A few years ago now I was surfing the web for a list of offwidths to climb in Yosemite. I was still new to the idea of the wide, but was fascinated. I came across the WideFetish.com and monsteroffwidth.com. Both sites lead me to many offwidth adventures. Over the next couple years, I was able to do a fair number of classic climbs. There was one route that intrigued me more than others and I always asked about it when conversations turned to the wide. It is called “Cream” and it sounded classic. I looked through guide books, asked SAR members and friends.

Jim Bridwell said this about the climb: "Cream is a fine demonstration of off-width art. The route was improvised on sight, at the first attempt, by Mark Klemens. Mark is known for his masterful control in off-width cracks. The climb is strenuous and hard to protect. The feeling of security fleets from reach on this lead, and you know why when the rope hangs out eight feet at the bottom!"

Words to get you psyched, huh!? :)

I was able to glean enough information, that I felt ready to go do it. Kim (who is a wonderful partner willing to bushwhack to far off places) and I went searching for it. After 2 hours of searching and many false gullies, we decided that Cream was going to evade us that time. We didn't know where it was, but we had a good idea of where it was not. After this misstep, I called in the big guns. I asked Jay Anderson, who put me in touch with, Ed Hartouni and Steve Moyles. They quickly gave me some solid beta and even offered to go out there with me. Now I was definitely ready!



Not quite... Kim left to go adventuring around the country in her Sprinter van and no one else seemed interested. Finding partners for this kind of thing can be challenging. Well, I thought, if no one would go with me, I would at least find it myself. So, one weekend this summer, I went on a scouting mission. I descended the steep hillside and found the right gully. The old fixed lines helped with the descent and I found the climb. It was beautiful. I was giddy as I hiked out and back to the road, “Sunshine of Your Love” blaring on my I-pod. Being so caught up in the anticipation of the next time I would see the climb, I almost strolled up to a mother bear and her cub. With all these crazy experiences, this climb was going to be epic! Now I would just need a willing belayer, hmm.....


After seven years of marriage, Dan (my husband) is still willing to go with me down dirty gullies, in 85 degree, early September valley weather, and belay me for an hour up some wild, wide crack. It is definitely love. A day before our wedding anniversary, Dan and I hiked to the base of Cream.


The crack starts with a steep, blocky hand crack. I placed a couple hand-sized pieces to protect the offwidth entry moves. The crack itself starts as #4 sized and quickly opens up to steep #5. I went left side in the whole way. The crux seems to be right after that transition. There are no feet on the right for a while. I kept moving, stacking, moving and was able to get to a decent rest. I was really starting to sweat. The dappled light coming through the trees was not as cool as I thought it would be. Even though Cream is located on north aspect wall, there are times of the day when the sun creeps through the gully and onto the upper part of the wall. As I looked up, I realized that I had a lot of climbing to go still and the top was baking. I started to conserve gear, unfortunately I only had 1 #5 for the top 30 ft. I walked it with me and left it about 15ft from the top. When I grunted through the final chimney and onto the block, the sunshine was blaring in my eyes. Sweat dripped off my face, but I was relieved to be done. All I could think was, “I almost didn't make it, but here I am.”


Offwidth never feels easy; it is always a humbling experience. No matter how much practice, you can still get your butt spanked. But man, what a good feeling to be successful on such an inspiring crack. Cream is a beautiful climb with a great history and people excited to share stories and experiences about it. The climbing itself was great, but all the people who were part of the journey. What an awesome community that I get to be a part of!

And I end this piece with the words of the classic Cream song, “I've been waiting so long, to be where I'm going, In the sunshine of your love.”