Rock Climbing Team Member Ondra Beneš visits Yosemite National Park

15.11.2011, 09:12, Rock Empire s.r.o.

Ondra Beneš sent in this update from his recent travels:
Everyone knows it. The valley full of granite – Yosemite Valley. For a long time, I wanted to visit the valley. After climbing with Richard „Riči“ Nyeki from Slovakia, I knew a trip with him would be unforgettable. In late September, we were able to make it happen. We arrived in Yosemite on September 20th with the main goal of free climbing El Capitan, the granite monolith well known throughout the world. During our first days of acclimatization, we wandered around the valley and did short day climbs. The weather forecast looked good, and there was no reason to delay, so we immediately embarked on our main goal.

The El Capitan route we choose is called „Freeride,“ which is basically the „Salathe“ route with the only difference being that the key section of the Salathe route, known as the „Headwall“ is about 3 pitches to the left. The route has 34 pitches, but, in reality, some pitches can be joined, so, using a 60m rope, it was 28 pitches for us.

Our main goal was to free climb and sport climb, so we took water and food for 3 days. On this route, you can sleep on rock shelves, so we did not need a hanging bed. Everything went as planned, and we climbed to the top in 3.5 days. In all but 2 pitches, we managed to climb OS. On those two pitches, we did the 2nd attempt in RP style.

Freeride is classified at the 5.13 level (9+ UIAA). What surprised me the most was that in each pitch, one must really climb. It did not matter what the classification was.
A chimney at 5.8, which in the Alps is considered climbing for retirees, still needed proper climbing on El Cap. We had to concentrate on each pitch. Riči and I agreed that each pitch as a small victory for us.

After the El Cap climb, we focused on climbing the classics in Yosemite Valley. We climbed „Astroman“ on Washington Column and the West Face again on El Capitan. One pitch on „Separate reality“ and short tries on „Midnight Lightning,“ the legendary bouder in the center of Camp 4.

After struggling on the classics in the valley, we spent a week visiting the town of Bishop in the Owens Valley (East side of Sierra Nevada Mountains in eastern California) and the surrounding bouldering areas like Buttermilk and Happy Boulder.

A more detailed article can be found here:

http://dolnizlebcompany.com/?p=5900

A table of all of Ondra Beneš´ recent climbs can be found here:

http://easyclimbing.cz/index.php/tabulka-vylezenych-cest-ondra-a37