A weekend of yosemite classics: Royal Arches & Nutcracker
After Jeff and I both knocked out big objectives the weekend before, the East Butt of El Cap for me and Jeff Central Pillar, we decided that we needed another weekend with a big climb. After some talk about Serenity & Sons, we settled on Royal Arches. If you don't know, Royal Arches is one of the 50 classic climbs of North America and has a stellar reputation locally. Kat's family was in town and they were already in the valley that weekend so Kat hitched a ride on Friday night. After meeting Jeff in Dublin to consolidate vehicles, we were off, late but in wonderful spirits.
After setting up camp, Jeff and I set alarms for 5:15. With temperatures hovering in the mid-thirties, we all crawled into our warm bags and fell asleep quickly I remember thinking that night how relaxed I was. None of the jitters that existed the week before when I prepared to climb the East Butt and I quickly fell into a deep sleep. I'm not sure if it was the mello nature of the climb or that I just feel much more confident in the late season. Regardless, I woke-up before the alarm went off, slipped on my puffies (yes two of them), and started the water boil for coffee and oatmeal. After having our fill, we rode over to the Ahwahnee to rack up and fill water, popping our heads into the ballroom briefly mostly because I can't help myself. It's really just an amazing room.
We started up the first pitch still in puffies and still in the dark, although the pre-dawn light was just appearing. As I slid my back up the 5.6 chimney and I popped my head out above tree line, the morning sun greeted me with warmth and I immediately pulled my jacket off. Jeff did the same and we worked our way up the ramp and the first four pitches of the climb, a mix of easy fifth-class moves and scrambling. We reached the point where the climb heads straight up on some interesting pin scar fingery moves. I racked up as it was my turn to lead. The climbing was insecure for 5.7 but still fun and well protected, ending at a dead tree filled with mistletoe; making a mental note to myself in case I climb the route in the future with an unsuspecting love interest.
From here Jeff took over heading up an interesting lie-back and ending on a nice looking ledge. It seemed that every belay on this climb ended with a tree or chockstone to sling and a ledge to rest your butt on. I can get used to this! The seventh pitch and my personal favorite of the climb offered a variation, a 5.7 hand crack that went on for 40 or 50 feet and every hand jam was so good that I climbed it while singing my own variation of a Lennon favorite "Happiness is a Warm Gun". My version when something like this: "Happiness is a split crack, jam jam schoop, when I place, my hand in your constriction, I know nothing can do me no harm." Destined to be a classic I know. The pitch ended with a sandy ledge that could sleep 4 very comfortably and I again took a mental note. The eight pitch was basically like playing on the jungle gym as a kid. It ends with a pendulum to a rail, however instead of clipping in a swinging with your own rope, a static line with a loop at the end is fixed. Jeff climbed up, clipped in an swung across, hitting the rail the first try. He went on to link the next pitch since we had a 70m rope, and again ended at a ledge with a tree. Spoiled.
I followed up, reaching the pendulum and swinging over to the ledge. As I unclipped however, the rope swung back with my biner still attached. Shit! Jeff lowered me down from the rail after I scooted the #1 as close to the end of the rail as possible. I was able to swing back to the crack and climb up to the static line once again. It was so fun I had to do it twice I guess. This time I didn't let go of the biner and I walked atop the rail as it go bigger and bigger until it was almost a highway, Half Dome in my rearview miror. When I got to the belay, Jeff was playing music from his phone and we immediately had an impromptu dance party with both of us going into the robot which lasted a good long minute. The mountains make us happy I guess.
The next 6 pitches offered some great climbing; everything from lie-backs to run-out slab traverses to awkward stem moves. Once again a hallmark of Yosemite Valley climbing. We topped out at a three bolt anchor with chains and rap rings and sat down to take it all in. We had 21 rappels for the descent and both of us seemed to think on them as a necessity to the ascent but not something to look forward to.
Jeff headed down first and all of the bolted anchor stations were pretty obvious. We sang and continued our game of Fart Baseball and seemed to get more efficient with each rap.
The rappels took us 2 1/2 hours and our feet touched the ground at about 4pm. The great thing about Royal Arches is that your car is literally parked 100 yards away parked at the Ahwahnee and the Village Grocery and cold beer await a mere 1/4 mile from there. We picked up beer and got a text from Kat letting us know to meet up in El Cap Meadows for a celebratory beer.
El Cap is particularly brilliant in the afternoon light right before the sun goes down. Spoiled indeed.
Kat and her parents started talking about food and we were able to convince them to buy sausages and join us by the fire back at the Pines. We ate, we drank, we stayed warm and Kat and clan retired sometime around 8:30 or 9. Shortly after, my body wanting nothing more than to crawl into my sleeping bag, Erica and Diana show up; friends of Jeff's that needed a place to crash. I tried to stay awake but I didn't last long and before I new it, I was mummed in my bag. By then the fire had eaten up all of the wood and the cold night air recaptured our campsite so I didn't feel too bad.
The next day, after a strong cup of coffee and a breakfast burrito from Curry, Jeff and I made our way over to Manure Pile Buttress, a small but enjoyable piece of granite. We had a leisurely day on Nutcracker. Jeff led up the first pitch and we were able to link the second pitch with very minimal simul climbing. We ended up chilling on the large ledge for about an hour waiting for slower parties to make there way up the route. I took the third pitch, Jeff the fourth and me again on the fifth. At the summit we again continued our game and basked in the final rays of the sun on this shortened daylight savings Sunday. After making our way back to the car, we enjoyed one last celebratory beer before jumping in the car and heading home. Final Fart Baseball score: Brian 14, Jeff 25. I think I can take him next trip. I'll be practicing.