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The Rurp Belay Sea of Dreams El Capitan Yosemite was captured on the first ascent of Sea of Dreams. I had just led a pitch that we named the Z rurp pitch which followed a perfectly backwards "Z" series of rurp cracks. Rurps are the smallest pitons, about 1" in area and about as thick as a butter knife and don't hold a whole lot since the webbing is only rated at 800lbs. The rope drag was so bad that I had to fight hard each placement in order to get enough to continue and I was pretty spent by the time I ran out of rope. I started drilling the bolt anchor and after 20 minutes I barely had a 3/4" hole because of the dense rock. It was, as Jim Bridwell (RIP) proclaimed, "harder than a whore's heart." I yelled down to Jim and Dale that I was planning to put in a single 1.5" bolt and use 5 sequenced rurps for the belay since drilling was so difficult and we only had one remaining drill bit to finish the entire route. Dale, who would be cleaning the pitch, wasn't having any part of it, so w...

Dave embarked on his photographic journey during his junior high years in Menlo Park, CA, where he first explored the world of photography in a home darkroom. His fascination with rock climbing blossomed during high school, particularly against the iconic backdrops of Yosemite. After graduating, he joined Yosemite's search and rescue team, seamlessly intertwining his passions for climbing and photography. His photographic talents quickly gained recognition, making him a sought-after contributor for renowned publications such as Outside, Rock & Ice, Climbing, Mountain, and Men's Journal. Corporations like R.E.I., W.L. Gore, Sierra Designs, The North Face, Lowe Alpine Systems, and 3M also enlisted his expertise for their promotional...