We climbed some stuff

Pretty psyched to be finally getting some good weather and dry rock in the Valley. Freerider is still soaked so we've hitting up some other classic free routes here.

First up was the Silent Line on Gold Wall. It's around ten pitches of stunning crack climbing with a cruxy 5:13 first pitch that climbs off to the side of a bolt ladder than most people aid up. Super fun to be getting on some harder pitches on dry rock. Derek crushed the 1st pitch and I got close but slipped off some slopey crimps in the sun. The highlight of the climb was on pitch 5 where you climb up inside a massive chimney that completely closes off all around you to a point where there is a exit hole that you have to crawl through on your belly! Hard to describe what it's like crawling out a horizontal squeeze chimney and staring straight down 200m to the Valley floor but it's rad.

Since then we've been up on leaning tower twice. It's a shorter than the typical Yosemite "Big Walls" but it packs quite a punch. It starts with a scramble up an exposed ledge and then a steep bolt ladder to get into the freeclimbing. The climbing is steep and pretty sustained in difficulty. We've sent a bunch of the 5:12 pitches on it (up to the 4th pitch above the bolt ladder) and have worked out how to climb the crux 5:13 pitch. Unfortunately this crux pitch has been wet each time we've been up there but we hope it will dry soon. Tomorrow (Derek's last day) we're heading up there to send, wet or dry!

And as things finally drying out here and we still have a bunch of gear stashed halfway up El Cap I've extended my trip till the 17th to try and at least get a shot at climbing freerider...

We are spending today on El Cap watch, lots of action up there right now. The Tassies (Garry and Alex 2nd) are on the Nose and Alex the German and Josh the Gully Climber are on the West (soaking wet gullies) Face.