Up at 4:00 AM, to the trail head by five. The park wasn't open to traffic until 6:00, so we stopped at the outskirts and hiked in rather than wait to drive. It was forecast to be the coolest day of the week, and given it was a Saturday morning we wanted to make sure we were the first ones out there.
It was an easier hike this time, not having to carry additional water as we had already stashed a gallon up there. Hearing coyotes wail in the dim light as we hiked in was great, unfortunately they stayed out of sight.
It was still early by the time we made it to the base of the route, we gear up and set off. What a difference a day can make, we flew up the first pitch that gave us concern last time, and the second pitch didn't look intimidating at all!
The climbing was phenomenal, beautiful rock, stunning scenery, and a fantastic line all the way to the top. We were in the shade the entire climb, it was actually quite chilly on the wall!
But nothing could dampen our spirits, six hours after we had set off we were on the summit. Incredible views to the surrounding areas, we sat and basked in the sun, savouring the climb.
A couple of hours later we had finished rappelling back to the ground, we packed our gear and hiked out. We reached the car twelve hours after we set off, not a bad session.
We stopped at a nearby crag for a short sport climb, then returned to camp elated with how the day turned out. We had a world-class route all to ourselves on a day with perfect weather. Doesn't get any better than that.
More photos here
