Your window into the stories, history, and ongoing work to preserve Yosemite’s climbing legacy.

A Note from the Editor

The much anticipated annual Yosemite Facelift is only less than two weeks away! The lineup has been announced, with some exciting evening programs to look forward to. Evening programs will happen from 7-10pm in the Yosemite Valley Auditorium behind the Museum. The new documentary High Ground will be playing on Tuesday the 23. On Wednesday the 24 there will be talks given by Randy Leavitt, Teddy Eyob and Ethan Pringle. On Thursday the 25 there will be talks given by Barry Blanchard, who will be signing copies of his book, Oliver Tippett and Bronwyn Hodges and Jacob Cook. On Friday the 26, Tommy Caldwell will present and Joshua Noll will screen Nobody & Goliath with a Q + A with Michael Vaill and Tanner Wanish. Saturday the 27’s evening program will wrap up the eventful week in the Valley with live music performed by Moonsville Collective and Jelly Bread.

While the online registration deadline has passed you can still participate in Facelift by registering at the event itself, though park entry costs will have to be covered without assistance. If you have already registered online for the event, please remember to bring your ID to present at the park entrance on your way in for free entry. Lastly, this year’s Facelift shirts are currently available for sale on the Yosemite Climbing Association website!

On September 15 at 1pm, the Dome Fire started just north of Wawona Dome in Wawona. It was initially reported to cover 20 acres and brought smoke into the Valley on Tuesday. Helicopters and an air tanker were used in the initial attack in efforts to suppress and control the outbreak of the fire. It has now spread to over 1,200 acres and ash was visibly falling from the sky in the Valley on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday.

Construction has begun on the El Cap Bridge to stabilize the structure. This project will cause occasional single-lane traffic and potential delays from Mondays to Fridays, 7am to 7pm through December of this year. The Bridge may be closed for short durations during the construction. Shuttle Stop 9 is closed during this time. The bear boxes have been relocated to the other side of the road, as well as the Big Wall Permits station. Pedestrian access will be restricted during construction and limited on weekends, and there may be increased traffic along Northside Drive and El Cap Straight during construction.

For this week’s feature I briefly spoke with Joshua Noll about his new documentary Nobody & Goliath, which will be screening at Facelift. It follows Michael Vaill and Tanner Wanish during their repeat of Vitaliy Musiyenko’s monstrous ridge traverse in the High Sierra which he named Goliath.

Miles Fullman

Editor, YCA News Brief

YosemiteClimbing.org

Nobody & Goliath: A Documentary by Joshua Noll

1. Can you tell me a bit about Goliath: explain for our readers what the traverse is, who established it, what parts of the High Sierra it links together, etc?

It’s a difficult climb to explain briefly. When I asked Vitaliy to summarize it, he said, “It can be described in one word: monster, but it cannot be described in one sentence.”

The Goliath Traverse is a ridgeline linkup of more than 60 mountains along the High Sierra crest, spanning over 30 miles from Taboose Pass to Piute Pass. The climb begins with Cardinal Peak and travels north through lesser-known terrain, including Split Mountain, the Thumb, and a number of other peaks, before reaching the Palisades and eventually linking into the full Evolution Traverse.

Vitaliy first had the idea more than a decade ago and completed the first ascent in 2021, after one previous failed attempt. He completed it unsupported, without caches, over the course of eight days.

2. How did you get connected with Michael and Tanner and how did this project come about?

In reality, I first met Tanner and Mike while relieving myself into a bag at dawn on Camp 5 of the Nose. I was walling it out for the first time, and they flew past me, short-fixing off our anchor while listening to techno.

Professionally, however, I first met Tanner and Mike while shooting video of their ascent of the Yosemite Triple Crown in 2024. I was the only person to meet them on top of Half Dome, and I found myself quite confused when they arrived looking dismayed. Their demeanor suggested they had failed, when in fact, they had succeeded—with about seven hours to spare.

It wasn’t until a few days later that I learned this was supposed to be their first attempt at the Yosemite Quad. They were upset because they were too fatigued to climb a fourth big wall that day.

Fortunately, the following week they went again and established the Yosemite Quad: El Capitan, Half Dome, Mount Watkins, and the Washington Column, all climbed together in under 24 hours. That’s 88 guidebook pitches.

Shortly thereafter, Tanner reached out and asked if I’d like to create a film following them on the Goliath. It felt like the perfect challenge.

3. What parts of the traverse did you film and how did you access the team as they were traversing at different times and locations?

Mantas Motekaitis, John Kasaian, and I were on the ground as the camera team for this trip, and I had put together a clear plan for each of us throughout the week. We figured out approximately where Tanner and Mike would be at different points along the route and planned our approaches accordingly.

Mantas and I would stay together, carrying an alpine climbing kit alongside our camera gear so we could access the more difficult-to-reach areas. John, meanwhile, would hike in solo via 2nd-class ramps and easier terrain.

The plan was to capture the duo in passing at visually striking locations and at their bivouacs along the way. At the same time, Tanner and Mike would document their own experience using a lightweight self-doc kit that we put together for them to carry.

For communication, we relied on the satellite messaging feature built into our smartphones, which worked... okay. But truthfully, most of the time we would hike into position and listen with telephoto ears for monkey calls to let us know when we needed to be camera-ready.

4. What other projects have you worked on as a filmmaker?

My career began in Chicago, where I worked as a camera technician and operator, primarily in unscripted television. Think of all the bad reality shows we know and love, and I’ve probably worked on one of them.

In 2023, I moved to Yosemite to pursue documentary and adventure filmmaking. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a handful of projects, including The Queen Swing, After It with Will Moss, and several unreleased films that I’m excited to see out in the world soon!

5. How can people watch the film?

We’re currently hosting an independent tour of the film around the American West! We put together a landing page where folks can learn more about the tour, watch the trailer, and grab tickets.

VISIT FILM WEBSITE

6. What were some of the challenges that came with filming this project?

I was fascinated by capturing the mental and emotional toll that an adventure like this can take on someone. That meant it was important to be in the right place at the right time to convey those feelings on camera.

By and large, the location of our film’s story was a massive sandbag. I added up my stats at the end of the week and clocked more than 60 miles and 26,000 feet of elevation gain. That probably makes it my most intense physical accomplishment to date.

I suppose, regardless of how the film turned out, I was proud of that.

7. How many people were involved in the making of this project?

There’s a long list of people I’m grateful to for helping bring this project to life. Dozens of people contributed ideas, lent a hand, or touched the project in some way along the way.

For the most part, though, the film was made by our ace editor, Liv Krusinski, our post supervisor, Mantas Motekaitis, and myself. I have an enormous amount of gratitude for both of them—not only for helping get this thing across the finish line, but for being great friends throughout the process.

8. Was the traverse entirely self sufficient or did the duo stash gear along the route ahead of time for their repeat ascent? Did the camera crews give them any support along the way?

Tanner and Mike’s ascent was fully supported by friends and family. They didn’t stash any gear along the route, but on day five, we all met them at Bishop Pass—the halfway point—as a big crew. We brought food, comfortable bivy gear, and the whole nine yards, giving them a chance to rest and recharge before heading into the Evolution Traverse for another three days of climbing.

9. What makes this story especially interesting or compelling, for you, besides “two guys traverse a long ridgeline” and how does the title evoke those themes?

Yeah, good question. I knew it was going to require an incredible amount of growth from me, both as an athlete and as a filmmaker, to tell this story well. That challenge was incredibly inspiring.

Beyond that, I found Tanner and Mike genuinely curious. Here were two guys from very different worlds—Mike coming from academia and Tanner from the Navy—who, on paper, might not seem like an obvious pairing. Yet when you put them together, they have this fiery passion and infectious energy that seems to rub off on everyone around them.

Truthfully, I was compelled to learn more about them—to understand what brought these two very different people together and what made them tick. And, ideally, I hoped I’d become closer friends with them in the process.

10. How did you get into climbing and filmography?

I’ve been making short films and working with cameras for most of my life, so there’s no particularly exciting story there. Climbing, however, was different.

I had that exceptional eureka moment that many climbers can probably relate to—the kind of paradigm shift where you suddenly realize your life might never be the same. Mine happened in 2021 in the Red River Gorge, where I was being guided by my good friend Mantas Motekaitis, who was already an exceptional climber at the time.

I had hired Mantas for a film job in Louisville, and afterward, he offered to take me to the Gorge for some climbing. After taking my first practice lead falls on day four, I remember watching pink clouds settle on the hills from our picnic table at Miguel's as I thought “what do I need to do, to make this my life?”

11. Any future projects you’re excited about or currently working on?

I wish! We’re all still hard at work navigating independent distribution for this project! –I hope to meet some of you there!

GROVELAND FACELIFT RECAP

45 volunteers. More than 1,000 pounds of trash removed. One bowling ball. One vacuum. One futon frame. And one bag containing something we will simply describe as… formerly alive.

For a little perspective: last year, 30 volunteers removed 695 pounds of trash at Groveland Facelift. This year, 45 of you came out to take care of this community with us.

Huge thanks to our event partners the First Light Resorts, Visit Tuolumne County, U.S. Forest Service, Groveland Trail Heads, and the Greater Valley Conservation Corps for helping make the day possible.

We’re also incredibly grateful to the many local businesses and community members who donated food, gift certificates, gear, and other support for our volunteers. Groveland takes care of Groveland, and we felt that support everywhere this weekend.

And a special shoutout to Rush Creek Lodge for hosting the YCA team and treating us like absolute VIPs all weekend.

To everyone who volunteered, donated, shared our posts, told a neighbor, brought a friend, picked up something gross, hauled something heavy, fed us, played music, or helped make Groveland Facelift happen: THANK YOU.

We love seeing this event grow, but even more than that, we love seeing a community come together to take care of the place it calls home.

Love where you live. Love where you play.