Climbing for 2011: Score is 1-4

Yes, 1-4, meaning 1 successful summit and 4 bails on long routes in Yosemite Valley. Let's examine a photo record:

#1:

Shern cleaning pitch 3 of the Nose (5.9 C2, 31 pitches) on El Capitan

We bailed after 6 pitches: heinous hauling (for me) and too much exposure (for Shern) shut us down.

#2:

Tarek jury-rigging kneepads for our attempt on Lost Arrow Chimney (5.10, 10 pitches)

We got up one pitch by 8:30am and then the sun blasted us...we now call the Upper Falls wall the Diabolical Parabolical.

#3:

Deep-space Explorer: Ben rappelling off the West Face route (5.7 C2+, 11 pitches) on the Leaning Tower

With a 3:00AM start time, we were planning on topping out in the afternoon. Pitch 3 had other plans for me when an offset cam I had just weighted popped out and sent me for a 25-footer. I lost my aider and the cam into the great beyond...and I only had one other aider. Bye bye.

#4:

Kristin cruising up the splitter hands on the Enduro Corner (pitch 4) on Astroman (5.11c, 12 pitches)

We had done these crux pitches previously on a test run (we had intended on rappelling after doing them) and had felt pretty good; this time around we got an early start (read: poor sleep) but yet again the great Helios had other plans for us as he rode his chariot across the sky. By pitch 6 we were tired (Kristin) and crampy (me). Bail number 4...

The only success so far was on Steck-Salathe (5.10-, 15 pitches) on the Sentinel. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera!

As a consolation prize, here is my redpoint of a recent project, Space Invaders (5.12):



Update: Make that 3(ish) successful summits! I climbed the Rostrum 3 times this season, twice by the popular North Face route and once by a route called Blind Faith, which is just right of the NF.

Help save the rainforest!

Who would have thought? I guess it's not much of a surprise that I gravitate to jobs like these.

I am living in Oakland, California and working for Caura Futures, manufacturing gear that will allow people in the tropical rain forest to harvest palm fruit without resorting to cutting down the palms.

The shop.

Tarek Milleron, founder of Caura Futures, filming the new video to demo the gear.

Currently, Caura Futures is running a fund-raiser on IndieGoGo, a site designed to help projects such as this one get off the ground. There are a variety of cool incentives for which to donate, such as 12oz of Fair Trade coffee ($25 donation) or even a set of the palm climbing gear ($150 donation).

Go check it out, donate whatever you can, tell your friends and family, and know that with your help we can help save the rain forest.

Post script: I have been hired by Yosemite National Park and will be working as an EMT in Yosemite Valley this summer. Keep your eyes peeled for some great climbing adventures and tons of photos!

Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician...and more!

If you're wondering why I haven't updated in a couple months (yeah, I know you were counting the days) it's because I've been immersed in a WEMT course just outside of Yosemite, California. Pretty full-on: 50+ hours in class, studying, or doing clinical rotations.

That's me assembling an O2 tank and regulator, blindfolded.

An improvised long-bone fracture splint.

One of the many days in class.

I COMMAND THEE TO GET BETTER!

Our instructor Daniel demonstrating the Trauma Patient Assessment.

The improvised litter.
Ryan gets to be toted around like a piece of luggage.

Rob inspecting the checklist while being double-traction splinted.

The class left me feeling more prepared, medically, than I have from other courses in the past; now, with the right equipment, I have the know-how to effectively stabilize serious medical and trauma patients.

Some other things I learned in the month since the course ended:

First skiing experience ever:
Cross-country for the day in Yosemite

Figured out how to lay a tile floor with my friend Jesse.

OK, that's all for now. I will have some updates soon on making your own energy bars and also an attempt at making noise-cancelling headphones. Keep your eye-balls peeled!

El Portal, California.
New snow at 5,500' while I split wood in a t-shirt at 2,000'.