Poachsemite

It is now day 15 of our North American roadshow. We're still squatting in Camp 4, the historical heart of North American climbing--though on the surface that may be hard to discern. We're surrounded by European men in capris (a style we've adopted), Mexican families in palatial tents (as ever-mobile squatters we're jealous), college kids playing beer-pong (the Utah boys are never invited), and a rowdy camp of black bears (Paxton sleeps with his eyes open for fear of missing Bertrand). Poaching has become as much a part of our lifestyle and routine as climbing, so it would seem that at least some of the Camp 4 magic has rubbed itself into us.

Saturday last saw our first failure in the Valley. We climbed several pitches of Goodrich Pinnacle before an extremely runout friction pitch shut me down entirely. Naturally I cursed plenty. To console ourselves we returned to Harry Daley and Paxton linked the two pitches into one 200+ foot pitch of incredible crack climbing. That night we were made official Yosemite National Park Junior Rangers. We capped off the evening by romping up a tricky ant-infested finger crack outside Camp 4.

Sunday we took as a rest day. We spent the morning at the base of El Cap, where some Valley locals had strung up an amazing rope swing in the Alcove. The fixed line swung us far and wide, 200 feet over the floor of Yosemite Valley. We also chanced to meet Ammon McNeely, a fine big-wall climber and star of The Sharp End, hauling loads to climb the Waterfall Route on the Captain.

The following day we arose early and set out on a six mile hike to the base of Half Dome's southwest face, home of the classic moderate Snake Dike. The route is famous for easy climbing and heinous runouts: on one pitch Paxton led from belay to belay with no protection in between. The slabs leading to the summit taxed our legs and the infamous Cables descent scared us silly (two tourists have died on the Cables already this year). The day was rounded out by a nine mile hike back to the truck and free (shh!) showers.

We're getting ready to leave Yosemite and the cheap life of constant poaching. Time will tell where sunset tomorrow finds us.
Below: Paxton doing a little rest-day bouldering outside Camp 4.
Below: Matt takes a swing out of the Alcove.
Below: Paxton with Grigri and sewing-machine-leg at the ready.
Below: Eventually the sewing machine becomes a jackhammer, and it throws him right off the slabs.
Below: Flying high above the Valley.
Below: Matt's pendulum coming to a close.
Below: Paxton traverses one of the crux pitches of Snake Dike.
Below: Paxton at the final belay on Half Dome, where the exposure becomes imminently apparent.
Below: What are you most dogmatic about? Killin' cairns.