yosemite fall 2009

Christine swinging from the fixed line on the pendulum pitch (pitch 9) of Royal Arches. This was a very low stress pitch, despite the pendulum. As you swung out left on the fixed line, you simply grabbed for the edge of the flake she is heading for; pull up on to it and unclip from the fixed line. You are on belay the whole time whether leading or following.

Chris, glad to be off the pendulum, but worried about getting benighted.

The light was going fast as we topped out on pitch 15 on the valley rim. When I got to the belay, we could see from the topo that we needed to begin rappelling down the cliff, which domed over out of sight into a near vertical cliff with about 3000 feet of exposure...straight down. I was not a happy camper to be starting some twenty, 30 meter rappels at twilight. It was a foregone conclusion that we would be rapping in the dark. Neither of us had ever been there before, and with just one rope and no bivy gear, there was no room for errors. There is something very scary about rapping down a sheer cliff (no cracks or features...smooth, almost vertical granite.) Nothing but a series of tiny two bolt rap stations as far as the eye could see.

Once it got dark it got less scary. It was just me and Chris, the rope, the bolts, and the tiny pools of light cast by our headlamps as we rapped downward, always searching for the next station. Talk about focus! Being frightened had no value anymore and we began to relax. Around 11pm I said to Chris: "Well, do you have anything better to do right now than rap this line? We could sit on this ledge and talk philosophy....? Solve the worlds problems maybe? No...ok, lets pull the lines then and get back to work" The rap didn't reach the next station 3 times in this epic descent. We had to 3rd class it down sandy death ledges shining our headlamps in all directions looking for the next tree or bolt station. Here is Chris looking for the next anchor. We arrived at camp at 1am, having left at 6am.

We slept in the next day....thought about having a rest day, but settled for a rest morning and hiked up to the base of el cap to where I led little john right side, and Chris led Moby Dick 10a fists. These are some english guys who led it before us. To our great amusement, they asked us if we were married. Chris's response was not just no, but "HELL NO!". I asked the guy later (after his clothes stopped burning) why he though we were married. "Well, you guys talk like a couple of old married people." I guess that is true. We are both happily married to other people...and we probably carry those communication skills wherever we go.

Moby Dick, 10 a, base of el cap. This crack requires three number 4 camalots...in a row. It is 5 inches wide at the most. Chris was unable to get a fist jam, though it just barely fit my big meathooks. Her solution was to use handstacks, and to layback it. I could not believe how she was able to lead it while laybacking and placing gear. It was amazing to watch. For me, it was a walk in the pack, and felt about as hard as classic crack. But for Chris, it was much, much harder due to her smaller hands. She got me back though, by dragging me up numerous thin finger climbs, usually ending in the dark.

Chris, showing off all the gear she is taking up Moby Dick. She had the bright idea of pulling up the big cams on the haul line *after* she led the finger crack bottom. I chose to carry it all up with me on my lead, but was cursing those big cams as I lurched through the finger section.

Chris leading the Salathe 10c thin fingers. There was a long stream of climbers above us as far as the eye could see. Midway through this very thin and continous climb I heard a scream from Chris, then saw a big locking binier come boucing down the cliff. It hit her right on the top of the arch of her foot on some sort of a funny bone. She was in incredible pain for at least 10 minutes, just hanging there massaging her foot. There was no warning on the falling binier, just came out of the sky. Later that night, as we limped to the showers, I fumbled an apple on the sidewalk. It hit her in the exact same spot and she collapsed on the sidewalk in tears. I felt *so* bad.

Chris belaying me up the second pitch of Salathe while some overnighters (big wall climbers) try to reach their camp 11 pitches higher without getting benighted.

Chris following my 5.8 lead up the second pitch of Salathe.

This is her "stop taking pictures and belay!" look. She was sweating the guy who was following her up. He was in a rush and kept trying to pass us. Finally Chris pulled the pregnancy card and that shut him up.

Lisa leading first pitch of serenity 10a. This is about 40 feet of runnout ankle breaking terror. There is gear, but it is very suspect in old monster pin scars.

I love Lisa's expression here. She is belaying Chris up the third pitch of Serenity. It's desperate 10c fingers. Lisa looks kind of tentative here, but the girl has nerves (and arms) of steel. I backed off the second pitch of Serenity and Lisa finished it for me.

Lisa and Chris at the top of the third pitch of Serenity.

Good times...we were just running out of water about now, with another 6 hours to go before we got back on solid ground to water

Chris is very proud that she has found a flat spot to rest in, nevermind that it is over the top of the unofficial pee spot.

Lisa getting ready to lead the second 10a hands pitch on Sons of Yesterday. By the time she finished it, I had totally baked out and decided to skip it. She and Chris climbed and cleaned while I took a nap.

Chris, completely toasted, drinking her last liquid. By 5pm we were all out of water except Chris who had one juice left. We had got to the second pitch of Sons of Yesterday before bailing. Here we are at the top of the first pitch of Sons of yesterday (5 pitches up), getting ready to do our first double rope rappel. This is where the epic began. If you plan to rappel when you are heat stroked down a difficult rap line, bring prusiks. Real prusiks! If you don't bring prusiks, make sure your partners know how to do a z-pulley rescue. I'm under a gag order on this epic and cannot mention names, or describe what happened, or to whom.

Study and practice your rescue techniques, you will need them if you climb long enough. It was very, very frightening. At one point we thought someone might have come off the rope...permanently. Hauling a climber 60 meters up the cliff with a z-pulley is extremely difficult. Needless to say, we will be having a rescue party soon where we can practice rescue skills and make this much easier next time. There is a great book called "climbing self rescue". I just bought it. I'd advise you do the same and learn it, practice it. It can be a life saver.

Before you get to this you will need to use your cordallette as the z-pulley until you get enough rope up to set up your z-pulley with the rope. I'm going to buy a 30 foot cordallette so I can set up a 5 to one z-pulley, instead of a 3 to one.

We arrived in camp at 10pm...damn! missed the grocery store again! Here Ken demonstrates gourmet pancakes.

Watching Ken make pancakes was very relaxing after all the drama of the night before. He is a master camp chef.

Eating breakfast the morning after our rescue epic. We were so freaking hammered, and humbled it felt super good to take it easy for a few hours, on safe, flat ground.

JoJo proving that he too can make a stellar breakfast. I think that is brocolli, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and eggs. It smelled heavenly. I can't believe the bears didn't come running down from their caves at the smell.

my masterful tape job to protect all my climbing wounds. On the last day, which was one of our "rest morning" days, Chris and I hiked up to the cookie where we both led outer limits 10b, and I led meatgrinder 5.9, first pitch of each. Other fun climbs were had at jamcrack, which we both led, and the two climbs to the left called lazy bum, and bummer, both 10c fingers which Chris led, and I followed.

Yosemite September 2009

Good friends, steep rock and sunshine