Another perfect day in the Valley and we began on “the backbreaker”. I woke feeling way better than before, but not nearly 100% and popped some Vitamin I in a vain effort to mask what was to come. Now this is the pitch that I fell on the year before breaking three small bones in my lower back. I had only attempted to lead it once and spent more time toproping it this year than anything. 

As I climbed the four inch crack and roof that begins the pitch, the visions of last years epic rang through my tired brain. I reached the first rest and stayed there a long time. I stared almost hopelessly at the dead vertical left leaning roof traverse. I visualized getting to the first pseudo-shake through the series of loose finger jams, liebacks and rock over movements. I remembered the crucial foot beta that made possible the desperate sequences that took so many attempts to solve. Finally, I thought about not blowing the clip that I did last July. Not making the mistake of being too pumped for the final boulder problem that was determined by how well you twisted and gripped the tiny underclings of the seamless corner. It took about 2 hours and many falls terrified screams and releads for me to redpoint the pitch. The emotional high that followed my accomplishment proved to be just what Mike needed. He made short work of the pitch and climbed it in nearly half the time and in almost perfect style. 

The rest of the day was a blur. I remember that the sky was a deep blue, that there was a slight breeze and that I had to lead the last crux while looking directly into the sun. We freed the final pitches to the summit and more than anything were relieved from the effort and from being done. I can compare it to having to sit in a huge gravel parking lot and being assigned the tedious job of flipping over ever stone and not stopping until you are done. When you finish you are tired, unenthused about everything and in a state of mind incapable of conversation. You don’t want to stand, yet you don’t want to sit, you just want to get away. So without talking, we began the tremendous chore of bringing back those piles of equipment to the car so we could just get away. 

I am going to take a long break before I do this again...

Rob Pizem lives in Denver Colorado and works as a high school teacher. He is currently in Norway climbing big walls with Mike Brumbaugh, Ari Menitove and Andrew Burr.

Read part 1 and Read part 2. See more photos by Andrew Burr from Arcturus, Half Dome.