The Astrum (Oct 22-23 2005)

Sometimes I'm amazed at my powers of persuasion. Sometimes not. For once, it was the former. I somehow managed to convince Rod that, seeing as he hadn't been to the valley since the spring, now was the perfect time to return and get on Astroman. So what if he hadn't done much real climbing of late. We would only do "Astroboy" (the first 6 pitches), and there wasn't a move on it harder than 10c. Yes, yes, I know the Enduro corner is rated at 11c, but seriously, it's just sustained (really, really sustained) 10b. Maybe it was the superlative weather forecast that convinced him, but whatever it was, he agreed. So Friday night, Rod, Allen and I piled into my car for the weekly pilgrimage. Allen was to climb with Casey, and they too were going to get on Astroman on Saturday. There was a brief period of tension when we tried to track down Casey and company at Camp 4, as they had Allen's sleeping bag, but all went well and the sleeping bag was rescued.

It wasn't a particularly early morning, as we didn't plan on doing the whole thing, but we eventually got moving. It was warm and sunny. And unfortunately, really, really smoky - there were a number of "controlled" burns underway, and a thick layer of smoke hung over the valley floor. Allen and Casey went first, as Allen wanted to send the boulder problem, while I wanted to try the 10a variation, so we hung out for a while at the base, then Rod racked up and linked P1 and P2. The 10a variation on P3 isn't particularly hard, but it is committing, as the pro is poor - really thin nuts way off to the side. Allen says that Lowe Balls also work well. I hesitated a couple of times before sending it, then as usual cursed myself for being such a wuss. Then came the Enduro Corner. This time I was determined not to be a wuss, and resolved not to leapfrog any gear. Pro was 1 #3 cam, 2 #2, 3 #1, 2 #.75, 2 red alien, 1 yellow, 1 green. I moved as fast as I could, took the rests, and made it to the top without hanging and also with extra gear! Next time I'll take less. We hung out for a little bit on Overnight ledge, while Allen and Casey moved on, then Rod made quick work of P5, which left P6 for me. Allen fixed his rope from the top of P6, which gets you down to Overnight ledge, and took pictures as I went up. The start is a deep V-shaped chimney with a good hand crack at the back, if you can wedge your shoulders in far enough. Then it gets interesting with a lieback/undercling move to another crack, and then another similar move to an offwidth. For the life of me, I couldn't get into the offwidth, and was freaking as to how to make the move. I had one piece down low, a microscopic brass offset to the side which might hold body weight, and Allen 3 feet to my left, with the rope within tantalising reach. The implications of a fall were sickening to consider. Allen tried to be supportive, saying things like "just go for it - the fall's clean". I looked at him in disbelief and asked, "you mean after I bounce off the sharp arete, slide through the off width, then pendulum into the dihedral? Yeah, looks good to me!" Eventually, I sucked it up and did some face and stem moves off the arete. It didn't help that half way through the sequence I head the ping as the nut pulled....

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Allen on the Boulder Problem, and the Enduro Corner

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Casey looking up at the Harding Slot, and Rod on P5

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Charles freaks out on P6

Three raps brought us down, back into the smoky haze that filled the valley, and we hung out for dinner at camp 4 with Casey, Chris, and Travis. Of course, we spent much time debating what to do on Sunday, and Casey and Allen eventually decided on The Rostrum. I suggested the same to Rod, and amazingly enough, he agreed! It hardly took any alcohol or blunt force trauma! Actually, we decided to sleep in a bit, and only do the last 6 pitched of the Rostrum.
The next morning, at the Rostrum pullout, we encountered the Yosemite Marching Band, a ragtag assemblage of instruments and the people who operate them. They were planning on setting up a tyrolean across to the Rostrum, and taking pictures and video of them going across and playing in full band regalia. With the promise of an unusual and interesting top out, we hiked down, and while Allen and Casey tried Blind Faith (5.11d), Rod and I started on the 11c pitch of the Rostrum. Heck of a warmup. I cranked through the 11c crux, but missed a huge, obvious foothold at the 11b lieback at the top and hung for a moment, until I realized what a moron I'd been, and easily pulled through it. A beautiful (half) pitch - I belayed from the midpoint anchors instead of continuing on another 80 feet to the "real" end of the pitch. Rod had some issues with the thin toe jams (hobbit feet you know), but made it up. Meanwhile, Allen and Casey were discovering that a 60m rope is only just barely long enough to rap down from Blind Faith.... I continued on past the fun traverse and up the hand crack to the anchors. The next pitch was 10c thin hands in a dihedral to a 10d undercling/lieback that was a bit spicy at the top. Then came the 10c traverse, which required a lunge to an unknown crack, hoping that it was good (it was), then some fun stemming and some un-fun 10b offwidth. I was doing pretty well on the offwidth until the trigger wire on my #4 camalot came out, and I had to hang while fixing it. Evidently I didn't do a very good job, as it happened again 10 feet higher up. Argh! I think I could have gotten it clean otherwise, but it was a real grunt fest. A #4 and #4.5 protect the pitch well. As does the bolt half way up. Then came the guano pitch, where the falcons next, with a lovely, 6 inch high stalagmite of bloody guano. Yum! Overhanging hands to fists, then a few feet of delicate fingerwork at the top, with a belay in a lovely cave. Actually, all the belays on the climb are on good ledges, but this one was killer. And due to the big roof that protrudes above, I could clearly hear everything that Rod, Allen and Casey were saying a hundred feet below. It was pretty freaky! The last pitch is one of those "please Sir, may I have another?" pitches. So called 5.9 offwidth that's slightly overhanging at first, then eases back and gets bigger. I thrutched my way up, pushing the #4.5 up as high as I could, then with much whimpering, moved above it. Luckily it gets easier, and eventually one can plug a green alien into a little pod for piece of mind, though it also works well at keeping the rope out of the crack and off the gear. A few more offwidth/mantle moves gets you to the top. I screamed with joy, and the Yosemite Marching Band played a salutary melody as I whipped off my shirt and revelled in the glorious sunshine (it had been a serious error to put on longjohns that morning). What a climb!

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Charles on the 11c pitch, and Charles taunting Allen
with a rope as he's about to get into the 10b offwidth

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Casey on the bloody guano pitch. Check out the Alien Finish!

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Casey on the last pitch

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Summit shots

They were still taking pictures of the Yosemite Marching Band when I topped out and belayed Rod, so it appears that I might make it into the Telluride Film Festival, where they will be featured! If you see a half naked maniac with crazy hair in the background of the Rostrum shots, that'll be me!

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