Went over to Bridalveil Falls a couple days ago with the partner that I always take when looking for trouble. The falls are getting kind of low so we thought we would do Bridealveil East. We had an old topo from Reid and a written description from the Roper Guide in case we could find the Aqua variation.

It was one of those days when you look at the topo and description and try to read them like tarot cards but to no avail. Nothing in the topo or text seemed to match (only very vaguely) anything on the stone. There were all kinds of cracks and variations to climb, but they all looked harder than they were and all led into trouble sooner or later.

We just starting climbing, scratching our heads, and having lichen rained down on us when the falls weren't raining down on us. The higher we got, and the more commited we got, the worse things got, until I was "freedom freeing" things and sometime downright aiding sections. We had to squeeze, and I mean really squeeze between some devil trees guarding tight chimneys too. Dead branches totaly blocking the path assured me that the sense of adventure would be complete. Perfect torture!

We joked that we had too much water in the beginining when it was shady and the falls was raining on us, but higher up, we turned a corner and it was totally baking. Our tongues were sticking to the roof of our mouths when we miraculously hit the rim just as the light was failing. Kind of a fun sense of adventure to climb a "route" to the rim and never know if you were on any route, or if it was leading anywhere.

I was relieved that my partner had his headlamp cause I bugged him to bring it but, like an idiot, I had a new pack and didn't transfer my headlamp to it. Fortunately, the moon was bright. Unfortunately, it doesn't shine into the Gunsight. Fortunately, El Cap was like a giant mirror and lit the Gunsight up pretty well anyway.

We were hiking up to the notch to start the Gunsight when I noticed in the dimmest twilight a shape just between my legs that moved slightly. As I took another step it started rattling wildly and raced off. My heart got going for that one! I think I walked right over the dang rattlesnake. I'm sure getting bitten by the snake in a dehydrated state as it was getting dark in a hard to access location would have been too much adventure for me. It was one of those climbs when you roll over at night and your leg ceases up in total cramp.

My poor partner, the Lummox, realized at my house, at 12.30 at night, that he left his daypack at the bottom of the last rappels. He got to hike back the next morning. Groan!

Anyway, just a quick account of the mandatory, one-every-year or so choss, obscure, trad adventure that I like to have. Who's done Bridelveil East? Is it OK? Where does it start and actually go?

There so many routes possible over there. It's kinda cool...and it's kinda not.

Peace

karl