me. I need to catch up.

I start climbing straight up, hoping to meet up with her. She had told me several times already that near the spine had the easiest handholds, so that is where I need to be.

Each move is very calculated. Find a small handhold, usually only large enough for a couple fingers to fit in and hopefully one foothold, and hoist myself up. Ugh! My foot is starting to cramp. NO.

I find myself without any obvious handholds or footholds. There is a small outcropping above me, but I can’t contort my leg high enough to “get a leg up”. I can reach one handhold above, and pull myself up with one hand and quickly throw a knee on the ledge while reaching out for something to hold onto with my other hand. Now I just need to pull myself upright and carry on. Done!

Whew. This is extremely physically taxing.

The way up is near vertical but I need to get to where Maikki is. The route to my right is a horizontal reach around a smooth bulbous portion of the slab with no visible handholds. It looks really scary and unpassable. I decide to go straight up.

It’s sketchy, but finally I reach the top. Uh oh. Not only is Maikki not here but I appear to be at a dead end. I’m directly on top of the teeth of the 3^rd tower. Standing perfectly on the center of the spine. I’m now looking down the east side of the mountain. I call up to Maikki that I think I’m stuck but I don’t think she can hear me.

There’s a jumble of rocks I may be able to climb up and over, but it will require stepping out over open air to place my feet on the rock out there, then letting my body fall against the opposite rock wall. I will be stretched out almost horizontally over nothing but air, but the rocks narrow as they lead to the jumble. I’ll have to walk my body in that position towards my believed stairway as the rocks come together, then somehow grab hold, and climb up.

I go over it and over it. Picturing it in my head. It’s a bold move for sure. Just do it! I start to step out, feel my muscle twitch, but then I hesitate. I go over it again in my head. It seems like the only option. I’m ready.

At the last second I look for the 50^th time and clearly see that the space I’ve allotted myself to fall back against the opposing rock for stability is longer than the entire length of my body with arms outstretched.

This move would have been a permanent fail. I laugh in my head and take note that although we’re only at about 12,300 at this point, the altitude could be messing with my mind.

Okay! I waste no time in thinking about what just almost happened and start my descent back down to where I was before. I don’t like this. As Maikki would say, “This part is not very nice.”

I make it down to where I was and am now again faced with the horizontal travel along smooth surfaces, including a reach around.

I continue to inch along, with less than a ½ inch ridge to support my giant size 10 Solomon boots. My feet and hands are cramping. NO. My brain screams with such force to my body the command is shortly obeyed.

I reach around reach for the ¼ inch nub which is the only thing there is, and then I slip. Instinctively I press my body against the rock and hope for the best. My slide stops after only a few inches. I tell myself I can revisit that experience later as well. Time to keep moving.

I make it around the corner and see another near vertical climb to reach Maikki. I’m looking and studying the wall, but I can’t figure out how she got up there.

I can’t see her, but I call up “I don’t know how you got up there!”. I hear her sing song voice call down “Oh, I’m sure you’ll figure it out!”. Grrr. . . . but she is right. There is no one here to “figure it out” except for me and the sooner I do, the sooner I can get to the summit and off this tower.

“Come on!” I’m talking out loud to myself now. Coaching myself. I’m quite fatigued and have such a ways to go still. “One, two three, GET UP THERE!” as I hoist myself up and up and up. Both my feet and hands are cramping now. I shut down the sensation.

In my efforts to find an easier route, I made it exponentially harder on myself. One of many lessons learned.

Up, up I go and eventually I come upon a large ridge, meaning a small triangle capable of supporting one whole foot on a flat surface, and room for ½ of the other foot. Luxury! I have to go to the bathroom like nobody’s business and it’s going to affect my concentration if I don't take care of it before I start up again.

Maikki climbs down from above and says hello. Finally! Finally we reconnect! Yay! I make it known I will follow her, whatever route she takes. I just don’t want to be separated again.

I’m about to wet my pants and probably won’t get another opportunity so here we go. Then I realize I have the harness around my waste and legs. Great. There is no room to remove it, but I will work it out. I drop trow and hoist up the harness to ensure I don’t pee on the borrowed equipment. Ahh. . . Boy, I really had to go! And go, and go. My legs are getting REALLY tired from this self-induced squat, but I have no choice. Done, buttoned up, and feeling “refreshed” for the rest of the climb up.

We check in with each other regarding food, water, the time, and how quickly the smoke from the fires is moving in our direction. We probably won’t be off the mountain before the smoke reaches us, but hopefully we will at least be at the summit. Maikki is nearly out of water and I’ve finished my platypus. That leaves my remaining extra Nalgene. I’ll start the rationing now.

We continue up and the climbing isn’t too bad. Then we get to a point where I just can’t reach the next handhold. Maikki has already gone up and is waiting for me. She reaches out her hand. This requires a leap of faith and I have it. I don’t know Maikii, but I trust her because I have to. She is the expert on this adventure and my climbing partner. I push off, grab her hand and she pulls me in her direction, then I grab hold of the next thing I can and stabilize my body. “nice climbing.” Thanks Maikki. . .

Up, and up, we’re making progress now! We near the top of the 3^rd tower and find ourselves needing to cross some spiky teeth. We’re suspended in air and she instructs me to just throw a leg over the gap to reach the first spike. Straddle my way onto it. Okay. There are two spikes to cross. I get to one, catch my breath, then move out onto the second. At least I’m sitting!

Now. Now we are faced with a chimney that needs descending. After that, we should be nearing the last section of the 3^rd tower. But you can never really tell, so I’m not getting excited yet.

Maikki rigs up a step ladder of sorts using what looks like shoe laces and caribiners. She goes down, then instructs me to turn my body around and lower myself down backwards using my upper body. Then put my right foot into the first loop, hitting the center of the foot. Okay. Boy, this does requires quite a bit of upper body strength! But so goes the day.

I turn onto my hands, lower down, get my foot in. Excellent! Now I need to suspend my weight on the first loop, lower my body to the second loop and get my foot in there. I’m struggling a little getting my foot into the second “step”. She can reach the second loop and help guides my foot in. Good!

“Now let go of the rock above, reach underneath it and grab the string. Then take your feet out of the loops, and use your arms to lower yourself down.” Okay.

I struggle a little releasing my bottom foot from the loop and with the transference of weight, but all in all, we are both down the chimney in less than 5 minutes. “Nice climbing!” Thanks Maikki. . .

She is above me and yells that she can see other people! That they are at the summit. This means that the top of the climb before me is not the summit. I ask her how far it is, just so I can set my mind. One more hour? No, maybe 30 minutes. Excellent!

I hoist myself up the last set of rocks until I too can see a couple posing and taking pictures not too far away on the summit! We’re almost there! And the rest of the way doesn’t look so treacherous!

We have made the 3^rd tower and I’m thrilled and rejuvenated to just be right here, right now.

We climb along the last bit of spine and up to the summit proper. Ahhh!! High Five! Weee whoooo!!! We did it!!

We look around and Maikki finds the summit register. We both stop to sign in, mark the date and time and leave our marks on this mountain forever. Or for as long as the metal box stays nestled upon Mount Conness’ highest point.

We take some pictures, have a bite to eat and enjoy the views for a moment. It’s 5:00pm and we need to get going soon. We should be able to get off the mountain before dark.

The smoke has moved in now and the air up here is no good. But still, it’s so beautiful!

It took us 9 hours to reach the summit, which should have been the just shy of the total climb time. That’s okay! We did it!

And now, we just have to get back down. . .



TO BE CONTINUED. . . .

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www.chellesjewelry.org

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Photos

the peak down, untethered. Mistake
Roosevelt Lake below

Phenom!!
Maikki

Almost there!
Look back at the lakes

Happy Girl!
Maikki

View from the summit
Well head down this way