What was your first climb in Yosemite Valley?

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mongrel

Trad climber

Truckee, CA

Mar 1, 2011 - 10:39pm PT

Higher Cathedral Spire, 1969. Something vaguely around the regular route no doubt with some variations (Roper red book was all that existed). Had taken a 65 or 70 foot factor 2 off the last of the 5.9 pitches below Coonyard Pinnacle the day before, off route somewhere. But we rallied and fired the spire anyway. If I recall, I had to prussik up a stuck rappel rope, or something similarly terrifying which we were lucky to survive. Didn't take any more leader falls or get any ropes stuck for a very very long time after that.

martygarrison

Trad climber

Washington DC

Mar 1, 2011 - 10:44pm PT

72 penny pinnacle, sunnyside jam crack. I was pretty good technically and fearless as only a 15 or 16 year old could be.

73, west face sentinel
Ch on sentinel
Almost die on leaning tower

Bunches of 10's, some 11's.

77' na wall
78' nose

Then too many to remember

Splater

climber

Grey Matter

Mar 1, 2011 - 10:46pm PT

May 1983
after my junior year in college
having now led 2-3 easy routes at JTree,
headed to Yose with my brother & a classmate.
Using some old borrowed gear,
we did something very traversy
on the left side of Monday Morning.
They learned how to rap
and never climbed again.

nita

Social climber

chica from chico..waiting on spring days..

Mar 1, 2011 - 10:58pm PT

Aunt Fanny's Pantry. 1978 ish.

M. Volland

Trad climber

Grand Canyon

Mar 1, 2011 - 10:59pm PT

May 2000

With the Yosemite Mountain School's Bill Russell at Swan Slab. Then the next day at Churchbowl with my Australian roommate Kevin Kinnison, followed by the Nutcracker on the third day when I was finally handed the rack for my first lead. No looking back since. Best place on Earth!

BriGuy

climber

black hills

Mar 1, 2011 - 11:32pm PT

After six

WBraun

climber

Mar 1, 2011 - 11:43pm PT

I have no clue .....

I do remember trying to free solo the Lost Arrow Chimney in 1969 in sears work boots.

I didn't get very far.

I was so stupid I thought it was a gully .....

'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber

like Ontario, Canada, eh?

Mar 2, 2011 - 12:09am PT

1983 - Maple Jam and Positively 4th Street. East Butt, then Rixon's West and the rap rope got stuck just like buddy, and my partner had to batman up to free it. Also did Chouinard-Herbert on Sentinel and WFLT. Nose in 1988.

Only that one El Cap route during the Lost Years [married], but 41 routes since.

tuolumne_tradster

Trad climber

Leading Edge of North American Plate

Mar 2, 2011 - 12:16am PT

P1 The Enigma 1975

The Guy

Trad climber

Portland, OR

Mar 2, 2011 - 12:19am PT

After Six. It was awesome. Solid 5.6...

sheepdog

Trad climber

just over the hill

Mar 2, 2011 - 12:23am PT

Jan or Feb of '82, Arrow Arete, benighted in the descent gully, woke up to frozen ropes

soaring_bird

Trad climber

Oregon

Mar 2, 2011 - 12:34am PT

Moby Dick Center in March, 1978 with a surfer dude named Jay Smith.

Melissa

Gym climber

berkeley, ca

Mar 2, 2011 - 12:46am PT

Warbler...

I heard a snippet of a Royal Robbins slide show in the amphitheater a few years ago that I thought was really perfect. He was trying to describe to his audience the hugeness of Higher Spire when it was first done. And then he said, "Even today, it is still a first class endeavor."

I loved that.

People always want to say that things are light or off the cutting edge or whatever to try and boost themself, but I loved the thought that, regardless of where its grade sat relative to other climbs of the day, Higher Spire would always be a "first class endeavor."

Anyway, thought I'd share. Burly 2nd route in the Valley, with an unbeatable view, to be sure. On nuts in crappy boots.

climber

Mar 2, 2011 - 01:01am PT

First two pitches of Nutcracker. We ran into 3 parties on the big ledge and bailed. Walked over to After 7 and it was wide open. That first pitch is still one of my favorites.
pc

Papillon Rendre

climber

Mar 2, 2011 - 02:43am PT

Sunnyside Bench: Regular Route

In Vasque boots because that is all I had back then.

Allen Hill

Social climber

CO.

Mar 2, 2011 - 03:03am PT

Peruvian Flake! It must be the easiest 5.10 ever. A week before I totally flipped out leading Dunn's Dihedral near Gunnison, a mere 5.8. Peruvian Flake was easier! The Valley was mine! Or so I thought.