Waking up Tuseday morning was like sitting in a freezer. I did not want to get out of the -40 sleepingbag.. There is no way! I definitely was missing some warm socks and beanie, and sweater. (I had left the warm sweater in Oakland… cause I thought Dan’s home was going to be warm with a nice fireplace..) Having to pee became though so pressing that the argument in my head quickly was gained by the right party. Do what you have to do. With a BIG surprise I found out that the bathrooms had heating and so it became a daily morning and evening routine to spend 45 min there, shower and warm myself up. I think not having been so clean in ages! Danny had a day off so we drove to Mammoth (ski-resort outside of Yosemite National Park) At the park-gate on Tioga pass, Rueben (works at the gate) yelled a « Tschüss » with a smile at us, proud saying goodbye in my language. For him most important in life is « Smiling and spreading love ».This made my day. We went searching warm cloths for me in some thrift-stores. Danny likes thrift-stores. Ok we will get along well those 3 weeks. I love thrift stores, and it seems the Mammoth population does so too. Big choice there. The rest of the day went bouldering. Couldn't wait anylonger to finally touch this famous granite rock myself!
When I first heard of YOSEMITE National Parc, I was reading Lynn Hills book of her life story. She is one of the rock climbing pioneers and has been the first person ever free-climbing this giantic granit wall called El Capitain. A 1000m rock face. Ever since the fascination of that place had me, and so I could not wait to go climbing on those faces myself. To boulder was good, but the granite of the place we were was old, which means it gets really fragile and also very rough. Not what we imagine when thinking of that special rockformation.
Wednesday morning Danny had this smile on his face: Girl I wanna show you some place! That place was Cathedral Peak, 3200m high. The name gives the form. It looks like a cathedral bell-tower from the distance. It meant trad climbing on easy rock and so we decided to go for a simul-climb. About 200 hight meters via the south western buttress. It took a steep 1h approach to get to the bottom of the beast. And there, hoping to be alone we of course were in good german and american company. IT was a great ascent, that we more or less did on a "revers" basis. Danny did the first 6 pitches (so I could get used to the rock) and I did the last three ones. Spectacular is the right word. With breathtaking vues on the surrounding and cracks over cracks, huge jugs, easy slabs. All that I was liking in an easy ascent. To get on top of the needle was making my heart beat faster, a little exposed, and happy to be on a rope we ended on a 2 square meter sized platform. The germans had overrun all 3 climbing teams and we saw them on their walk down like little legomen. That felt like a good start to those 3 weeks. I felt ike a little Lynn Hill, being in a perfect payground...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho-fIG5ggm0&spfreload=5
