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Almost exactly one month after doing the spire with my Dad I went back and did it again with my good friend Mike. Mike started climbing a bit less than two years ago. Mostly bouldering and eventually getting out with a rope a few times. We came to yosemite in August to hit a few classics and get Mike some pitches under his feet. Previously his longest climbs had been the trough once at tahquitz and he had NEVER been to the valley before.
We had a wild time in August that included Mike walking into a surprise dead tree branch near the base of Snake Dike. Good thing he was wearing his glasses or it would been in his eye.
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 Credit: matty |
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 Credit: matty |
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After doing the multi-hour approach and not wanting to retrace our steps, Mike manned up and did the climb.
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 Credit: matty |
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We got some funny looks on the way down, and lots of questions, which got old quick so we started making up answers...
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 Credit: matty |
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"You OK?" "Yeah but you should see the other guy"
"What happened" "Just beat jesus in billiards"
"Do you need help?" "Nope, already got a good therapist"
Later that night to get his double levels stitches, deep ones at the bottom of the cut, then another set on top.
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 Credit: matty |
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The next day he climbed Commitment and Nutcracker with his new stitches. Ya see Mike's a tough guy and someone you know you can count on if things get... interesting.
We did a few practice sessions before the spire so he could learn how to jumar and do a Tyrolean.
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 Credit: matty |
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When the weekend finally arrived we left home at 10:30PM with everything packed and ready to hit the trail when we showed up at 3 or 4 am.
We finally get to yosemite after driving through the night. Psyched and ready to go we start hiking...half and hour in and my footsteps each thought in my head one after the other...going over everything...
"Mike you remembered to pack your harness right?"
"lemme check" (not a good sign)....."F*#K...NO... NOT HERE"
Well it was not at the car either, and I did not bring a spare. So now it's 5:30am. Too long to wait for the store to open and but a harness, to early to ask around Camp 4. Should we make on out of webbing? The thought crossed my mind, I've done it before. But hell no, f*#k that , I'm not aid climbing and doing a tyrolean in slings, I could if I had to, but it seemed best to just climb something easy today and get a harness in the afternoon.
So we rack up and do royal arches.
Mike led 3 pitches including the famous last pitch, and even better, these were his first trad leads ever!
Having got no sleep friday night we are in be by 8pm saturday and at 3am sunday morning we get up, pack up and go.
The hike went quick and we could use the moon the whole way so it was magical moonlit yosemite, but when we go to the rim the morning winds fired up and it got really cold and windy for a short bit. We walked around to catch the first bit of sun.
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 Credit: matty |
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The rap down to the spire was fine...
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 Credit: matty |
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... and having just done the climb a month ago I was able to go much faster with a lot less gear.
My rack was...
5 quickdraws
10 slings
1 or 2 double slings
20 free biners
a few lockers
3 offset aliens (each with biner)
1 each camalots #1-5 (each with biner)
1 grappling or cliffhanger hook
2 rivet hangers (or 2 small nuts to use)
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 Credit: matty |
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The climb was great. Mike was cool with the exposure and was a good second considering it was his first aid climb.
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 Credit: matty |
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 Credit: matty |
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We made sure to clean the tat as we went...
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 Credit: matty |
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The second pitch is killer location, but the climbing is pretty boring mostly being bolts. Fun as hell though...
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 Credit: matty |
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Last time I was here I took some photos looking down lead...
...but knew I could do better. This time I cam armed with my camera specially slung so that I could clip it into a piece, aim it and hit a self timer for 10 seconds then down climb a few moves and start up again. I really liked the way this worked out and I think I'll use it again...
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 Credit: matty |
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At the top of the spire I made sure to pull up as much free line as I could in order to lower back down and get some photos of mike seconding the pitch.
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 Credit: matty |
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 Credit: matty |
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 Credit: matty |
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 Credit: matty |
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 Credit: matty |
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We did the easy traverse back to the rim where your jugs are on the line to the rim and you rap off the spire. Clint Cummins describes this and how to do the route with only 2 60m rope in a great trip report here.
We got back to the rim with daylight to spare, packed up and headed out. The drive home was long and dark yet we sat there aglow.
