mneagle Posted November 2, 2010 Posted November 2, 2010 (edited) Trip: Yosemite - Toulumne - High Sierras - Various Date: 10/18/2010 Trip Report: I escaped my parental/spouse/career responsibilities to join my buddy Cha on his 3 month celebratory tour after quitting his job. We had brilliant and unseasably warm temps for the whole week and managed to get up 6 reasonably big objectives in 9 days. We started off big on Serenity Crack/Sons of Yesterday. Awesome crack climbing with only 1 party ahead and 1 party behind. Cha running it out on the pin scarred 1st pitch. Me preparing to levitate to the right crack on pitch 2. Cha enjoying perfect hands near the top of pitch 2. Me working the flaring jams on pitch 1 of Sons of Yesterday. Cha working his way across the 10a hand traverse on the last pitch of Sons of Yesterday. Moving on, we headed up to cilmb the Incredible Hulk in the Sierras. It was perfect granite in a pristine alpine setting. A little windy and cold to start with, but worth the minor suffering. We did the Red Dihedral, which went at around 10b. It follows the obvious diheral towards the right side of the face. If you go there, be sure to search the rocks for the "perfect cave bivy." Me suffering up the classic diheral pitch with frozen hands. Cha finishing the 10a finger crack after finally finding the Sun. Cha on the ridge before traversing to the exit pitches. To get through the infamous keyhole exit on the last pitch, I had to remove all gear from my harness as well as my helmet and still barely made it through. Next, we headed back to the Meadows and did Lucky Streaks on Fariview Dome. In our enthusiasm and lateness, we both managed to leave our cameras at the base. This is the only picture we have. It was an incredible route. The next day, we went back and did the regualr route on Fairview Dome. The first 2 pitches are great and the rest are so so. At 5.9, it was the only "easy" route we did all week though and it was nice to relax for a change. The route from the base. Cha finishing pitch 1. Cha about 2/3 of the way up the route. View from summit across to Daff Dome. Can you see the lizard's head? Next we headed back to the Valley and decided to challenge ourselves again. We ended up 2nd in the que to get up Free Blast on El Cap. Wow, wuite a route indeed! Cha heading across the 5.11 traverse on pitch 3. Me following pitch 3 (forgive the slight camera tilt.) Me heading up the 10c 4th pitch. Cha on the 10d 5th pitch before some mixed 5.11 and A0 slab. Me on more hard slab. Me negotiating the man-eating chimney/corner...10b, yeah right. Finally some cruiser 5.7 to the top. Rapping down some really crappy fixed lines from Heart Ledge. Note core shots in the rope from jugging abrasion and rock fall that were "fixed" by knotting the rope. Passing the knots was a rich experience. The crown jewel of the trip was a journey up the Third pillar of Dana. This is one of the cleanest and most aesthetically pleasing lines I have ever seen or climbed. Totally amazing. Me on the optional but recommended first pitch. Cha using some "a cheval" technique on pitch 2. Cha poised above a scary looking flake at the top of pitch 4. Me commiting to the psychological crux of the climb, making some dicey 10b moves above old pins and tiny gear on the only face section of the climb. Cha finishing the route in fine form on the 6th pitch, AKA the best pitch in the Sierras. We concur. Amazing trip with an amazing partner. Gear Notes: standard Yosemite rack Approach Notes: straight forward trails pick the right gulley to descend on the 3rd pillar of dana or you will be sorry Edited November 2, 2010 by mneagle Quote
Rad Posted November 3, 2010 Posted November 3, 2010 Great list of routes! I almost got on Lucky Streaks many years ago and have been itching to get back ever since. Quote
Gaucho Argentino Posted November 3, 2010 Posted November 3, 2010 Awesome trip ! Thanks for the great number of routes, Buddies. Never been there, for the way you guys are smearing in some pics, rock seems to be pretty sticky. Does it help to go up a notch on what you can climb on trad? I do not know if you could do it, but the 5.10s in there, how do they compare to, let's say, Vantage, Leavenworth, Index? Cheers!! Gaucho A. Quote
curtveld Posted November 5, 2010 Posted November 5, 2010 We had brilliant and unseasably warm temps for the whole week and managed to get up 6 reasonably big objectives in 9 days. That's an impressive amount of solid climbing! The second best thing about the Sierra (after the weather) is you don't have to burn up all that much energy doing approaches. Quote
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