 |
| Me leading the start of pitch 10 the next morning. Photo Ryan O'Connell |
|
|
|
 |
| Me feeling hot and thirsty. |
|
|
|
 |
| Ryan cleaning the end of pitch eight while I organize the belay and the portaledge. |
|
|
|
 |
| Reaching for the belay at the top of pitch 8. The free climbing wasn't too bad (~5.10b) to avoid the tricky C3 pin scars in the middle of the pitch, but the hooking/mandatory free climbing at the end of the pitch felt near impossible w/the epic rope drag. |
|
|
|
 |
| The same slightly awkward traverse starting pitch 8. At least I was able to free climb through the C3...I really do know how to climb. |
|
|
|
 |
| This photo of Ryan Hauling Pitch 7 earned us Tom Evan's Elcapreport.com's photo of the day. |
|
|
|
 |
| Ryan nearly at the top of Pitch 7. He wished he wore free climbing shoes for the first half of this pitch, as it was pretty splitter and struggled slightly with his approach shoes. The "ledge" at the top of the pitch was nice, but was more of a stance. |
|
|
|
 |
| Ryan halfway up the spectacular pitch 7, while I lounged comfortably on the portaledge, enjoying fantastic morning light on golden granite. |
|
|
|
 |
| Me leading the start to pitch eight, while embarissing I did find this short, thin ledge traverse slightly awkward. |
|
|
|
 |
| Ryan finishing his morning shift, happily hands over leading responsibility. It was the hottest day of our climb and we were both parched. |
|
|
|
 |
| The the tear in the portaledge after the first night, you can see our haul line hanging through the hole. A much longer tear formed on the outside of the ledge along the outside bar/frame peice!!! |
|
|
|
 |
| Ryan leading the outrageously steep 5th pitch. No camera tilt here, just look at the rope hanging straight down next to the profile of the Nose. It was a spectacular place to spend the night. |
|
|
|
 |
| Happy to break out the portaledge for the day, and from here on out the wall is steep enough that we were able to haul our ledge open for the next 3 days until would would have to put it away only 2-pitches from the top. Here Ryan looks down on me as he l |
|
|
|
 |
| I've done a lot of tricky cleaning on ascenders before but cleaning the diagonally downward traverse on pitch four was way physical and a little spicy. All the gear in the traverse was soooo manky looking and if it popped I was looking at a epic swinging |
|
|
|
 |
| Ryan Hauling from the top of Pitch 4 with me cleaning below. This is were the route really starting feel steep. |
|
|
|
 |
| Ryan leading Pitch four with me below at the "Black Cat Belay". Ryan would ascend straight up the crack system he is in up to the roof and then diagonal downward following the roof system nearly to its end on the far right. |
|
|
|
 |
| Ryan leading pitch four while looking down on me belaying at the "Black Cat" belay. |
|
|
|
 |
| Ryan O'Connell arrives at the top of pitch 2 after cleaning it on Tangerine Trip. |
|
|
|
 |
| Ian Nicholson leading the Second Pitch of Tangerine Trip before the sun hit. |
|
|
|
 |
| Ian Nicholson leading the second pitch of T-Trip on our first day on the route. |
|
|
|
 |
| After quickly changing objectives from the NA Wall to the Trip; Ryan O'Connell humping loads to the base. |
|
|
|
 |
| The mighty 'Capitan, some how it just never gets old. |
|
|
|
 |
| Ryan O'Connell and I have climbed a lot over the years (this would be our third El Cap route together) but it had been a while since we were down in the Valley together and we hadn't completed an El Cap route since 2008. |
|
|
|
|
 |
| that would be one bad ass monkey!!!!!!! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Let us know!