The morning started with oatmeal, cookies, tea and good coffee – provided by the Austrian couple. I had to extend my campsite for four more days and as it was Sunday, there was free coffee at the ranger kiosk. I had texted Disco, a friendly guy from Michigan, to meet up and see what we would like to climb. His suggestion proved to be excellent as I would see later: The Grack – Center (5.6.) and Haley Daley (5.8.), both routes situated on Glacier Apron, a giant slab full of splitter cracks.
Disco and I rode his motorbike to the parking lot, the climbing rope tied to the back and me screaming at the tourists and waving my taped hands – I felt particularly bad ass doing that.
Leading the routes was spectacular – all my hand- and feetjams worked, the sun was blazing down but I still refused to use chalk, which wasn‘t a problem yet. The first route was easy but had a small, slightly run-out part on the top, where the crack disappeared and you had to move up on tiny flakes on the wall up to the anchor. Being used to run-outs and sometimes creating them with my rather spare placement of gear (sonetimes scarier to the belayer/follower…) I went up and clipped into the bolts – what a wonderful route!
The second crack route we did, Haley Daley, had scarier parts and my feet kept cramping up as I pressed them on the smooth walls where it was impossible to insert them in the crack. It involed all kinds of movements – stemming, liebacking, traversing and lots of jamming – I even had to use some fingerlocks – what a feeling when they actually work!
On a mini-roof I placed a solid cam and suddenly I got scared while trying to stand up on one foot on a knob at the edge of the roof. My famous monologues started and Disco had a good laugh. I couldn‘t do it. My arms were getting pumped and I feared to slip and lose control. I came back down to the anchor and on the second attempt, I climbed it without a break as if it was easy. Climbing is so weird – it is all about mind comtrol. The crack got scarier upwards, but I pulled and pushed until I reached the top. At some moves I thought: this is impossible – my feet or hands ARE going to slide off at any moment – but somehow I kept going and it worked! My brain doesn‘t seem to be a good climbing partner sometimes 😉
We rappelled and scrambled back down. The rest of the day I read in my book „Hangdog Days“ by Jeff Smoot – there‘s a lot of stories about Yosemite climbing inside. My hands were scratched and sore – the best feeling!
Finn Goes West - Hiking & Climbing in the South-Western USA 