A Week in the Valley My climbing partner from college, John Imbrie, flew out for a week of bagging routes in the Valley on July 10-17. John had scoured the new Free Climbs guidebook for *** routes that he hadn't done yet (plus a few repeats), so we had a good list of routes to choose from. 7/11 (Tues.). We swung leads on the first 7 pitches of the Central Pillar of Frenzy. Amazingly, nobody else was on the route (for once). John led p6, which is quite challenging (5.10 blank corner, followed by sustained lieback and then a blank (friction) section near the belay which I batmanned while following. After p7, John led the 5.10a traverse to the Bircheff-Williams, with the crux after the bolt. I followed using "big-wall" methods (tension from the bolt with our second rope). We then swung into Phase 2 of the day's climbing -- we made one rappel down the Kor-Beck, and then rapped straight down to the last anchor on Space Babble. We toproped the pitches on Space Babble as we rapped down, finding the long runouts and featured rock interesting. Due to lack of time/light, we both skipped p3 and p1, and I skipped p2. One error on the topo for Kor-Beck is that the Bircheff-Williams joins it at the top of p5 (not 6). The rap anchor used to approach Space Babble is partway up p4. The anchor at the end of p3 of Space Babble could use a bolt. Finally, all belays on Space Babble have stances. 7/12. John started the day by leading Lunatic Fringe 5.10c, which was nicely shaded in the morning. It was somewhat cloudy, so the next objective was Sons of Yesterday. Since Serenity had 2 parties on board, we headed up Maxine's Wall, but we were stopped by grass in the fingerlocks on p3. Up Serenity, since it was now clear (John led all 3 pitches, plus the crux on Sons). I led a 5.10a slanting pitch on Sons by mistake (I thought it was only 5.9, but it did take some effort to protect). On the way down, we rapped down Mother of the Future to Maxine's, to clean out p3. It got dark, and our 7mm rope hung up on the tree belay, so we left the ropes fixed and groped our way out to the car. 7/13. Jumared up the fixed 10.5mm rope, and John jumared up the 7mm with a belay and pro on p3. It was well wrapped around the tree. We then looked for Ramer, a 10-bolt 5.10c slab at the base of Middle Cathedral. Page 293 of the Free Climbs guide has some big errors. It implies that Ramer is 500' from the DNB. In fact, Ramer is about 200' uphill from the North Buttress. Climbs C-D-E do appear to be 250' from the DNB. We couldn't find climbs A-B. Also, Ramer has 10 lead bolts, not 12. It was a good climb; John flashed it, and I batmanned the crux and the top. We finished out our "rest day" by bagging another *** -- New Diversions 5.9. The approach map could be greatly improved -- the obvious trail leads only to Conductor Crack; to reach the N.D. trail, you have to walk 150' up the road. Mosquitoes mobbed us at the base. We used different methods to exit the "saddle" knob. The topo could be improved to note the wide crack width on p2 (John had left all the wide pro at the belay!). To avoid the wides while following, I yarded on a sling, and also took a big detour out right onto Wasp. 7/14. NE Buttress of Higher Cathedral. John had done this 10 years ago with Dennis, just before we all did the Salathe' Wall. It was my first time, and my interest in it had been by piqued by an accident on it last year where a guy Nancy and I knew in college had died. I was waffling the night before, due to my low-energy rest day, but the approach and climb went well. I requested the "even" pitches so that I'd only have to lead one 5.9. Another party reached the base after us, but we were able to mostly stay well ahead of them. After 5 sunny pitches, we got into the shade for the classic V-corner pitches. The first one needs to be listed as a full 165' pitch; I stopped too early at some fixed slings, which prevented John from reaching the ledge on p7. p7 had some wide stemming and a squeeze. I was stymied near the top of the squeeze, but John gave me some beta (exit the crack and pinch the flake with your thighs!). I had an adventure on p8. The topo shows a 5.8 traverse right off the belay ledge. I followed some flakes/knobs slightly downwards from the ledge (more like 5.10a), and then found myself in some corners with plants, well out from pro. I jammed behind a chalked block, only to have it shift as I started to move on it. Yikes! I gardened the crack for pro, and eventually aided it (John followed free at 5.10b). Hardly the expected 5.8 easy way, and somewhat dangerous. I finished the chimney to the traverse ledge and gazed out at the awesome line of Crucifix. The 5.6 on the next pitch was more like a (very weird/insecure) 5.8 move (I heard Werner talked Steve Schneider into soloing this behind him, and had to give him running beta through some sections -- this would be an obvious one). The final pitches are hard to decipher from the topo. The 5.9 hand is more like a 5.9 thin move, and the 5.8 hand is 5.9 hand/fist. We didn't stop for an intermediate belay between the two. There is also a wide crack between the "5.8 hand" and the "5.9" finish to the right (the wide crack should be shown on the topo to help orient the tired/dehydrated climbers!). John made a nice lead of this final 5.9 hand/fist corner (which he had aided 10 years ago); I barely followed, avoiding the final wide section by underclinging wildly out right (strategy only good when toproping!). We made it down to the car just before dark. 7/15. John led Moby Dick Center 5.10a, before the sun got onto it (I didn't follow -- wide). He also took a look at La Escuela 5.11b, but didn't get far off from the ground. While we were hiking down, we heard a loud rockfall on Middle Cathedral, and saw 3 clouds of rock dust from the top down to the Ramer area! We scratched the North Buttress from our "to do" list. We then drove up to Tuolumne Meadows in search of cooler temps. We hiked across some snow to reach Scorpion. But unfortunately it was a bright solar oven, and John retreated after cranking the first 15'. I finished out the day by hiking to the belay ledge above Low Profile Dome, and giving John a toprope belay on Shit Hooks 5.10b and the right variation of Darth Vader's Revenge (black streak - 5.10d?). Slept at Camp 9 -- couldn't cross the second stream due to wild high water! 7/16. Swung leads on the classic Crescent Arch 5.9. I found the first 2 pitches were more secure/easier if I jammed them. On the third, I was quite challenged on the lead, placing almost the entire rack (including all the wireds). My back felt tired from all the underclinging, but hung in there. On the descent, the wind picked up and it rained a bit. Drove back to the Valley, and hiked up to Arch Rock to do Gripper. It had rained there, but even in the shade, the talus was still radiating much heat. The first belay was cooled by a slight breeze from the depths of the crack, but above I could see the sweat dripping from John. He came close to a nasty fall on the first pitch, when he went for a non-existent rest at a pillar, but managed to downclimb with heavy breathing to reach the main crack. John led all the pitches, and we rapped just as it got dark. Booty seekers -- there are 2 Quadcams on p1 (appprox #3.5, #3); I didn't have the proper tools to score them. 7/17. Due to some light rain, we went to Chapel Wall, where John led (the always dry route) Gold Dust 5.10d, and toproped Heathenistic Pursuit 5.10b and New Wave 5.11d (many hangs). In blue sky we went to the Apron, where John led most of Anchors Away with 2 ropes. A thunderstorm arrived to slicken the rock just as he reached the crux traverse (5.11a), so that will have to wait for another trip.