Devo's Climbs

Road Trip: Smith Rock - Nov 3-7, 2011

2011-11-10T19:32:00.001-08:00

Got down to Smith last week with Tim and JP. It was raining when we arrived, but no problem - thanks to Tim we were staying in a three-bedroom condo! Friday was sunny and warm - beautiful climbing weather. We got down to business in the Dihedrals with ascents of Bunny Face (5.7), Helium Woman (5.9), Captain Xenolith (5.10b) and Lycopodophyta (5.7).

THE SUN IS OUT - GAME ON!

J.P. ON HELIUM WOMAN

SENDING CAPTAIN XENOLITH

J.P. LEADING LYCOPODOPHYTA

Then we scrambled over Asterisk Pass to the west side and climbed Spiderman (5.7).

LEADING THE FIRST PITCH OF SPIDERMAN

J.P. NEGOTIATING THE CRUX ON PITCH TWO

MY TURN

Saturday found us at the Western Ship on Purple Headed Warrior (5.7), Phone Call from Satan (5.9) and Caffeine Free (5.10b).

J.P. RUNNING UP PURPLE HEADED WARRIOR

LEADING PHONE CALL FROM SATAN

J.P. ON PHONE CALL

MAKING THE CLIP ON CAFFEINE FREE

Then it was over to Morning Glory wall and up The Outsiders (5.9), Five Gallon Buckets (5.8) and Morning Sky (5.10c).

CRUISING THE BUCKETS ON THE OUTSIDERS

Sunday morning began with snow followed by rain. JP headed home; Tim and I watched football.

Monday was sunny and warm again! Tim and I climbed Dancer (5.7) and Jeté (5.8) and Lion's Jaw (5.8). Then I led Light on the Path (5.10a). For our last hurrah we linked Ginger Snap (5.8) to Cry Baby (5.9) - always a fun romp!

TIM DIGGING THE EXPOSURE ON CRY BABY

GOOD TIMES!

View all 38 photos: Smith Rock November 2011 photo set on Flickr»

Road Trip: Trout Creek - Oct 21-23, 2011

2011-10-27T01:49:00.000-07:00

Escaping another rainy Seattle weekend, Ian and I dashed to Trout Creek, OR after work last Friday for a weekend of spectacular crack climbing. We were joined there by JP, whom I'd met in The Valley a few weeks prior. This was my first foray to Trout Creek and I was suitably impressed - some of the best pure crack climbing I've ever experienced!

We started things off Saturday afternoon at The Northern End on T-Handles (5.9) and Talkin' It Clean (5.10-).

SIZING UP THE CRACKS AT THE NORTHERN POINT

IAN LEADING T-HANDLES

JP ON TALKIN' IT CLEAN

Then it was a lap each on Salad Daze (5.9) and Bedside Manner (5.9). On our way back to camp that evening we wandered on past the main wall and scoped out the cracks there.

SUNSET ON THE MAIN WALL

Sunday found us at the main wall where we each led Gold Rush (5.10a/b), a stupendous one hundred-foot hand crack - probably the best I've ever climbed.

LEADING GOLD RUSH

Then I gave JR Token (5.10b/c) a go. It began with straightforward jams to a sustained thin hands section near the top which gave me some trouble. I ended up hanging on a few pieces while on lead but managed to get it clean on top-rope later. I've got a project to work on! I'll definitely be back.

TROUT CREEK - OREGON'S CRACK CLIMBING PARADISE

More photos: my Trout Creek October 2011 photo set on Flickr »

Road Trip: Yosemite - Sep 25-Oct 9, 2011

2011-10-14T22:41:00.000-07:00

My seventh annual Fall trip to Yosemite, this year I was joined by Kurt, Tony, Matt, Seth and Dave. I spent most of my time in The Valley, with one foray to Tuolumne.

Week one began with a mix of cragging and an ascent of After Six (5.7) on Manure Pile Buttress with Kurt and Tony. An early high point was my lead of Revival (5.10a) at Church Bowl. That Wednesday Tony and I, along with Matt and his friend JP, climbed Royal Arches (5.7 A0), spending about five hours on route and two hours on rappel. I've climbed R.A. four times now and I still love it.

TONY LEADING THE PENDULUM ON ROYAL ARCHES

MATT APPROACHING PITCH NINE, ROYAL ARCHES

THE FIRST OF MANY HOT RAPPELS ON ROYAL ARCHES

Thursday morning I met fellow guiding compatriot Seth in Tuolumne. We had our eyes on the Regular Route on Fairview Dome, but when we arrived the line was already several deep, so we continued on around the corner to Lucky Streaks (III 5.10d). Considering this was my fifth consecutive day climbing and Seth was fresh off a day of rest in Lee Vining, I quickly claimed the .10a second pitch for my lead, leaving the .10d pitch for him. That was a good call: I lead the thin finger crack in solid style and followed the powerful .10d crux pitch clean, but the remaining 5.9 pitches up wonderful granitic knobs were more challenging than usual. Fatigue had set in and my feet were screaming by the time we topped out. Despite it all, this is a stellar route; I'd love to climb it again when I'm fresh so I can enjoy it in its entirety.

SETH NEARING THE CRUX ON PITCH TWO OF LUCKY STREAKS

SETH LEADING PITCH THREE ON LUCKY STREAKS

Friday was a cragging day, but I was so worn out that I didn't lead anything. It was also very warm and we bounced from crag to crag seeking shade. We hit Sherrie's Crack (5.10c), Highway Star (5.10b) and Generator Crack (5.10c).

SETH LEADING HIGHWAY STAR

TONY ENTERING THE SUFFER-FEST OF GENERATOR CRACK

TONY: "OFFWIDTHS ARE HARD!"

SETH INSIDE THE GENERATOR CRACK

POST-OFFWIDTH SETH: "I THINK I'M GONNA' HURL"

That evening Tony, Matt & I spent some time at El Cap Meadow performing the "El Cap Lieback", scoffing some brews, watching climbers on The Captain and reminiscing over our exploits of the past week. Tony began building his list of valley projects for next year - he's hooked!

TONY & THE CAPTAIN

Saturday was a rest day. I drove to the Fresno airport, dropped off Tony and Kurt and picked up Dave. By Sunday afternoon I was feeling up to climbing something, so while Dave and Seth ran up Royal Arches, Matt and I went over to Middle Cathedral to climb Central Pillar of Frenzy (5.9). We arrived around 12:30 pm, hoping a late start would be our ticket to a hassle free ascent of this popular climb, and it was: we were the last party on route and everyone in front stayed in front!

MATT ON PITCH ONE

YOURS TRULY CLIMBING PITCH TWO

MATT SENDING THE ROOF ON PITCH THREE

MATT LEADING PITCH FOUR

MATT FOLLOWING THE FIFTH AND FINAL PITCH

Monday morning found Seth and I waking up early to climb the East Buttress of El Capitan (IV 5.10b). We'd been itching to get on this route since last year when poor weather chased us out of the valley for three days. We'd estimated a ten hour car-to-car timeframe, but we ended up doing it in under seven: a 30 minute approach, 5:20 on route, and an hour descent (thanks to fixed ropes on the rappels!). We didn't dilly dally, so I didn't take any photos on route, just a few before and after. It was a challenging route in some ways - lots of moderate yet slick face climbing, often runout. We both freed the crux face moves on pitch two (Seth's lead) but I found the "sleeper crux" to be pitch eight (my lead), and I had to french-free a few moves to get through it. Have get back up there some day and get that one clean, grrrr!

APPROACHING THE EAST BUTTRESS

ATOP THE EAST BUTTRESS

Tuesday found me physically wasted, but the weather forecast was calling for rain Wednesday and Thursday, so I went out cragging at Five and Dime cliff with Seth and Sam (another AAI guide who was staying in Camp 4) anyway. Seth led Five and Dime (5.10d) clean - impressive effort after the E. Butt! I tried it on TR but couldn't get more than half way up before I was smoked. Sam led Keystone Corner (5.8) and I managed it on TR, but it felt like 5.10 to me and I called it a day. Seth and Sam climb a couple nice looking sport routes and then were done.

SETH LEADING FIVE AND DIME

ENJOYING THE CAMPFIRE AT LOWER PINES

The forecast for Wednesday and Thursday held true and no climbing was done. Did get some nice post-storm landscape shots though.

SNOW DUSTED HALF DOME

YOSEMITE FALLS FLOWING AFTER THE STORM

Friday was dry and cooler. Dave and I went cragging at Pat and Jack's Pinnacle and climbed Nurdle/Knob Job (5.8) and Sherrie's Crack (5.10c) - a splitter finger crack that we first worked on TR then led. On Saturday Dave and I were initially looking to do the East Buttress of Middle Cathedral (IV 5.9 A0), but our efforts from the previous day had taken their toll. Instead we lounged around camp and rested, which meant I was able to bid a final and fond farewell to my favorite campsite neighbor, Marley the basset hound.

MARLEY - MY FRIEND FOR TWO WEEKS

Later in the afternoon we did some leisurely cragging at Swan Slab on Grant's Crack (5.9). I also TR'd a nearby unnamed face rated at 5.10c.

Needless to say, Sunday morning came too soon. We slept in late, packed up and moved out of Lower Pines 59. Dave and I began our journey homeward, stopping along the way at Manure Pile Buttress to test our luck on the ever popular Nutcracker (5.8). But it was not to be - we managed to climb three pitches before we were brought to a grinding halt by several slower parties above. Oh well, there's always next year! :-)

View all my photos in my Yosemite 2011 photo set on Flickr »

Alpine Climb: North Ridge of Mount Baker - July 26-27, 2011

2011-08-07T22:48:00.000-07:00

The North Ridge of Baker is a route I'd had in mind to climb for a long time - just needed the right partners and good weather and I found both for a glorious day in the mountains.

Tuesday, July 26:
Chad, Tony and I set out from the trailhead, made easy work of the short approach, set up camp on the Hogsback and spent the afternoon reviewing snow anchors and crevasse rescue skills. The thrill of the day was finding out that my new Hilleberg Jannu - a two person tent - was cozy enough for three!

WOULD YOU CLIMB WITH THESE GUYS?

TONY SCOPING OUT OUR OBJECTIVE

Monday, July 27:
My alarm went off at 4 a.m. but somehow we didn't get moving until 6:00. Travel across the Coleman was pretty straightforward thanks to the unseasonably high snow pack. However, when we started, the upper mountain was obscured by clouds and I had to do a bit of navigation by GPS to hit the base of the North Ridge. I pretty much took a direct line, passing several looming crevasses but always finding bridges that allowed us safe and continuous passage. This was the first of several exciting and enjoyable moments of the day.

CREVASSES ON THE COLEMAN

Over dinner the prior evening we'd scouted the right entrance gully via binoculars and felt we could bypass the bergschrund via the left. As we approached the 'schrund, the clouds parted and we could see old steps from a previous ascent on the line we'd chosen. The snow was quite firm and these buckets eased our passage up the steep snow to the crest of the North Ridge (c. 8,400 ft.) at around 8:30 am.

THE BERGSCHRUND BELOW THE RIGHT ENTRANCE GULLY

TONY ON THE NORTH RIDGE

ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?

High above we could see our objective: the toe of ice where the technical climbing would ensue. It was an impressive sight.

THE ICE STEP

Shortly before 10 a.m. we were ensconced at the base of the ice cliff, building a belay and switching from glacier to technical climbing mode. Around 10:30 Chad began leading the first pitch: a short vertical wall of blue ice that relaxed to 60º whereupon the surface became mostly rotten, though easily climbable, and good screw placements were found with a little chopping.

CHAD LEADING THE STEP

I led the second pitch on more of the same, placing one screw before cresting the arête and another after. As I climbed the surface eventually changed to steep snow and I pounded a picket through it and into the ice below. I climbed another thirty feet and attempted to build an anchor with pickets, but the snow wouldn't hold a vertical placement securely enough for my taste so I eventually down-climbed to my last picket and built a good anchor there to belay Chad and Tony up.

TONY CLIMBING PITCH TWO

Above was another long pitch of easy but exposed snow which we simul-climbed via running belay. Then we skirted our way under a few hanging seracs and made our way across the summit plateau to Grant Peak just before 2:30 p.m. Success!

SUMMIT GLORY

The descent via the Coleman-Demming was accomplished in a swift 1 hr. 40 min. The hike from camp to the car was less than an hour.

GOOD TIMES

VIDEO:

View all my photos: N. Ridge of Mt. Baker - July 26-27, 2011 photo set on Flickr »

View of our route in Google Earth:

Rock Climbs: Leavenworth & Index - May 19-21, 2011

2011-06-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

Got home early from Denali, enjoyed a day of rest then got three consecutive days of rock climbing in. Here's how it went down:

Sunday - Castle Rock with Ian:

Canary (5.8) - Ian's first all-gear lead!
South Face, Jello Tower (5.8+) / Midway Direct (5.6)

Monday - Index with Paul:

GNS - Sickle Crack (5.7) / Pisces (5.6) / Great Northern (5.6)
Godzilla (5.9) - a bit harder than usual, but I got up it.

Tuesday - Index with Seth:

GNS - Sickle Crack (5.7) / Blockbuster (5.9) / Taurus (5.7) - first time on Blockbuster, ouch!
Breakfast of Champions (5.10a) - followed it clean.
Tatoosh (5.10b) - first red point ascent!
Shirley (short) (5.10a)

Pulling down was definitely a challenge but it was good to get back at it!

Rock Climb: Index Town Wall - May 19, 2011

2011-05-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

With summer weather finally here I spent another day at the Lower Wall, this time with Jacy. Since it was his first time at Index, I got things started at Great Northern Slab with a lead of the Aries fist crack and corner (5.8). I'd hoped to go up the chimney too, but it was wet and I was forced to skirt around it. Then I led the upper pitch of Taurus (5.7).

JACY CLIMBING THE ARIES FIST CRACK

GOOD TIMES IN THE SUN!

Jacy was lovin' it. I decided to up the ante and rapp'ed to the base of Breakfast of Champions (5.10a). It was a solid lead - probably my easiest so far. Jacy did quite well following - just a few falls, but he figured it out. Not bad for his first real jam-crack!

ATOP OF B.O.C.

Back on the ground we ran into my buddy Hunter. He'd just arrived with his friend Sarah to climb on GNS. Jacy and I headed over to Godzilla next. It was a tad busy and we had to wait our turn, but it was worth it - no way Jacy was going to miss climbing this classic today! All in all, for my last bit of rock climbing before guiding season it was a great day.

Rock Climb: Great Northern Slab - May 14, 2011

2011-05-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

Snuck one in Saturday evening: following his shift at VW, Ian and I drove through rain in Monroe to find Index still dry, but for how long? We began climbing around 5:45 p.m., using Ian's newly purchased rack (shiny gear - sweet!). I led the Sickle Crack (5.7) to the base of the Pisces hand crack (5.6). Then Ian climbed the crack for his first gear lead! From there I continued to the top via the final pitch of Great Northern (5.6). A single 70m rappel took us down. We were surprised it wasn't raining yet but weren't complaining. Ian got some more practice placing gear by leading the 5.0 Approach Gully to the railroad rings, then I led the second pitch of Great Northern (5.6). As we descended, the rain finally arrived - we quickly rapp'ed to the ground and scurried to the car. Good times! :)

Rock Climb: Leavenworth Cragging - May 7 & 8, 2011

2011-05-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

Spent the weekend at the family cabin with Rosann and Chad and got some climbing in. Weather was ok: brief periods of warm sun mixed with cool, breezy overcast patches and an occasional spittle of rain. Nothing to keep us off the rock though. We began Sat morning with some easy routes at Hobo Gulch in Tumwater Canyon - Slowpoke and Mulligan Stew, both 5.7. We took a break when some rain came in and ran into Viktor K. who was doing some trail maintenance nearby.

CRAGGING AT HOBO GULCH:

After the rain subsided, Rosann headed back to the west side while Chad and I went into Leavenworth to pick up some groceries. On our way out of town we noticed it was sunny in the Icicle and decided to check it out. First we drove to Eight Mile Campground and witnessed the devastation of the recent mudslide, then we stopped at Icicle Buttress where Chad expressed an interest in climbing R&D. I'd always wanted to climb Cocaine Crack and that's how our afternoon objective was decided. We approached via Cocaine Connection (5.7), then I prepared to lead Cocaine Crack (5.10a). My interpretation of the guidebook led me to expect a hand-sized crack, so I constructed my belay anchor and set my rack up accordingly. But once I'd gained the upper crack I could see the remaining thirty-foot crux section was actually a wide finger crack. With most of my finger-sized gear either in the car or in the belay, I managed to place a few nuts and my remaining .5 and .75 Camalots as protection (along with a uselessly flared #1, which I didn't even bother to clip). The runout was a tad spicy, but the finger locks, while sustained, were excellent - a thrilling pitch! I exited left under a roof past some loose flakes to a large ledge and belayed Chad up. From there we continued to the top via the final two pitches of R&D (5.6). Other than the forceful breezes regularly encountered on the Buttress, it was a sweet climb.

On Sunday we hiked up to Peek-a-Boo Tower in the Icicle and climbed the first three pitches of Yard Art (5.9).

CLIMBING YARD ART

Chad then performed some solid work on Lawn Darts, a super thin 5.10a slab pitch.

CHAD LEADING LAWN DARTS

After rappelling Lawn Darts I led us to the summit of Peek-a-Boo Tower via the West Face (5.9). This was the most enjoyable pitch of the day - a fun romp up gritty golden granite with exciting exposure, a bit of blue collar wide crack, then steep bolt-protected face climbing on jugs leading to a delightful arête finish. It reminded me a lot of climbing Higher Cathedral Spire in Yosemite.

CHAD ON WEST FACE, PEEK-A-BOO TOWER

Hiking down from Peek-a-Boo we stopped by Keen Acres crag where I got a lead in on Keen Acres (5.9+). Unfortunately it started raining as I reached the anchors and Chad wasn't "keen" on climbing slippery slab, so we called it a day and hit the road.

More photos: Leavenworth May 7 & 8, 2011 photo set on Flickr »

Rock Climb: Lower Town Wall - May 1, 2011

2011-05-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

Sunday was another gorgeous day at Index. I warmed up with a shaky lead of Tatoosh (5.10b), taking a fall in the chimney on a green C3 when my foot peeled. The rest of the pitch wasn't any prettier. I bloodied my fingers to the point of uselessness and resorted to a bit of french free to finish it off. Chad sent it elegantly on TR of course! I did another lap but never really figured out a solid way through the chimney.

Chad led Thin Fingers (5.11a) next, sailing up the thin .10a start, flashing the slab crux and subsequently flailing on the 5.9 jam-crack. Guess he knows what he needs to work on! I TR'd it, slipping on my initial attempt on the slab but ultimately sending all the moves clean.

In the afternoon we sought shade in The Country. Chad led pitch one of G-M (5.8+); I led the second (5.9) linked with Heart of the Country (5.10a), including the upper extension (definitely not .11a!). First time I'd successfully put all that together on lead! I felt better about flailing on Tatoosh after that ...

After HOTC we hooked up with Tony, who'd driven to Index after work. I led Godzilla (5.9) and Tony - after a warm up lap on TR - led it on pre-placed gear. I did one more TR lap and Tony did a final run via the .10a bolt ladder. By then it was 6 p.m. - we'd began climbing at 8:30 a.m. Some of the first in and the last out - an awesome day! :-)

Photos of Tony's first lead of G-zilla:

Rock Climb: Lower Town Wall - Apr 23, 2011

2011-04-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a brilliant summer-like day. Expecting a crowd, Ian and I arrived at Index early and began climbing at 8:30 a.m. We warmed up on Godzilla (5.9), getting in three laps each, including Ian's first lead on pre-placed gear. By 11 a.m. it was getting busy. Princely Ambitions (5.9) was open however and I led both pitches. From the top of Princely we scrambled over to the anchors above Breakfast of Champions (5.10a), rappelled and got in a lap each. It was pretty warm by then, so after rappelling from the top of Princely we relaxed in the shade and watched a couple gals climb Thin Fingers before heading to the river to enjoy a few brews.

Equation of the day:

600 feet of vertical granite crack climbing + sunshine = bliss :)

Rock Climb: Frenchman Coulee - April 21, 2011

2011-04-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

I clipped some bolts on Thursday at Vantage with Rick M. It was nice to get away from the constant drip of the west side - nothing but sun and blue skies at Frenchman Coulee, though it was quite breezy. We had to move throughout the day, seeking shelter from the wind. We began with a single pitch at Riverview Park, moved up to Riverview Columns for two more, then spent the remainder of our day at Kotick Memorial Wall. We walked by a couple climbers on Sunshine on the way to Kotick but had the rock to ourselves the entire day.

Routes climbed:

A Walk in the Park, 5.7
Aeolachrymation, 5.8
Dusk and Her Embrace, 5.10a
The Rod of God, 5.8
Falsies, 5.9
Well Preserved, 5.10c
Wild Thing, 5.10a

Kotick Memorial was the highlight: clean rock, fun climbing and relatively wind-free. The Rod of God was a juggy romp up a freestanding tower. Falsies was a pumpy 5.9 arête with positive edges. Well Preserved began on some insecure sloping holds with good feet, transitioned to pumpy incut edges and finished with a few delicate arête moves. Wild Thing was mostly cruiser moves to a few wafer thin crimps just below the anchor. Good times! :)

Road Trip: Smith Rock - March 21-25, 2011

2011-04-01T23:10:00.000-07:00

After twenty weeks of training indoors on plastic, Chad and I - along with Kurt and Jose - went to Smith Rock for five days and put our hard work to the test. Our primary goal was an ascent of Monkey Face via Monkey Space (5.11b), but it was not to be as we battled cold, temperamental weather nearly every day. Despite this, Chad and I managed to climb all five days, the majority of it at 5.10 and above, so in that regard the trip was a success.

Monday, March 21
We'd arrived at Smith around 3 am, so we got up late and climbed in the afternoon at Picnic Lunch Wall. I led Honey Pot (5.9) and the first pitch of Teddy Bear's Picnic (5.10a), feeling strong and confident on both. These are both excellent climbs on steep knobby slab and a great way to acclimate oneself to Smith Rock tuff.

STARTING THE WEEK OFF ON HONEY POT

CHAD LEADING HONEY POT

HIGH UP ON TEDDY BEAR'S PICNIC

Tuesday, March 22
Tuesday was our best weather day, though we experienced some passing hail storms early on it was mostly sunny and warm for the remainder. Unfortunately my climbing ability had taken an abrupt turn for the worse. I blamed it on the two beers I'd quaffed the night before: I'd been on a beer diet during training and my body was consequently unable to cope with even that small amount. I was sluggish, physically and mentally, all day as a result. In hindsight Tuesday would've been our best chance to attempt Monkey Space, but even if we'd gone for it I doubt I would have been up to the task. :(

Climbing began around noon: Kurt and Jose in the Dihedrals, Chad and I the Overboard area. I first led Nine Gallon Buckets (5.10c) with a rest below the crux, then Chad and I both did a lap on TR. Next Chad led Overboard (5.11c), impressively climbing through the lie-back crux clean only to pump out near the finish. I made a futile attempt on TR, flailing incessantly at the crux, cursing those beers loudly. I was quite disheartened, and in an effort to reclaim some self-respect decided it was time to change tactics, say goodbye to bolted face climbing and lead Karate Crack (5.10a). On the way to Karate we hooked up with Kurt and Jose. Kurt led Cinnamon Slab (5.6), then I started up Karate Crack. Looking up at Karate from the ground, I surmised it would require several 1-2 inch cams and brought triples in those sizes. Halfway up the crack I realized 3-inch cams were necessary to protect the remaining twenty feet to the final hand traverse, but I'd already placed both my #3 Camalots below. I briefly contemplated running it out to the traverse, but in the end decided to lower off and retrieve my #3's instead. With my quiver replenished, I finished the crack and Chad followed. I didn't find the climbing so difficult, protecting it was more the challenge: Smith's cracks are not like the uniform fractures I climb at Index Town Wall.

KURT STARTING UP CINNAMON SLAB

CHAD FOLLOWING KARATE CRACK

Wednesday, March 23
The weather was mostly cloudy, breezy and very cool, so more sleeping in and climbing in the afternoon. We began with some "old man climbing" on Super Slab (5.6) at Red Wall. Chad led the choice pitches (1 & 3); I led the second; Jose followed; Kurt took the day off from climbing. After Super Slab Chad and I returned to Picnic Lunch Wall and climbed both pitches of Teddy Bear's Picnic. I led the first (.10a), Chad the second (.10b). Pitch two was incredible - sweet edging on patina, traversing rightwards to an airy, exposed arête, with nothing but empty space below your feet. Only the finish - a short bit of brittle, rotten rock to a belay stance on a freaky detached pillar - detracted from the rush of the climb. Definitely worth repeating.

Thursday, March 24
Weather continued cold and breezy. We'd been holding back for a chance, but it was clear Monkey Face was not in the cards this trip. Chad & I headed to the Wooden Ship and climbed Phone Call From Satan (5.9 sport - Chad's lead) to Solar (5.9 trad - my lead). The year before I'd led Solar, exhausted from a marathon day of climbing and had to rest a few moves from the finish; this time I was fresh and sent it clean. Sweet climb!

It was rather breezy and we ambled over to Mesa Verde Wall on the west side to see if we could find some shelter from the wind. Shortly after crossing Asterisk Pass the temperature rose noticeably - yeah! MVW has some primo knobby sport routes in the 5.10 - .11 range and we were stoked to have some sun to climb in. First up: Cosmos (5.10a), then Screaming Yellow Zonkers (5.10b) and Moons of Pluto (5.10d). I led the first two clean and was on the same path on Moons when a flash hail storm hit just as I was negotiating the crux. I tried to wait it out, hoping it would pass quickly, then eventually rested on a quickdraw before finishing. After Chad led it, I climbed it again clean on TR. For a .10d at Smith it felt a bit soft - maybe more a reflection of the technique rather than the strength required to climb it. Still, it was my favorite route at MVW.

BUSY DAY ON THE PIONEER ROUTE

LEADING MOONS OF PLUTO

CHAD ON MOONS OF PLUTO

... IN A PASSING HAIL STORM

Chad finished the off the day with a lead of Bad Moon Rising (5.11a): a crimpy start, then a delicate slab, ending with some Herculean moves over a roof. Chad worked the roof crux a few times and finally sent it. I gave it a go on top-rope, taking a fall on the upper slab section and then below the roof. The roof moves felt much harder than .11a, and certainly not just a single grade harder than Moons of Pluto a few feet to the left.

Friday, March 25
Our week came to an end with a brief morning of cragging at Morning Glory Wall where I led Five Gallon Buckets (5.8), The Outsiders (5.9), cruised through the lower section of Gumby (5.10b) and then attempted Morning Sky (5.10c) where I was stymied by greasy crimps and a sudden fear of falling. Guess I was tired from five days of climbing, so I lowered off and Chad finished the lead. I then TR'd it clean, though Gumby felt harder the second time. Yep - definitely tired!

MORE HAIL

CHAD ON MORNING SKY

More photos: Smith Rock March 2011 photo set on Flickr »

Rock Climb: Godzilla - January 27, 2011

2011-01-28T01:07:00.000-08:00

It was a warm sunny day at the Lower Town Wall Thursday and Tony and I racked up some mileage on our favorite 5.9. The standard start was soaking wet, so I french-freed the City Park bolt ladder and led the remaining 100 feet of G-zilla. Then we traded several laps on TR, all via the 5.10a bolt ladder approach. We even down-climbed the route once (the 5.9 portion) just for practice. Good times! :)

TOO WET TO CLIMB

TONY CLIMBING THE 10a BOLT LADDER

IS IT JANUARY? FEELS LIKE SPRING!

TONY LOVIN' THE LIEBACK

Rock Climb: Lower Town Wall - Dec 6, 2010

2010-12-07T13:09:00.000-08:00

Got outside with Tony yesterday. There was some snow on the ground at Index but the rock was dry (mostly). Started on Great Northern and Pisces and finished with a lap on Godzilla, of which the first 15 feet was dripping wet - a bit spicy that. Nice to be climbing outdoors in December!

TONY RACKIN' UP

WHAT'S ALL THAT WHITE STUFF?

Fall Road Trip: Smith Rock - Nov 12-15, 2010

2010-11-17T18:31:00.000-08:00

Eke'd out a bit more climbing before winter arrives - went to Smith Rock (third time this year!) over the weekend with Chad. Weather was pretty good, actually a bit warmer than we'd expected. Highlights of the trip: Gumby/Zion (5.10b) on Sunday and Monday's climb of Monkey Face from base to summit - super cool!

HEAVENLY FALL WEATHER: SUN AT SMITH ROCK

SUNDAY'S EXPOSURE DE JOUR: THE STELLAR FOURTH PITCH OF ZION

CHAD LEADING PITCH ONE, WEST FACE VARIATION ON MONKEY FACE

AIDING THE BOLT LADDER

DEVO ON TOP

THE 200 FT. RAPPEL OFF MONKEY FACE

View all 34 photos: Smith Rock Nov 2010 photo set on Flickr »

VIDEO: ASCENT OF MONKEY FACE

The Valley / Tuolumne / Bishop: Sep 26 - Oct 10, 2010

2010-10-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

In some ways this was a stressful trip. The weather was less than ideal: too hot the first week, then it rained for five days in The Valley. So - in an attempt to get some climbing in - we ended up escaping to Bishop for three days. I hit a buck driving through Tuolumne along the way, then Tioga Pass closed (due to snow) and I wasn't sure when I'd get back to The Valley! Fortunately I was able to return for three days of good weather and climbing and got to spend a few evenings camping with my sister's family. Didn't do any long routes because of the weather, but still climbed a bunch of new stuff, particularly of the wide variety - chimneys and off-width cracks. It was a "blue-collar" kind of trip and I came home with many bruises and scabs. Fun!

Week one (Sep 26 - Oct 1) - temp's were in the mid 90's. Kurt and I climbed in the shade and took long siestas in the afternoon heat. Highlights were:

Super Slide (II, 5.9)
Five nice pitches (in the shade before 11am!) with a beautiful splitter off-fingers crack for the last 40 feet.

KURT ON THE SPLITTER FINGER CRACK, PITCH FIVE OF SUPER SLIDE

Cathedral Peak, Southeast Buttress (III, 5.6)
We escaped the heat and went alpine climbing in Tuolumne Meadows. Too many features to chose from - I've never climbed so many sweet knobs! We didn't really follow any of the standard routes - I just followed knobs, making sure there were cracks for pro and ran out some long pitches, five total. Cool summit too.

CATHEDRAL PEAK

KURT FOLLOWING PITCH FOUR

DEVO ON TOP

LOOKING UP THE SOUTHEAST BUTTRESS FROM DESCENT TRAIL

The following Saturday afternoon the rains came.

MY UBER-TIGHT TARP SETUP TO THWART THE DELUGE

STORM CLOUDS AND WATERFALLS ON ROYAL ARCHES

Week two was split between sport climbing at Owens River Gorge near Bishop and cragging in The Valley. Our time in the Eastern Sierra was pretty chill: sleeping in, checking the weather online at the Black Sheep Cafe and climbing in the afternoon, dodging a few thunderstorms along the way.

DESCENDING TO THE MIDDLE GORGE

SETH LEADING ABITAROT (5.10a)

GREAT WALL OF CHINA

LEADING CHILD OF LIGHT (5.9)

MIKE LEADING IF I TOLD YOU I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU (5.11a)

By Thursday the forecast had improved and I drove back to Yosemite Valley. My sister had arrived that morning with her family and spent a few days camping with me.

DRIVING TO THE VALLEY: SNOW ON CATHEDRAL PEAK

POLLY DOME, TENAYA LAKE & TENAYA PEAK

FUTURE ROPE GUNS: NEPHEWS IAN & LUC

Highlights from my last three days in The Valley:

Reed's Pinnacle (II, 5.9)
We climbed Reed's Pinnacle via the first two pitches of Reed's Direct and the final two pitches of the Regular Route. I led the first and third pitches - a 5.9 steep hand crack and a spooky 5.8 squeeze chimney traverse. Seth led the second - a burly 5.9 endurofest crack, and third - a short 5.9 finger-to-hands corner.

SETH LEADING PITCH 2, REED'S DIRECT (5.9)

CLIMB TO THE LIGHT: THE SQUEEZE CHIMNEY TRAVERSE

SETH THREADS HIS WAY THROUGH THE SQUEEZE CRUX

Seth climbing in the chimney:

Lunatic Fringe (I, 5.10c)
Seth onsited this one - 140 feet of steep, clean crack requiring a wide variety of technique: fingers, off-fingers, thin hands, wide hands, lieback, flakes, more hands and fingers, and finally thin fingers and knobby face. I was proud to follow it clean, removing each piece as if I were leading it myself. Maybe I'll lead it someday.

SETH LEADING LUNATIC FRINGE (5.10c)

Higher Cathedral Spire, Regular Route (III, 5.9)
A wonderful adventure with jaw-dropping exposure and spectacular views. Compared to other 5.9 routes in The Valley, this one felt pretty casual. The second pitch - with it's dynamic move over a strenuous bulge - was the crux, and it was short. Every time the exposure started to ramp up, another ledge appeared around a corner. The summit rewarded us with a commanding view of El Capitan and Yosemite Valley. Super fun!

SOUTHWEST FACE OF HIGHER SPIRE

SETH PULLING THE STRENUOUS BULGE ON PITCH TWO

LOOKING DOWN AT THE BELAY FROM THE TOP OF PITCH THREE

THE TRAVERSE OUT ON PITCH FIVE

VIEW OF LOWER SPIRE FROM PITCH FIVE

THE FINAL 5.8 STRETCH TO THE TOP OF HIGHER SPIRE

SUMMIT OF HIGHER SPIRE

Summit footage:

Werner's Ant Tree / The Surprise (II, 5.10c)
A nice climb in the Five Open Books area. Seth led the alternate start to The Surprise (5.10a) via Werner's Ant Tree (5.10c), which involved some slick 5.10 liebacking to a face crux protected with small cams and nuts - the bolt shown in the topo had been chopped. Attempting to link pitches 2 & 3, I led a long pitch of sustained 5.8 crack and stemming, stopping short of the off-fingers crack at the top of pitch three because I'd run out of gear. Seth then linked the rest of pitch three to pitch four - a delicate 5.10a finger crack, and I took us to the top via a short yet enjoyable 5.7 stem.

SETH MAKING SURE HIS RUBBER STICKS ON WERNER'S ANT TREE

SETH SENDING THE .10c CRUX ON WERNER'S ANT TREE

SETH CLIMBING THE OFF-FINGERS CRACK, PITCH 3 THE SURPRISE

LOOKING UP THE .10a FINGER CRACK, PITCH 4 THE SURPRISE

VIEW OF HALF DOME FROM FIVE OPEN BOOKS

Mañana (I, 5.10d)
My final climb of the trip was Mañana, an overhanging off-finger crack. Seth on-sighted it - a strong effort I must say. I TR'd it and fell at the crux until I figured out that strenuous but solid ringlocks were the key to this climb. A great crack for working this technique, Mañana takes solid gear and could easily be french-freed. Definitely on the repeat list for future Valley trips!

MAÑANA

More photos: view all pics from my trip in my Yosemite Fall 2010 collection on Flickr »

Video montage of climbing in Yosemite & Bishop, Fall '10:

Alpine Climb: Prusik Peak, South Face - Oct 18, 2010

2010-10-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

Chad & I climbed Prusik via the Stanley-Burgner route (III, 5.9+) on Monday - a crisp Fall day with nary a soul around. It was delish! We approached via Snow Lakes trail - a 20+ mile round trip. Took us 16 hrs., 10 min. total car-to-car. My legs took a beating.

PRUSIK ADORNED IN FALL COLORS

CHAD BELOW THE 5.8 CHOCKSTONE, PITCH FIVE

CHAD IN THE 5.9 SQUEEZE CHIMNEY, PITCH FIVE

SUMMIT SHOT

SUMMIT PANORAMA (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Video TR:

More photos: Prusik Peak Oct 18, 2010 photo set on Flickr »

Rock Climb: Remorse / Outer Space - Sep 13, 2010

2010-09-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

Salvaged aborted plans to climb Dragontail Peak (partner bailed) by climbing Outer Space on Snow Creek Wall with Chad Monday. Met in Monroe at 6 am, left Icicle Canyon at 7:52 am and were at the base of SCW in 1 hr, 10 min. It was looking busy for a weekday - there were already three parties on route above. At 9:25 am we began ascending via an alternate start, Remorse (3 pitches, 5.8) - the same combo I'd climbed with my buddy Dave in October of '06, so I switched it up by leading all the pitches I'd followed the first time around.

CHAD AT THE BASE OF SNOW CREEK WALL

Chad led pitch one: a short, grassy 5.6. I led the sketchy 5.8 friction traverse, all the while wishing I hadn't left several small cams at the car. Didn't help discovering that the trigger wire on my single .3 Camalot was also broken!

CHAD FOLLOWING PITCH TWO OF REMORSE

Chad led pitch three via some slabby face and a blocky chimney up to Two Tree Ledge where we joined the queue waiting to climb Outer Space. It was around 11:30 am.

CHAD, PITCH THREE OF REMORSE

After a 45 minute wait I began the crux lead: an airy 5.9 finger crack hand-traverse above rotten hollow flakes for feet that I swore were gonna' detach without notice and send me flying into space. The protection was good though and I pushed through the grip and gained the belay without mishap.

CHAD FINISHING THE CRUX PITCH OF OUTER SPACE

Chad led next: an adventurous 5.7 pitch through a sea of gigantic knobs to the top of a pedestal. Above us on the 300-foot headwall were two pitches of some of the sweetest crack climbing on the planet. Unfortunately we had to wait again. It was approximately 2 pm.

IS IT THE WEEKEND? WAITING AT THE BASE OF PITCH FIVE

Somewhere's around 3 O'clock we were moving again. A few delicate 5.8 face moves protected by a thin crack led to a splitter hand crack amidst a plethora of chicken heads - heaven itself may not contain such a delectable combination of granitic perfection! With well over a hundred feet of 2-3" crack to go before Library Ledge I was conservative with my gear, often placing a cam above me, climbing past it, then "bumping" it higher while standing on bomber knobs. Overall I placed one red #1, two gold #2's and two blue #3 Camalots in the hand crack.

CHAD CLIMBING THROUGH A SEA OF KNOBS ON PITCH FIVE OF OUTER SPACE

At Library Ledge we met the two gentlemen who'd been gumming up the works for everyone all day. They'd just let the party ahead of us pass and were getting ready to climb the final pitch. It was obvious they were a bit over their heads on this climb but you had to give them credit for going for it. All-in-all we waited another hour while they climbed the final pitch - ugh. At least we had some fun conversation with a pair river guides from Utah while we hung out. Finally, Chad took the sharp end and did a splendid job negotiating the short-yet-tenuous 5.9 finger crack directly above the belay; the rest was more sublime hand crack and knobby dreaminess. 35 minutes after he began his lead I joined him and quickly dispatched the short unprotected "oh-my-god-how-big-could-these-chicken-heads-get" 5.0 pitch to the summit of Snow Creek Wall. It was now about 5:40 pm. After slurping some water, downing a quick snack and saying "hi" to the furry horned locals, we began our descent.

OBLIGATORY MOUNTAIN GOAT SHOT

1 hr, 10 min later (just after 7 pm) we were at the car enjoying some Kona Pipeline Porter and reminiscing over a rather fine climb, well except for all the waiting of course.

More pictures: Remorse / Outer Space photo set on Flickr »

Some Vid:

Times:

Car to base: 1 hr, 10 min
Estimated time climbing: 5.5 hrs
Approximate time waiting: 3.75 hrs
Summit to car: 1 hr, 10 min (incl. short break for food, packing)

Rack:

Nuts: 4-11 (used many times)
Cams:
Camalot C3 - red & yellow (wished I'd brought the purple and green)
Camalot C4 - single #.3 (broken trigger) and .4, doubles .5 through #3 (adequate - one more #1 and #2 might be worth the weight)
10 draws - 4 quicks, 6 alpine (adequate - a few more might have been useful, but I like draws)
1 double runner
1 cordelette, 1 rabbit runner
1 nut tool

Notes:
Carrying our (small) packs with us and NOT having to return to the base was definitely the way to go. Wearing helmets and harnesses on the descent recommended: lots of loose choss and one rappel on the descent that I'd forgotten about.

Rock Climb: Great Northern Slab - Aug 30, 2010

2010-08-31T14:13:00.000-07:00

Jetted out to Index with Tony last night after work for some evening climbing. We initially hiked up to Private Idaho but found the rock too damp to climb (apparently it'd rained a bit). Ran down the trail to the car and drove to the Lower Town Wall only to find Godzilla occupied. With light at a premium, we quickly climbed the Sickle Crack and Taurus (5.7) on GNS. Topped out at dusk and rapp'ed in the dark - good times.

Rock Climb: Lower Town Wall - Aug 28, 2010

2010-08-29T13:34:00.000-07:00

Had a lovely day of cragging with Chad Saturday at Index. Warmed up on Godzilla (5.9 - Chad's lead), then some folks over on Thin Fingers were kind enough to let us piggy-back on their rope and set up a TR. I actually sent the route (5.11a) clean - pretty cool! Moved over to GNS where I linked the Aries fist crack, the corner finger crack and the flared chimney together. That was a big mistake: too much rope drag as I floundered up the chimney and I hung on my gear once before a final, desperate grovel to the belay. Chad lead the upper pitch of Taurus (5.7) then it was beer-thirty by the river. :-)

Rock Climb: Inner Wall / The Country - Aug 16, 2010

2010-08-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

Started the day in the coolness of the Inner Wall at Index with Kurt, Chad and Ian. Chad began by leading Corner Flash (5.7) then he and Ian TR'd Agent Orange (5.11+). I led Toxic Shock (5.9), Kurt TR'd it, I did another lap and then attempted the upper pitch of Slapshot, a 5.11b bolted face/arete climb to the left of Toxic. I found it ridiculously hard and gave up.

Ian gave it a go after me and worked the heck out of it (we call him "Tenacious G" for a reason). I hopped on Agent Orange and fared much better despite the higher rating - go figure. Kurt did a lap on Corner Flash and Chad finally sent Slapshot in style with only one slip. He thought it felt harder than AO as well.

Somewheres before 2:00 we headed over to The Country to see if the shade had arrived there yet: not quite, so we chilled for a bit. When Ian couldn't wait any longer he jumped on Cunning Stunt (5.10d), still in the sun. He did an admirable job fighting through the difficult moves amid the heat.

IAN LEADING CUNNING STUNT

When Ian finished w/ CS, Chad and I climbed GM/Heart of the Country, which had finally entered the shade. Chad led the first two pitches of GM - I led HOTC.

PITCH 2 OF GM ROUTE

HEART OF THE COUNTRY

Good times.

More pics: Index Aug 16, 2010 photo set on Flickr »

Rock Climb: Lower Town Wall - Aug 13, 2010

2010-08-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

Spent Friday climbing in the sizzling heat at Index with Jason. Had dreams of sending Sloe Children (5.10d). Jason led Godzilla then I gave pitch two of City Park a go (5.10b).

JASON ON GODZILLA

I climbed myself into a jam on the initial stem section and took a short leader fall on a sketchy #4 nut, which popped and dropped me down to my first placement - about 8-10 ft. At that point Jason took over and freed the pitch clean. We determined that if you're under 5'10" it was easier to climb out left and use the arete to move back right into the stem in order to reach the mantel ledge than to attack the stem directly (as I had done). It's still a stretch, but definitely manageable.

JASON LEADING P2, CITY PARK

By the time we reached the Park Benches it was blistering hot and we passed on Sloe Children. Instead we traversed left, rapp'ed and set a TR on Japanese Gardens. Jason climbed it clean with one fall at the crux; I worked it for a good long while but finally gave up, exhausted by the heat and bleeding on my left pinky finger. I might send it someday when I'm more fit and the temp's more reasonable.

More pics: Index Aug 13, 2010 photo set on Flickr »

Alpine Climb: West Ridge of Mount Stuart - July 24, 2010

2010-07-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

Climbed the West Ridge of Stuart on Saturday with my buddy David B. Began climbing at 7am. We soaked it all in, took several breaks, were meticulous with our route finding and summited without mishap at 2pm.

A superb route in stellar conditions - good times! :-)

MOUNT STUART: WEST RIDGE IS THE LEFT SKY LINE

BIVY VIEW: ADAMS & RAINIER AT SUNSET

3RD-CLASS GRANITE GULLY TO LONG JOHN TOWER

DAVE SCRAMBLING THE GULLY

APPROACHING LONG JOHN TOWER

THE NOTCH AT LONG JOHN TOWER

DAVID ON THE UPPER WEST RIDGE

INGALLS PEAK

DAVID CLIMBING THE FINAL PITCH

SUMMIT SHOT

LADY BUGS ON THE SUMMIT!

REARVIEW MIRROR: STEWART FROM LONG'S PASS

Bonus: video documentation - watch it!

More pics: West Ridge of Mount Stuart photo set on Flickr »

Approach Notes:
In via Ingalls Lake, bivied at base of route, 7,100 ft. ~ 3.5 hrs
Out via Cascadian Couloir / Ingalls Creek / Long's Pass ~ 6hrs 20min

Gear:
8 nuts, 5 Tri-cams, Camalots #2 & #3
6 alpine draws, 2 four-foot runners
1 cordelette
60m half rope, doubled
Ice axe (each)
Aluminum 'pons (1 pr.)

Timeline:
7am - began climbing
9:04am - John Long Tower
10:26am - West Horn
2pm - summit
2:30pm - began descent
5:45pm - Ingalls Creek trail break
7:18pm - Long's Pass
8:25pm - car

Rock Climb: Lower Town Wall - July 22, 2010

2010-07-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

Spent the day at Index with Tony and Tim. Started off "leading" the lower half-pitch of Japanese Gardens (5.9+/10a). "Leading" in quotes because I hung-dog it something fierce. I was too tired to send it clean - wasn't my day to tick off any projects. :-(

After I got set a toprope we all did a few laps each. It was easier on TR, of course. ;-)

TIM ON JAPANESE GARDENS

Some gents next to us had led Sagittarius (5.10a) and were kind enough to let me climb using their rope to set a TR on it. We rewarded them for their hard work by sharing some organic India Pale Ale that Tony had brought. Tony and I each lapped it twice, Tim had a difficult time with this one.

TONY ON SAGITTARIUS

After Sagittarius, Tony was called back to work. :-( Tim and I got in a few more pitches on Great Northern Slab via Sickle Crack (5.7), the Aries "Buttlips" Chimney (5.8), and Taurus (5.7). Good Times!

Rock Climb: Inner Wall/The Country

2010-07-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

Spent Thursday of last week at Index with Tim and Andy. Started at the Inner Wall and climbed:

Corner Flash (5.7)
Agent Orange (5.11+ var.) - TR
Toxic Shock (5.9)
Even Steven (5.11b) - TR

TIM LIEBACKING THE START OF TOXIC SHOCK

Moseyed on over to The Country in the afternoon where Andy led Cunning Stunt (5.10d), I followed.

ANDY LEADING CUNNING STUNT

All 13 photos from Index on July 15 on Flickr »