Ace in Space Sea of Dreams, El Capitan, Yosemite

by Dave Diegelman

Title

Ace in Space Sea of Dreams, El Capitan, Yosemite

Artist

Dave Diegelman

Medium

Photograph - Archival Photographs

Description

Ace in Space was captured on the first ascent of Sea of Dreams on Yosemite's El Capitan in May/June of 1978. Dale Bard had just come up to the famous Rurp Belay, a somewhat sketchy belay off of 5 rurps and 2 bolts. The pitch followed a precarious Rurp seam, weaving upward through a patchwork of tiny placements that barely held more than body weight—a typical scenario on this route. This particular stretch, however, featured an especially bleak belay anchor which became know as the Rurp Belay. The wall was overhanging, and though we were tethered to our bivy anchors several pitches below, the contingency plan was tenuous at best. If he fell and the anchors ripped, we faced the possibility of a 400-foot plunge, with the hope that the rope linking us to the lower anchors would hold.

The violent afternoon updraft added to the challenge, making it a constant struggle to keep the tag line under control. Dale, ever the consummate professional, approached the pitch with his trademark mix of fearless determination and meticulous control. While this section didn’t ultimately qualify as one of the route’s cruxes, the headspace required was intense—knowing that a single failure could result in a catastrophic fall.

If you're interested in acquiring a mural-sized wall covering of this piece, feel free to inquire via email. It's a part of my Limited Edition series, with only 100 prints available. Please note that the price increases as it sells. Just like all my editions, you can obtain certificates of authenticity by providing proof of purchase and your mailing address. Please send the necessary information to ddiegelman@gmail.com.

Photo & Text All Rights Reserved © Dave Diegelman

Curious about living in Southern Utah?... Here’s what’s AVAILABLE NOW: tinyurl.com/yw26y77p

Uploaded

April 19th, 2023

Colors

Embed

Share

Tags