Yosemite cragging

Well, after our failure on El Cap we hung around for the rest of the week through Saturday and did a bunch of cragging.  Finally we got rained out early Saturday afternoon, and headed on home.  After a few rest days at home, I headed on back on Friday (6/5) afternoon, sleeping at a very damp Hardin Flat.  Saturday saw me check in at Camp 4 and scrounge up some random partners.

All in all, it’s been a very successful week.  I’ve climbed with many new folks I met in C4, all of whom are great climbers which helps me push the grades.

As for pushing it to harder levels.  I’m pretty much onsighting everything 5.10d (Five and Dime, for example) and easier I’ve been trying, and working routes in the 5.11a to 5.11d range with anywhere from onsights (Catchy Corner, 5.11a) to many hangs through the crux sections (Red Zinger, 5.11d).  Looks like my level is slowly getting stronger.

I’m psyched to get on some longer routes now.  Looks like I have a partner lined up for The Moratorium tomorrow.  He wants the 5.11b pitch, but I get the 5.10d, so I can’t really complain!

Here’s the longish climbs on my ticklist as of right now:

• Arrowhead Arete (5.8)
• The Good Book (5.10d)
• East Buttress of LOWER Cathedral (5.10c adventure climb)
• Moratorium (5.11b)
• Northeast Buttress of Higher Cathedral (5.9) (maybe link it up with Braille Book if we have time?)
• Steck Salathe (5.10b) — (but I want to do this with a strong wide crack climber)
• Linkup: East Corner on Higher Cathedral Spire (5.10a) with South by Southwest on Lower Cathedral Spire (5.11a) — 2 spires, 1 hike!
• etc

I finally got on Reed’s Direct.  Man, that second pitch was awesome.  Probably the hardest 5.9 I’ve climbed.  We diverted to the Regular Route after the first two pitches beecause the offwidth third pitch looked hard and unprotected, and the chimney tunnel-through looked like fun.  And, yes, it was.

That’s it for my brain dump for now.   Maybe I’ll remember to pull my camera out and get some more photos and video.

Ciao,

-Tad