Between October 26-November 1, Alpinist contributor Skiy DeTray posted his photos, video and stories on our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages as part of our Alpinist Community Project. His notable ascents are included in several NewsWires and web features, including: Teams Smoke Speed Records on El Cap, Video: Speed Ascent of El Cap’s Zenyatta Mondatta (video produced by DeTray’s cousin Dave Coy), Lion in Winter: Mt. Temple’s North Face and Berg and DeTray Author Illusions of the Raven.
Below is a compilation of his work from that week. DeTray calls this collection of seven photos: Transformation.
“Recently I put together a slide show for the Yosemite Facelift. As it came together, I noticed the more soul depleting the experience, the closer and more in touch I get with my inner core.“
The storm beat and battered our tough grizzled skin. It was August 14, my birthday, and I was excited to move camp even though the weather looked grim. The storm had been blasting us with fresh snow for over a week, but we managed to make slow progress. Andy Hoeckel and Pierre Ollson were stoic about the adversity of the situation but I felt lucky to be with such amazing friends and talented climbers. We grossly miscalculated how much food we needed for 30 days on the wall and were all emaciated and suffering. Though we did not reach the summit of the Great Trango Tower, we did endure a life-changing experience.
Last October we set out to break the long-standing speed record on Zenyatta Mondatta held by Ammon McNeely, Ivo Ninov and Kevin Jaramillo. Lempe had to dig through fatigue and dehydration on his final block to take us to the top in 16 hours 53 minutes. We took 6 hours off the previous record.
Read the NewsWire from October 17, 2014 here.
Alik Berg starts up the infamous racing stripes on the East Face of the Mooses Tooth (10,335′). The Broken Tooth proved to be a stunning backdrop as seen in the distance. The snice was too thin to protect and we decided it was too dangerous to continue. Instead, we opted for the mixed gully climber’s right that would eventually give us access to the upper headwall.
Read the NewsWire on the first ascent of Illusions of the Raven (WI4 R 5.9 A4, 5,000′) from May 14, 2015 here.
The North Face of Mt. Temple (11,627′) provided a perfect venue to put Alik Berg and my skills to the test. I feel that the Greenwood/Locke (M6, 1371m) was a transformational moment in my climbing carrier, unlocking infinite doors of possibility as I look to the greater ranges.
Read the web Feature “Lion in Winter: Mt. Temple’s North Face” from March 30, 2015.
Standing on the Buckskin Glacier beneath the intimidating Gothic Cathedral of the East Face of the Mooses Tooth instilled fear like I have never experienced before. Common sense told me to run away, but my soul pushed forward. I walked away from the Mooses Tooth a changed man.
Alien Roof (5.12b), Yosemite Valley: locking in on the focus to push myself to the limit is one of the reasons I most love climbing.
Day 4: Illusions of the Raven’s (VI WI4 R 5.9 A4, 5,000′) final headwall pitches, Mooses Tooth (10,335′), Alaska.
To learn more about Skiy DeTray, check out his blog, Facebook page or follow him on Instagram.