Central Pillar of Frenzy + Kor Beck link-up
April 8th, 2012
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The Central Pillar of Frenzy and Kor Beck are both awesome climbs on Middle Cathedral, I've done both of them several times - but doing them together on the same day seemed like an even better idea! Of course this is just the more popular pitches as described in supertopo - most people rappel after pitch 5 and pitch 6 respectively on the two climbs, which is what we did (they do top out with dirty wandering climbing, but then you have to do the long Kat Walk descent which is really nasty in early season with snow).

Amazingly, Central Pillar had less snow on April 8th this year than it did in June last year! Low snow winter and all... the first pitch was a bit wet as expected, but the rest was awesome. We started with the not-so-alpine start of 11am (climbing the first pitch at 11:30am after dealing with the snow), but 3 hours later we were back on the ground.

Kor Beck was also great - the first pitch 5.10a variation is super fun, followed by an unpleasant 5.7 chimney consisting of loose shifting blocks - a bit scary. The rest of the pitches went uneventfully for the most part, with the last couple of pitches keeping us on our toes. 11 pitches later (10 for us), it was great to get back to the base! The drive home was perhaps the crux.

  The popular pitches of Kor Beck and the Central Pillar of frenzy (they both go to the top, too). Photo taken from the East Buttress of El Cap a while ago... The first pitch of Central Pillar always has a snow cone at the base. April 8th this year has less snow than June 8th last year! I climbed up to here in my chacos and changed into my rock shoes, to keep them off the snow  
  The popular pitches of Kor Beck and the Central Pillar of frenzy (they both go to the top, too). Photo taken from the East Buttress of El Cap a while ago... The first pitch of Central Pillar always has a snow cone at the base. April 8th this year has less snow than June 8th last year! I climbed up to here in my chacos and changed into my rock shoes, to keep them off the snow

  Second pitch, consist of an amazing 5.9 finger crack above me here Such fun climbing... Melissa coming up the amazing second pitch of Central Pillar of Frenzy  
  Second pitch, consist of an amazing 5.9 finger crack above me here Such fun climbing... Melissa coming up the amazing second pitch of Central Pillar of Frenzy

  Third pitch  
  Third pitch

  Nice view across the valley At the base of the roof on the third pitch - super fun Cleared the roof  
  Nice view across the valley At the base of the roof on the third pitch - super fun Cleared the roof

  On the 5.8 roof Ominous wide crack below Starting pitch 4  
  On the 5.8 roof Ominous wide crack below Starting pitch 4

  Pitch 4 Coming up pitch 4 El Capitan  
  Pitch 4 Coming up pitch 4 El Capitan

  In the 5.7 chimney starting pitch 5 Last pitch of Central Pillar  
  In the 5.7 chimney starting pitch 5 Last pitch of Central Pillar

  Starting Kor Beck Kor Beck, 5.10a variation to the first pitch More El Cap views  
  Starting Kor Beck Kor Beck, 5.10a variation to the first pitch More El Cap views

  Second pitch of Kor Beck A fun kind of chimney  
  Second pitch of Kor Beck A fun kind of chimney

  Third pitch of Kor Beck  
  Third pitch of Kor Beck

  Beautiful Yosemite valley! Fourth pitch of Kor Beck  
  Beautiful Yosemite valley! Fourth pitch of Kor Beck

  The fifth pitch, a step over to right corner with some burly liebacking Before the scary 5.9 traverse right on our fourth pitch (9th for the day) Happy after the 5.9 traverse, one more pitch to go  
  The fifth pitch, a step over to right corner with some burly liebacking Before the scary 5.9 traverse right on our fourth pitch (9th for the day) Happy after the 5.9 traverse, one more pitch to go

  Our last pitch of Kor Beck  
  Our last pitch of Kor Beck

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