Yosemite

Even before I was re-diagnosed, I thought of some things that I'd like to achieve in the next few years.

In an interesting trait of human nature, I've also heard that the more people you tell about your goals, the more likely you are to achieve them, so I'm telling anyone who will listen.

Before I turn 40 (I'm currently 34, nearly 35) I want to rock climb a multi-day assent in Yosemite National Park.   This means sleeping in a porta ledge at least a couple of nights and this type of activity is accurately described as "vertical backpacking".

This is not a completely 'out of the blue' dream.  In high school and college I spend a lot of time climbing often, sometimes 3-4 times a week.  It's the thing that I did passionately and well when I was young.  Here is a picture of me top-roping a 5.7 in sneakers at the approximate age of 15.  In college I lead 5.11 on natural protection.  I also successfully climbed the third flatiron in Boulder, which although it wasn't multi-day, was a 18 hour adventure of about 7-8 pitches.

Yosemite is the rock climbing mecca of the world, and I've never been there.  And, despite many trips to California in recent years, I have never been ready to go there.  The reason is simple.  I haven't climbing in about 10 years.  And if I pilgimage to Yosemite, I'm going to do some climbing.

So, I've laid down some ground rules, Renee has added a few, and I've given myself some time.

The rules:

• I will hire a guide.  For the 10 years or so I climbed, I only used a guide when I was first introduced to the sport, and he taught us nothing technical.  All my additional learning was self-taught.  However, a  complexity of a multi-day climb in Yosemite, a long time off rock, and being older and wiser tells me that this is a unbreakable rule.
• I will do my homework.  There are hundreds of routes in Yosemite on the big walls.  I will do the most well travelled, best understood and least technical route.
• I will spend train in gym and on some real rock in the months leading up to this adventure.
• Renee and the kids will be in Yosemite but will stand by at base camp.
• I will save money separately for this little adventure and I'll make sure that it's not our only family vacation that year.
• I will be prepared to fail in the case of weather or other unpredictable variables.