I had the privilege of volunteering in the Valley for two months last summer and scraping my way up some walls. I have been busy with my second year of university in Vancouver, but now that classes are over and I am getting ready to head back to Yosemite in May, I will post up some trip reports from last summer to get stoked and share the energy and stories.
Brandon Adams and I climbed Afroman last May. It was my first time ever using a hammer. I had soloed the prow the year before and thought it was steep... Afroman is of an entirely different caliber of steepness. You start to wonder which way is up and which direction is out!
We brought a prototype trapezium portaledge and slept the two of us tall lads on it for the one night we spent on the route. Pretty tight, but compact and light! I remember the wind making the suspension straps rattle like hell and being pretty unsettled by the steepness, being on my first wall of the season. Brandon put on some Al Green, we got in our sleeping bags and started laughing hysterically. This was one of my favourite memories from the summer.
Enjoy the photos!
It was a great experience following Brandon and picking up new skills along the way. I definitely learned how to jug and clean steep terrain much more efficiently by the end! My first taste of some more difficult aid - pretty stoked about the places it can take you!