Squamish & Sea to Sky Corridor Part 2

…if you missed part one check it out here

Day 2 of our trip we went up for Cheakamus. It is about 15 miles North of Squamish on 99. It is home to a ton of sport climbing. When I was there over Labor Day weekend, I just assumed it was part of Squamish, but it is actually it’s actually a little ways away and has its own area on Mountain Project. We warmed up on a 5.10a called Clearcut on the Conroy’s Castle wall. I took two videos for this route, but neither one came out very well. The first time up the GoPro was on my helmet like in my other videos. The second video was from the ground and it was cool to see that view until I am so far away you can’t see anything. Instead here is the picture from the start:

After that we walked over the Forgotten Wall and did an 5.11a called Junkyard Patio. This was my second 5.11a of year and it was really hard. I struggled through the crux.

The first half of the route was a left leaning seam with no great feet. I had a hard time finding a way to clip the third bolt. I ended up having to hug the right side using a smooth sloper and heel hooking with left foot at a 90 degree angle waist high. After that it was “Sharma time.” First grunt, a throw to a block which I could only fish hook with my pinky and ring finger. Second grunt, match on the side of the block. Third grunt, dead point up and left to a v-cut edge. It was hard, but a really fun move. The last 2 bolts were cruisers up the anchor. I liked this route and will have to come back sometime later and do it smoother.

Next, we did the 5.10d directly to our left called The Voodoo That You Do. For a route just one grade lower than what we struggled through, it was really easy. You know the route was easy for me when the video is about 5-6 minutes instead of 12 or 14.

If it looks like the last climb, it is because they originally shared an anchor, the 5.10d is the left side of the picture. I actually end up cramping in both forearm extensors and I had to continually straighten my arms to avoid the cramping and I still able to flash it. I think I was dehydrated because it was only my forth lead of the day. We decided to call it day because we had a long drive home and I didn’t want to be cramping during the four hour drive ahead.

Squamish & Sea to Sky Corridor

Last weekend I headed up to Squamish with one of my best friends Greg. Greg and I have been on many climbing adventures over the years including Portugal and blazing a trail up the side of Rattlesnake Ledge. Saturday, we bouldered at the Grand Wall Boulders. We bouldered there last summer together so there were several projects on our list we wanted to complete. We started out with a 4 star V2 slab called Left Rib.

It busted open my knuckles and made my hands raw, but ready to a great day of bouldering.

After which we knocked out, the V1 Warmup on the Black Dyke boulder, V0 Spotters on Strike, and another slab called Cheese Grater which a V1. Pictures are in order:

Now that we were nice and warm, it was time for the hard stuff. We next went over to Easy in an Easy Chair, V4, Top 100. Last year, I attempted this problem and could not even do the first move.

This year, after many falls, I realized that I was trying to climb it like Greg (who is 5’6″) and not like my 6’1″ self. Greg would heel hook the start and bump over to a crappy jib then bump a decent sloper. What I had to do instead was not heel hook and just launch myself off the start for a dead point to the sloper. The first attempt, I nailed it with a Chris Sharma like grunt. After a few more falls trying to bump across the rail, I had to do another dead point grunt to a gaston. The last move is match off the gaston, swinging your feet around to a jib and finishing over the top. Unfortunately, at this point I was out steam from many falls and I couldn’t quite finish it…next year!

Next, we missed around on another Top 100 V4, Sloppy Poppy. I had a difficult time starting this one and we were ready for lunch so we moved on.

Before breaking, I wanted to knock out one more, so there was a 3 Star V4 called Drone that had a really fun dead point.

It wasn’t a hard move just really big, so naturally I had to do it and Greg sat this one out.

After lunch we went to an area called the Cutting Edge.

It was a little harder than I remembered from last year. The book said the left side was a V1, but it was very thin and not slabby. Greg took many falls and I ran up the V0 in the middle and both decided it was not worth the effort and we should move on.

Lastly, we wanted to conquer another one that owned me last year. Bobo Jones, a 4 Star V3.

This was a really fun climb. After left heel hooking on Easy in an Easy Chair, this one was all right heel hooking. Again, couldn’t do the heel hook the way Greg does so I just skipped the shitty holds and through for the good ones. It is a fun problem, but even after refueling, I was toast. We both did this problem last year and I got about two move away from sending it again and I just couldn’t hold on anymore. Neither one of us are too overly concerned with finishing every single problem we attempt. We can always come back next year, so we called it a day.

…part 2 will be up tomorrow, ropes in the Sea to Sky Corridor!

Exit 38 Amazonia

On Saturday, I wet out to Amazonia at Exit 38 with my friend Carmay. We only had a half of a day to climb, but we were able to get some really good climbs in. We warmed up with Sodflesh, which is kind of tricky for a 5.9, but it is a 5.9 and has more than enough good holds on it.

After that we hopped on a 4 star 5.10a called Iguanarama. It is a really fun route especially when it is dry unlike last time I climbed it. I enjoyed the movement and the flow of the route a lot.

Next we knocked out a 5.10d called Paste Human. The beginning of the route was tough. It had a hard time figuring out sequence from the first bolt to the second bolt. However, once a tool a step back and looked at it, I saw the hidden hold that makes all the difference. After which a flew up the rest of it. It was a mix of slab to over hang to straight vertical to over hang again. It was not a route I would be excited about doing again and again, but it feel good to get another 5.10d under my belt.

The last climb of the day we finished with one of my favorite routes at Exit 38, a 4 star 5.10b called I Remember Drooling. It started with a sweet dead point off a heel hook to get up to the second bolt. After that it is a fun series of bulges you have to up and over. Since this is one of my favorite routes I hooked up the GoPro. You know you flew up a route when it only takes 4 minutes to get to the anchors.

I am heading to up to Squamish this weekend and the weather is looking amazing. I am finally hooking up for a climbing trip with one of my best friends Greg and we are going to be doing some sick bouldering!

Nevermind, Exit 38

On Saturday, my buddy Josiah and I went out to one of my favorite spots at Exit 38 an area called Nevermind. I reason why I like Nevermind so much is because it’s home to Steep Street (5.11a) which the first 5.11 that I was able to lead cleanly.

We started out with the only 5.9 in the area called Neverigine. It’s an easy warm-up with good holds to start and a solid slab to finish.

After which I lead up a 5.10c called Love Bucket. It is a really solid and fun climb. I had climbed it in the past, but I had never been able to finish it with out get pumped and taking a break. I was able to lead it cleanly and at that point I could tell I was in the zone.

Now I was ready for the 5.11a. I out the GoPro on the the route, check it out here. It was the smooth I had ever climbed that route. Easy climbs, didn’t feel like I was going to fall and I had so much adrenaline I didn’t realize I skipped the last bolt. I just went straight to the anchor. Because it felt so good we decide to tackle the 5.11d (Rude Dude) which was on the same anchor. I top roped it just in case I couldn’t finish it, I could run up the 5.11a again and get the rest of our gear. It was a tough route and took several attempts to figure out the crux. I able to get through it and now I to go back and lea it. Now that I know it is physical possible to do the route, I can fully commit to the lead.

We finished our day on a 5.10a in the Deception Wall. The route was actually in our book so I don’t know the name of it. It was long, 15 bolts, very well protected. The climbing wasn’t hard, but it was a great cool down. I think it was over bolted. Josiah lead it first and when I lead it, I didn’t clip 3 of bolts because it was one more move until the next one. There was one spot where I could clip two bolts at the same time.

All in all it was a great day and I finally feel like my body and more importantly my head is back to where it was last year.

Squamish Part 2

if you missed part 1 check it out here

Day 2 in Squamish brought on the ropes. We went to an area called Cheakamus. It is one of the few areas in Squamish that consists mostly of sport climbing. We climbed a brunch of different routes and I really enjoyed challenging myself there. The first route I lead was called Small is Beautiful, it is a 5.9 and was a fun warm up. Here are some of the photos and the helmet cam video:prepping the helmet camthe leadMelanie top roping

At the same time we also put up a rope on a 5.8 called Emily and the Detectives, an straight forward slab to complete the warm up. Here is a great shot of Brian as he starts the lead:
My next lead was a 5.10a called Instant Classic. It was a good climb and had a little bit of everything in it. It started out slabby, then moved to a crimpy and straight vertical, then slopers before ending with jugs. The only thing it didn’t do was over hang. Here is the video and some of the pictures of the climb:
leading with the GoPro

Brian running up it

Aaron doing a sweet knee lock

Next, we got into the hard stuff. I lead up a 5.10d called Bullet the Blue Car. It was hard, but really fun. Started out vertical and finished slab. It had a lot of left hand moves and I got really pumped towards the top. Everyone else did really well on it and we only had one person not finish it so I climbed it again on top rope (TR) and after knowing all the moves, I flew up it like I was working my way through a 5.9.

After that we headed to an area called The Main Event to route called Kurijama. It is a Top 100 route for Squamish which is even more highly rated then a 4 star route. It was awesome and definitely a must if you a sport climber heading to Squamish. I haven’t gotten the pictures for these two routes from Aaron yet, but here are a few shots from the surrounding area and camping:

A sign for the last climb able area in Cheakamus

All of us on the hill

Jump photo!

A dude next to us projecting a 5.14

Another dude next to us finishing a 5.14 that we worked on for 4 years

head lamps!

Climbing fuel

This is how I lead the troops, to the top!

My shoes

Sweet shot of a bolt

We finished up on Monday at back Murrin Park, but this time on the ropes and climbing slab. The only route I did before we left was a 5.10b which I don’t know the name of, but it was a giant slab and very painful. My shoes are generally pretty tight and slab can be tough. I’ll have more photos from this trip hopefully next week once I can grab a DVD of them from Aaron.

Squamish

Over Labor Day weekend we climbed in Squamish, Canada. Squamish is one of my favorite places to climb and boulder. A weekend trip is always better when you have a big group. This trip consisted of usual suspects Rachel and Brian, my photographer Aaron and new addition to the crew Melanie.

After crashing the night in Bellingham and grabbing some extra gear from my buddy Greg, we headed up to Squamish to start our adventure. Day 1 consisted of some really great bouldering. We bouldered in a area called Murrin Park. This was my first visit there and to my surprise the approach took all of 30 seconds. Literally there is a walking trail that goes right along side the giant boulder know as the Traverse Wall. It is called this because there is a crack runs all the way across it that creates a really fun traverse. It is called Goo Traverse rated V3 and 4 stars.

This is me, as I work my way on the traverse

Brian working on it

Rachel on it

Melanie traversing
There were a bunch of problems on the Traverse Wall and we knocked a lot of them out, from right to left we did: CNN V1, Dominion V0, Zero V5, Star of the Sea V1, Snowstorm V2, Goo Traverse V3, Ripper V0 and Stellaluna V0. The two we spent the most time working on were CNN the V1 and Zero the V5. The V1 was really fun because it was a dyno! Dynamic moves are right up my alley and play towards my strengths. Aaron put the flashes on either side of us and it made the pictures look like we were in a lighting studio and not outside in a sunny park.

Rachel in mid air

I love this picture because Aaron was able to catch me at the peak of my jump doing my best Air Jordan impression.

The V5 was hard. I think I put in about 10 or 12 attempts. I keep getting stuck on this little crimper that was definitely the crux. After that, all I had to do was hit a big ledge and I was done. It felt doable and I would like to come back next time I am in Squamish to finish the problem.

After the Traverse Wall we walked a whole 300 feet to the opposite end of the parking lot and into the trees to an area called The Missing Boulders. We able to knock out a couple more V0’s before moving on to a really fun problem called Prime Time. The sit start is rated V5 and is 4 stars. The non-sit start is rated V2 and is a Top
100 which means it is, “the absolute best Squamish has at the given grade” according to the guide book. We worked this problem for a while. The V5 part was very difficult, requiring a huge heel hook. After may falls we ended up working just the V2 part and it did not disappoint. The move is another DYNO! Yay! It was really fun and we got some great pictures from it.

the rock up

the stick

Brian sticking the move

the pose
Here are some more from The Missing Boulders:

I love this one because of Brian in the background of Aaron climbing

….Check out Part 2 tomorrow for rest of our adventure!