Trip Report
CA Winter - The New Spring

by Vitaliy M.
Tuesday April 7, 2015 7:08pm
Hope you guys didn't miss my reports too much! It is not like I got tired of spraying...blame full time work, lots of climbing and other commitments for lack of motivation to post content! :)
I basically put together some photos from climbing in January and a month or so prior. There are so many that I posted only a few from each outing, but they accumulated into a lot. Sorry to do this to you, but please click the link if you want to see them all. I don't give a rat's ass about the number of hits my blog will get, but I honestly spent enough time uploading pictures to one spot. I have three more things to post, so sorry about the link thing! Hopefully it will return to normal once I am all caught up with my spray ;)

http://vividrea1ity.blogspot.com/2015/04/ca-winter-new-spring.html


Visit on blogspot.com

Nose in a day in January! Me short fixing the pancake flake while Richard is cleaning the Great Roof (Photo by Kaylene Grove!)


Visit on blogspot.com

Good morning Yosemite!


Visit on blogspot.com

Some poser on the Silent Line (Gold Wall)


Visit on blogspot.com

Sending Crack a go go (5.11c). One of my favorite battles by far!


Visit on blogspot.com

Bishop is more than pebble wrestling and great alpine rock!


Visit on blogspot.com

Top of the North Dome after climbing the Crest Jewel. Great day out!


Visit on blogspot.com

Watch out! He has a stick clip!!!!

Happy Climbing in the 2 0 1 5 ! :)

  Trip Report Views: 3,012
Vitaliy M. 		About the Author
Vitaliy M. is annoying gym climber from San Francisco.

Comments
The Alpine

climber
The Sea
  Apr 7, 2015 - 07:13pm PT






























The Alpine

climber
The Sea
  Apr 7, 2015 - 07:17pm PT
ps - that was not meant as a personal attack.



More like loving adoration...
Grippa

Trad climber
Salt Lake City, UT
  Apr 7, 2015 - 07:25pm PT
HAHA the alpine! Classic!

Nice one Vitaliy. You bone crusher you... Maybe I should start bringing my camera with me.
Travis Haussener

Trad climber
Salt Lake City
  Apr 7, 2015 - 08:52pm PT
So rad!!! TFPU
Willoughby

Social climber
Truckee, CA
  Apr 7, 2015 - 10:06pm PT
Holy sh#t, Alpine, that's funny.

Thanks for the pics and inspiration!

(now that I've actually read the link) EDIT: More details about the Mexican food and wide climbing, please!!!!!
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
Author's Reply  Apr 7, 2015 - 10:31pm PT
Oh man, alpine, how am I ever gonna come back to this forum again after that... *blushes*

I think I will go cry in my pillow now ;)
guyman

Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
  Apr 8, 2015 - 07:00am PT
Very nice, thank you for sharing the adventure.

Keep on keeping after it.
crankster

Trad climber
No. Tahoe
  Apr 8, 2015 - 07:24am PT
Great photo atop Crest Jewel.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
  Apr 8, 2015 - 07:49am PT
Beautiful photos Vitaliy! They offer substantive proof that "Winter" and "California" are antithetical terms.
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
Author's Reply  Apr 8, 2015 - 08:30am PT
Beautiful photos Vitaliy! They offer substantive proof that "Winter" and "California" are antithetical terms.

Yes. For the last 3 winters I have been staying away from "winter ascents" because I did not really care to climb the route in COLD but summer conditions/short days/powder on the approach. Why bother....
Hopefully next year we will have a real winter here. I really want to try a few things.

Dingus, thank you!
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
  Apr 8, 2015 - 11:18am PT
Nice, Vitaliy - tell us about the NIAD! And weren't you on the Salathe recently? How did it go?
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
  Apr 8, 2015 - 11:23am PT
Vitaliy,

I really appreciate your sharing your climbs both hear and on Facebook. As others have said, you inspire all of us.

John
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
Author's Reply  Apr 8, 2015 - 11:36am PT
NIAD went well. As I said in the report, Honnold passed us just after the king swing! LOL We ran out of water because it was a lot hotter than expected. Cut off 10 hours since my last NIAD attempt, so now it went at 19, which isn't a speed record, but we are working on it you know ;)
Salathe went great. Will have to post two more blog things before I get to climbing in April? LOL Did it with freeblast and than 1 night on the wall in the alcove. Unfortunately had to book it fast because there was supposed to be a storm coming in on Sunday. I wanted to spent another day on the route which would allow a slower pace and more free climbing vs french free/aid. It will still be there in the future thought, would love to do the route again, thought it was good! Maybe in a few years I could try the Freerider? Wish my skills caught up with ambitions... Read your report before doing the Salathe as well :) Not sure if it was different, but the pitch off the Long Ledge does not have any pin now protecting the face climbing. My friend whipped low on the friction moves and didn't commit to it. So I did it and was pretty damn scared. Like 5.10R pitch on astroman felt a lot more secure and i was way less nervous. Maybe it was because it was 3rd long day in a row and I was climbing it in the dark with wind whipping me like crazy? Not sure, but that 5.8 seemed like way more of a crux than the Hollow Flake with no big gear...it is like knobby friction climbing 25ft above your last good gear.
JohnnyG

climber
  Apr 8, 2015 - 11:47am PT
Funny that you write about the pin on above long ledge. I was trading el cap stories last night with my buddy when he told about ripping out that pin in a fall this fall. Or maybe he was falling over and over again because the pin was missing. Anyway, it was highlight of the route for him, the biggest challenge.

And I agree about that 5.8 climbing. It got me gripped last time I did the route. I got a GI bug on the route and was pretty cached by that point. Strangely I don't remember it being hard the first time I did the route. Clear testimony to how we change over time.
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
Author's Reply  Apr 8, 2015 - 12:34pm PT
Funny that you write about the pin on above long ledge. I was trading el cap stories last night with my buddy when he told about ripping out that pin in a fall this fall. Or maybe he was falling over and over again because the pin was missin

How long did he fall? As I remember when you are close to the belay cruxing out it is a long ways down to the good gear. lol
But yeah, time and context matter. Was dark, windy and end of 3rd long day for me. Was really tough! Maybe if I slept on the Long Ledge and did it in the morning after some good rest, in daylight, would be no big deal? Who knows...But in any case, on that day and time it took everything I had to get up that thing.
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Apr 8, 2015 - 03:51pm PT
Thanks for the share V, living the dream my friend!
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
  Apr 8, 2015 - 11:05pm PT
Was really tough! Maybe if I slept on the Long Ledge and did it in the morning after some good rest, in daylight, would be no big deal? Who knows...But in any case, on that day and time it took everything I had to get up that thing.

My partner Matt led that pitch first thing in the morning - he made short work of the thing, but he has two unfair advantages: 7 or 8 feet tall, strength of a moose.

Did you try to free the splitter off of the Spire? That thing looked so damn good as I frenched on past... Agree that the Salathe is not a route you do only once. Too good, too much free potential even if not a .12 climber...

Hey congrats on the NIAD - shaving 10 hours is a big f*#king deal! 29, 19, next should be 9?
pyro

Big Wall climber
Calabasas
  Apr 9, 2015 - 07:04am PT
Vitality u rock!

Pictures awesome..
dumb and dumber 100%
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
Author's Reply  Apr 10, 2015 - 10:22am PT
Did you try to free the splitter off of the Spire?

No, I wanted to try but we did not have enough time for big wall cragging. Had to basically haul ass because of that stupid storm. Good reason to come back. That splitter is beautiful. And so is the monster OW, salathe headwall and the pretty dihedral below the roof.

Doing the Nose in sub 15 would be pretty cool, don't think I can get it down to 9 next time :)
limpingcrab

Gym climber
Minkler, CA
  Apr 12, 2015 - 09:40am PT
I can't believe I'm bumping a TR that's a LINK!
Go
Recent Trip Reports