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yosguns
climber
San Francisco, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 10, 2009 - 05:50pm PT
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Disclaimer: All persons living and dead are purely coincidental, and should not be construed. No names have been changed in order to protect the innocent.
After a successful go at the South Face in early May, DRC and I decide to take our friend, Adilet--hailing from the glorious nation of Kazakhstan via Boston and with wall aspirations--up Southern Man. We have only 1.5 ledges between the three of us and the weather is less than good, so something off Dinner Ledge on the Column seems best, most comfortable with space for a tent and an easy retreat in case it starts to pour.
So we check the weather reports thoroughly (ha ha), are comforted by the certainty of rain, and empty the contents of Miffy, beloved Subaru--no fair weather friend--into a big Soviet-era pig and two packs.
We don't discriminate. Pretty much everything in the car ends up on our backs. Except the tent. We decide last minute the tent would just be useless in case of rain. And if you're remembering that I just mentioned the tent as a key reason to go up to Dinner Ledge rather than elsewhere, so am I. Don't ask. Very little we do makes much sense.
MAY 30th 7:30PM
DRC mulling over the contents of Miffy
DRC, yosguns, Adilet (Bran Muffin, not pictured, wants nothing to do with our "expedition")
A little bit of ominous sprinkle tinkle at the base before the sky clears up nicely and we fall sound asleep, ready for an alpine start to beat any "gunghos but slows" that might be planning to jump ahead in the morning.
MAY 31st
Around 2AM, DRC cryptically cries out, "...Glacier Point Apron!" Yes, DRC, that's GPA over there. What about it? I don't pay much attention; he yells all sorts of things at night. Apparently though, his cry was preceded by, "There's a storm over..." and proceeded by, "Get into the emergency space blankets!!!!" So, frantically we shove ourselves into the crinkly, silver blankets. It takes a while...they won't let us in! Finally, we are about all settled, covered and protected as the rain stops.
The space blanket is great! So waterproof, five minutes of rain doesn't get in, but condensation doesn't get out, so we wake up in the AM...alpine start...5AM...soaking wet anyway. (We should have taken the blankets off after the rain. They're kind of hard to manage though, and most of the time, I'm so lazy at night I won't even turn over if my hand falls asleep...)
So, 5AM, we're up in front of all those "gunghos but slows" (where were you all, by the way?). This is the fourth (?) time DRC and I have gone up to Dinner Ledge now, so we are super psyched when we do the first three pitches, hauling and all in under four hours. I know, I know. We are so fast.
I'm a little tired at the top, so I stretch out among the wet sleeping bags.
Then I fall asleep. Lead the bolt ladder? Decline...and recline.
DRC and Adilet put up the next three pitches. It's very windy. DRC flips the bird to the wind every once in a while.
They pose for some Half Dome shots.
And we enjoy a dinner of tuna and crackers and jolly ranchers. (Those are KEY.)
JUNE 1st 2AM
Just like the night before, it starts to rain. Only this time, it doesn't stop. And like the night before, there is a storm over GPA. DRC remains calm, but I get a little worried...OK, a lot worried and proclaim, "I'm going down to the main ledge; lightning can't get me there!!!" DRC and I were sleeping on the "Honeymoon Suite" (as I so christened it after seeing mucci and kev cuddle up there together a couple months back), a smaller ledge near the start of Southern Man.
I feel the "Honeymoon Suite" is certainly not the right place to be in a lighning storm. So down from the Honeymoon Suite I go, sleeping bag in hand, chimneying down, sleeping bag in hand, chimneying down, sleeping bag...sleeping bag not in hand! Sleeping bag down! Sleeping bag hitting the ledge, bouncing off the ledge, hitting a smaller ledge. Sleeping bag bouncing into the darkness!
Awww, poop. He's gonna kill me.
"Uhhh, DRC. I can't even tell you what just happened."
Fortunately, by this time, it's already 4AM, so only a couple more hours to spend together in one bag on Dinner Ledge in the pouring rain, covered by the shreds of what used to be an emergency space blanket. (The other emergency space blanket went down with the sleeping bag. Not a good idea, to put your actual sleeping bag and your emergency blanket in the same place, I now know.)
So the sun comes up and the rain doesn't stop.
If you were ever wondering, Dinner Ledge turns into Dinner Pond after several hours of rain. Quite picturesque.
Time to bail! Adilet has a flight out the next day...and we're feeling sort of...cold, what with all the wet and stuff.
Of course, there's those two fixed ropes and the rack that's been left hanging at the top of the pitch six. Man, they made such good time the day before...all for naught. DRC (you're awesome, DRC) tries to make us draw straws...but then harnesses his Chi and sets off, jugging up the two soaking wet lines. He retrieves the gear, and raps to meet us at the top of pitch one, where we've retreated with the Soviet-era pig.
Once reunited, we rap past some of the fourth class...straight to the bar at the Ahwahnee. Ah, I love Yosemite.
Epilogue: We see mucci in the city a couple days later...and he has my sleeping bag! Thank you, mucci! I'll be more careful next time...
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kev
climber
CA
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Jun 10, 2009 - 06:09pm PT
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YG,
Next time try going to the Awahnee and checking
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/
snicker - then again I got hit full on a few weeks ago so what do I know.
kev
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the Fet
Supercaliyosemistic climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Jun 10, 2009 - 06:21pm PT
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Fun TR. You know how when a woman puts on high heels it changes her posture and makes her look appealing and sexy?
A fully laden haulbag has the exact opposite effect on both sexes.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jun 10, 2009 - 06:28pm PT
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While it's kind of a drag, I betcha though it was good times in retrospect, now that you're dry.
Nice job.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jun 10, 2009 - 06:57pm PT
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way to try for it!
great pics too!!
Dinner Puddle, heh.
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perswig
climber
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Jun 10, 2009 - 07:04pm PT
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Sleeping bag down! (snicker)
Nice TR.
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Jun 10, 2009 - 07:05pm PT
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Ha, good show up there! You guys got the important pitches out of the way in good style!
Yeah that bag was just one of the many items rounded up at the:
"FACELIFT BY YOURSELF DAY"
Tell Adi I said wuz up!
Mucci
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Jana
Sport climber
Martin
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Jun 10, 2009 - 07:21pm PT
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You go girl!
Cant wait to climb one day again! :-) Keep it up...
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clustiere
Trad climber
berkeley ca
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Jun 10, 2009 - 07:26pm PT
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nice
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sneville
climber
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Jun 10, 2009 - 07:51pm PT
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Nice trip report. Sounds like fun. Let us know when you are back in the city. I love the pictures.
Sean
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climbrunride
Trad climber
Durango, CO
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Jun 10, 2009 - 09:55pm PT
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Fun TR! Sounds like you enjoyed the rain much more than I did.
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Jun 15, 2009 - 02:04pm PT
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Bump for the Iron Curtain Cowboy!
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
a greasy pinscar near you
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Jun 15, 2009 - 03:16pm PT
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use of tent is for lightweight running dog capitalist lackey!
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damo62
Social climber
Brisbane
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Oct 12, 2010 - 09:38pm PT
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oh bump
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yosguns
climber
Durham, NC
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 18, 2012 - 02:28pm PT
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I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to bump this since the meaning of my post this morning might get lost from posting to an old thread, but I think it's better that way. It's nice to be able to remember a fun time in any capacity especially under the circumstances.
Our friend, Adilet, passed away in his tent on Khan Tengri in Kazakhstan two nights ago and was found in the morning. Adi left behind a wife and two young children and my heart goes out to them.
This is a big loss for many communities. Here is Adi's page at Rice where he was a professor: Adilet Imambekov's home page
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labrat
Trad climber
Nevada City, CA
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Jul 18, 2012 - 02:35pm PT
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:-( My condolences....
Erik
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