Beneath the great Yosemite monoliths lie mazes of boulders littered between trees and trails. Though the history of the Valley reflects daring big wall ascents, the beginnings of aid climbing and the progression of trad climbing, recent development has been devoted to the granite specks scattered about the Valley floor.

I’ve been lucky to have Kris and Sara guide me through many of the Yosemite bouldering destinations straight to several of the true gems. Below is a video sample of some of our favorites.

Keep reading for some photos and a taste of the Yosemite bouldering scene.
Continue reading »

El Capitan needs no introduction. Most climbers consider it the single greatest monument to our sport. The sheer cliff face stretches more than 3000 feet. If you fell from the top, you’d have about 15 seconds to remember your favorite joke, take a nap or heroically plug a cam before eating dirt. I’ve been practicing my dynamic cam placements, so I felt confident as I stepped onto the greatest monolith on Earth and Kris and I started upward.

Kris leading pitch 4 (5.10) of Freeblast

Our goal was Freeblast, a 10 pitch 5.11 sprinkled with some jalapeño spice. The climb is the beginning third of summit route Salathe Wall, ending at the traditional first bivy. Though we both anticipated an adventure, I’m not sure either of us were prepared for the exertion that awaited.
Continue reading »