You know those days when everything just clicks into place? I’ve been having more of those recently…
I first saw Tales of Power in the extras on the Sharp End – Madeleine Sorkin and Kate Rutherford were climbing a steep, beautiful thin hands splitter in Yosemite. This is the kind of line I just can’t ignore. My first two days on the route (1 in February, 1 in April) weren’t too successful. Of course, it wasn’t the incredible splitter that was shutting me down. It was the initial flare and the final squeeze chimney. I was facing both mental and physical barriers: fear, intimidation, squeeze chimney technique, wet and slimy rock… a couple weeks ago I wasn’t sure I was even going to go back to the route again this year.
Looking up at Tales of Power.
But things change quickly. This last weekend, after warming up by flailing on Generator Crack and figuring out some better beta for my crux (getting into the squeeze from the hand crack, beta help from Luke and the video of Kate Rutherford), we rappelled down to the base of Tales of Power. I racked up, tied in, and sent my first Yosemite 5.12. At the beginning of the day, my goal was to work on the moves. At the end of the day, I needed to find a new project.
Redpointing Tales of Power is a pretty big deal for me. Not just the grade of the route (only my 4th 5.12), but also the steepness and exposure, and the wide cracks. There were a lot of things about the experience that really intimidated me. But I managed to push past my uncomfortable feelings, and I’m very glad I did. I hope that I’ll remember this experience for a long time to come, that by putting myself (way) outside my comfort zone, I can accomplish things I hadn’t even realized I was capable of.
Lizzy
Congratulations Lizzy, that’s so rad! I’m not even a trad climber (yet!), but that feature is most definitely enticing.
If I wasn’t already a trad climber, I think Tales might have converted me. It is just that lovely. I’ve spent *years* avoiding wide cracks, and I actually sought one out to warm up… inspiration makes us do crazy things
Congratulations! “Only” your 4th 12…c’mon, that’s an amazing accomplishment! I’m hoping to do my first 5.9 this summer. Not that I’ll be climbing it anytime soon…but how wide is “wide”–the start of the route and then it’s fingers? Looks like a beautiful climb.
The start is a squeeze chimney, not a super tight one, but still awkward, that turns into a steep flare, but there’s a hand crack in the back where you can place gear (red camalots) and jam one hand. Then the middle is perfect hands and thin hands (for me), mostly red camalots with a few slightly smaller pieces (black metolius and/or 2.0 Friends). Then then top is another squeeze chimney (you can’t really see this part in the photo), I found the crux to be getting into it, because it’s not quite wide enough initially to squeeze my butt into.
Thanks for your comment, and good luck on your goal
badass lizzy, glad you rocked it!
Very cool and congrats!!! Motivating…..makes you love Yosemite and granite all the more.
GIRL HAND CRACK! NOT 5.12 for you! DO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT CONTINUE SPRAYING!
Gosh, thanks for your support… This is actually harder than other “5.12″s I’ve done in the Creek, and it’s a flared granite crack so the feet are way more solid for a person of any size than a sandstone splitter.