Two weeks ago I headed over to
Yosemite Valley eager to feel solid on the granite and stiff grades that are there. Andrew led Meredith and I up
Serenity Crack, a 3-pitch 5.10d. I was really eager to take us up the 4-pitch
Sons of Yesterday, a 5.10a. But this link-up may be the most popular route in the Valley, and the crowds further complicate things since the descent is done by rappeling the route. After waitingan hour on the Sunset Ledge, waiting for the chaos that was being created by several teams descending (including a team of 4!), we decided to ring the bell and descend too. You really can't have too many excuses to head back to Yosemite!
Meredith in the perfect jams of Serenity, pitch 2
Later that week, after an aborted attempt on the
Steck-Salathe-turned-rest-day to give my broken toe a rest (ouch in the o.w.). Meredith and I climbed the incredible, do-it-all, 5 pitches of the
Central Pillar of Frenzy (5.9). Even though there ended up being a team on every pitch, we had a blast. Meredith even lead pitch two - no small accomplishment for a sporto who just started leading trad this summer! Whoop whoop! The descent is accomplished by rappeling the route immediately to climber's left of the Frenzy.
It really was this good. Meredith is all grins
at the top of pitch 5, Central Pillar of Frenzy.
We took all that momentum for the drive home and stopped to climb the
Crescent Arch, a 5-pitch 5.10b "test piece" on Daff Dome in
Toulumne Meadows. Sorry, no pictures from that adventure, but I afterwards I was psyched to be heading to Red Rocks!
:)>
