Fri, 8 May 2009
“Life isn’t a bolted sport route,” says writer Scotty Kennedy. “The gear is sketchy and the route is difficult to read.” In 2001, Scott and his wife Sophie were living in the States. Scott was interning at a magazine. Sophie was dirtbagging it in Camp Four. On weekends, they would meet up to climb in Yosemite’s high country, Tuolumne. Sometimes small choices reverberate through our lives. Something as simple as the day’s route can carve the bedrock of our personalities. On the Great White Book, Scott was offered a chance to look inside. What he saw was too difficult to share even with those closest to him. Comments[5]
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- true confession time: my first ever solo was Tenaya... Had chalkbag, small pack w/ camelbak & shoes. Kept going left a little too long. Asked a guy who was anchored in for a bight of rope for about 5 or 10 feet. He brought me over w/ a hip belay to a lower angle spot where I changed out of approach shoes & into rock shoes. I bet that confession I just write will read pretty plainly but I held my breath typing it... just as I had listening to the crux of this episode.
- loved this one. Once i saw the title, i was excited to hear it. having been on that climb this past summer i can understand the sentiment (we simul-climbed the last part of the pitch, missing the anchor entirely.) and i loved the ending. congrats on another great episode, and keep them comming!
- Listening to this reminded me of my own adventure on TGWB. After climbing cathedral peak with a friend (roped) I half heartedly suggested we solo TGWB as we drove past on our way back toward the valley. She calmly replied "sure that sounds like cool idea". A few minutes later we were on our way up, nothing more than climbing shoes and chalkbag. Considering the lack of pro, soloing really isn't that much different I guess than climbing roped, but the exposure unroped added an extra element of intensity. Pulling over the lip on the last pitch and up the slabs t past the final belay was just as Scott described it. I just didn't have any option of asking for a hand. As we sat on top basking in the setting sun, it took a long time to let my nerves cool and be able to relax and enjoy what we had just done. A quick cold refreshing swim in Tenaya Lake brought an end to a spectacular day in Tuolumne.
- There's no shortage of folks who would scoff at the idea of getting haired-out on a just-barely 5.6, but I'm right there with Scott. He brought the climb back vividly for me - watching my friend Flesher clatter a #5 uselessly around in the offwidth that gives the climb its name before continuing on unprotected, trying not to visualize him peeling off and piling himself in a damaged lump by my feet; and then switching off and practically sprinting up the slab with a absurd notion that somehow momentum would make up for lack of pro. Thanks Scott and Fitz. Top shelf.
lc
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