March 8, 1992:

We had planned to head out to Yosemite for the entire weekend, but with a high of 42 degrees and snow expected down to 4000 feet (the Valley floor elevation) on Saturday, we decided that just Sunday would be enough climbing for us.

Da Loobster and I were to meet John Blackberries in the Ahwahnee parking lot between 7 and 7:30 a.m. Blackberries had driven separately with his friend Stanley, the Rock Martin, who was going to attempt Astroman with Don, the Rock Warrior. Stan and Donnie bagged the attempt after five pitches complaining about freezing temperatures, but that is another story.

Da Loobster and I had planned on climbing Super Slide (4 pitches, 10a) which is just left of Serenity Crack. Blackberries would accompany us by soloing up (with a Soloist) a line we fixed after climbing each pitch. This way we could climb as fast as a team of two. Blackberries' main job on this climb was to see how badly he could get the third rope jammed into a crack. At this he was wildly successful and we were grateful to have him along.

We met Blackberries at 7:20 and donned all the clothing we had to ward off the freezing temperatures (wimpy Californians!) We soloed up the "3rd class" approach which is mostly 5th class and has a move of 5.7! Blackberries managed to injure his hip on this section and it curtailed his climbing later in the day.

Da Loobster led the first 5.7 pitch which is fairly continuous and ends with a very tricky, very wet slot. Da Loobster never lets on what the climbing is like and I assumed this pitch would be a cruise. I was wrong. Blackberries, who never climbs well on the first pitch of the day, also thought the slot to be tough. The wetness of the route, while still being climbable, definitely made things more interesting as we struggled futilely to keep our shoes dry.

The next 5.7 pitch was mine and the climbing now becomes quite nice. Beautiful cracks on a fairly low angle slab. It was a bit gritty due to the recent rain, but very nice. I would highly recommend this climb, especially if there is a big queue at Serenity. The crux pitch is 5.10a, but it is a "Serenity 10a" which is MUCH easier than say a "Cookie 10a." Those who climb in Yosemite will know what the above means.

At one point on the second pitch as I stepped onto a flake to get in some protection I felt a strange sensation. I was going down! The flake I was on, dinner plate size, was peeling off the cliff! Yikes! I quickly grabbed the crack and scurried up higher, forgoing any protection placing. The flake didn't fall, but it sure gave me a start.

The third pitch is 5.8, but seemed pretty easy except for a very dicey traverse where you switch cracks and small overhang up top that was completely soaked. Blackberries found an easier way to do the traverse by going about fifteen feet higher. The last pitch was mine and it was the best pitch of the route. The crux is a thin hand crack in a smooth wall. The water here made things exciting.

To descend you rappel the top two pitches and then come straight down the wall. Da Loobster did a wonderful job gardening out the crack at the top of the second pitch while working on retrieving Blackberries' jammed rope so the climb is even cleaner now.

Next we had planned on going over to Reed's Pinnacle area to do the RORP. We had wanted to do multiple pitch routes, but the sight of the RORP did not inspire us and the weather was now overcast and threatening and we turned our attention to the Five and Dime cliff. I had never been there before, but Blackberries, the walking guidebook, assured us that the climbs were classic.

First I led Keystone Korner (5.8). This route is a one star route in the Yosemite Select guide, but it deserves three. It is very steep, has great pro, and has challenging and varied climbing. In one pitch it packs in face climbing, stemming and crack climbing from fingers to a chimney. Do it!

There were two other recommended climbs at this site: Copper Penny (10a) and Five and Dime (10d). Both of these are vertical to overhanging and look very classic. I wanted to try Copper Penny, but since the crux is offwidth and the guide recommends "pro to 6 inches" we had to return to the car (5 minutes) to get our meager offwidth gear. Between the three of us we had: 1 #4 Camalot, 1 #6 Big Dude, and 1 #2 Big Bro. I launched into the lead.

The start of Copper Penny is the same as Five and Dime and is steep face climbing on big holds before traversing right and then back left to the base of the crack. This crack is really just a huge flake that starts out at finger width and quickly opens up to offwidth and then gradually goes to squeeze chimney and eventually to a flared chimney. I got a good stopper in at the start and then laybacked up the crack to a bomber hand jam. Here I placed a #3 Camalot. I worked up about four feet higher and struggled to place a #4 Camalot. Totally whipped I hung on the piece. I then placed the Big Dude and it would only go about two feet higher before it tipped out. This would be my last piece of pro for twenty feet so I placed the Big Bro also for added insurance.

Now I hung and debated if I wanted to try this or not. I knew we could run around to the top of the crag and drop a rope down to retrieve the gear so that I didn't have to finish it. A little lower I had discovered a key flake that was buried almost an arm length deep inside the offwidth crack. This provided a great handhold but, unfortunately, curved back away deeper into the crack and out of reach a little bit higher. I decided to go for it and launched full into the thrashing effort of climbing the offwidth. I was trying to alternatively relax my upper body and then my lower body as the offwidth masters have instructed me, but by the time I was ten feet out from the pro fear had me tightening up everything I had...even my sphincter! Alas, it must have worked for I made it into the squeeze chimney and felt much more secure. The climbing was still a struggle, but I didn't feel like I could easily fall out of it. I was even able to blindly place a #2 Camalot behind the buried flake up in the chimney.

This climb is actually quite nice. The flake inside the offwidth makes it considerably easier -- no way I could have done it without that flake. It is very strenuous though and a bit runout unless you are carrying some huge pro. Da Loobster followed the pitch, but Blackberries was done climbing due to his hip injury. Yet another good excuse! This guy never uses the same one twice!

We returned to the road and notice Don's van next to our car and new they had bailed off of A-man. I bet they were on Lunatic Fringe (10c) as a consolation and sure enough they were. We headed up there to heckle them. Blackberries walks up to the Rock Martin, who is belaying Don, and says matter of factly, "Now I haven't climbed Astroman before, but I'm pretty sure you guys are off route!" The Rock Martin regaled us with tales of his flash ascent of the demanding 4th pitch, as we tried to divert the discussion back to their bailing with little success. The climb is very committing this time of year.

We continued further up to give Stone Groove (10b) a try. This climb is a right leaning crack that starts in a corner and ends up in a small flare. It is fingers and hand jams with some layback moves. I felt tired at the start of the route, but climbed smoothly up to the crux. I was starting to pump out now and lose my form. I wasn't getting my left foot in the crack and started to flail. The climb backed off a bit further up and I went for it. Unfortunately I got my hands screwed up and pumped out. I took about a five foot fall and after a brief hanging rest, finished the pitch.

I was close, but not quite there. The upper part of this climb is solid 5.9 and it remains strenuous to the top of the 80 foot pitch. Here the select guide shows the route ending, but the complete guide shows a second 5.8 pitch. We took a look at this totally unprotectable, offwidth in a flare to a squeeze chimney and even gave it a try, getting up ten feet, before good judgement made us back off it. Has anyone ever done this pitch? It looks much harder than 5.8 and extremely dangerous.

Only seven pitches this day, but that was enough because we got the full body pump on Copper Penny!