UKC

'Every pitch was practically choreographed. We climbed about fifty pitches each, and we knew exactly where each cam, nut, and existential crisis would go' - Kate Kelleghan and Laura Pineau tell us all about completing the Yosemite Triple Crown

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So awesome!

This interview really raises the question what could have also been talked about with them.

- the enormous risk that comes with these ascents (I think this is much more dangerous than say free soloing 5.10 would be for them)

- the yosemite culture where boldness, leisurly solos and speed ascents determine your social status. how do they feel about this?

- why it was hard to find another woman to do this with for Kate, and whether the trajectories of previous yosemite "stars" like Brad or Quinn played any role in their assessment of the worthiness of their objective.

...bring on the downvotes, just know that i am in no way saying what i am saying because they are women. i do think that if onsighting the niad takes you 12 hours you're not some honnold-level superhuman, but rather a normal good climber for who this is indeed very dangerous, no matter how well you dissect everything and prepare.

This is, in retrospect, a question I/we should have asked. It would also have been interesting to hear the steps they took to minimise/mitigate risk.

It feels like there's a lot of judgement loaded within this question. It's been a fair few years since I was last out in Yosemite, but I didn't come back with quite as bleak an opinion as you seem to have - or at least not in this regard. Yes, there's a small group of people doing bold solos and speed ascents, but that's ultimately a niche, within a niche, within a niche. The vast majority of people are just trying to claw their way up whatever climbs they can manage at whatever speed they can muster!! 

Going back to niches, I don't think there's a tonne of people doing this sort of stuff, so finding anyone - let alone another woman - wasn't going to be easy. 

I've no doubt Ollie would have further insight on this, as he's spent a lot of time out there lately. Maybe I'm completely off the mark?!

Hi Rob, 

thanks for your reply. Fair points. I’ve not been to the valley in a few years and my time “on the inside” there is 10 years past. Most visitors are obviously just trying to get up the classics as well as they can, and I think there are a few strong (by which I mean a good sport climbing level) (semi-)residents now too - something I’d say wasn’t the case as much 10 years ago.

That said, I was talking only about this small group of climbers, usually around the sar site / bridge, where what I said still seems to apply based on reporting around this achievement and others that are similar.

i am not as negative as I might have come across, i am myself guilty of feeling good when respected for (relative) boldness in the valley or elsewhere. I am just saying that it would be interesting questions to ask to those who are living inside this particular niche now. Like a group interview with Kate, Libby and Quinn.

I assume this culture where your “monkey” status depends more on boldness than say strength or community contributions exists in the UK too, and there is a discussion to be had about it there too. Maybe no one agrees and this doesn’t matter at all, and all there is to say about someone sending parthian shot or the triple crown is “congrats” (and good luck). I don’t know.