Cookie/Arch:  Hardd, Outer Limits, Axis/Blotto  11/11-12/89

We all piled into Joe Shiefman's van (me, Nancy, Renata, Joe, and Joel).
Marc Sheppard couldn't make it after injuring his thumb skiing on Friday, but
we stayed at the Merced River campsite where I met him with Bob Palais and
Dan Nguyen 11/87.  Nobody tried to duplicate Marc's old morning swim feat.
Saturday:  I did the first pitches of Outer Limits and Hardd with Nancy.  This
was Nancy's first (toprope) flash of a 5.11, and her first visit to the Cookie.
We also let some Germans toprope Outer Limits after noticing that their rack
only had 2 large Friends, and they only had 1 rope.
Joe and Joel did Bev's Tower and Butterballs.  Joe had trouble on the lead, but
he toproped Butterballs twice without falling afterwards.  Joel got all the
moves with a few falls (2 trips).
Sunday:  I led Axis/Blotto, but not free.  I hung in the crux section after
getting worried because I couldn't see any hand jams coming up.  They were
there, but awkward to get.  It's comparable to Waverley Wafer -- more like
5.11a than 5.10c because it's so pumper.  Then I hung again to bring up the
9mm rope before the traverse so I could set up a proper toprope.  The last
few traverse moves were quite technical, but I got them to my surprise (and
everybody else fell there).  Nancy fell twice in the crack section.  There was
also some concern about a partly detached flake at the top of the crack; it
may go someday but is not yet dangerous.  Joel and Joe did Supplication and
Application first, then came over and toproped Axis.  Joel had 2 hangs in the
crack and Joe had one (plus one to remove my buried gear).  Joe was racing
against darkness, so he didn't have time to give a good try on the traverse.