9251329

Mammoth Trip, 2023

September 25

Iris Slab



But eventually we arrived at "base camp" and began unpacking, comparing the pictures in the guide book with the wall in front of us. It looked daunting! It always looks daunting. After a while, we agreed on an easy route to start with, and while Stella was scrambling around looking at things, I began to gather everything together so we could go up and build the anchor.

We had the anchor. But I realised I'd forgotten slings and our PASs (Personal Anchor Systems), so we had no way of securing ourselves on the ledge while building the anchor. I had to go back down to the car to get them. I fastened my radio to my harness, and began the steep loose descent. When I got to the bottom and was about to cross on the tree, I was going to radio Stella, but the radio was gone! Had I forgotten to take it after all?

Having retrieved the missing items from the trunk of the car, I tried to retrace my steps in hopes of finding the radio. But I got back to "base camp" and no radio. Nor was it there. So after some debate, we left our stuff and started to descend the way I had. I led, she lingered some distance back and sang into her radio, and before too very long, I heard her voice coming out of the underbrush a little way below me. We scrambled back up to base camp. It was getting to be a late start! -F.