WOW December up at Larch

Talk about the good weather! Let's try 60 and sun for starters. Four friends and I went up last Saturday and it was incredible. Lots of sending went down and the down jackets stayed in the car.

Shirt of on V0

We pulled in to the lower parking area first to get warmed up on the Leavenworth boulder. When the door opened the coats started coming off. After a couple of warm-ups the shirts came off as well. It really was that warm up there.

Brian on V0 Leavenworth Boulder

Sam trying a little hard climbing up top.

We climbed lots of problems on the Leavenworth boulder and then hit some projects.

Tymun working V7 project

Working on the Leavenworth traverse.

Brian sticking V2 for the send.

To warm for the shirt. The start of the crux moves.

Sam digging in.

A quick send on the V0 warm-up.

Sam managed to pull down hard with a FA flash of one of my projects witch went at high V6 and supper cool! I will get it next trip for sure. We finished the day by heading up top to make a great end to the perfect day.

Working on The Magnificent 7 project.

Hitting the moves on the V6 sit start to Winchester.

What a great end to an incredible day of climbing. Can't weight to get back up there soon.

Winter Snow at Larch Mt.

A few weeks ago my brother and I decited to head up to Larch to see what it looked like in the snow. What a incredible trip it turned out to be. As if blue skies and very few people was not enought the 2.5 feet of snow on the ground and 3 foot long ice on the boulders just put it over the top.

About half way up and the snow is starting.

The Forester Loving the snow.

Snow crystals

3/4 of the way and there is a lot of snow now.

 Once we reached the Leavenworth boulders the snow was about 2 feet deep on the ground. We post-holed up to the boulder to check things out.

Boulders through the trees.

The Forester at the Leavenworth trail head.

My bro starting up the trail.

Ice on the boulder by the trail.

Black forest boulder.

Black forest boulder.

Leavenworth boulder.

Leavenworth boulder.

My bro by the Leavenworth boulder.

Ice on the boulder!

 Ice snow and steep hard rock made for quite the environment.

The Igor boulder in the distance.

The Igor boulder in the distance.

 We headed on up to the very top next to see the view. There was a little to much snow to drive the whole way so we post-holed the last part.

The upper bouldering area in the background.

View from the top Mt hood and Mt Jefferson

The farthest the car would go on the steep snow with street tires.

Mt Saint Hellins

The steep packed road.

My bro on the top with Hood in the background.

What a great day and adventure.

More Crag Development

There is a new climbing location that I am very excited about. It is in the Mt Hood National Forest and has a lot of potential. The routes are long and the rock is great. I think though that I will have to wait till spring to get back out there.

The Trail On The Way Up

So far the crag has about a dozen routes from 5.9 to project with a whole lot more to be done. Getting to the crag involves a 20 minute hike up hill through the nice fir forest. When you reach the cliff it feels like you are in a different world. There are only the sounds for the forest and the climbing friends that you brought along for the trip.

The Forest

Aproching The Crag

Passing a big boulder near the end of the trail.

Once at the cliff base the size is very quickly Apparent as the cliff extends passed your view in both directions and rises for 100ft over head.

Just part of the bottom.

Hear is just a few more shots of the rock and some projects I am working on currently. Hears hopping that I can get up there some during the winter months.

12b up the center prow over the roof. 10c in the crack corner.

long 11c and short 11d on this face.

5.12+ on the right side.