I have always been impressed with Kevin DeWeese’s eye for new routes on obscure formations in Yosemite Valley. Perhaps no route exemplifies this better than Blue Collar (1,200’, 9 pitches, V A3) on the Hourglass Wall, right of Ribbon Falls Amphitheater, which he put up in 2014 with Steve Bosque and Josh Mucci. Josh told me it had the best rock he had ever climbed in Yosemite. Travis Heidepriem and I first sampled Blue Collar in January 2023 and realized Josh’s impression was spot on. This route was special—and freeing it would be even more so.

In February, we recruited our close friend Robert Kennedy and went all in. In total, we spent nearly 11 months on the project. By necessity, most of this time was on weekends, as we all live in San Francisco and have full-time jobs.

As we began exploring, equipping, and piecing together free variations, Robert focused on the first two pitches; he was able to forge 200’ of independent and high-quality bolt-protected climbing on overhanging rock. I spent much of the spring trying to free the third pitch, which mostly follows the original line of Blue Collar. This became one of the two crux pitches on the route, with extremely thin and hyper-technical face climbing up to a redpoint-crux traverse. Travis focused on developing the free variations above pitch three, which deviated significantly from the aid route until the two rejoined at a massive bivy ledge 600’ off the ground.

Our team worked as a unit to establish the pitches above the bivy ledge, most of which were independent from Blue Collar until the ninth pitch. About 200’ above the ledge is one of the route’s namesake golden corner pitches, with superb rock and exciting laybacking. The free variation’s tenth pitch is the route’s second crux, a steep and sustained section of crack climbing to a boulder problem guarding the chains. The free route again breaks off Blue Collar for the 12th pitch, ascending a beautiful golden layback flake for 70’ to a stance and then a V4 horizontal dyno. It was truly one of the most wild and unlikely pitches that any of us had ever climbed.

Our free variation ended up with six pitches of 5.12 (two of which are 5.12+). Throughout the development process— during which we installed a number of new bolts, all with approval from the FA team— we had plenty of help from close friends, notably Benj Wollant.

In November, Travis, Robert, and I went for a continuous push of Golden Corners (1,200’, 12 pitches, V 5.12+) in a team-free style. At least one climber redpointed each pitch, while the others followed free. By sunset on the third day, we were taking group selfies at the top, stoked that we had accomplished something that each of us had, at one point, thought impossible. That moment was bittersweet: I was stoked to have completed our year-long obsession, but sad to see it come to an end. The time spent up there with close friends, arguing about bolt placements and bullshitting about life, will remain some of the best moments of my climbing career.

— Mark Westerberg