October trip to Yosemite

    Our trip to the Yosemite Valley; Wild, Fast and Scary! After pulling into Camp 4 and denied a site, we got some restless sleep with Senior El Capatain. Climbers roam the wall with torches ablaze. Six or more Adventures were at work. We score cell-block 29. Simul-climbing by ten O'clock on Manure Pile Buttress we soar though After Six, After Seven and Nut Cracker. Sweat is poring off of us! A bottle neck at the Mantle on Nut Cracker. Under the parties of our fellow travelers we go, greasy, hot slab awaits. We bypass climbing sandpaper and moss. Back to camp dropping the 8.2 simule-rope for a real one. Off to Serenity-Sons. Hot! We bleed and send. Sleep.

Bear Boxes clang and slam from all the awaking soldiers. Amy is excited about the on-sight solo of Royal Arches about to take place. Meeting more Comrades at the start and in the belly of the Beast, they slide through with ease. We swing on the Pendulum with packs on our back, we have a plan. Amy slams the Tower above the hollow, springing tree, laced with jugs. The final exposed slab we take and feel the relief. North Dome we trudge toward. Awesome and bizarre slab climbing weaves through the Crest Jewel. Mystery relics appear on the left at times from past explores. “Where's” and “whose”, wander through our mind with “whats that?” as we climb. We greet a Baby Cub on the summit as he dashes down the descent trail. Where's Momma Bear?

We take Rest.

     We approach the Sentinel. Welcome greetings from a man named Jake belaying an unknown Leader while we rack tools. They are strong and fast. We start simul-climbing, Jake and Peter hang waiting for us to pass. Through Wilson's Overhang we go. Amy is unhappy with all the equipment and bag O' supplies. She passes through the wydes with nothing, but strength and style. We start pitching full rope lengths. Jake and Peter have swapped their blocks. Jake moves! We hang in a cave eating our feast of nothing below the Narrows. Jake goes through the slot then Peter follows. We watch as Peter tries to squeeze his giant body through the chasm. Legs dangle and wiggle in space as he inches up. Amy takes the reins and chases quickly through the heart of the giant. I push for the top hearing Peter and Jake sound “Good Bye! See you on the Descent!” A shuffle through the equipment and only one usable headlamp we head for the way off in sandals. We have just found the Boys. “Rock!” I yell as the ground gives way under me. Blocks fly though the gully as Peter and Jake dive out to the walls. I got Peter. He is “fine” he says and continues as if nothing happened. Strong! We clash beers together at their rolling palace. We talk about favorite pitches and future plans. We are now friends and will see each other again.

    Appropriately enough we clash beers over our dinner on the rest day. We talk about traveling to Patagonia. Jake and Peter fill us with all kinds of useful information on the region. They are excited as are we.

The Lower Cathedral Spire, Higher Cathedral Spire and The Braille Book we wake to climb. Starting on lower spire we climb with enjoyment, simul-climbing the first four pitches. We shoot of the Regular Route and jump onto South by South-West. Amy racks for the 5.10d pitch. It fights her as she works it out. She commits. The steep, slightly overhanging wall greases her off, the double 00” t.c.u rips, she goes even further. She reels her self in. The rope has been slightly melted and core shot twice. Good thing the piton held. We swap. The climbing is stout and totally enjoyable. Amy takes us through a hole to the summit. We rappel and start soloing up the ridge-saddle to link into the higher spire. We part a bush then through a half dead oak. “Ow! It must be an oak leaf in my sock, AHHH!”. Ow! Amy starts screaming. “Its Bees!!!”. We start soloing and trying to move! Ow! Ow! Amy is below me being totally attacked. I jump down to her and start plucking Meat Bees out of her hair as quick as I could. Another one gets me in the ear. We start hauling ass up the mossy wall, trying to get away. We have no rope or harness, they are in the pack. We hit a ledge and are forced to rope up. I can feel a few bites, Amy has no idea how many she has. She is in a lot of pain. We get to the base of the Higher and bee line straight to the car. We need Benadryl. We swell and feel bad for ourselves.

   The next morning everything is swollen and puffy. We pack the car and head back to Lone Pine cutting the trip short by a few days. We are happy with what we had done. Amy got to see Yosemite Valley finally, we got to see some future endeavors, but now it is time to ice our stings.