Saturday, September 20, 2014

Yosemite : Half Dome story


Half Dome
 
Back to Yosemite, I meet Loggan who I know from the trip ! He tells me he wants to climb Half Dome but has no partner ! I answer : "Me too !!! But I have no partner...!"
That's how our Half Dome adventure began ;)


Loggan in front of Half Dome






We'll climb the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome. 23 pitches. About 600m.
We freed up to 5.10c and aid climbed the rest to be fast.


















Me racking up !



We hiked to the base in the evening and got there just before dark. We decided to fix the first pitch, this time in the dark, to gain some time the next day !








That being done, we ate what we
prepared in the afternoon and then slept !













The next day, we started climbing at 4AM and kept going until...


The first chimney pitch for Loggan
The window you go through in the chimney !




















In the window ;)

Outside the window !!!


Second chimney pitch... for me !




















...Until we arrived to Big Sandy Ledge, around 5PM ! There, we noticed our face and discussed if we should keep on going to the top or sleep here and keep climbing the next morning.

At Big Sandy ledge... Life is hard !

We decided to climb the 2 next pitches (we aid climbed them) and see. Loggan goes for it, links the 2 pitches and when I join him, it's getting dark already. The next pitches aren't too hard but we decided to sleep on Big Sandy anyway, so we can enjoy the view and have more adventure :)

Loggan aid climbing the fist pitch after Big Sandy

Good morning !

The night was quite cold as we had no sleeping gear with us... But this is part of the adventure !




 Warming up for the next pitch !


Our great bivy just besides these people and their portaledge... They must have been so jealous !!!! ;)


Let's start jugging !



Thank God Ledge !

Loggan on Thank God Ledge


Last pitch before the top !

Yes !! We made it !!!!! :D


The cables on the way down ! More dangerous than climbing...!


Our rewarding...!


Monday, September 15, 2014

Back to Squamish and go SMITH ROCK !


Jul' on Holiday in Cambodia
at Murrin Park




Jul' arrived ! She has never trad climbed, never crack climbed and I will be her teacher for these few days ! ;) I'm impressed, she's learning very fast !!






We also meet great people on these last days in Squamish... One day, they will bring us to the top of the Chief where people set up some highlines. Julie and I tried one !
I managed to stand up, but that's all I can do ;)

This was loads of fun ! And this is already time for us to hit the road to the next destination...
Goodbye Squamish !


Julie and I head now to Yosemite ! We get a first lift with Joe who is stopping in Smith Rock which is in between. Smith Rock is a nice sport climbing area ! Good to get some mental rest and some power back ;) So, we decide to stay there for about a week before getting a new lift to Yosemite !

My route is already mapped out !



MONKEY MONKEY !



Let's go climb the Monkey ! We'll do Astro Monkey which is a 3 pitches trad route on the face !

Ready to climb Astro Monkey on the Monkey Face !

I think this is the right way...

The view from the Monkey Face

Collin on the highline between the monkey's mouth and the other side !


On top of the monkey !! You become one yourself !!



Now, we found a lift to Yosemite ! We'll drive with Alex, another great guy from New York !