5 Great days in the Park (a Trip Retort)

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GDavis

Trad climber

Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 24, 2009 - 04:14pm PT

Deep down in Mexico, over 2-for-1 tequilas and post traumatic stress syndrome stemming from a storm up on Orizaba, another storm was brewing. This time it was in the heart of the Sierra Nevada, in a place where John Muir said rested the 'hope of the world.'

Wanting to quickly forget the unique(yet fabulous) experience of mountaineering in Mexico, I promised my three compadres better weather and better climbing, somewhere pizza is more readily available than Mole and you're more likely to get mugged by the wildlife. Six months later, and the four of us show up in Tuolumne.

(Scott, Kit and Tim doing their best 'its over there' impersonation)

I had owed my mom a combined birthday and mothers day gift, so in the interest of saving some cash and maxing out the remaining days left in the valley I suggested running up some classics with her friends, Scott and Tim.

Scott is a retired Marine, a tough dude who hiked the JMT from Tuolumne to the whitney portal in six and a half days, who also hasn't led a route in twenty years. He, along with Tim, have been focusing on Adventure races, and traveled the world to go run and puke on some trails. Tim is a strength and conditioning personal trainer who is a cross between Diamond David Lee Roth and Chuck Norris - all the showmanship with none of the bullsh#t.

I trained mum up a bit on tahquitz, getting in a couple routes in a day to get her used to what a long day out would feel like, because our plan was to do a bunch of shorter, half day routes with the guys (as getting 4 people up a route is kind of a pain if its much longer) then break off on monday and go up the Arches.

We drive off, get done with Lembert Domes northwest books. I wanted to chill out at the campsite and drink some beers, but Tim insisted (by calling me a pussy) that we were right there, lets go climb! First time on a real route for 20 years for scott, and Tim's only climbed short, 50 to 75 foot jobs in his home turf of Colorado, but they styled it.

Talking about routes for the next few days, I had mentioned in Mexico Cathedral Peak. Well, it was kind of cold in Tuolumne, its a long ass hike, and I've already done that thing twice now, so I was more leaning toward something closer to the car. Again, Tim calls me out, and we pack our rucksacks with ropes, jackets, food, and all the accouterments for the long day.

I don't have pictures yet of the route, Tim's camera hasn't been loaded on to facebook yet, but I will say this - Lots of fun, lots of big clouds, a rap off of the ledge just below the summit to avoid being zapped, high-fives, and great chili at camp.

Having done the real work for the week, we head out the next day to something more accessible (woo hoo!)

We are sexxy.

These guys now have a solid 6 pitches under their feet, and their rope handling and belay changeover skills are getting sharp. We (the four of us) easily stayed ahead of a party of two once we were established and finished the route in great style, amidst awesome cool temps and a hard, HARD blowing wind.

They got a little captain in them.

Everyone was feeling pretty good, the slab final being done with I want to show Tim some real crack climbing. After all, he climbs in colorado, and this is YO natn'l Park!!

Yes thats Tim's nipple ring. Sweet.

We dun ran up that after seven. Good route, great jams, and with sore calves from some slabs I had to focus a bit more to move quick. We met a party up on the second/third pitch of after 6 that was from Illinois and had to kind of rescue them off of it, but it only meant we had to drag a rope behind us so OH WELL!

All in good fun anyhow.

We opt out of the second climb, Jamcrack, to rest up for the next and final day of climbing.

So, the original plan was for them to hike half dome while I took Kit up the Arches. Well, they really (comma REALLY) wanted to get up snake dike. I know I caved on Cathedral, but there ain't no way in HELL I'm gonna hike up that approach all over again! haha!

We go back and forth on this, then to turn it 180 on them, I query:

"You guys have been doing a ton of climbing, would you feel comfortable leading it?"

A couple of seconds of silence followed by a look and a nod tells all - these dudes are ready. I beta the sh!t outta them, draw up a good topo, give them a perfect rack and kit them all up.

Man, these guys are STOKED!

We drop them off (arguably much later than we should have, but they are the wake up and brew type [where i am the pop tart in the car ride] and, hey, its June! great weather and sunlight till 8 pm!) and Kit and I get off to the arches.

I've followed the arches, and want to get to lead it proper, after all I had raced up it on follow and didn't get to really relish the climbing. I do tell her, however, that the crux is the first twenty feet.

(PANT PANT PANT ARG)

I suck.

Anyway, the second real crux was keeping the rope dry, but made for a fun, kinda interesting crux where normally the climbing is 5.0

Stellar weather throughout, Kit does a great job following and moving swiftly from belay to climb to belay.

We both nail the pendy second go (again, I suck) and as a party comes up momentarily behind us, Kit gives beta as I'm leading out to the younger pair of climbers as they struggle with the penjy.

"Stay higher and get your foot on the ledge!"

To which they reply

"Don't tell me, I got this I got this!"

Haha, whatever dudes! My 56 year old mom fired that thing faster than you! Well, it made her day at least.

I implored that we finish the real route rather than rapping before the last pitch, as to do a route you need to complete the WHOLE thing, and the experience of following the final slab traverse will add to her accomplishment.

She followed easily, remarking that it was pretty tame and she didn't see why people would bother rapping.

Then she hiked down the North Dome Gulley. Then she swore she would rap next time. I guess maybe that makes sense.

Down to curry for beers, and a long wait for our buddies. Where could they be? Did they bail onto the hiker route? Did they have to bail? Are they on Southern Belle?

I had beers so I didn't care, but after a few hours Kit decides to take a shuttle to the trailhead and see if she can't meet them on the way down. She did run across some super cool Canuks who passed them on the dike, and said they were smoothing the sucker! Started the route at about 1pm (about 5 and a half hours after we dropped em off - sounds about right if you get lost) and were a pitch or two behind the canadians.

An hour passes, and they catch the very last shuttle back to curry! Hurrah!

Just to remind you, they swung leads the whole way, and 5 days ago Scott hadn't climbed much more than a short toprope in 20 years (he had a pair of new looking Fires) and Tim had yet to climb a multi pitch route.

Well, if that doesn't inspire you to try a bit harder, you might suck too! Its amazing what you can do with some bull headed determination and toughness, qualities a bit more rare it seems.

A final week in the valley for spring/summer, and not a bad one at that.

hope you had some fun. I sure did!

Captain...or Skully

Social climber

North of the Owyhees

Jun 24, 2009 - 04:24pm PT

Very cool, mon.
Need to work on your suckage factor, perhaps......Maybe Mom can help(she sounds lke a rockin' Lady).
Groove on!

klk

Trad climber

cali

Jun 24, 2009 - 04:46pm PT

great tr. good on yer mom.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, Ca.

Jun 24, 2009 - 04:52pm PT

Nice one, Greg!

Good times.

Captain...or Skully

Social climber

North of the Owyhees

Jun 24, 2009 - 04:53pm PT

That's right....other parks are known by their "names"....How gauche!
Yowza, wowza.

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

sorry, just posting out loud.

Jun 24, 2009 - 05:02pm PT

"Well allow me to retort, what does Yosemite Park look like?"

heh, not sure where I'm going with that but good TR just the same.

hafilax

Trad climber

East Van

Jun 24, 2009 - 05:39pm PT

Is that John Belushi?

GDavis

Trad climber

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2009 - 05:47pm PT

Close, man, very close. One blues brothers short this week.

Jobee

Social climber

El Portal

Jun 24, 2009 - 07:17pm PT

"They got a little captain in them"
Cracked me up; still laughing!

jo

Blitzo

Social climber

Earth

Jun 24, 2009 - 07:22pm PT

This may be the best "Tip Retort" that I have ever seen!!!!!!

Cheers!!!!!

Blitzo

Social climber

Earth

Jun 24, 2009 - 07:28pm PT

Billy the mountain

and Ethel was a tree growing out of his shoulder!

Sorry, I've been drinking and couldn't help my self!

GDavis

Trad climber

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2009 - 07:28pm PT

i am sexy because i blend in so well. its sexy.

MtnKit

Trad climber

Vista, CA

Jun 24, 2009 - 07:40pm PT

It was the most awesome trip! Greg is TOTALLY the man for making it happen, and I'm still buzzing from great climbs. He rocked us up the Arches in 12 pitches, 5 1/2 hours. He's officially off the hook for coming up with birthday gifts for a LONG time to come.

GDavis

Trad climber

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2009 - 07:44pm PT

Get back to work lady.

wildone

climber

GHOST TOWN

Jun 24, 2009 - 07:50pm PT

That was great. Thanks

bkalaska

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Jun 24, 2009 - 08:47pm PT

Sounds like a great tirp. I was thinking of heading up there this weekend and wondered about conditions on the approach and desent of cathedral. Any update would be appreciated. Thanks

GDavis

Trad climber

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2009 - 08:49pm PT

The approach to cathedral is GREAT - perfect weather. There was a bit of snow on the descent, we opted to rap off the horn, but you can make do if you don't mind roping up on the way down. Better yet, take your packs with you and hike out the jmt!