June 29th 2008 - Half Dome

Figuring that our once-a-month cragging/ getting fat schedule was training enough, Polly and I thought we'd have a go at the Reg. NW Face of Half Dome. Since we didn't know how to aid or haul, it made sense to try to do it in a day.

Started at 5.30am, 3 min behind a truly speedy party who would be back at the base by about 9.30am, and who then (we later found out) ran the Death Slabs, biked to El Cap meadow, and climbed the Nose. First part went well - staightforward routefinding, mostly mellow climbing, we pulled on gear remorselessly. Made it up to Big Sandy by 1.30pm, where we had been told a previous party had left 2 gallons of water (they had!)... And then things ground to a halt. Managed to add a blue alien to the stupendous amount of fixed crap already in the Zig-Zags. Managed to take a couple swinging falls trying to get gear to stick on the weird 2nd to last pitch. But somehow we managed to top out at 7.30pm, with an hr of light to go back and get our stuff at the base and stumble back to the car.

Some pics (with crappy point and shoot):

At the base, 4.45am, ready to party:

Somewhere down low..

Not totally sure what's going on here:

Pre- Big Sandy. Morale high:

Post Big-Sandy gunshow / junkshow.

Thank god ledge:

Done! Notice amber hues of setting sun...

And that was it! All the hours spent pipetting and surfing Supertopo paid off!