lasercave | fine tangible and intangible media

I recently went down to California for the dual purpose of retrieving Jade from the previously-posted summer in the Sierras, as well as hitting up Tuolomne for some classics. Time is always shorter than you’d hope, but we tried to make the best of it. Arriving mid-afternoon on Wednesday and miraculously finding an open site at Porcupine Flats($10/site a night!), we went out to Olmstead Canyon for a brief cragging session, the best we could hope for with a sky full of puffy clouds and a 18-hr-train-ride sore back for myself.

We looked for a good warmup climb, only finding a 10a hand-to-finger crack on the right side of the ivory tower, which we both sent cleanly and boosted our morale for the prospects of the next three days. We top-roped a 5.8 offwidth which proved to be a great bit of practice for our final day. After that, desiring true brutality and punishment, we went and top-roped the sinister Galen’s Crack (10c offwidth). We were both summarily spanked, and I left a modicum of flesh on the crack as a snack for the adventurous anoles about the area.

We had both (obviously) wanted to climb Fairview Dome’s Regular Route (5.9), but were slightly spooked by the prospects of thunderstorms and getting stuck behind slow parties (or both!), so we got a nice alpine-rock start (4 am vs. 1 am) the next day. First at the base of the climb by 6 am. Jade led the first pitch, and we swapped leads from there.




A truly wonderful climb. Puffy clouds remained in the sky, but we moved quickly and topped out by noon. After the very fun ledgy traverse, we simuled the final 300 feet of 4-5.6 climbing, and pitched the top out. 6 hrs up, first on top for the day, and beautiful views on all sides. Summit cigarette and photos, then a mellow walk-off and a large, carb-heavy dinner back at camp.

The next morning we woke up late, enjoyed a decadent breakfast with copious coffee, and headed out to DAFF Dome to do the West Crack (5.9 5 pitches). There was a bit of a line by that time, so we climbed the 5.9 Witch of the West sport route next to it, then got on the crack proper. What a fun climb! So many knobs and crystals that you can really vary your crack technique quite a bit. Great hands, great fingers, and mellow belay spots that eat up gear. Another 5-star climb…we’re getting spoiled. We hung out on the top, repeated the sundry summit rituals, then rapped off and headed back to camp.

Last day! We wanted our money’s worth, and the only two objectives that were screaming out at us (On the Lamb, Phobos, and Hobbit Book were the distant runners up) were Cathedral Peak and Eichorn’s Pinnacle. No better way to get at these two than right in a row: our first baby link up! Another 4 am wake up, and were the first people on the Southeast Buttress (5.6) by 6 am on a Saturday. Rare, but not unheard of. We cruised the route, simul-climbing the first bit, then pitching out to make for 5 pitches on 700′. We topped out and took in the views (amazing as they are) before down-climbing to the old John Muir route and heading down to the base of Eichorn’s Pinnacle West Pillar (5.9 700′). We climbed Cathedral in 3 hours, giving us ample time to laze in the sun, get more dehydrated, and kvetch as a slow and nervous team jumped in front of us, then bailed, then asked us to retrieve their gear for them.


Jade led the first strenuous 5.9 offwidth in great style, setting a fine belay above the crack system. I sent down the errant gear to our fellow climbers, followed the pitch, then was greeted by the much-different-than-advertised 2nd pitch. 5.9 awkward flare it says, but doesn’t mention the runout roof traverse and traverse on rotting (for Tuolomne) granite that brings you to the awkward flare. Anyhow, the pitch proved exhilarating and one of, if not my favorite lead pitches to date. The 5.9 flare was another strenuous offwidth that spit me out at a nice enough ledge for me to ditch shoes and take in the views. Jade came up, enjoying the gnar traverse before heading up for the next pitch. This pitch proved to be another fantastic lead on Jade’s part. Very exposed, varied climbing from cracks, to knbby face, to flakes, to chimney/stemming. This brought us a little lower than the suggested belay, but rope drag wasn’t to be argued with. I took the next “pitch”, a 4th class traverse with a 5.6 move to the base of the Rib-Wrestling gully.

Jade took the next pitch, traversing into the gully and making up to yet another 5.9 offwidth. Good god, why so many in so small a space. Jade burled through this final obstacle and brought me up. I climbed the final 50 feet to the summit, brought Jade up, and we basked in the piercing sun on the glassy granite. Chapped, bloody, and dehydrated, but a perfect day of climbing. Summit rituals and then a rap down. We picked up our gear, hit the JMT and got back to the road without having to turn headlamps on (9:30 pm). All the climbing that daylight and a tight schedule could afford!

Sick sends, great granite, lengthy link ups. Can’t wait for my hands to heal to get back on some gnar rock!