Keen to complete an aid route, I set my sights on the easiest line around, a 3 pitch Grade III route on the tantalus wall named Wrist Twister. The climb works its way up some bottoming cracks with some bolt and bat hole ladders and weights in at a modest A2+.



So I set out solo with all the gear I own aside from a few of my larger camming devices and started working my way up the fixed lines of south south gulley of the chief. This was exciting, monkeying up ropes with a really heavy pack with my harness inconveniently stowed away. Two thirds of the way up the gulley I became aware that a mistake would shitspiral in a very unpleasant tumble a few hundred meters back down the gulley.

Once up this section the 4th class becomes steeper and works its way up and left out of the gulley. I had already decided to do a short haul here to avoid lugging my gear up the steep ropes on my back. So up I go with just a rope and my mediocre haul system and fix the rope and toss it, then back down to set up the haul then back up to haul. By the time I get the pig up to the base I'm already pretty tired of the double the work aspect of soloing, but keen to start the route I flaked ropes and racked gear.


Once at the top, after fixing the lead line and setting up a very basic haul system, I abseiled the pitch collecting the gear. Back on the ground I made sure the pig was ready to fly, and ghetto jumared my way back to top of the pitch and hauled.

The energy expended on this push was surely enough to have topped out, had I had partner to do half the work, stoked on the days highpoint I stashed my gear in the haul bag and headed down for the day.



On route down I decided to take the Tantalus wall trail, rather then the camp ground trail I had used for approach. On my casual stroll down, much to my surprise, I realized I wasn't the only person climbing the chief that day! There was some body else aid soloing, he was on cannabis wall, so I stop to say hello. We get chatting and he mentions he had intentions of getting on WT, but saw me on it and proceeded on to the 2nd easiest wall around. So I let him know he's welcome to join me to finish the line and he reluctantly accepted. We agreed to meet at 8am, at the TOP of the fixed lines for some reason, and I continued on my walk through the forest. Mid way through my stroll the rain starts to fly by the time I reach the parking lot its a full on rain storm...

The next morning I hastily packed the little gear I brought down and headed to the chief hoping I would meet Doug in the parking lot so we could agree how silly of an idea it was to head up in the rain storm. Much to my dismay Dougs car was there but no Doug. So I bound by my word I start hiking in and find doug at the top of the fixed lines and we start jugging up my rope in the rain.
I offer Doug P2 and he politely declines, so I rack up gradually and rather uneventfully work my way up pitch 2 when I finally clip the chains I am soaked to the bone, I holler down at Doug to see if he was keen to lead the next pitch and he shivered out a "no thank you".

Stoked that I dont have to sit in the rain for another few hours belaying. I Fix a rope and retreated for shelter.

The next day Doug and I return and he once again politely declines my offer for him to lead and up I go, slow and steady, gradually developing a bit of rhythm.

A final section of exciting bat holes leads to the top and Doug cleans while I haul. Both of us stoked as can be to have completed our first 'wall' we start our descent, with a bit of a route finding miscalculation we find our self descending some less then comfortable fixed lines through the bulletheads.

Once down my wonderful girlfriend rewarded us with coffees!
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