Monday, July 21 - Day 7

Goal: Pingora, 11,837, Southeast Buttress, III 5.6

When the mountains are mad at you, an early start is not enough. A butt-kicking 2 hour approach with 4th class friction moves above a yawning abyss doesn't help none either.

After the aforementioned approach, we rocked up the base of the climb at about 10 am. two fun but easy pitches got us a to a small ledge before what looked to be the Money Pitch.

As Nat was bringing Tash up, another climber appeared and asked to pass, promising to simulclimb and move quickly. Nat reluctantly agreed, sad to give up our solitude on the peak but too polite to say no. The other team did move quickly, but it still took them a while to get both climbers to the top of the third pitch, all while the stringy clouds in the distance slowly turned puffy, then large, then dark and scary.

Nat got on route finally, and loved it. Great motion, steep enough to be fun, gear wherever you wanted it, sinker jugs. However, by the time he got to the top, the clouds were moving in fast. Tash rocketed up after, but raindrops were already falling by the time she arrived at the ledge. The hail soon made the decision to bail an easy one.

After some shenanigans trying to find the rap stations, we finally had the chance to reverse our 4th class moves from the way up, only now on wet rock! What fun! Well, it was a strong effort and a fun climb, and someday we will return and kick the ass of this mountain.

returning to the tent by 430 left us with little to do except rehydrate dinner, free-write in the tent and then go to bed at 7:45. If the paper with our calorie-deprived, altidude-drunk and mosquito-addled prose is ever found, it shall surely be reproduced on this page.