(2048x996 at 232 kb)

Instead of facing the crowds of the Valley or Tuolumne for the Independence Day weekend, we decided to try something different and check out the Needles. Jack and I drove out on Thursday night, followed shortly thereafter by Dan and Lynsey, who were on a 10 day odyssey. We ran into nasty traffic around Fresno, and didn't get to the campsite until after 2. Luckily we found a spot easily, and quickly pitched tents before collapsing. We were fairly slow to get moving the next morning, though some were slower than others. A nice flat spot had opened up, so Dan and Lynsey moved their tent to a less inclined area, which left us in possession of the entire end of the campground. Or so we thought... We packed the bags, and hiked in along the 2.5 mi trail to the watchtower, where we visited the lookout ranger, before finishing off the last half mile to the notch between the Witch and the Sorcerer. For the most part, the hike is pretty mellow, on an easy trail without much altitude gain or loss to the watchtower. The last half mile after that is not as nice, but still not that horrible.

(1600x1200 at 900.5 kb)
The Lookout Tower

Jack and I started out on Airy Interlude (5.10a). I took the first pitch, a rope stretcher (we simuled a few feet on a 60m), but pretty mellow crack with a couple of 5.9 moves, then Jack snagged the second, with a very fun crack traverse. We ended up about 15' short of the anchor, but it's low angle up there, so we just untied and walked it. A short rap and a bit of down-scrambling returned us to the notch for round two, which was Ice Pirates (5.11b). I took the first pitch, and Jack the second, which has a very "in your face" finish when the crack gets very thin, then runs out and you have to make a hairy move left. Meanwhile, Dan and Lynsey got on Thin Ice, and something I can't remember.

(1200x1600 at 856.5 kb)	(1200x1600 at 832.5 kb)
Jack at the top of Airy Interlude, and Dan and Lynsey on Thin Ice

The hike back to camp was much easier without packs, though for some reason it took longer. Haven't figured that one out yet. Dan and Lynsey trudged in not much after us, and we made elaborate meals with our superiorly outfitted camp accoutrement. That table sure has come in handy! The next morning we were joined by Rod and Rob, who had come in late the night before. Once again we hiked the three miles in, a trail which never seemed to get any shorter, and Jack and I had a go at Thin Ice (5.10b). Jack took the first pitch, which it shares most of with Ice Pirates, and I took the second, which is a 5.9 flare. Unfortunately, I chose the wrong technique, and decided to try to climb it straight in, dislocating my shoulders with every move, grunting and flailing. The proper technique, as Jack to ably demonstrated, is to go left side in, and chimney your way up with a hand on the arete. Much, much, easier. D'oh! Two double rope raps brought us down from the Sorcerer. We then moved on to Atlantis (5.11c). Thin Ice had really worked me, so I gave Jack the first pitch, which he polished off with ease, then I got the delicate flake manoeuvres on the second. Jack made short work of the crux 3rd pitch, though he did scare me a bit going for the sloper a few times before finally committing to it. Since he had done such a good job there, I also let him have the last pitch, which was a lovely 11a undercling move and some more thin crack. An awesome climb!

(1200x1600 at 756.5 kb)	(1200x1600 at 1013 kb)
Rod on Thin Ice, and Ed and Viv on Igor Unchained

When we got back to camp that evening, we discovered that an interloper had pitched his tent in the middle of our campsite, taking the last flat bit of ground that we had saved for Rod and Rob. Unfortunately, they hadn't pitched anything there in the morning. Despite being only a few yards away from us, and clearly able to hear all the passive-aggressive comments we were making about him, he lacked the courtesy to move his tent. Jerk. Ed and Vivian pulled up not long thereafter, and joined us for much carousing about the dinner table. Both Jack and I felt rather lethargic the next day, so we decided to push it up a notch with Don Juan (5.11b). When we got there, there was a party of 3 flailing their way up Thin Ice, which shares the first 30 feet, so we had to wait. Just then I noticed something moving at the P2 (or P1) belay, and thought it might be peregrine's nesting. We felt very disappointed at being shut down before even leaving the ground. I pulled out the binocs, and sure enough there was something there. I passed them to Jack for confirmation, but it took him a while before he was able to make out that the "birds" were just some slings.... While we waited, we warmed up on an 11c face just to the left. Not a good warmup - a really thin crux above the third bolt had me puzzled for a while, and the full sun certainly didn't help my hands and feet stick. The crux just below the anchors also tweaked the wrist I injured last fall, but at least I got the move without falling and injuring more bits. After seeing how much fun I had on it, Jack passed. By then, the party on Thin Ice had finally left the ground, so we began to climb. I had offered to take the 5.10 pitches, but Jack wanted to do it in 3 pitches instead of 5, linking P1 and P2, and P3 and P4, which meant that he got it all. P1 was a piece of cake, as we had already climbed that crack several times. P2 was a thin corner, through a small roof, past some swallows nesting deep in the crack (sorry), to a delicate lieback, where Jack took a couple of whips. Afterwards he blamed it on bad karma from the birds. P3 was a flared crack/chimney, which Jack dispatched with enviable style, up through some more thin crack in a dihedral, to a belay at the top of P4 that consisted of two really manky bolts and an old pin. I managed to slip out of what I thought was a totally stable stance while cleaning a piece in the flare, and had to do it again. P5 was the crux. According to what we remembered of the topo, there was either an 11a roof, or something facey out to the side. The roof turned out to be an offwidth roof, and we had only brought one #3. Ooops. Of course Jack took the offwidth, which started as a fairly benign chimney, then jutted out to a 6" crack through a roof, where you don't get any feet beneath you, Bombay style. After taking 3 whips back into the corner (and one downclimb), and a good bit of body abrasion, we decided to try the finish to the left. Of course it was hidden by a corner, so we couldn't see exactly what it entailed. After placing a piece, Jack disappeared around the corner, and said "oh, no problem - it's an easy rail to the top." This was followed shortly thereafter by "hmmm, maybe it's not so easy", which was shortly followed by yet another fall. Eventually he managed to make it to the top. I am eternally grateful that he wasn't able to do the offwidth, as it spared me the agony of having to do it myself. It turns out that we were supposed to go RIGHT and not LEFT for the last pitch. Ooops.

(1200x1600 at 1113 kb)	(1200x1600 at 940.5 kb)
Don Juan: Jack in the offwidth, and after the offwidth

We hiked all our gear out that evening, as we wanted to check out Dome Rock the next day, as did Rod and Rob, and Ed and Viv. We were pretty tired when we made it back to camp, but were welcomed by fresh tomatoes from Dan and Lynsey who had taken a rest day and explored the area, procuring a flat of tomatoes, and a whoopee cushion, which was cause for much excitement. We broke camp the next morning, taking our time as none of us felt very energetic, and drove to Dome Rock. We hiked down and discovered that the south facing exposure meant full sun. Despite this, we managed to entice Jack into leading Tobin's Dihedral (5.10+),a monstrous offwidth corner. Luckily, between Ed's rack and mine, we managed to provide him with sufficient large pro. Rob had a go at Between Nothingness and Eternity (5.11a), and a bet for a burrito was made between them as to who would make it to the top first. There was some good competition between them for the first 40 feet, as both took several times, but eventually Jack pulled ahead and outdistanced Rob, who had to combat increasingly warm and greasy knobs. We finished the trip with Jack's send fest on Root Beer (5.12), a short but extremely thin crack, an epic adventure which involved one belayer, two spotters, and two photographers. And a lot of gas.

(1600x1200 at 820.5 kb)
(1600x1200 at 1209 kb)
Jack and support crew do Root Beer

Well Jack, not too shabby a performance for the last week of your 3rd decade. But I think you need to work on your falling-out-of-offwidth skills - you're loosing too much skin, and it starts taking longer to heal when you get older, like you will next weekend.

(1600x1200 at 812.5 kb)