Trip Report
Northwest Face of Half Dome
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Saturday August 20, 2011 10:38pm
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So, it was a productive summer and I was fortunate enough to climb a lot of the ultra classics that I didn't get to the last time I was in the valley in '08. This included the northwest face of Half Dome, which I've dreamt of climbing since I first roped up 12 years ago. Looking at a poster of Ron Kauk (i think) dangling from Heaven, I wasn't drawn in by the wave of polished granite, but the behemoth in the background, hulking and shadowed. Even though it's a trade route nowadays and can be crushed by 12-year old girls in better sytle than me, it still meant a lot to finally get up on that hunk of stone. A dream come true!
https://picasaweb.google.com/WanderlustMD/HalfDomeTripReport?authuser=0&feat=directlink
Thanks to Shino for the beta! Much appreciated
Cheers for taking a chance with a wall noob, Bryce! Looking forward to El Cap in the spring.
WanderlustMD
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About the Author
WanderlustMD is a trad climber from New England. |
Comments
survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Aug 20, 2011 - 10:54pm PT
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CONGRATULATIONS!!!
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fishtrap
Trad climber
Bass Lake, CA
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Aug 21, 2011 - 12:37am PT
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Well done, really enjoyed the pictures! Did you guys go with the big backpack strategy (second carries a pack with bivy gear, food & water and no haulbag)? If so I'm curious what you carried in the backpack (s) and what your take is on the system that you used. Hoping to do the route in the next year and still debating options but most likely will go with a similar strategy to what you guys did.
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pc
climber
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Aug 21, 2011 - 12:50am PT
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Great photos! Congrats!!!
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Aug 21, 2011 - 02:32am PT
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Thanks for sharing - nice job with the climb and photos.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Aug 21, 2011 - 02:37am PT
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sweet
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
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Aug 21, 2011 - 04:05pm PT
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Nice Job guys, way to go!
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Aug 23, 2011 - 01:38pm PT
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Nice write-up, Matt. I can still hear the sound of that approaching thunder when I think back to this day.
Amazingly, we were the only parties on the NW face: nobody above, nobody below, nobody on deck at the bivy spots. I had that same luck on WFLT and the Triple Direct, including the Nose pitches. It's a charmed life.
Fishtrap, yep we went with the backpack and no haul expecting to bivy on Big Sandy. It worked out pretty nice for us. Keeping the bag at minimum weight is key.
Leader carried 2L water in a camelback, and trailed a 7mm tag/rap line.
In the bag we had:
-4L water
-Two puffy jackets
-Two light rain shells
-Two space blankets
-Bagels w nutella/pb&j, bars.
-(Edit) Two wag bags, forgot we brought these
That's it. I wanted to go with 2L of water/person instead of 3; Matt insisted, and he was right.
We each had jugs and aiders. We thought about dumping one set of each, but didn't.
We fixed p's 1 and 2 on day 1.
We didn't bring any hooks or cam hooks.
We only short-fixed once - many opportunities but we knew we were only gunning for Big Sandy, which took the anxious feeling off the day (at least until the wx started getting into our heads).
Our rack was spot on for us, but I wouldn't bring as many nuts next time. Maybe 4 or 5 nuts total.
We started jugging our line around 6am (I think?), and reached Big Sandy around 6pm. I had burned about an hour fixing up the sketchy pendulum at the Robbins Traverse. We also burned an hour on the ledge before the double cracks, eating and thinking about lightning (I was also gassed at that point and needed the rest). IAD seems totally doable for a fit team, but sleeping on Big Sandy, soaking up the exposure of the top pitches, and topping out in bright sunshine were highlights for me.
Linking through the chimneys was the best pitch on the route for me. A 70m (or 20 ft simuling) would let you reach a cush belay spot on top of the chimneys, better than what you get at the pin when your 60m pulls tight.
Burn your offerings to the wx gods before you go - anything coming out of the south is going to take you by surprise. Forecasts are great but they ain't promises.
Edit: though longer, I thought RNWF was physically and psychologically less of a stomper than other climbs like Steck-Salathe, Ab Free to Hawkman's. It doesn't really have a mean pitch on it, it's just beautiful. One of the best climbs I've done, top 3.
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Ihateplastic
Trad climber
It ain't El Cap, Oregon
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Aug 22, 2011 - 03:22pm PT
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One of the best-documented TRs I have ever seen. Nice work boys!
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nutjob
Sport climber
Almost to Hollywood, Baby!
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Aug 22, 2011 - 03:38pm PT
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The cloud pics were spectacular. Bryce, you should post up more of those!
Good effort, nice documentation :)
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PellucidWombat
Mountain climber
Draperderr, by Bangerter, Utah
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Aug 22, 2011 - 03:51pm PT
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TFPU!
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do
Trad climber
New Zealand
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Aug 22, 2011 - 03:52pm PT
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one of the best TRs I've seen - and congrats!
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Aug 22, 2011 - 04:07pm PT
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Remembered one other bonus of bringing a backpack - lets you haul out some of the trash that has accumulated on route.
Here's a pic of the shaft at the alcove belay, after the 2nd zig zag:
Compared with Camp 6 on the Nose:
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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Aug 22, 2011 - 03:58pm PT
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You stoked the desire to do that route. Great report.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Aug 22, 2011 - 04:04pm PT
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I don't think I'll ever tire of TR's of this climb, but this one was outstanding.
Thanks much.
John
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
On the road.
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Aug 22, 2011 - 04:05pm PT
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Nice work!
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cmclean
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Aug 22, 2011 - 05:40pm PT
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Loved the shot of sunset light on the west side of the dome. Great photos and nice send too!
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Dave Johnson
Mountain climber
Sacramento, CA
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Aug 22, 2011 - 06:51pm PT
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Nice job, lads. Takes me back to the summer of '79 when I did it. What a beautiful piece of rock!
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tahoe523
Trad climber
Station Wagon, USA
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Aug 22, 2011 - 09:33pm PT
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YES! Congrats to you both, Matt and Bryce!
As climbers, we not only dream, but we obsess, train and most importantly, execute. I'm happy that it worked out and that you came, you climbed, you conquered!
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DWSDog
Trad climber
Sheffield
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Fantastic trip report, some of the best photos of the rought, very inspiring
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Dirka
Trad climber
Hustle City
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One of the better TR's I have read. TFPU
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The Regular Northwest Face. Photo: Mark Kroese
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