For the uninitiated, a multi-pitch climb is a climb that is so high that your rope isn't long enough to make it all the way to the top, so you have to split the climb into a series of "pitches". Generally speaking, most pitches are shorter than half the length of your rope, because when you descend, you rappel on both sides of the rope at once. Most people own 60 meter ropes, which means that a typical pitch is no more than 30 meters tall. However, in El Potrero Chico, most people use 70 meter ropes since many of the climbs are extra long, so the typical pitch is less than 35 meters tall.
Anyway, we got a leisurely start in the morning, getting up a bit late since it was overcast and chilly, eating breakfast and finally leaving camp around 10am. The hike, if you can call it that, is more like a half-mile walk to the Mota Wall from La Posada, the camp where I'm staying. Or maybe it's a mile? Either way, it's basically flat. We arrived at the base of the climb, got on our harnesses and rock shoes, and suited up for the climb.
We decided that we would take turns leading the 5 pitches of the route. The pitches are rated 5.10, 5.10c, 5.10a, 5.10a, and 5.10a as far as their difficulty on the Yosemite Decimal Scale. To explain, the easiest outdoor climbs are usually rated 5.6 or 5.7, where the "5" simply means it's a vertical climb requiring a rope, and the 6 or 7 indicates the difficulty. Most people, if they are reasonably fit, can climb 5.6 with no prior training or practice. Some may even be able to climb 5.8. 5.9 is where the climbs get a bit tricky, and you need a decent amount of experience to climb them. And once you get into 5.10, the grades are split between a/b/c/d, each one more difficult than the last. In other words, a 5.10c climb is four grades harder than a 5.8.
We figured the 5.10 climb meant 5.10a, or perhaps 5.10-, so I volunteered to lead the first pitch, so that Ames would have to lead the 5.10c. I'm a gentleman like that. But as I was climbing the route, which was basically following this hand crack up about 80 feet, I decided that it was awfully hard for 5.10a - in fact it felt more like 5.10c. Perhaps that's because I was leading it, or perhaps it's because it was a crack climb, and my hand/finger/foot jamming techniques are not very well developed, but I had a hard time leading it, had to "take" (rest) a few times, and was very "pumped" (tired forearms) by the time I reached the top of the first pitch. Great. I had my doubts over whether or not I could actually finish all five pitches, considering how hard the first pitch was.
View looking down from the first pitch
I set up the anchor at the first pitch and belayed Ames as he toproped up to me. He took a quick rest, and then led the second pitch, where he got pretty pumped as well. Thankfully, I only had to toprope this one, but it actually seemed easier. Plus I managed to perform some excellent hand/foot jams. I was still pretty pumped though.
My turn again. I led the fairly easy 5.10a face climb, which traverses right about halfway through to a belay ledge at the bottom of a dihedral, and belayed Ames up as he toproped. He agreed it was pretty trivial. The sun had come out though, so it was getting pretty hot.
3rd belay ledge before the dihedral pitch
He led the 4th pitch, 5.10a, which starts out as a dihedral climb, but once you get out of the dihedral you climb some pretty bomber flakes to the next anchor. It was pretty hilarious watching Ames climb out of the dihedral, he looked quite a bit like Santa Claus, the way he was stemming and pushing his back against one wall and his feet against the other. Definitely a strange pitch, but very fun.
Lastly, we arrived at the 4th belay ledge, and looked up. This was a 130-foot monster pitch, up a very odd-looking set of blocky rocks. It was my turn to lead this one, so after a small amount of stalling and complaining about the heat (as the sun had come out), I finally got my game on and started leading. There are actually two variations on this pitch, the left being 5.11-something, and the right being 5.10a, so I had to remember to choose the right bolt line. If you can really call it a line. The route was so blocky that it seemed likely that a fall would result in my bouncing on a ledge. Anyway, there was one spot about halfway up which was really strange and made me super nervous to clip. Didn't like it. But I got past it, and kept climbing. I got about 100 feet up and thought to myself, "This is bullshit, why am I leading this, I'm effing tired." Plus, I noticed the bolts were getting spaced further apart - but in a way that made me feel better because I was guessing that maybe the bolts were further apart because the last part was easier. A man can dream.
Looking up at the 130' monster pitch
Anyway, I told my complaining voice to shut up and kept going. Before long I had actually reached the top, safely, and clipped in two quickdraws at the chains, and yelled for a take. Then I clipped in my personal anchor and sat down. Holy shit. I was climbing shirtless by this point, since I was so hot at the 4th ledge, and I was suddenly greeted from some very cold air to my left, because suddenly I could see the other side of the rock, which was shady, and there was suddenly a very strong breeze. So I was sitting on a saddle of sorts, straddling the sunny (back) side and the shady (front) side of the canyon.
This here's the summit.
I belayed Ames up, enjoying the view and the breeze, and he made it. We took some sweet photos of the summit. Then he talked me into learning how to simul-rap, so we could rappel simultaneously down the 5 pitches. I had my GriGri with me, so I attached it to my belay loop while he explained the theory. Basically, you even out the rope at the chains, then each person coils one end of the rope with a quickdraw, and then we get in "belay position" with the rope in our GriGris and weight the rope, unweighting our personal anchors. Then, we carefully take out our PAs and start using the GriGri handle to lower ourselves at roughly the same time, again being careful not to unweight the rope. Once you reach the next belay ledge, you carefully PA in to the chains simultaneously and lower until the rope isn't holding our weight anymore. Then you pull the rope from the chains above and re-thread the chains at the belay ledge, and repeat, if that makes any sense.
Anyway, before long we had made it all the way back down, and we were overjoyed to take off our shoes and harnesses. I checked my watch, it was 5:20pm at this point, so it took us about 7 hours to do the whole thing and rap down. I was more than a little bit delirious at this point, so it took me a while to take off my gear and organize it. Then we walked back to camp and drove into town for some hamburguesas and two caguamas (liters) of Sol each.
Done.
Yum. I'd say we earned those beers =)
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