I went up to Yosemite in April for a meeting with my guide, Ken Yager, and to test out my climbing skills. The weather was cloudy, and mighty El Cap peeked out from the mists. I studied the rock from El Cap Meadow on Friday evening, then met up with Ken Saturday morning. The day was cool, just great for climbing, and Ken and I enjoyed climbing together. He tried me out on free climbing, aid climbing, lowering out, and jumaring. He declared that I was probably up to the challenge. You don't know, however, until the rubber meets the rock...

As the afternoon progressed, the clouds closed in and it rained on us as we walked back to the car. Ken suggested a little more testing, on the Le Conte Boulder, which was so overhung the rain would not matter...

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The bolt ladder on Le Conte is rather famous, and many climbers have tested out their leading and following aid skills at Le Conte. It rained, but as you can see, the ground under the boulder (as big as a house) was quite dry. You can see several rivulets of water coming down the side of the boulder just above my head, flowing around the carabiners connected to bolts. There is also a band of water flowing just to my right around the rock I am standing on.

The climbing was extremely stenuous, enough to heat you up so that you barely needed a wool cap and heavy jacket. Barely needed. The moist cold was very penetrating. The level of difficulty was definitely at my limit, and my endurance was strained to the max.

It rained like crazy that night which I spent in a tent cabin in Curry Village. The rain was pounding on the canvas like a military drum brigade. It rained so much that Highway 140 washed out, and with it, my guide's access to the Valley. I teamed up with a friend of his and trained again at Le Conte. I was wiped out by the simple muscular demands of the aid climbing on such an overhung pitch, and drove home sore and pondering the greater demands of El Cap...

...anon...