On November 20, Yosemite climbing guide Lance Colley redpointed Gaia, a seven-pitch 5.12c he and former Yosemite climbing ranger Brandon Adams established between July and October 2023. Adams redpointed the line in October and Colley redpointed it a month later. “The entire experience, from visualizing to sending, is epic, and I’m grateful. I’m hoping all my monkey friends will try it,” Colley added, saying that the crux pitch was his hardest lead to date. His comment – climbing the hardest terrain he’s ever done while establishing a first ascent – is exactly what Adams told me in 2019 when he...