Back on the rock.

So many things can get in the way of climbing that some times it can be quite a while between trips to the crags. My life has been a crazy one for the past three months and I think cabin fever was at an all time high. Weighting for the weather to clear is frustrating this time of year for sure but it finally happened and I jumped at the chance to climb. My first thought was to hit Enola and climb some projects but since I had not climbed at all in 8 weeks and the snow level is low I thought better of that decision and headed for Cascade boulders instead. My friends and I went for the scree sloops and the boulders in them thinking that they would be dry first but this was not the case. The wind had dried off the boulders in the woods so I chose to warm up on the Cascade boulder. This boulder also had a project on it that I had not finished yet so I wanted to hit that as well.

Cascade Boulder

After getting in some warmups I sent BLT again just to make sure I had it in hand. BLT climbs the arete proper from a sit start. It is one of the best problems ever and a nice V4. The project line was to start on the V0 to the right and traverse low into BLT and then climb it to the top for a sustained V5. I had to work on the traverse beta but managed the send after a few tries.

Setup side pull on BLT

Left hand slopper crimp

Start on a right hand side pull and small pocket out right. Traverse left low to the start of BLT. Finish on BLT  to the top missing out on the small right hand crimp and using the sloopy pinch insted for full value. This make a great long problem that will get the blood flowing. Next it was off to the Neut boulder for some steep climbing.

Rob on the V0 warmup

Rob finishing the warmup

The real reason for this trip to this boulder was to see about the sit start to Salamander V3 which will make it a hard V6 and add 3 hard pulls to get in to the standing start holds. I came close but eight weeks off does not endurance make. Next time the send will happen for sure.

Getting ready at the base of Salamander Sit

Sticking the throw to the pocket.

Hard cross to side pull

Reset the feet and make a long left pull to a slooper

The problem ends with a big toss to the jug rail out right. Then it is just big moves and V3 to the top.

Staring left hand pinch which is very sloopy

Left hand slooper. This one is barley there at all.

Right hand starting crimp.

The pocket. Not to bad but not a jug.

After a good thrashing on the boulder and falling of the jug a couple of times we moved on to the Black Rasbeary boulder for some fun on the pockets and sloopers. Rob wanted to do some of the classics so we started on the steep pockets and headed for the steep arete next.

Rob on Thorn in my side V4

Rob on Thorn in my side V4

Rob on Thorn in my side V4

Rob on Thorn in my side V4

Rob on Thorn in my side V4

After sending Thorn in my side Rob pointed to a supper low side pull on the boulder below the lower bulge and wanted to know about it. I mentioned I had seen it down there but could not figure out how a problem would start off it. He sat down on the pad and felt the hold and was looking for a right hand hold when we noticed he could reach a right hand crimp way out right. He crimped hard and managed to just pull on for a moment and I just about lost it with excitement. I new right then we had just found an incredible line.

The left side pull that a hard throw gets you to.

The right hand corner becomes a left hand pinch 

Tired does not begin to tell how I was feeling at this point in the day but I had to try the new line anyway. I did manage to send the stand start but the sit was the real story and It would have to weight till next time.

Rob going to the first throw with his right hand on the small crimp.

Throw for the left hand pinch.

Black Cherry V6/7 was almost born today. Next trip it will go down for sure. I just hope the weather holds for next weekend so I can get back on it. I love climbing so much and I feel so much better now that there are some nice days hear and there. I hope you all get out as much as possible.

New rock comes with a lot of work.

Ah the winter rain. This is the time of year when I just want to find a dry place to climb and make it through the winter in the best shape that I can. Unfortunitly this is not always possible because we have a lack of steep rock around these parts. It is because of this fact that I sought out new rock in the winter time 4 years ago and found something new.

What I found was overwhelming in a big way. The potential was great but the work would be very hard indeed. The next weekend I came back with route development tools and started in ground up. Over the coarse of three visits I put up two routes and was ready for some tries on them.

The rock is hard basalt and supper steep. There are features but they are not as easy to deal with as one might think. I thought that my fist route would be in the mid 11's but 13- is were it landed. After this learning this I thought that I would come back at a later time when I had finished some of my other projects at other crags and thus got a lot stronger in the process. While I was away some others put in some hard work and got some routes going on the walls. I thank them so much for the work!! So three weeks ago I got back out and brought some friends with me. We got to work on a new line and the excitement is back.

Working up my route to rap in on the new line.

Check out the moves

Just a little higher

Trying to swing to some gear.

Lichen

Now to find a placment

Gear is in.

It steep!

Nice rock.

Placing a bolt.

Bolt number two.

All said and done we got in part of a route. My friends come back later and put in the rest of the route. The next weekend I got back out and climbed on some of the other established lines. They were hard to say the least. I cant say enough how primitive this area is. Maybe in a couple years it will be ready for the main stream.