Ascents in Yosemite Valley as Tick

Sick Yosemite intro - p6 was the scariest thing I've ever led, 2 pitons and one worthwhile cam placement over 30m of traversing while still not totally trusting the granite smears - the handholds were the equivalent of pulling on a stale arnotts lemon crisp at points.

Felt like I went through a footwork class over 10 pitches and it finally started to click by the end. Shit's rough in the valley.

Linked 1/2, 3/4, 7-8.5 then ran out of rope.

Ethan and I brainstormed this one the night before and decided it sounded like a good idea - no real beta to go off we just took everything and went. 3500ft of elevation with a big pack was a slog, had a lot of tourists in awe of whatever we were doing.

Crazy amount of fixed ropes at the top (6) definitely needs a garbage disposal job. Fixed the 80m rope - which was clutch, a 70m would've required coming off rappel onto some extremely suspect traversing. Mixture of free and aid on the first pitch - 3 x #4s were again a good call. Second pitch was the technical aid, which is absolutely eased of all hooks by God's greatest gift in Yosemite - a rack of totems. Trusting a half engaged totem took a hot second, but it's bomb as the package says. Also turns out carrot bolts (rivets) back in Australia aren't so special, they exist here too - but they don't take plates, just nuts or actual rivet hangers which of course we didn't have. Sick position on the pitch then a bolt ladder to finish.

Got to the top, figured neither of us have ever rigged a tyrolean before but it was pretty easy to figure out. The rope access course I did before coming here actually paid off here in making it easier. Jugging the tyrolean was the hardest part of the day. Everything went perfectly??? We were both shocked.

Yosemite animal bingo was on fire on the walk off. Saw a Marmot, peregrine, brown bear and cub, California king snake, Alex Honnold on his bike at camp 4.