Wednesday 1 December 2010

New Hampshire & Yosemite

I visited New Hampshire for a week to warm up before 3 weeks of granite cracks in Yosemite late last September.

Jack Tracy, an old friend from London who's moved back home to the US recently, was our incredible host and showed us everything the state had to offer.

First stop was Cathedral where Mike and I aimed to get as much crack climbing in as possible (something i haven't really done before) so was promptly educated!



Next stop was Rumney for a day of sport climbing . . .



I was so pleased to have onsighted this awesome route; Predator 5.13a- an ambition since i first saw it in a photo years ago.

Next stop was Yosemite. . . what a slap around the face! Yosemite is its own style of climbing and a week of crack climbing was simply not enough preparation. It was a big mistake to have got on The Rostrum as the first route of the trip - i basically tried to layback the first 3 pitches before falling on the third 145' pitch and reaching the top with just a single sling and cam despite placing gear every 10 to 15 foot! What a pro!


Anyway, between getting rained out for a week and bouldering in Bishop and climbing in Owen's River, we did some classics- Nutcracker, Central Pillar of Frenzy etc and even managed to free The Leaning Tower and flashed many of the pitches (as a second!) & only fell on 3 pitches (3rd, last and one other?!) I vow to go back and free it some day soon!

A 2010 Team photo in front of one of Yosemite's Giant Redwoods