🚀 go-pugleaf

[ "It's jest pure stupid'ty! I'm go'n git my thirty-ought-six an' shoot that
[ rope down." - Anonymous local observing climbers

Well, I really appreciate the suggestions from Eugene, Eli, and George. I'll
be leaving Saturday (9/8) from Atlanta for Yosemite (Yahoo!) Valley. I'm not
looking forward to the 48 hour drive.

I have read "Fifty Classic Climbs" and would like to do some of those routes,
but I am told that there if often a line of climbers waiting to get on them.
I really don't like waiting or sharing a route - aestheitcs aside, the rockfall
potential worries me. We will probably do Royal Arches and camp on the rim
before doing the South Face of North Dome (5.7). I already knew about the
demise of the rotten log, though I heard it was pushed off (vicious rumor, I 
suppose). 

Other likely candidates are Washington Column, South Face (V, 5.9, A2), Middle 
Cathedral Rock, North Buttress (IV, 5.7, A2 clean); Sentinel Rock, Chouinard-
Herbert Route (V, 5.8, A2); Half Dome, Northwest Buttress (IV, 5.7, A3); and
Washington Column, Lunch Ledge/Direct (IV, 5.7).

We do expect to do some shorter routes to warm up, but the point of the trip
is to do things we can't do at home, i.e. long (possibly multi-day) climbs.
We have more 1 and 2 pitch quality routes around here than we have time to do
as it is.

I should have mentioned earlier that I have the Meyer and Roper guidebooks
and that I have been to the Valley once before. Unfortunately, I didn't get
to climb much on that trip. Also, I have a pretty good amount of lead 
experience on multi-pitch climbs here in the Southeast. 

Believe it or not, we have lots of 3 to 7 pitch climbs and a couple of 
longer routes such as Whitesides Mountain (IV, 5.9 A1 or 5.10+ free) in 
North Carolina. There is an abundance of routes in the 5.9 to 5.11 range, 
and a fair number of 5.12 face and crack routes. [ Hmm... how about a series
of articles describing major Southeastern climbing areas? ] I am looking to 
do easier routes in the valley since the rock is different & the climbs 
are longer. Also, I have a less experienced climbing partner.

Again, I really appreciate all the help & suggestions. I'll post a trip report
when I get back (~9/20). BTW, is anyone out there planning to come down (over?)
to Atlanta for the Southeastern Bouldering Championships competition on
September 21 (Sat)? We are going to try to be back from Yosemite in time to
be there.

Good Climbing,
              Bill

-- 
Bill Putnam
School of Information & Computer Science, Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA 30332
CSNet:	Putnam @ GATech		ARPA:	Putnam.GATech @ CSNet-Relay
uucp:	...!{akgua,allegra,rlgvax,sb1,unmvax,ulysses,ut-sally}!gatech!putnam