How it all began...

I used to teach rock climbing, kayaking, and cross country skiing, 1974-1978. The climbing was at Lover's Leap at Lake Tahoe, and in the rock climber's paradise, Yosemite. Then I dropped out of the outdoor scene to go to medical school...

... a few years pass...

Just for fun, in 2002, I took a class from the Yosemite Association on the history of rock climbing in Yosemite. The course was taught by Tom Frost, who was part of the party that first climbed El Capitan (1960) as a continuous ascent, and David Bengston, head of the Yosemite Mountaineering School. Tom climbed El Capitan, a Grade VI, twice in the previous year, at the age of about 61. I mentioned that I had done a Grade V but never a Grade VI, and always regretted not doing a VI. Dave Bengston suggested that it was not too late, as the Yosemite Mountaineering School did guided climbs on the Big Stone (El Cap). The seed was planted.*

I started working out on June 27th, lifting weights, running, climbing at the local climbing gym. When I started, I could only do 3 chin up’s and weighted 185 pounds. (When I went on the climb I was 167 pounds and I could do 27 chin up’s. Twice in a row.)

Eleven months later...

*Any real climber will realize that following a climb is not the same as leading it, and that jugging a climb is not at all in the same universe as leading it. What I did was jumar up after my guide. This is not the same thing as leading the climb, or switching leading and jugging, or following but climbing. In some senses of the term, I never "climbed" El Cap. However, I assure you it was not a just a "day in the Park", as it involved six back-to-back 15 hours days, immense physical effort, jugging overhangs, cleaning leaning pitches, lowering out (I lowered out the King Swing in the dark; interesting), belaying, problem solving (involving up and downclimbing, self-belay, placement of protection, etc), rope management, lowering out the leader, rack management, haul bag hauling (both to the wall and up it), and all the myriad things that go into big wall climbing. I tried to be, and I feel that I was, as much a partner to my guide as the situation allowed (I was not allowed to ever lead an inch of the wall). I have led a Grade V, SW face of Washington's Column, clean, back in the days when all you had was Hexcentrics (Jardine had yet to invent "Friends"), so I had the experience of leading a big wall. I don't need to prove anything. I just wanted, and got, a Grade VI big wall experience and the chance to see Texas Flake, the Great Roof, etc etc up close. It was grand!