Saturday, June 27, 2009

Teenage Arete

Here's a video from my recent redpoint of Teenage Arete (5.12d). Not bad for something I threw together in 5 minutes ;)



Also Went out today to practice some aid systems. Worked on lowering out to clean a pendulum/traverse, which went pretty smoothly. Then practiced some aiding (didn't go so smoothly) and figured out some haul systems. It was wet, humid, and buggy. what more can you ask for? :)

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Great Weekend/weekday

I had a few awesome days this week. Saturday My brother, Tom, Aaron and I went up to St. George to scout out some new rock, and new rock we found. Overhanging, featured granite for 120 feet. Solid. It quite literally blew my mind. It has huge potential for 5.12, 5.13, and maybe even 5.14 routes.

There are a few problems however. The first is how to bolt the damn thing. It's so overhanging that a tensioned line seems impossible, and aiding it would be bold. Any ideas?

Also, there are the ever-present access issues. While we were at the cliff, the landowner, eric, meandered up to meet us. He didn't seem overly happy to see us there, but he wasn't mean. Access is unknown.

Now onto today. Cory and I headed out to Minkey wall at Cochrane lane for some stiff trad. We warmed up on the super chill Smoking Crack (5.8). Then it was time for business. We racked up, and I started to lead up Bird of Fire (5.10 PG). I knew this climb was going to be a bit runout, but it was much more than I expected. I found myself 80 feet off the deck, 15 feet out from my last decent cam (A 0.5 Camalot in a horizontal), staring at a tipped out #1 mastercam in front of my face behind a thin, crumbling flake, and about to pull the crux. I gathered my courage and started into the sequence. A series of insecure laybacks off of flakes for 10 feet led to the final move of the crux. My feet were smeared to my left, my handholds facing right. I desperately stab to a horizontal, not knowing whether it is positive or not. My feet skate out from underneath me. If I fall here, I'm looking at a minimum 50 foot fall. My hand hits the horizontal. Slopey, shit. I hold on with all I can, and stab to a higher horizontal. Jug, thank god. I continue 15 more feet to the top, clip the bolt anchors and breathe. That was a tough one.

We continue on. Cory leads up the equally bold Bolts are for Kids (5.10 PG). Cory then leads Cry of the Redtail (5.10 PG). See a pattern? I finish off the day with an attempt on Reno Dyhedro (5.11). I don't quite get the sequence right on the onsight attempt, and take a 15 footer at the crux. I go back up, try it again, fail again, another 15 footer. Go back up, look around......nothing....nothing......AN UNDERCLING! With this previously uknown undercling now in existance, I pull the crux and head to the top. A great day. Since there were no pictures however, I'll leave you with a random picture from rumney.


Me falling off of Payment Plan (5.12)

Monday, June 8, 2009

Weekend June 6th - 7th

This weekend was my first step into the real world. Saturday morning I went up to UNBF to register for my courses for next year. They took us on a tour of Head Hall (Engineering building) and grouped us up for a series of engineering challenges. Our group managed to complete 4 out of the 5 tasks assigned to us.
After registering and completing the activities, we headed back up to the SUB. I had my photo taken for m
y student ID, then headed to Mconnell Hall for lunch.
After lunch I took a stroll around the campus, getting a sense of the layout of things, and enjoying the beautiful sunny day. A big part of me wanted to be out hiking and climbing, but at least I still had the chance to enjoy the day.

Sunday it was time for some real fun. My fat
her, brother and I went out to Bald Hill to do some climbing and bolting. We warmed up on Neopolitan (5.10c), a great 5 bolt line through a series of edges. I then onsighted Rocky Road (5.11c), which ascends through a series of overhanging bulges and sloping horizontals.
After that, it was off to put up a new line. Naturally, this involved some trundling and cleaning. Unfortunately, we stirred the ground up, which in turn brought the black flies out.
We put in an anchor and 3 bolts on Deception Dike (5.11 to the anchors, 5.13 top out). It still needs another 3 bolts, since our drill died halfway.

To finish off the day we climbed Face the pockets (5.10), a tricky little climb that goes up an easy slab, to a tricky step left, which puts you underneath an overhang. You are then forced to blindly pull the overhang, and haul yourself up over a bulge, with bad feet by your chest. Easier climbing then takes you to the top.
We had a nice sunset hike back out to end the day. We'll do it all over again next weekend.
Taking a pause before the crux on face the pockets
Climber:Peter Adamson
Photographer:Steve Adamson