That Nemesis Climb!

[snoboy]

that won't be sent!

[Coondog]

Eldorado... nothing like an approach of 5000' of vertical in 3 miles or so... which I've done 3 times now, just to:

1st time: get to the glacier and hunker in tents for 14 hours listening to thunder, hammering rain and whipper winds... after every single group coming down said "o' my gawd, we had such awesome perfect weather, the summit ridge was spectacular, blah blah blah..." But learned how to prop up dead trees as lightning rods, so not all was lost.

2nd time: get to near top of the boulder field to have one of the group slip on wet moss and badly sprain ankle, so had to split up his pack, escort him down boulder field, then limp back to cars and home that night..

3rd time: get to glacier and set camp just in time to watch white-out blow in... up early to confirm still white-out... wait couple hours checking every 20min to confirm, "yep, we're still in a white-out..." Finally got tired of tryin to convince folks weather might break and we had plenty of time, so hoofed out... bout 2 hours later were down in the spectacular sun, bout the time the white-out woulda been burning off...

 

Eldorado, I say you, you many times! But I'll be back for you...

 

At Smiff was BBQPope, til I could actually lead 10b then was okay... time I sent it I was completely wigged from memory of couple falls I'd taken previously... then zen'd out thinking of summit HC snack and was otay.

 

My goal for first onsight 11 trad is Sword on Grand Wall... hoping to work up my skeels for that as my finale this summer... have climbed GrandWall up to beneath it cause of hawk nesting... Split Pillar still one of my fav pitches ever... can't wait to go back.

 

woof woof-

--cd

[EWolfe]

Every time I look at the .10d enduro corner of The Good Book in Yosemite, I am struck with THE FEAR , even though I have onsighted .10d trad a few times, and even in Yos.