Rocking out in the High Sierra

 It is now the middle of July, and the summer guiding season is in full swing.  Really, it has felt pretty full on since May, and doesn't seem like there will be any let up until October.  But I'm not complaining- not when work gets to take me to such rare and interesting places, with new friends and old.
After the last post covering the week spent up in the Palisades things have been hectic- a short trip up to Washington, an AMGA Alpine Course in the Tetons, and then right back to the Sierra.
The trips have been a lot of fun so far though- lots of rock guiding work and alpine rock, allowing me to use and figure out how to best integrate the new information gained through the alpine course into my own guiding.

Here are a couple of the trips as seen through the lens during the past month:

The Tetons, from my camp at Shadow Mt.  The weather was not super cooperative while the course was being held...

But we still managed to get some objectives done.  Josh Jackson short ropes Ron Paproski on Disappointment Pk.

Now back to the Sierra, Alex and Sarah came up for an advanced rock and mountain skills camp.

Here Alex takes the sharp end on Crystal Crag's North Arete

After Alex and Sarah took off it was time to shift gears to begin a 5 day Lead Climber program for the Navy SEALS, and by the last day they were swapping leads up some of the classic climbs in the area looking like they had been doing it for years!

Neil takes the lead up Crystal Crag 

Rappelling off of alpine terrain as the thunder started booming!

Neil the SEAL puts on his game face when learning terrain belays!

The day the SEAL program ended I had to get down to Big Pine to meet up with Matt and Marty, who had big designs on some higher level alpine rock climbing up on Temple Crag.  We hiked in in the early evening shade and set up a camp next to the aqua blue Second Lake.  The next morning we were up early and climbed the ultra-classic Venusian Blind Arete (5.7 1,500ft).

Matt and Marty, looking stoked, somewhere mid route

Finally on top of the route, but still a ways to go to the summit!

Now with a couple days off to relax and recalibrate, I get to look forward with more of the same!  Whitney's East Butress, the Fishhook Arete on Russell, and local rock climbing are what I get to look forward over the next couple weeks.