Photos by orangekyak

Seeing The Groove without a climber on a weekend day is a rarity. Supertopo describes it as a 6-foot-wide pipe cut in half the long way. It's fun.

Once you've done the first pitch, and the first couple moves of the second pitch, the climb just gets easier and easier. Amanda had very little trouble with the whole route.

From the pull-off on route 50, one can easily see how steep is the leap, and how mild is hogwild.

With each pitch, the view of Budd lake and the peaks east of Cathedral kept getting better. One cool thing about climbing Cathedral Peak is that by the time you are done, you are looking down at many many neighboring mountains (including half dome in the distance, not in this shot).

Amanda sits and contemplates weighty things atop Clouds Rest, the highest granite peak in Yosemite. She seems to be mimicing Half Dome's posture.

After completing the Northwest Books route on our final afternoon in Yosemite, August 2006, Amanda and I took a quick timer shot before struggling to find our way down from this thing. In the distance over Amanda's left shoulder you can see Cathedral Peak, our conquest from the first day of our Yosemite visit.

Lincoln Woods, Spring 2005, Jake D. let's 'em swing while sending an arete. Photo taken by Amanda, her first day shooting a manual SLR.

Here's the famous noobular one working a tough "boulder route" on outdoor rock with real rock holds and no rope. We couldn't figure out how to get it to stay over the big rock. We all shouted "allez" when he climbed. I don't know what it means but I guessed maybe it meant "I'm scared that you are climbing without a rope on real rock climbing holds." I don't know what kind of holds they were, metolius maybe, but they were sharper than the colored ones at the gym. I think maybe he said they were called "homard" holds or something because I thought I heard a local guy say "homard, masshole" as we walked away and went to the gym for real climbing (with ropes).

It was a fine day for skiing the trails of the state park, but not the best day for climbing. This view is north? toward the chasm entrance from the middle of the chasm. Dreams of spring ...

Martin, the Brit who encouraged me to climb more rocks one summer, enjoys a few pulls at Horsepens. I listed this picture as one of the problem "Chicks," but I'm actually not quite sure what problem it is. September 2001.

Dbyte cruised up this tricky 11a on July 3, 2004. The mantle on this climb is no joke. I discovered that while getting shut down on top rope.

We found this 50-foot sport climb while checking out Precious Orr. It was a good time. I led it, with a few shakes and mostly unquestionable ethics. Kevin led it after. Photo by Jeff.

Tradpuppy caught me reaching for my rack about 2/3 up Prerequisite to Excellence. December 04.

Once you leave that hueco on Goldenlocks, prepare to battle the pump. Perhaps next year my technique will beat the pump and I'll lead this nemesis without falling. This year, however, the steepening crack spat me out twice. Photo by Kevin. Not awful for a belayer photo. December 04.

The young man of the mountain? Amanda snapped this picture while we celebrated our five-year anniversary by climbing The Eaglet in Franconia Notch. One can't be too careful while ascending interesting geological formations in The Notch - The Old Man would be whispering in my ear if he was still holding his ground. In pace requiescat.

Amanda did a great job following the West Chimney on the Eaglet. She's backstepping and chimneying like a pro in this pic. I think I'll keep her!

Jake cruised Underdog (5.10a) as a warm-up. This shot shows him pulling through the crux onto the shark-fins ramp.

Gabe (cracklover) wrestled with Flesh for Lulu, but it was Lulu who took the prize on this day. This shot shows our hero straining at the crux moves.

Jake fired off this shot of me making my way through the delicate moves on Egg McMeadows. It was a beautiful day. 9.11.04.

It took us a couple tries, tag-team style, to figure out the moves on Little Big Man (5.11b). Once we had it sussed, Jake was the one who gunned the thing. This shot shows him pulling from 30-degree overhang to a lip that falls back to 45-degree slab.

December 27, 2003 ... Kevin high steps for balance while placing gear on Quick and Dirty at TWall. This climb was a 5.8 or 5.9 and Kevin did a great job sewing it up. TWall rocks. Photo by tradpuppy.

December 27, 2003 ... hoppinbig led this 10a sport climb and I TR'd it. It was a sweet climb. This pic, by tradpuppy, may be a butt shot, but you can appreciate the weather conditions (bright sun) and beautiful rock.

I love the Pemi wilderness. These shots were taken from the summit of Mt. Garfield. The AT comes up from Franconia Notch along the Lafayette ridge on the right, crosses over Garfield (affording this fine view, among others), then heads northeast to Crawford Notch and the Presidentials.

This is the shot jakedatc took of me on clune crank. I played with it in photoshop a little to adjust the angle and give it a little bit of a drop shadow, just for kicks.

Photo by foograbinstone, belay by tcollins. June 21, 2003. The roof is a fine warmup climb, weighing in at 5.7. The roof part is rather easy, certainly not the crux of this short climb.