I had climbed Cosmic Wall a few years ago with a partner. On that trip, we broke it down to 6 pitches. I climbed the odd pitches and my partner got the even. It was a fun day, and a long day, as I remember. Longer than it needed to be. I also remember, for all the gear we brought and slung over our shoulders, we actually placed very little pro. The last time I climbed it, on the first pitch (5.4) I placed a cam then clipped an old piton, but mostly ran it out. Cosmic Wall was first climbed in 1979. I think the first ascent was by Chris Bonnington, so these may have been his pitons, which is cool to think about being on a climb he did. Pitch 2 (5.6), my partner clipped another old piton and maybe slung a horn before traversing over to the belay anchor bolts. Pitch 3 (5.5) followed the dike up, and gear placement didn't exist, so I just ran it out to the manky belay, one old rusty and loose bolt and a more recent solid bolt. I also girth-hitched a small hole in the dike to anchor to. Pitch 4 (5.5) was again just running it out to the next belay. I led pitch 5 (5.6) which had very solid holds on great granite. It followed the dike up, trending right, mostly deep fins of granite and I plugged in one cam, one nut, and slung a horn. The last pitch, 6 (5.6), was the summit ridge, and was a scramble up to the ridge which dropped away precipitously on the right as you gained the top. Makes your stomach drop. Very neat. Then you get to the rap rings. Took two raps on a 60m rope. It took us all day—started on the trail with headlamps and hiking out in twilight. The hike in and out is just over 4 hours roundtrip.

Because of how easy it felt the first time, how little gear we actually placed, and how we mostly just ran it out anyway, I thought it might be a climb I could just solo. On August 13th, this year, Friday the Thirteenth, I set out to do just that. I packed a skinny 8.5 rope to rap with (half of my twin rope setup) as it is lighter to carry, water, snacks, my Puff Pullover, harness, and my trail shoes, and climbing in my rock shoes. I also wore my helmet as I didn't know if others were above me, and for natural rock fall. I also carried a video camera to document the climb. I got to the start, and it didn't seem like anyone else was on the climb. I started up the first pitch, kind of nervous, but just took it a step at a time and just watched my breathing. Of course the climbing was easy, but you're on your own. I passed some tied-off cord to a tree which seemed odd. Maybe someone was using it as a place to clip a draw for protection, as it was only halfway up the pitch. Still seemed odd. Passed that old piton again. I got to the belay, debated continuing, thought about bailing and rapping from here. I checked out where I was going (you could see the worn-on granite "trail" angling up). I decided to take off, passing another old piton I saw the first time, staying focused, and again, one move at a time. Soon, I was next to the second belay anchors and realized that I didn't have to do the traverse to them to continue, so I just kept climbing up the dike to the easier terrain of pitches 3 and 4. It was amazing. I was so focused on the climbing, that it is all you think about. I hardly remember the individual moves. I got to the top of the 4th pitch where it flattens out to a large ledge. I took off my pack, helmet, and shoes, and just took a breather. It had taken all of 30 minutes to get to here. I couldn't believe I was actually doing it. I had been thinking about doing this and visualizing it for weeks. Here I was doing it! At this point, I was committed and had to finish the route. I took off up the 5th pitch, taking it slow but having alot of fun. People call this the "Money Pitch" as it is the most exposed, yet solid, and very fun climbing. And at 5.6, it's not going to spank you, but you still need to pay attention. I climbed up to the notch at the top of the pitch. I got the video camera out here to take a shot. Never used a video camera, so the shots are shaky, kinda corny, but real. I finally got on the summit ridge and it was euphoric. The view is mind blowing as you are on this thin ridge which drops away on both sides, Mt. Shasta is off in the distance in all her snow flanked beauty, and I was totally alone. Golden Eagles soaring up above you, and you feel like you're up there with them. From the bottom, it took me 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete the route to the summit with a break, unlike the 6 hours or so when you're belaying and fiddling with gear. I took a few more videos, signed the summit register, rapped down, packed up the rope, got on the trail, took another video, and then headed to the car and that ice cold beer in the ice chest—6 hours car to car. Hope you enjoy the amateur videos.

Cheers, David

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hxAbuaGHUE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7_kmeOBvCc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE7Yg7zeBgk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3Ddn_fioYg

As a footnote: I'm 55, been climbing more or less since I was in Boy Scouts. Climb 5.9 trad, 5.10-11 sport. Climbed in the Oregon Cascades, Canadian Rockies, Smith Rock, High Sierra, and Tuolumne. I had been thinking about soloing this climb for over a year, reading other recent TR's to back up what I remembered from the last climb. I just don't want people to think I just hopped off the couch and decided to give this a try. I didn't undertake it lightly. For me, it seemed like a climb that lent itself for this type of adventure—fairly easy, on solid rock, with enough exposure and length to make it exciting and worthwhile.