Rock!

I don't have very many exciting pictures. This one here -- Lambert Lembert Dome. It has some pretty fun climbs. I lead the three pitch 5.6 Northwest Book in two pitches. Of course, that isn't a big deal at all. I got lapped by free soloers who run up that climb just for the exercise of it. Seriously, I met a guy named Chris while I was finishing the last pitch who was doing just this. I asked what the top was like. His response was to look for the block that will take any piece of gear you have left. I found the block, built my anchor, and brought up my cousin (who is also very capable of free soloing this climb -- he climbed this in his tennies) and by the time we were at the top, Chris was finishing his second lap.

It wasn't a hard climb by any stretch and very fun. I highly recommend it for a warm up to getting your lead head on. There is only one slick spot but the protection is fantastic. I'd even say skip the first bolt. It doesn't really do much for you anyway, though great for that secure feeling you might need.

I actually spent more time bouldering than I did climbing the faces. My first two days were bouldering at the Kitty and Puppy boulders. My two cents -- the Kitty boulders are way better. That isn't to say you shouldn't spend time on the Puppy boulders too. I just like the type of climbing that has clean ground to fall on. I also spent a day climbing at the Knobs. These boulders are awesome. The granite is laced with feldspar cubes that you can pinch and stand on... I even did my first "highball." Okay, it was not really a highball. It was just higher than I like to go. I'm a bit of a chicken when it comes to bouldering. Bad knees, bad ankles... I'm sure I can make up some more excuses. I'm a sissy... I can live with it.

My cousin and I wanted to do a bit of climbing together, but sometimes things don't work out the way you hope. Kevin was out climbing the Hulk when I arrived, and as you might expect was a bit tired when he returned. We did a bit of bouldering at the Knobs and then he got called out on a SAR. I told him that if he didn't return the next day I would assume the call was a big deal and I was going to head out.

The next morning I woke up and started to read, eat break fast and finally I packed up for another day of bouldering when I was invited to do some cragging with some of the other SAR team. We ended up at the East Cottage Dome. Here were mostly 10c and harder climbs. I have discovered that I like to fall up climbs. The 10d climbs I definitely still have to work out sections on. I warmed up on a climb called Knobnoxious (5.10d) and the pump in my arms was especially difficult to work through, but I did make it to the top. That day was followed by a jump into the river and cleaning up of camp.

I made the decision to hang out through dinner with the crew from the SAR and to my luck Kevin showed up. We made plans to climb the Regular Route on the Fairview Dome. We woke casually, and watched as the thunder clouds build. We decided to give our climb a try and secretly hoped that other climbers would be chased off by the thunder and that we wouldn't be chased off.

Kevin was super cool, as expected. We got to the climb and I was offered the lead. I have led 5.9 on traditional gear before, but I had yet to do it clean without bailing off and retrying or sagging the rope. I started up the climb and Kevin's words sat on the tip of my thoughts -- Look for good placements before and after a crux and for confidence double up a placement before a crux.

His advice was perfect as I came to the first crux with bad hands and slick feet. The rock in Tuolumne is a mixture of granite crystals and polished rock. I pushed through and was in full sweat. I was thankful for those thunder clouds building around us.

Then I hear this whirwhirwhir like a humming bird passing past your year. "ROCK!" I heard the call after the rock just went past my ear. Never even saw it. I swore about how late the call was made. My head was in climbing though and I would find out once Kevin reached me that no one called rock from above but rather he had called it once he saw it as passed my head. I dropped a piece to protect me and continued up as the rain started a sprinkle on me. The upper crack was already soggy. I dove my fingers back into the crack and excepted it would be mucky.

When I got to the top Thunder sounded to welcome me to my rest place. I had some nuts and three cams left. Only one piece would fit in the rock, so I made a two point belay with my one cam and the belay station on the tree in the rock. Kevin started up the rock.

Kevin moves fast over a 5.9, again climbing in his tennies. In my hurry to get Kevin up though, I failed to backup my belay. I brought him up on a single point of protection, and it wasn't even connected to me. I felt a bit stupid. I felt really stupid. Rock climbing is dangerous and even with thunder and lightening you have to keep your head and double check everything. Once again I failed to be safe. On the bright side I was super confident that the one point I had for Kevin was super safe and I even repelled off that one point myself (which I will tell you about shortly.) Though here is another thought. When you are learning to use a new tool (I was using an auto-locking belay device I'd never used before) you should practice with it on the ground first. Just my $0.02.

So Kevin got to me, and the thunder and lightening was coming on. I told Kevin that if we are going up then I wanted him to lead since he could move faster than me and the rain was my biggest concern on lead. He agreed and started up the second pitch. A loud crack stopped him, and he put a piece of gear to rest on for a moment. We had that discussion -- do we go up, or down? He was confident that we could go up but was worried about getting really wet and miserable. I made the call to go down -- I had already accomplished the clean 5.9 trad lead! I was stoked! The rest of the climb was easier stuff. Down would be okay by me -- and safer.

We setup the repel and I went first (yep that same single point protection I brough Kevin up on.) I didn't get five meters before the hail and rain started on me. My belay and biner were burning hot when I repelled off the end of the rope (as planned) on a nice slab of rock. Kevin followed and I moved off the rock and put on my hiking shoes. Kev did the clean up -- he really is fast at this stuff and does it with all the safety steps required to keep safe.

We ran down the hill and not 30 minutes later the sun was out on our climb and we were laughing that we knew that would be the end result. We ran over to another dome and did a fun 10a to end the day. Not enough climbing for Kevin or me, but the rock isn't going anywhere... well a few chunks are coming down on occasion for sure, but I'll have time to go back and repeat my climbs and pick up some new ones.

I think I need to find another week down here in the Tahoe/Yosemite area. Too much to do, and my lead head is coming along nicely.