Where: Yosemite Valley

When: October 5-12th

Weather: 70’s – 80’s daytime, sunny

Summary: As every climber must do at some point in their career I made the pilgrimage, along with my brother Brian Rougeux, to Yosemite Valley to sample the clean granite cracks and long friction slabs. Yosemite was filled with climbers and tourists alike and many campgrounds were full; if planning a trip I suggest planning ahead and booking a campsite prior to your trip as some of them book solid months in advance! My brother and I spent the first two nights sleeping in our bivy sacks in the woods as we had to wait for a tent site to open up at Camp 4. Camp 4 is the cheapest place to camp in Yosemite and has played a vital role in the development of free climbing in America, it’s even on the National Register of Historic Places for "its significant association with the growth and development of rock climbing in the Yosemite Valley during the 'golden years' of pioneer mountaineering", according to the National Park Service. I will go on the record saying that Camp 4 may be the loudest place on the National Register of Historic Places as parties have the potential to carry on into the next morning!

To begin our first trip to Yosemite, where the ratings are known to be stiff and the routes committing, Brain and I eased our way into the climbs and started on routes that we knew where well within our range. After a couple days of straight forward climbing and success we agreed that we should attempt one of our longer objectives.

We set out to climb the South Face on North Dome with an “easy” three hour approach that turned into four and a half hours of bushwhacking were we found ourselves clawing through Manzanita and then traversing on 3rd class exposed slabs under the full force of the sun. Eventually we located the start of the climb and racked up as Half Dome looked over us from across the valley. The plan was to lead the climb in blocked pitches, of two pitches each, for the eight pitches and 700+ feet of climbing. I took the first block and found myself not enjoying the un-protected friction slab as sweat dripped from my helmet and quickly evaporated on the warm granite beneath my hands. With the sun beating down on me and my heart racing I brought Brian up as he made easy work of the delicate slab on pitch one. Pitch two felt more secure as I was able to find adequate cracks and features to place cams. At the top of pitch two Brian and I switched leads and sorted gear briefly before he headed up the route finding crux of the climb on pitch three. I grabbed one of the granola bars that we had brought along and ate and drank as I paid out rope while my partner progressed above. Just as I took a big long draw on the camelback hose Brian yelled down, he had been in the same spot for awhile now trying to suss out which way to go, “Hey! How much water do you have left?”. I reached into my climbing pack and was shocked to find that I had no more than a handful of sips left in my hydration bladder. I relayed the information up to Brian who by the lack of reply I knew was out of water. I sat on the belay ledge with my head down holding the rope to Brian tight as he hung from a sling that he had threaded through a hole in the rock. We both knew we had a decision to make; continue on up the route thus committing fully to topping out the climb with no water left and most likely well into the night, or trying to rappel off the route with the one 60 meter rope we had and enduring the long hike without water back to the car. Brian yelled down that he was off belay and was soon lowering himself towards me. After Brian arrived next to me on the ledge we began setting about rappelling our route. Three rappels later we were back to the start of the first pitch and sitting quietly as we untied our climbing shoes and ate.

Neither of us had ever had to bail off a climb before which was a little hard for our egos to take, more disconcerting was the long bushwhack we were about to have back to the trail head. The two of us started the long hike out, walking for 10 - 15 minutes and then finding a shady spot to rest for five. As we hiked we scrambled over and through Manzanita while I fought back vomiting from the sever cotton mouth that had developed as a result of not having any water to drink. Once through the grueling bushwhack we happily arrived on a well established trail where the game of one foot in front of the other began. As we walked I would confirm that there was level ground ahead and close my eyes for a few steps as my mind was taken elsewhere; mainly to anywhere that had water, cheeseburgers and beer. 8:00 pm found ourselves back at the car and enjoying the warm Gatorade we had left in the bear box as we drove the Tioga road back to the Valley where I quickly consumed one of the most delicious bacon cheeseburgers I have ever had.

My hands are almost scab free now as they have had almost three full days of not being shoved into granite cracks and I already miss the quality of the rock and routes. Coming away from one of what will most likely be many unfinished climbs I am eager to make a return trip to the Yosemite Valley and North Dome in particular, this time with plenty of water and a more straightforward approach.