Well friends, it has been a long time now since I made it back down to Yosemite for the 2009 season, and since getting here, things have been in full swing. With a lot of different friends showing up, and meeting a lot of new ones here in El Portal, I have been doing a bunch of free-climbing on formations that were totally new to me. The valley is a pretty magical place for exploration.
But the main draw, as always, is the Captain. My buddy Rob suggested a vertical camping trip in the most scenic, exposed, and steep section of the wall- a route called Tribal Rite which cuts a clean and beautiful line up the left margin of the Dawn Wall. To access the route, which starts 13 pitches up the wall after the Boot Flake, we climbed New Dawn. After 2 days spent fixing, we were on the route for 7 days.
Tribal Rite was difficult and sustained, but the reward was the beautiful climbing we encountered along our grande tour of El Cap ledges. Enjoy.
Grassy beginnings on New Dawn
There was quite a bit of cursing coming out of this flare.
Rob loves free climbing with the goon-rack.
Enter the Nose Superhighway. Fixed lines from El Cap Tower.
Boot Flake bolt ladder.
Don't mess with Texas!
The journey begins- pitch 1 of Tribal.
Steep!
Miles of heads and rivets get us to pitch 4.
The reason for it all...
Robbie enjoys Sun Ledge (pitch 4), while I tackle the Carrot first thing in the morning.
Another gorgeous open corner...
Which leads us to this strenuous and gently overhung A2 arrows corner.
Somewhere mid-route, Tom Evans started getting some pics of us from the bridge!
What does Robbie eat for breakfast? Hooking off the belay. Every time. Does a body good!
Beginning the RURP pitch.
Inside the beak, looking out.
Rob's best friend is his funkness.
Still lookin' fresh in our flair!
Top out haul ROCKS!
We topped out, packed up, and dispatched the East Ledges quickly to be met with cold beer and good food by Rob's wife Kendra. Now we rest, swim in the river, and hatch new plans.
After getting down, Rob has a Jim Morrison-locked in a bathroom-episode and decides that the past week was just another hallucination!
Later guys and gals. ryan.
