Some friends took me up Deception at the Leap about four months after my heel fracture. I remember the pain, and fitting an ankle brace on my right approach shoe (high tops). It took me about three weeks to start leading again at Courtright Reservoir later that summer. I'll always remember the kindness of my friends that year.
Saturday around mid-morning we met in front of Stately Pleasure Dome, and paddled up the slabs to the base of Hermaphrodite Flake (5.4). This seems like a perfect "rehab route". I've done it almost every year at least once just because it's so much fun.
 |
 |
|
 Daphne on the approach pitch to Hermaphrodite Flake Credit: rhyang |
||
 |
 |
We continued up the clean slabs of The Boltway (5.8).
|
|
|
 Looking down first pitch of The Boltway Credit: rhyang |
||
|
|
|
|
|
 Looking up second pitch of The Boltway Credit: rhyang |
||
|
|
|
|
|
 Cathedral Peak, from Stately Pleasure Dome Credit: rhyang |
||
|
|
We had a good time, and the weather was basically perfect. After coiling the ropes at the top we walked off, and Daphne tested her ankle stability.
|
|
|
 Daphne on the walkoff from Stately Pleasure Dome Credit: rhyang |
||
|
|
Another nice thing about rehab climbing on Stately is that you can just cross the road and soak in the lake. After a bit we decided to end the day at Low Profile Dome. I hunted around for R2D2 (5.8R), but couldn't find it and settled for Golfer's Route (5.7R) instead, always a good time.
By late afternoon our sea-level lungs were burning and my usual lack of sleep during the week was catching up with me, so we headed down to the Whoa Nellie Deli and feasted. I ordered the pork chops and by golly those were the biggest chunks of meat I had ever seen :)
Next morning dawned a bit colder. There was frost on the grass near the Tioga Pass Resort before 8am, and my car thermometer read in the low thirties F. We had a nice breakfast and did not skimp on the bacon !
It was a fairly leisurely morning, and around 10am we were hiking up the steep approach trail to Medlicott Dome, gasping for breath. Shagadelic (5.8) seemed like just the thing, since Daphne's foot wasn't really up for sustained jamming yet. Most of the route was still in the shade, and it was breezy enough that we kept our jackets on.
The first pitch seemed a little tricky for 5.7. Maybe I should have had a few more pancakes.
|
|
|
 Daphne on first pitch of Shagadelic Credit: rhyang |
||
|
|
Actually, so was the second pitch.
|
|
|
 Looking up second pitch of Shagadelic Credit: rhyang |
||
|
|
The third pitch seemed almost straightforward by comparison, except for a thin spot.
|
|
|
 Looking down third pitch of Shagadelic Credit: rhyang |
||
|
|
I'd only done this route once before, in 2009, and we'd rapped off. This time we were determined to summit :) The last pitch seemed pretty tame, if not a bit dirty, and we were shortly coiling the rope. I'm glad we did it though -- the views were fantastic.
|
|
|
 Tenaya Peak, Half Dome, and Tenaya Lake, from Medlicott Dome Credit: rhyang |
||
|
|
We walked north a bit to see a lake over there, a very scenic spot.
|
|
|
 Lake north of Medlicott Dome; Mariluolumne on the right, backside of Lamb Dome on the left ? Credit: rhyang |
||
|
|
As per the supertopo descent directions we headed south over the top of the dome.
|
|
|
 Cathedral Peak, Eichorn Pinnacle, and the Cockscomb from Medlicott Dome. Credit: rhyang |
||
|
|
|
|
|
 Echo Peaks and Matthes Crest, from Medlicott Dome. Credit: rhyang |
||
|
|
The slab descent was fairly tame, and reminded us a lot of the Fairview descent. The trail back to the cars was long, but well-used and by then Daphne's foot was ready for another soaking in Tenaya Lake. I hear that !
