Latexit el capitan7/29/2023 That day I traversed several hundred feet to the left. The second morning dawned fine, as did the rest. That nasty wind had at least presaged good weather. My friend Chuck Pratt, while taking a dim view of this sort of stunt, would nevertheless call her each night to appraise her of how the battle was going. Liz departed to take my place selling latex or oleosinous coatings in Modesto. Well, I was prepared for eight fat, or ten spare ones. Hmmm … it would take me ten days at this rate. By nightfall I was hammocked only 300 feet above the ground. After hauling the bag, I was ready to repeat the whole process. From the top of each pitch, I rappelled back down to the start, unhooked the hauling bag and let it out on the rappel line, and Jümared up the fixed climbing rope, removing the pins as I went. Or would it?īelaying myself with Jümar handles, I started up, using pitons for aid, climbing free when I could. The interesting thing is that the contrary decision, the choice to remain on the ground, not to bother, would probably have more favorably affected my character, and almost certainly have a more profound and far-reaching effect upon my life, than soloing the Big Daddy. I chose to go up because I told myself I had to do it. And that choice was made in complete freedom on a windy April morning, at the base of El Capitan. Chances were that I would be safe enough, but something could happen. And windy thoughts were tearing at my mind too. It was a bitter, evil day, with a bitter, evil wind whipping down over the north rim and tearing at the trees and buffeting the rock. And worse: Liz walked to the base with me. That being my trade, I was forced to start in April, a bit too early for my taste. May is a good month to sell paint in the Central Valley. But Chouinard’s enthralling account was a bit sparse in details, and I was to regret this in the days ahead. The story of the epic first ascent by TM Herbert and Yvon Chouinard has been well told in the A.A.J., 1966. And this would be the second ascent, which would give me something to gloat over, if I were inclined to gloat, which I am, secretly. I did not succeed, of course, but that was one of the great examples that spurred me on.Įl Capitan had not been soloed. I have long dreamed of emulating Bonatti’s fantastic solo of the southwest pillar of the Dru. I used to hitch-hike into the San Gabriel Mountains of southern California, scramble down a remote canyon, and pass the day clinging to a 600-foot cliff of poor rock. It is well to record that I started climbing solo at the age of 16. Perhaps now, after El Capitan, he is satisfied. He is insatiable, gluttonous, ever lusting for more of the peculiar meat upon which he feeds. I was driven by an unrelenting demon inside, and that demon is difficult to assuage. I have done solo climbs because I had to do them. There are no reasonable reasons why one solos. Only I am a little less afraid of El Capitan. I think I am just as afraid of as many things as I used to be. Do I? I don’t know I can not remember exactly how it was before. But will the spirit be stronger afterwards? How does one tell? If one faces life better. Maybe climbing El Capitan solo is using it as an exercise bar. Proving something to myself, mainly, I think. But I sense it has much to do with the ego, and with proving something. If it is a way of showing off, of proving something, it is also a test, a way of finding out what one is made of. One is looking at oneself all the way up. The fullest expression of the climbing egoist. The thing about a solo climb is that it is all yours. He doesn’t have to climb solo.īut what is this solo nonsense, anyway? Oh, just solo nonsense. He’s an ace climber, lawyer, and karate expert. McCarthy, of course, is the rock of the East Coast. I knew that I had done the right thing when I learned that Jim McCarthy had soloed High Exposure.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |