Choinard-Herbert (Sentinel Rock)

Yosemite Valley

Yesterday I climbed the Choinard-Herbert route on the Sentinel, 15 pitches up 5.11c. Did the route with Branden who I have been climbing with for the last week or so and we had climbed before in previous years. We meet up at the trail head around 6:30AM and started the long approach, we eventually found the start of the route which involved some 4th class and low 5th class scrambling. We did one more roped up pitch to make it to the actually start of the route. The pitches down low involve some loose climbing but the middle pitches are quite nice, although more traffic would clean them up some. Some of the crack did contain some vegetation and a little dirt but gear placements were easy to find. Some of the climbing was exciting with commiting moves and the 3 5.11 pitches were burly and involved me pulling on some gear. I actually got off route will leading the 5.11c pitch and went for the aid variation which had me doing lots of pulling on old pitons. Another great Summit on Yosemite and  a long steep descent which was much easier in the light of day compared to my ascent of the Steck Salalthe on the Sentinel in the fall which involved a long painful descent in the dark.

Looking at starting up the Salathe Wall on El Cap starting on Thursday with my friends Andrew and Karsten.

Me leading the 10a face/traverse pitch

High on the route with Yosemite Falls in the Background

Looking up Valley to the High Country

Brandon on the Summit of the Sentinel

Yosemite Pics of the Day

Yesterday brought lots of rain and last night even brought some snow. Today the sun is shinning and weather forecast looks good for the foreseeable future. Here are a few pics I captured.

Bridalveil Falls and the Leaning Tower

Merced River with Ribbon Falls and Gold Wall in the Distance

Early Spring Conditions in the Valley

The Yosemite Valley weather as been very unusual for late May, it is more like early wet spring conditions. All the waterfalls are going off and there is a good amount of seepage on some of the walls.  The good news is the weather is supppose to improve this weekend and be warm and dry for a while.

Yesterday I spent half the day rope soloing down in the lower Merced canyon, climbed about 15 pitches total, then  took a break, and on my way out of the park I stopped at Manure Pile Buttress and did 2 laps on After Six. Today looks like it will be a rest day as it is raining on and off in the valley and the forecast does not look great for Thursday.

Back to Yosemite

I left J-Tree to meet up with my friend Mark with the plan of climbing the South Face of WA Column to get Mark back in the groove for our upcoming trip up El Cap this Summer. Unfortunatly the weather did not cooperate with wet and cold conditions, we did get in a couple of short days cragging. Mark finally manned up and asked Shannon to Marry him after making her hike 7 miles in the snow and cold and camping near the top of El Cap.

Congrats Mark and Shannon!!!!!

I will be hanginng here for a while hoping for better weather although I could use a little break from climbing so its all good.

More to come...............................................

Joshua Tree

Derrick and I left Tahquitz and headed for Joshua Tree for warmer weather. I had never been to J-Tree and was amazed by the beuty of the place, almost magical with all the joshua trees and some some of the coolest camping with climbing right in your site. It was a casual couple days climbing some of the easy-moderate classics of the area. I will have to go back and explore more of this place some time.

A big thank you to Derrick for giving the tour of the area!

The Greybeard leading Flakes of Wrath 5.8

the campsite

Tahquitz and Suicide Rocks

Tahquitz

After dropping Daniel off at the airport in Vegas I headed west to southern California to meet up my friends Kathy, Derrick, and Heather for some climbing at Tahquitz and Sucide Rocks. It was great to see them and climb on granite again after 2 months of climbing on Sandstone. The first day we climbed at Suicide and had a chill day, the next day we went to Tahquitz and got in 3 multi pitch routes. The following day we returned to Tahquitz and climbed the classic 5.9 Whodunit, under cold and breezy conditions. Kathy and Heather headed back to Seattle the next day while Derrick and I had planned on climbing the Vampire, however under cold conditions we decided to head Joshua Tree..

Derrick mounting the Horn

Kathy "the cook"

All smiles at the start of Whodunit

Me leading my off route version of pitch 1, Heather starting up also

Heather cruxing on the 10a slab

Derrick following the 5.9 Chimney

The Cold Summit of Tahquitz

the post climb feast............

with cake!!!!!!!

Thanks Kathy and Heather for everything, hope to see you soon..........

Free Climbing Rainbow Wall (Red Rocks)

Rainbow Wall in the distance

Our original plan was to climb Epinephrine after Cloud Tower, however my friends Lukas and Casey convinced Daniel that we should climb the Original Route on Rainbow Wall (13 pitches 5.12a), they were going to try the Rainbow Country variation. Lukas got Daniel psyched and I was excited to give this route a go. We were going to do the route car to car and arrived as the gates were opening to the park. The approach was long and steep towards the end but went fast since Lukas and Casey knew the way. They started up first and we followed behind until our routes split. The climbing was right at my limit pitch after pitch, the climbing featured steep face climbing to thin cracks, stemming corners and the occasional bouldery move. The style of climbing really made me go for it even though you had climb above your gear and was a little committing at times with insecure moves. Tremendous route and one of the best long free routes I have done. Daniel onsighted every pitch while I hung a couple times on the 12A pitch and hung on the 11d pitch down low.

the approach

getting closer

Daniel leading the first pitch 5.11c, Casey leading pitch 2, 5.11d

Lukas cruxing on the 12d pitch of Rainbow Country

the Crux 5.12a pitch

Next to last 11b pitch

Calico  Hills and Vegas in the Distance

Psyched to be on the Summit, we gave it 2 thumbs up

Hiking out as the sun sets with the lights of Vegas in the distance