On The Move

Its a wrap on Yosemite for the season. Now I'm in Southern Utah for the next month or so. More to come soon.

Just outside of Moab

Sunset in Arches National Park

Big Wallin

One of my goals for this season in Yosemite is to learn how to aid and climb big walls. I love free climbing, but knowing how to aid efficiently is an important skill that I've wanted to learn for awhile. Plus, it lets you climb things like this:

Last week my friend Michael, who has a lot of aid experience, arrived in the valley. We had discussed climbing some walls while he's here, so I thought it would be a good idea to find a place to practice aiding, jugging, hauling, etc. Maybe we'd go to a small crag to do some shorter climbs first.

But I have a new favorite saying: "There ain't no shallow end in the send pool."

Michael jugging the first pitch on Leaning Tower

Meadows Life

The past few days here in Yosemite Valley brought constant rain, bitter cold, and little chance of climbing. Climbers took refuge in the Cafeteria and Curry Village library, fueling themselves on endless "free" coffee, tortilla chips, wireless internet, and Cobra.

I took the rest days as an opportunity to compile some of the footage that I shot over the three weeks in September that I spent living and climbing in Tuolumne Meadows. I'm still working on a more complete video with narration and better editing, but I hope you enjoy the brief video below. The two other climbers are Sam Radcliffe and James Gray, a couple of British climbers that I've been hanging out with here. As you'll see in the video, the guys are a riot. Go to Vimeo for the HD.

Shifting Seasons

It's always funny how the smallest of moments can bring an ocean of memories flooding back.

I woke early yesterday to get some sunrise photos in Yosemite Valley, but quickly realized that I had gotten up too early. Peering upward through the grainy darkness I scanned the walls for potential shots and realized that I would have to wait awhile before the light was bright enough. High above me dawn's rays spread sapphire life into the sky, but down on the valley floor it was cold. Really cold.

The Sentinel looking more like a Nordwand of the Alps behind morning clouds

A Couple from Tuolumne

I've been up in Tuolumne Meadows for the past two weeks and despite a lot of thunder storms the climbing has been amazing.

During a rare long day of good weather this week I headed out to climb both the North and West Ridges of Mt. Conness with a couple of British climbers that I've been hanging out with here in the Meadows.

The climbs were easy but amazing - thousands and thousands of feet of 3rd, 4th, and 5th class soloing. Just to be able to move fluidly for so long was spectacular, and nothing will put your heart in your throat like hand-traversing a knife-edge ridge and peering over the lip at a 1200ft drop on the other side. Wild! After a big post-climb meal at the Mobil we were treated to one of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen in Tuolumne. Enjoy some photos from the day below.

I'll post more from Tuolumne after I move down to the Valley next week.

Mt. Conness in the morning light

Approaching the North Ridge of Mt. Conness

Sam on the "Diving Board" high above the glacier

Sam rappelling on the North Ridge

Looking East toward Mt. Dana just after sunset

The E Scale

We all love epics. Shivering bivies, horrific bushwhacks, days without food or water, terrible injuries suffered high on remote peaks, near-death experiences. Let's face it, they're awesome.

Okay, maybe they're not awesome while they're happening, but we relish talking about them later over a cold beer or listening to some unbelievable story told around a glowing campfire. Epics remind us that we are capable of far more than we believe possible, that we possess some hidden inner strength. They reveal something rarely seen in daily life: the immense tenacity of the human spirit and will to live. And on the rare chance that we find ourselves in the midst of an epic, we are given an opportunity to find this spirit within us and see what we're made of.

Ultimately we are all human. We compare ourselves to others. And as not only humans but also climbers/bikers/kayakers/surfers/skiers, we are obsessed with grades and ratings and need to know how we stack up against everyone else - Is this route harder than that one? Is she a better skier than I am? Am I more badass than he is? Was my epic more epic than your epic?

Enter the E Scale.

The Luck of the Draw

Jeff and Eric's eyes grew wide with shock and their heads shook with disbelief as I told them the story.

"Holy shit. That's insane!"

"Dude, I've never even heard of anything like that!"

My head shook with theirs, for I could hardly believe it myself.

Smith Rock State Park