Sea of Dreams A4 5.9

 
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El Capitan


Yosemite Valley, California USA


Trip Report
Sea of Dreams
Wednesday July 1, 2015 4:42pm
Short (non too technical) trip report on Sea of Dreams solo ascent http://andy-kirkpatrick.com/blog/view/the_edge_of_myself

  Trip Report Views: 8,619
Andy KP
About the Author
Andy KP is a climber from the UK

Comments
johntp

Trad climber
Punter, Little Rock
  Jul 1, 2015 - 05:12pm PT
Stoopid climbing content.
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
  Jul 1, 2015 - 05:40pm PT
Wow! Almost forty years later, that climb is still serious in my book - and your description did nothing to change my mind. Congratulations on doing it solo - and on conveying the fear of hard aid so well.

John
Russ Walling

Social climber
from Poofters Froth, Wyoming
  Jul 1, 2015 - 05:55pm PT
Super!
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
  Jul 1, 2015 - 06:13pm PT
Great stuff - thanks for sharing.
Mike Bolte

Trad climber
Planet Earth
  Jul 1, 2015 - 06:18pm PT
wow - that is an excellent TR and trip you took
Levy

Big Wall climber
Calabasas
  Jul 1, 2015 - 08:04pm PT
Nice one! I did this beast of a route in 2003? and thought it was damn exciting. Junky fixed heads, lots of loose features, it was pretty full on hardcore. We'll done Andy.

I led Hook or Book and encountered the same manky nest of heads near the end, uuggh!! I also led the pitch up to and off the Peregrine Pillar and the Ace in Space which were rather memorable. The Blue room pitch really scared me though, I was sure we were gonna peel it off and ride it down Dr Strangelove style. One of the best routes on El Cap in my opinion.
elcap-pics

Big Wall climber
Crestline CA
  Jul 1, 2015 - 08:03pm PT
Yeah Andy, great job on a difficult solo climb. always a pleasure to have you here in the valley!!
Gagner

climber
Boulder
  Jul 1, 2015 - 08:20pm PT
Way to go - was hooting the day you were on Hook or Book, and the next day!! Proud!!

Paul
guido

Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
  Jul 1, 2015 - 08:21pm PT
Wow, a 14 day solo passage on the Sea of Dreams. Beautiful write up.
BrassNuts

Trad climber
Save your a_s, reach for the brass...
  Jul 1, 2015 - 08:41pm PT
Great job! Watched you a little bit one day after we got down, looks like a handful!! Cheers.
mikeyschaefer

climber
Sport-o-land
  Jul 1, 2015 - 09:49pm PT
Nice job up there. Cool that you are sporting the russian aider system. I used it long ago and liked it a lot.

Also to nice to meet you again.
wayne w

Trad climber
the nw
  Jul 1, 2015 - 09:50pm PT
Wonderful TR, Andy! Great job on your solo of a classic!
10b4me

Social climber
Lida Junction
  Jul 1, 2015 - 09:55pm PT
Really nice to read.
Thanks.
looks easy from here

climber
Santa Cruzish
  Jul 1, 2015 - 10:08pm PT
Ho-lee hell.

Thanks for making my hands sweat so much.
ClimbingOn

Trad climber
NY
  Jul 1, 2015 - 10:13pm PT
Proper.
BLUEBLOCR

Social climber
joshua tree
  Jul 1, 2015 - 10:32pm PT
Proud Send!
Beauty Pics
Nice Write

d8^D
overwatch

climber
Arizona
  Jul 2, 2015 - 12:41am PT
Sounds friggin insane, madman. Nice write up
NA_Kid

Big Wall climber
The Bear State
  Jul 2, 2015 - 01:30am PT
Andy, it was really cool watching someone solo this route, let alone the mighty AKP!!! You looked like a champ up there, and had things dialed. I admire your trickery and how you climb these hard routes solo. Such a commitment. The thoughts that come up whilst soloing have got to be some of the wackeyest, kookeyest things that have ever gone through a humans head.

How did it compare to your solo of The Reticent Wall a few years back?

thank you for the documentation!!!

It is interesting hearing from Levy and others about their ascents years back and hearing yours, this climb sure has some excitement left and is a real masterpiece. Bridwell sure knows how to pick 'em.

Again, job well done, cant wait till our paths cross again.

-Jordan
P.S. you may remember me from our speed ascent of Zodiac together...
anita514

Gym climber
Great White North
  Jul 2, 2015 - 03:29am PT
Read this on your blog. Loved the pictures too (especially the before/after shots)
Great stuff. Impressive, scary. Honest writing too.
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
  Jul 2, 2015 - 04:09am PT
RESPECT
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  Jul 2, 2015 - 05:03am PT
Yer' Darn tootin' there!
What every one has already said ,
wOW! !!
Branscomb

Trad climber
Lander, WY
  Jul 2, 2015 - 06:11am PT
Awesome accomplishment and such a good write! Superb work...
Watermann2

Mountain climber
Saluzzo Italia
  Jul 2, 2015 - 07:07am PT
Very Great Mr. KIRKPATRICK!
Very Great CLIMBING!!!!!!!!

CHAPEAU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this just in

climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
  Jul 2, 2015 - 07:11am PT
Bad ass!
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
  Jul 2, 2015 - 08:35am PT
Andy you and I chatted at the bridge once a couple years back and you struck me as genuinely stoked, truly authentic and downright mad. Three indistinguishable hallmarks of any real wall rat. Congrats on a fantastic adventure. You're a modern day warrior. That's a proud route on the proudest formation in the land. Well done lad.

Scott
sac

Trad climber
Sun Coast B.C.
  Jul 2, 2015 - 08:56am PT
Wow. Thanks for posting your TR.
Some TR's inspire me to go climb walls.
Some make me not want to.
Not sure on this one.
I admire your solo efforts.
Cheers.
kunlun_shan

Mountain climber
SF, CA
  Jul 2, 2015 - 08:58am PT
Wow!! What a wild report! Great writing, too.

Andy, who makes this crazy looking hook from your photos?

bbbeans

Trad climber
  Jul 2, 2015 - 10:22am PT
Yowza!

*Adding "Soloing Sea of Dreams" to my list of "Things I Will Never Do Because They Are Terrifying".

Really impressive work with a great write-up. That first paragraph really grabs you attention!
Matt's

climber
  Jul 2, 2015 - 11:20am PT
kunlun_shan-- that "hook" appears to be a repurposed speed-climbing ice tool...
Raafie

Big Wall climber
Portland, OR
  Jul 2, 2015 - 12:19pm PT
It looks as though Andy is using quite a range of equipment from Krukonogi.com which is a Russian supplier of Ice and Big Wall gear. His bat-hole hook photos are of a hook with the Krukonogi.com label.

The Russian Aider system he's using is another example. Look on their website and you'll see a large selection of Russian Aiders.

http://krukonogi.com/en/ice-drytooling/ice-fifi-for-speed-climbing.html
mucci

Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
  Jul 2, 2015 - 12:05pm PT
Thanks Andy, sounds like you had an adventure not often found on El Cap.


Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Jul 2, 2015 - 12:30pm PT
Nice TR! Will there be a book about it? ;)
John Mac

Trad climber
Breckenridge, CO
  Jul 2, 2015 - 02:33pm PT
Way to go Andy. Great effort. Love your honest writing...
SC seagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, Moab, Bozeman, the ocean, or ?
  Jul 2, 2015 - 02:41pm PT
Now that is a really outstanding adventure.

Thanks so much!

Susan
StahlBro

Trad climber
San Diego, CA
  Jul 2, 2015 - 03:36pm PT
Really great read and photos. Proud solo for sure.
pyro

Big Wall climber
Calabasas
  Jul 2, 2015 - 06:20pm PT
Outstanding
Outstanding

Love the beta pics...
If

Trad climber
UK
  Jul 2, 2015 - 08:35pm PT
Been looking forward to this and didn't disappoint! Thank you a great read!
Steve
Rhodo-Router

Gym climber
sawatch choss
  Jul 2, 2015 - 08:39pm PT
Holy f'ng sh#t. I used to kinda sorta think I wanted to climb this route.


Mark- don't look at this!!!
Watermann2

Mountain climber
Saluzzo Italia
  Jul 4, 2015 - 12:34am PT
Hello everyone, I wanted to ask a question: these two great routes on El Capitan, (Sea of ​​Dreams and Reticent Wall, two masterpieces of the climb) (and here I hope to make me understand what I want to know) So, we can say that these two great routes are the same as technical difficulties, dangers ect ect, or Reticent Wall is harder Sea of ​​Dreams? (Even if only slightly, but it's even harder to Sea of ​​Dreams) Excuse me, but did not understand your language (and I am very sorry), (only automatic translator that translates not quite right) he seemed to have understood (but not I am absolutely sure) that the great Mr. Kirkpatrick, the put on the same level (I repeat, surely I translated wrong) then, I wanted to know, if still Reticent Wall, is slightly more difficult (even if only slightly, is a step harder. )
Then yet another question, on this great route (Sea of ​​Dreams)
From what I know myself, the first solo climb was made by the great Xavier Bongard, I want to please know if any of you know of other solitary climb this great route.
Thank you for all the information you give me
I apologize for the translation (machine translation)
Greetings to all from Italy.
Todd Gordon

Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
  Jul 4, 2015 - 05:15am PT
shred the gnar, Andy...way to go;....a grand adventure on a grand scale on a grand stage.......mega-awesome...thanks for sharing that.
youri

climber
  Jul 15, 2015 - 06:08pm PT
Nice TR! Tfpu. :-)
Lambone

Big Wall climber
Ashland, Or
  Jul 16, 2015 - 09:57pm PT
Congrats Andy! Met you at the base when you were fixing. Glad you had a safe full-value climb!

It's funny...the first day you shouldered full loads at the bridge and headed up to the base, I saw Tom walk over and ask you what you were getting on.

I was like, "Hey Tom what are they up to?" To which he replied "Sea of Dreams."

I dunno why, kinda by instinct I guess...I just shrugged and giggled..."ha, yeah right! BAIL!!!!" Dunno why, perhaps because so few people actually get on the hard routes anymore that it seemed unlikely.

Tom immediately schooled me, "You obviously don't know who that guy is do ya Lambone?" Followed by, "You shouldn't be so quick to judge climbers you don't know."

Damn straight. He was right, I didn't recognize you as the guy who I've learned so much from and been inspired by over the years.

Glad you proved me wrong! Served me up a nice dose of STFU ;)
Spanky

Social climber
boulder co
  Jul 18, 2016 - 07:48pm PT
Bump because I missed this TR the first time around.

Awesome work up there! This route has always held a mystique about it. Its definitely above my pay grade but so rad to see what it really looks like.

Sick!!
Kalimon

Social climber
Ridgway, CO
  Jul 18, 2016 - 08:25pm PT
Thanks for sharing your incredible journey! Nice images of the creative placements and beautiful terrain.
Lurkingtard

climber
  Jul 18, 2016 - 09:46pm PT
I was broken down by the wall, skin and bone and fat and brain and thought rendered by the toil of it all.

Great quote and great TR!
BLUEBLOCR

Social climber
joshua tree
  Jul 18, 2016 - 10:13pm PT
yo got a good eye Lurkingtard! i liked that part too. Awesome draft, i wonder how long it took him to write it. it would take me longer to write it than climb it.lol
madbolter1

Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
  Jul 18, 2016 - 10:30pm PT
I feel honored to have read your well-written post. SoD is certainly the real deal, and my hands were sweating to read your turn of phrase. Congrats on a proud ascent!
Double D

climber
  Jul 21, 2016 - 02:40pm PT
Nice job... well written.
Gagner

climber
Boulder
  Jul 23, 2016 - 02:46pm PT
Having done both Reticent and the Sea, I'd say The Natural pitch on Reticent is the real deal DFU, but other than that (I didn't lead the Master's Corner pitch) the rest was relatively casual. Whereas on the Sea there are several "real deal" pitches, loose rock, and hard free climbing. Of course I didn't solo either route, which is bad ass in my opinion. Reticent with E, and the Sea with Shipoopi. WOO HOO!!!
Go
El Capitan - Sea of Dreams A4 5.9 - Yosemite Valley, California USA. Click to Enlarge
Sea of Dreams is route number 18.
Photo: Galen Rowell
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1800' of fantastic climbing.
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