We had been talking for a while as to whether or not attempting to get up the governor on mount barney twice in a day would be good training for our Yosemite trip at the end of August. It wasn't the style of climbing that interested us so much as the long walk in combined with the 640 metres of climbing.
The Governor is a 320m grade 22 that starts 30 mins from the top of the south east ridge and heads up the middle of the east face. I had done it once years ago and Hamish had done it twice more since then. Alex and Jay - the other 2 members of our Yosemite team did thier own test the day before. As far as we knew, no one had ever done it twice in a day before. Because of the unknowns of time and fatigue, even though Hamish freed every pitch recently, we decided the we would do it french free style. Pulling on gear to clip safer and to go faster through cruxy moves.
The Governor is a 320m grade 22 that starts 30 mins from the top of the south east ridge and heads up the middle of the east face. I had done it once years ago and Hamish had done it twice more since then. Alex and Jay - the other 2 members of our Yosemite team did thier own test the day before. As far as we knew, no one had ever done it twice in a day before. Because of the unknowns of time and fatigue, even though Hamish freed every pitch recently, we decided the we would do it french free style. Pulling on gear to clip safer and to go faster through cruxy moves.
When we reached the top on our first lap, our time was 3:27
Our second lap, due to better tactics, familiarity and the impending darkness, was 2:57
Probably won't bother doing 2 laps again but it is nice to have done it.
