Fingers too buttery on butterballs

Chris and I wanted to head up head up to the cookie cliff and give a shot at butterballs (5.11c). To get to butterballs, you have to either climb chimneys up beverly's tower, or waverly wafer. We chose the chimneys instead because there was an off width section (where the crack widens and becomes more difficult) on waverly wafer that neither of us wanted to climb. Chris climbed the first chimney, and I climbed the second harder one. I wasn't graceful, but still got up it. I've got blood to prove it.

Then there was a 20 foot section of bolted face climbing to get to the base of butterballs. While I belayed chris up, it appeared to not look very difficult, 5.9 or 5.10. Chris got past the first bolt, and was stopped by one of the moves. I thought I'd give it a shot, it was much harder than it looked. I couldn't even make some of the friction moves. I had to pull on some of the bolts, and even doing that was very very hard. Both Chris and I climb harder sport than trad, but neither of us could send it.

We finally got to he belay at the base of butterballs. Two other guys came up a different route to also do the same climb. I had met one of the guys my first day in yosemite when he was going to pick up one of his ropes at the base of tangerine trip on el cap, who he climbed with Steve Schneider.

I got fifteen feet off the belay before my foot slipped and I fell. I fell about four more times before I made it to the anchor. This was my hardest trad lead yet, and was also my first time climbing a finger crack. I need to go back and send it!

Sorry I didn't get any pictures of the actual climb.. I brought the camera all the way up there, and forgot to use it.