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The Nose, VI 5.10 C1+On Sunday morning, September 4th, 2005, after spending nearly a week organizing gear, packing and re-packing our haul bags, and finally loading everything into... |
September 12, 2004 2187 x 1747 pixels 668.2 KB |
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Looking up The NoseAfter spending some time staring up at El Cap from the meadows, we decided to climb up to the base of our route, to check out the approach and decide about the... |
September 12, 2004 1536 x 2048 pixels 1.5 MB |
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Scoping out the routeWhen we got back to the car, Aaron got ahold of his parents on his cell phone. They were just getting into the park, se he gave them directions to meet us where... |
September 4, 2005 2592 x 1944 pixels 2.3 MB |
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Scoping out the routeAaron's mother was worried, as any good mother would be. She expressed her concerns a few times. “Are you sure you guys want to do this? Can't you just go for a... |
September 4, 2005 2592 x 1944 pixels 2.2 MB |
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Aaron peers through the scope |
September 4, 2005 2592 x 1944 pixels 2.2 MB |
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Will peers through the scope |
September 4, 2005 2592 x 1944 pixels 2.1 MB |
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Alpenglow on Half Dome at sunsetAfter a half hour or so in the meadow, checking out the status of The Nose, we headed to the housekeeping camp, where Aaron's parents had reserved a site. We... |
September 4, 2005 2592 x 1944 pixels 1.9 MB |
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Let the climbing commence!On Monday morning (September 5th, Labor Day), Aaron and I awoke before dawn, and left his parents, sleeping in the comfort of their sleeping bags in the... |
September 5, 2005 2048 x 1536 pixels 698.8 KB |
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Me leading pitch 2After Aaron finished the first pitch, I jumared up and began leading the second. The plan was for me to try to link pitches 2 and 3, provided that I had enough... |
September 5, 2005 2048 x 1536 pixels 681.4 KB |
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Aaron and a Brendon somewhere on pitch 2 or 3Aaron jumared up pitches 2 and 3, losing time only when he stopped to clean the nut that I had almost fallen on. After he had worked on it for about five... |
September 5, 2005 3507 x 2303 pixels 1.1 MB |
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Aaron following pitch 3This shows Aaron a little further up on pitch 3. Note that in these photos, you can still see the tops of the trees not far below us. That will soon change. |
September 5, 2005 3507 x 2303 pixels 997.5 KB |
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Me at the top of pitch 3That's me, hanging out at the top of pitch 3 as Aaron jugged up. In this photo I am just finishing leg-hauling the mini-pig. Ah, if only all of the hauling were... |
September 5, 2005 3507 x 2303 pixels 1.1 MB |
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Aaron and I on pitch 3The lower climber in the photo is Aaron, jumaring up toward me, at the end of pitch 3. |
September 5, 2005 2303 x 3507 pixels 1.1 MB |
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It's about to get crowded...When Aaron reached the top of pitch 3, he told me how fast the Brendons were moving. These guys were free-climbing hot shots. We decided to let them pass us,... |
September 5, 2005 3507 x 2303 pixels 944.2 KB |
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Crowded belayFrom left to right, that's Brendon #1, me, and Aaron, all at the top of pitch 3. |
September 5, 2005 3507 x 2303 pixels 1.1 MB |
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Really crowded belay!From left to right, we now have both Brendons, me, and Aaron, at the top of pitch 3. Quite crowded. They made pretty quick work of pitch 4, however, so it... |
September 5, 2005 3507 x 2303 pixels 1.1 MB |
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Aaron leading pitch 4After we waited for the Brendons to finish most of pitch 4, Aaron started leading. He free climbed the first part, then French-freed to the right using a fixed... |
September 5, 2005 3507 x 2303 pixels 1001.4 KB |
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Aaron at the left end of Sickle LedgeAfter a few aid moves, Aaron reached the far left end of Sickle Ledge, the large curving ledge system that marked the end of pitch 4. He then scrambled right... |
September 5, 2005 3507 x 2303 pixels 845.5 KB |
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Aaron and the Brendons on Sickle Ledge |
September 5, 2005 3507 x 2303 pixels 1.2 MB |
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Rapping from Sickle LedgeOur plan for the day was to climb four pitches to Sickle Ledge without hauling, then rappel down (leaving ropes in place as we went), get the pigs, and jumar... |
September 5, 2005 2303 x 3507 pixels 1016.3 KB |
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Aaron rappelling from Sickle LedgeMe standing on Sickle Ledge, Aaron starting the first rappel. |
September 5, 2005 2303 x 3507 pixels 1.0 MB |
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Our gear at Sickle LedgeThis is our gear, which we left hanging at Sickle Ledge when we went down to get our haulbags. The pack on the left is my climbing pack, a little thing that our... |
September 5, 2005 1536 x 2048 pixels 705.9 KB |
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Aaron on the first rappel from Sickle LedgeLooking down from Sickle Ledge, as Aaron finished the first rappel... |
September 5, 2005 1536 x 2048 pixels 634.0 KB |
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Rapping down from Sickle LedgeAs Aaron and I rapped down from Sickle Ledge, his parents hiked in from the meadows to meet us at the base. They took a few photos of us rappelling. This one... |
September 5, 2005 2592 x 1944 pixels 2.3 MB |
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Rapping down from Sickle LedgeThis shot shows me rapping down with Little Miss Piggy, while Aaron hangs out at an anchor above me. |
September 5, 2005 1944 x 2592 pixels 2.2 MB |
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Rapping down from Sickle LedgeMe on the left (with the mini-pig on my back) and Aaron on the right... |
September 5, 2005 1944 x 2592 pixels 2.2 MB |
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Me on the groundRight after rapping down from Sickle Ledge, complete with the usual ton of aid climbing gear, Little Miss Piggy on my back, and our mascot, Pooky, hanging from... |
September 5, 2005 1944 x 2592 pixels 2.2 MB |
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Aaron rappellingAlmost on the ground, with the whole height of El Cap visible behind him. |
September 5, 2005 1944 x 2592 pixels 2.2 MB |
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Aaron and his momHis mother was happy to have him safely back on the ground... though he wouldn't be on the ground for long. |
September 5, 2005 1944 x 2592 pixels 2.2 MB |
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This was taken literally seconds after we finished rappelling down from Sickle Ledge.
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September 5, 2005 1944 x 2592 pixels 2.2 MB |
