6 days left and counting...this trip is going way too fast. This blog is coming to you from the queue in camp 4 for a campsite...got here at 6.45...its 8.45 now....ahhh life in Yosemite!

 

The last couple of days have seen jake and i fly up the mega classic Nutcracker (Jake hadn't climbed it before)....its an awesome route....and me having lots of hanging out time at the bridge. There are heaps of photos of Lee and Ben and even a couple of me sitting! on www.supertopo.com under FORUM...El Cap Report (last weeks reports) if anyone wants to see what the route looks like, or what Jake and I look like surrounded by "monkeys" (yosemite regulars, generally unwashed).

 

The guys are off Zodiac. And no they did not manage to free the nipple pitch (31). They spent two nights bivied at the start of the pitch and a bit of time working the 15 move crux section of crazy shallow underclings and smear feet....There were some whippers and after Lee's last attempt a scream of frustration that could be heard from the bridge a KM away. They finally pulled the pin at 11.30 with the suns arrival on the wall and flew up the remaining 11 pitches to top out at 8.30....

 

They said it is 15 moves of hard climbing and that was it...the temp was a bit hot so the rubber was fraying off the shoes a little and they need slightly bigger forearms...only slightly. They were very psyched with their attempt and only mildly bummed that they didn't free the pitch...and they learned a lesson with circumstances before the trip compromising their training a bit more than they would have liked...Tom (El Cap pics) took tons of photos and the guys took some footage...its hilarious watching Lee's last attempt on the Nipple pitch while Ben is both belaying and filming with one hand holding the climbing side of rope above the gri gri, the other holding the camera...Lee took a whipper...yelled at Ben a bit, you see ben checking his hand for rope burn...obviously they were both fine but the bickering is quite funny to listen to....

 

The plan for the rest of the week is for Lee, Ben, Jake and I to hike up to Half Dome this afternoon, sleep at the base with the bear, get up at 4 and climb half dome as fast as we can so Ben can make his flight home! Jake and ben are going to climb the Nose in a day on Thursday (if we had one more rest day I would love to do the same but my knees take a bit to recover from the hike up and down from half dome....OK its hard to step out of the bus for a few days, they hurt so much!...lots of stretching for me when I get home!!!). Then Lee and I will balst up the West Face on Friday and leave for San Fran on Saturday....will send more news after this week....hope its stopped raining at home or we will have to stay! Aside from the food and camping Yosemite is amazing climbing and a really great scene...we have met some awesome people and I have had a ball climbing.....update you soon!