Missing photo ID#127005
Mini TR about Roseanne, with Waugh overtones:
So me and the Sooze are in the meadows for a few days and hook up with the squatters in "Camp Waugh". No idea how they do it but they are up there for months at a time..... anyway.... We have no real plan of action and Waugh and EddieMo say, "hey, lets's go do Roseanne tomorrow..... it's casual". I'm skeptical. Waugh is a known sandbagger and really too good of a climber to even guess how the other half lives, nevermind know how they live. I look at it in the book and decide "yeah, we can do that... it's 5.9... how hard can it be." Done deal... we'll go tomorrow.
Next day we rack up, which is odd for a face climb, and Waugh says some stuff that is starting to get me nervous....like, "got any small nuts? You might need them" and stuff like that.
The base is found and Waugh takes off, being sure to tell me to say close, "cause the "B" team might need some help." He floats the first pitch which you can pro in the corner, if you are in the corner.....
Here is Waugh on the first pitch, with the route drawn in:
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Me and Sooze take off shortly after EddieMo is up near the belay of the first pitch. I am of course outside the corner and get like zero pro in and have to do some harrowing moves to clip the bolt at the top of the corner. I yell up for beta and I get back something like, "oh.... don't fall from there... you might deck." This is reassuring as I'm about 70ft up.
Sooze on the first pitch:
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Finally I get over to the belay bolts at the top of #1. A "good job" rains down from the "A" team as they are well up the second pitch by now. Sooze come up and I get ready for the second pitch. Waugh is well above but waiting for me to cast off onto the glass.... yeah... I'm not that solid on this stuff.
Pitch 2 glass:
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After getting established above the belay I am being directed by the Wazoo and Emoe to where I can wiggle in a TCU and wired before committing to the traverse that gets you into a big corner that will take some pro. I think they are laughing up there..... Some standard hair raising edging and puling will land you at the belay.
For pitch #3, Waugh offers up that if my eyes are good, I might find the old rusted 1/4"er up on the third pitch.... "but it won't hold a fall" he adds. Hopefully the crappy nuts behind a flake will take the teeth out of any 150ft fall I might have in mind. These Tuolumne guys are nuts.....
Looking up pitch #3:
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The top of this route is capped by a roof. Waugh is calling it "maybe 5.4"..... I'm thinking "bullcrap... that thing is 11d if I've ever seen it." The "A" team has now disappeared over the summit. I take off out of the belay and start searching for the bolt.... I find it, and they were right... what a piece of crap! I wouldn't hang wet socks over a fire on that hardware... but I clip it anyway. The slot through the roof is right above me.... and eyes be damned, it might actually be 5.4! Thank Satan! The roof goes easily and there is the "A" team on top waiting for us.... knowing we would either be lost or die on the descent.
Summit roof exit:
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What a great day out! For sure one of the best days out that entire year, and me and Sooze owe it all to Mike Waugh. Just having him up there above us, point out the pro opportunities, and cheering us on with "ho man... don't fall THERE" encouragement dragged me up from a semi solid Tuolumne 5.8c leader to a 5.9r-beta-from-above hardman! Thanks Mike!
