Please refer to www.alpinealison.com from now on.
Thanks!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Lakes Lakes and more Lakes
Who: Krista/Roomie (now from Alaska), Andreas, me
What: Lake Tallipus/Ollalie Lake
When: Monday, Sept 27th, 2009
Krista was up visiting on her layover from Vermont to Alaska. Since this was her vacation (and she had been to Seattle before, seeing "the sites") we decided to get out into the wilderness, while staying away from anything "hardcore."
As the guidebook claims, if we went on the Lake Tallipus hike, we would dance the laid-back switchback shuffle. [They were TOTALLY right].
Andreas, anxious to test out his new 70L First Ascent pack (another buy from Rainier Festival), packed in about 40lbs. I packed water and "summit treats" (chocolate chip oatmeal peanut butter cookies--yea, that's right).
It was a perfect hike. Not too many people (ok, it was a Monday), but it was definitely a great way to have a conversation without getting out of breath. We called the hike: mellow, peaceful/tranquil (no traffic sounds!), and other synonomous words.
Krista took some photos...
Alison designating Andreas as trail leader
Mushroom. Remember, red is most likely to be poisonous.
Lake Tallipus
We were able to climb over some of the fallen trees for an extra bit of excitement.
Krista was as amazed at the 'hairy trees' as I was when I first came to Washington. Turns out, this is actually totally the norm.
Lake Ollalie
Side Note: I had done this hike before, with VTAlan. Alan likes to walk ahead of people. I like to walk to the side. So whenever I would increase speed to be beside him, he would increase speed to be ahead. Before we knew it we were basically running up the hill and were breathing hard. It was a good laugh when we realized this.
This time we took a great slow pace and were able to comfortably pick on eachother the entire way.
What: Lake Tallipus/Ollalie Lake
When: Monday, Sept 27th, 2009
Krista was up visiting on her layover from Vermont to Alaska. Since this was her vacation (and she had been to Seattle before, seeing "the sites") we decided to get out into the wilderness, while staying away from anything "hardcore."
As the guidebook claims, if we went on the Lake Tallipus hike, we would dance the laid-back switchback shuffle. [They were TOTALLY right].
Andreas, anxious to test out his new 70L First Ascent pack (another buy from Rainier Festival), packed in about 40lbs. I packed water and "summit treats" (chocolate chip oatmeal peanut butter cookies--yea, that's right).
It was a perfect hike. Not too many people (ok, it was a Monday), but it was definitely a great way to have a conversation without getting out of breath. We called the hike: mellow, peaceful/tranquil (no traffic sounds!), and other synonomous words.
Krista took some photos...
Alison designating Andreas as trail leader
Mushroom. Remember, red is most likely to be poisonous.
Lake Tallipus
We were able to climb over some of the fallen trees for an extra bit of excitement.
Krista was as amazed at the 'hairy trees' as I was when I first came to Washington. Turns out, this is actually totally the norm.
Lake Ollalie
Side Note: I had done this hike before, with VTAlan. Alan likes to walk ahead of people. I like to walk to the side. So whenever I would increase speed to be beside him, he would increase speed to be ahead. Before we knew it we were basically running up the hill and were breathing hard. It was a good laugh when we realized this.
This time we took a great slow pace and were able to comfortably pick on eachother the entire way.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Mailbox Peak
Who: Me, myself and I
What: Mailbox Peak!
Where: Slightly north of Mt Si
When: Sat, Sept 26th, 2009
I was feeling bad about not getting out much lately. I guess I've been busy (paragliding weekend recently, some climbing) but I haven't been hiking in awhile. I wanted to try a new hike and happened upon Mailbox Peak.
The story isn't that exciting but the people I met were interesting. Here's a picture story.
This hike is steep as crap. Wow, why don't more people do this one as a training hike? It's like an exit past Mount Si and sooo much less croweded (oh wait, I mean, it's really crowded, you probably shouldn't bother going).
The hike is also way more "natural" feeling (some might say 'unkept' but these people don't count). Apparently they're planning on fixing it for there were 'caution' signs on a few tree's.
There were also many mushrooms along the way!
I was shooting pictures of this spider web when some hikers came down the trail. I showed them what I was shooting (it was above the trail, but high enough that nobody disturbed it). The hikers responded that they were surprised it hadn't eaten anybody yet.
I got "lost" a few times on some switchbacks. I would happily be going along when I'd realize the trail (surprisingly well marked--I've never seen so many markers on a WA trail) was a little to my left or right. Fortunately, going up the trail I didn't notice any traffic sounds (sadly, at the top, you could).
I think the real reason I got "lost" was because I'd be like "oh wow, a root ladder!" hike up it, to find the real trail to the side. Opps.
Walking up the trail I was in a cloud the entire way. It was great for a cool morning on a steep hike. It was so beautiful I had to restrain myself in taking photos (I wanted to take one every few steps).
All of a sudden I was out of the trees and above the clouds!
After another super steep half mile (of alpine meadows!) I reached the summit and two mailboxes greeted me!
Inside I found a trail log (there were a TON) and randomly opened it to a page from a week before where my old roommate Chris from VT had signed the log! How exciting.
I also met an older (ish, like in their 40's) couple who were all in love. It was cute. The man, in an attempt to utterly embarass the woman called everybody on the summit ("hey Blondy, come over here") to check out what he wrote in the trail book, against the screaming wishes of the woman. It read "no sex for me tonight, she's spent." For the record, she totally beat him up the mountain and was waiting on the summit for his arrival.
All in all, this is definitely my favorite hike UP. Down was hard on the knees, even with poles (without poles it would have taken me twice as long). But, totally worth it, and my new recommended hike for you!
What: Mailbox Peak!
Where: Slightly north of Mt Si
When: Sat, Sept 26th, 2009
I was feeling bad about not getting out much lately. I guess I've been busy (paragliding weekend recently, some climbing) but I haven't been hiking in awhile. I wanted to try a new hike and happened upon Mailbox Peak.
The story isn't that exciting but the people I met were interesting. Here's a picture story.
This hike is steep as crap. Wow, why don't more people do this one as a training hike? It's like an exit past Mount Si and sooo much less croweded (oh wait, I mean, it's really crowded, you probably shouldn't bother going).
The hike is also way more "natural" feeling (some might say 'unkept' but these people don't count). Apparently they're planning on fixing it for there were 'caution' signs on a few tree's.
There were also many mushrooms along the way!
I was shooting pictures of this spider web when some hikers came down the trail. I showed them what I was shooting (it was above the trail, but high enough that nobody disturbed it). The hikers responded that they were surprised it hadn't eaten anybody yet.
I got "lost" a few times on some switchbacks. I would happily be going along when I'd realize the trail (surprisingly well marked--I've never seen so many markers on a WA trail) was a little to my left or right. Fortunately, going up the trail I didn't notice any traffic sounds (sadly, at the top, you could).
I think the real reason I got "lost" was because I'd be like "oh wow, a root ladder!" hike up it, to find the real trail to the side. Opps.
Walking up the trail I was in a cloud the entire way. It was great for a cool morning on a steep hike. It was so beautiful I had to restrain myself in taking photos (I wanted to take one every few steps).
All of a sudden I was out of the trees and above the clouds!
After another super steep half mile (of alpine meadows!) I reached the summit and two mailboxes greeted me!
Inside I found a trail log (there were a TON) and randomly opened it to a page from a week before where my old roommate Chris from VT had signed the log! How exciting.
I also met an older (ish, like in their 40's) couple who were all in love. It was cute. The man, in an attempt to utterly embarass the woman called everybody on the summit ("hey Blondy, come over here") to check out what he wrote in the trail book, against the screaming wishes of the woman. It read "no sex for me tonight, she's spent." For the record, she totally beat him up the mountain and was waiting on the summit for his arrival.
All in all, this is definitely my favorite hike UP. Down was hard on the knees, even with poles (without poles it would have taken me twice as long). But, totally worth it, and my new recommended hike for you!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Granite Mountain
Who: Me, Myself, And I
What: Granite Mountain
When: Sunday, Sept 23th, 2009
I had sent my parents on this hike a week earlier, but had never been on it myself. Then, Alan showed me a picture that he had just done the hike too. I felt like I was missing out (as Andreas had also told me it was an epic view).
So, on a beautifully sunny day I took a hike up Granite.
I started late, in hopes to avoid some of the mid-day crazy heat. My body does not care for warmer climates.
I don't have much to say about the hike, except, the view at the top is an excellent 360 degree view of mountains, mountains and more mountains. The hike was steep pretty the entire way, for a great workout. I was actually scared I was going to be sore after the hike since I feel/felt like I haven't been working out much lately. But, in addition to beating the estimated time by an hour, there was no sore-ness!
The downsides of this hike: you can hear the road pretty much the entire way (a major bummer in my book). 75% of this hike is not in the shade. Granted, it's a beautiful alpine meadow for a majority of the way, but I shall stay away from this hike on hotter days.
My parents picked a ton of huckleberrys on the way up, but I didn't see any easily accessable ones on my trip.
I took a couple photos, but none were worthy, I need a filter for my lens. But I do want to climb this pointy peak sometime:
Anybody know what it is?
Sorry for an almost negative post on a hike that everybody says is the "greatest thing ever." I think I'm just sad that the road follows you the entire way.
What: Granite Mountain
When: Sunday, Sept 23th, 2009
I had sent my parents on this hike a week earlier, but had never been on it myself. Then, Alan showed me a picture that he had just done the hike too. I felt like I was missing out (as Andreas had also told me it was an epic view).
So, on a beautifully sunny day I took a hike up Granite.
I started late, in hopes to avoid some of the mid-day crazy heat. My body does not care for warmer climates.
I don't have much to say about the hike, except, the view at the top is an excellent 360 degree view of mountains, mountains and more mountains. The hike was steep pretty the entire way, for a great workout. I was actually scared I was going to be sore after the hike since I feel/felt like I haven't been working out much lately. But, in addition to beating the estimated time by an hour, there was no sore-ness!
The downsides of this hike: you can hear the road pretty much the entire way (a major bummer in my book). 75% of this hike is not in the shade. Granted, it's a beautiful alpine meadow for a majority of the way, but I shall stay away from this hike on hotter days.
My parents picked a ton of huckleberrys on the way up, but I didn't see any easily accessable ones on my trip.
I took a couple photos, but none were worthy, I need a filter for my lens. But I do want to climb this pointy peak sometime:
Anybody know what it is?
Sorry for an almost negative post on a hike that everybody says is the "greatest thing ever." I think I'm just sad that the road follows you the entire way.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Mt Si
Who: Mom, Dad, me
Where: Mt. Si
When: Sept 3rd or 4th (it wasn't a weekend, that's all I know).
My Mom wanted to climb Mt Si since she'd heard so much about it (I even own a hiking book titled "Beyond Mt Si"). Since it's a nice hike, just rather crowded, I relented.
The weather was near perfect, a little cool, some sun, but nothing devestating since most the hike is in the trees (both Mom and I don't fair that well in heat).
On the way up my parents questioned me as to why I enjoy climbing/hiking when sometimes it's scary/painful. (Earlier we had a conversation about crack climbing killing your feet and how it can also hurt your hands). Sure there may be some amount of 'pain' involved, sleeping in freezing tempatures without a proper sleeping bag or just being cold on a route, or whatever. But the thing is, after its done, you don't remember that part. You just remember the solitude or epic views or other more pleasureable moments. You don't remember (at least, not as much) how scared you were or how impossible the climb seemed. They didn't really understand.
We got to the top making pretty good time--Dad kept asking me 'how's the pace?' I think he had upped it a notch from his normal hiking pace. It's really hard to compare when you're behind somebody; I don't notice if it's slower than I would go.
After getting to the top, I decided to attempt to bring my parents up the haystack (a steep rocky scramble) on Mt Si. When we got to the base they looked at it slightly skeptical but kept positive tones and we made our way up; they were following wherever I led.
Soon we passed some girls coming down who claimed it was "too scary" and they had given up. This didn't instill confidence.
We went a bit farther up when we came upon the crux of the route. Suddenly it was a bit steaper than what we had been climbing before. This killed all confidence and the 'rents decided to turn back.
The problem was they didn't know how to get down. Mom was scared to move an inch. I demonstrated ways of downclimbing and how one should 'trust' their handholds and such, but Mom wasn't having any of that. She'd attempt to move her feet down, not trust her hands, and then freeze or go back up to her original position.
Fortunately, since it wasn't a weekend, the trail wasn't too crowded. At this point there was nobody else on the final haystack scramble.
After a lot of demonstations, encouragement, and directing, we got to the bottom of the scramble. I'll give them (my parents) credit, they did improve as we got lower and started downclimbing much faster.
By the time we reached the bottom my Mom claimed "see, if I had practice, I could have done it" and "if we went up again right now, I'd totally do it." Dad seemed skeptical and tried to remind Mom about the fear not 15 minutes ago, and vetoed any second chance on the haystack. Mom refused to remember any fear and claimed the scramble was now, totally do-able.
To the top or not, it was fun (everybody thought so). At this point I reminded my parents that this scramble to them was the equivalent of some rock climbing/alpine hiking that I do. Sometimes it's scary, and you have to weigh the calculated risk. But once you get down, you completely forget how scary it was moments ago, and are either excited for a second chance or make it a mission to come back and conquor [it] perhaps coming more prepared (training or equipment wise) the seoncd time.
Dad took some pictures of the view, black squirrels (we don't have those in VT) and slugs, but I don't have any of them.
A few days later I took my parents rock climbing at Stone Gardens (indoor rock gym). They had fun as Andreas and I belayed them. Mom once again claimed that if she had this practice she would have been able to 'fly' up Si. Once again Dad had a slight look of skeptisism. I had a big smile.
Where: Mt. Si
When: Sept 3rd or 4th (it wasn't a weekend, that's all I know).
My Mom wanted to climb Mt Si since she'd heard so much about it (I even own a hiking book titled "Beyond Mt Si"). Since it's a nice hike, just rather crowded, I relented.
The weather was near perfect, a little cool, some sun, but nothing devestating since most the hike is in the trees (both Mom and I don't fair that well in heat).
On the way up my parents questioned me as to why I enjoy climbing/hiking when sometimes it's scary/painful. (Earlier we had a conversation about crack climbing killing your feet and how it can also hurt your hands). Sure there may be some amount of 'pain' involved, sleeping in freezing tempatures without a proper sleeping bag or just being cold on a route, or whatever. But the thing is, after its done, you don't remember that part. You just remember the solitude or epic views or other more pleasureable moments. You don't remember (at least, not as much) how scared you were or how impossible the climb seemed. They didn't really understand.
We got to the top making pretty good time--Dad kept asking me 'how's the pace?' I think he had upped it a notch from his normal hiking pace. It's really hard to compare when you're behind somebody; I don't notice if it's slower than I would go.
After getting to the top, I decided to attempt to bring my parents up the haystack (a steep rocky scramble) on Mt Si. When we got to the base they looked at it slightly skeptical but kept positive tones and we made our way up; they were following wherever I led.
Soon we passed some girls coming down who claimed it was "too scary" and they had given up. This didn't instill confidence.
We went a bit farther up when we came upon the crux of the route. Suddenly it was a bit steaper than what we had been climbing before. This killed all confidence and the 'rents decided to turn back.
The problem was they didn't know how to get down. Mom was scared to move an inch. I demonstrated ways of downclimbing and how one should 'trust' their handholds and such, but Mom wasn't having any of that. She'd attempt to move her feet down, not trust her hands, and then freeze or go back up to her original position.
Fortunately, since it wasn't a weekend, the trail wasn't too crowded. At this point there was nobody else on the final haystack scramble.
After a lot of demonstations, encouragement, and directing, we got to the bottom of the scramble. I'll give them (my parents) credit, they did improve as we got lower and started downclimbing much faster.
By the time we reached the bottom my Mom claimed "see, if I had practice, I could have done it" and "if we went up again right now, I'd totally do it." Dad seemed skeptical and tried to remind Mom about the fear not 15 minutes ago, and vetoed any second chance on the haystack. Mom refused to remember any fear and claimed the scramble was now, totally do-able.
To the top or not, it was fun (everybody thought so). At this point I reminded my parents that this scramble to them was the equivalent of some rock climbing/alpine hiking that I do. Sometimes it's scary, and you have to weigh the calculated risk. But once you get down, you completely forget how scary it was moments ago, and are either excited for a second chance or make it a mission to come back and conquor [it] perhaps coming more prepared (training or equipment wise) the seoncd time.
Dad took some pictures of the view, black squirrels (we don't have those in VT) and slugs, but I don't have any of them.
A few days later I took my parents rock climbing at Stone Gardens (indoor rock gym). They had fun as Andreas and I belayed them. Mom once again claimed that if she had this practice she would have been able to 'fly' up Si. Once again Dad had a slight look of skeptisism. I had a big smile.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Two Blondes and a Monkey
Who: Alison and Emily (with BRC BoeAlps)
What: Climbing Monkey Face in 4 pictches
Where: Smith Rock
When: (I think) July 19th, 2009
[awaiting pictures from Emily!]
On Saturday when Emily came back from her climbs with another student she asked me “Did Oscar tell you the plan?” Unaware of any plan, my curiosity was instantly peaked. “No…” I hesitated, a little excited, trying to hide my enthusiasm; any day worthy of a “plan” sounded enticing to me, especially if it was with (my new idol) Emily.
“Follow me” Emily beckoned and without hesitation I was a step behind headed to the car to unmask the elements required for the “plan” the following day.
When we got to the car Emily pulled out a pair of aiders (also called etrier’s) as she unveiled the plan of climbing Monkey Face the next day. This climb has one pitch (a section of rock that only requires one rope length) that required aiders, which I had never used. Aiders kind of look like ladders made of webbing (they ‘aid’ you up the rock face). This section of the climb is bolted, so you would hook the aider to a caribeaner and then hook that to the bolt, giving you an instant ladder. You’d have two ladders so while standing on one, you could reach the next bolt, clip in with the next ladder, shift weight onto the new ladder, and then unclip the old ladder from the lower bolt.
Emily scanned the area for a tree worthy of demonstration. The only reasonable tree happened to be in front of the crowed of classmates (this is while we were still waiting for some classmates to get back to the parking lot). Emily made two makeshift “bolts” in the tree (just caribeaners on varying lengths of cord). She showed me how to adjust the personal anchor that’s attached to the aider to assist in reaching the next bolt.
Then it was my turn to try. It was a little awkward climbing the tree, a rock face would be much wider, but I could at least get the idea of what was going on. Climb as high as you can on one ladder until you can reach the next bolt. Bolt your second ladder in, climb it until you can reach the next bolt, rinse and repeat.
Emily also mentioned the possibility of leading this pitch. The class specifically said that it did not cover leading, so I was surprised to hear of the lead potential. I told her it sounded awesome, but I’d give her a final answer the next day. At this time I’m not sure if the head instructor was aware of this part of the plan or not—it was surely his call first if it was going to be OK.
Sleeping at night was hard. I’m not sure if it was because of my excitement of the next days climb, or if it was just because it was super hot out (I’m assuming mainly the latter, but the former didn’t help). The night before had been rather cold, but this night I had my 30 degree bag unzipped and was still sweating.
While trying to sleep I went over how to use the aiders in my head and went through the calculated risk of leading this pitch. It seemed like there was basically no risk of falling. Not only would I be secured by the rope, but each aider had its own anchor to hold me on, the most that could happen is I loose my balance and swing into the wall, this is no worse than any other fall (in fact, it is probably better than falling anywhere else, because it is a completely vertical pitch so I wouldn’t be falling onto strange poking rocks). I decided if Emily/Oscar (the head instructor) said I could lead, I would love to take the opportunity to do so. Maybe they’d even let me lead a real pitch at Squamish (rock wall in BC) in a few weeks! (Don't worry Mom, leading for this part was basically the same as following).
When we got to the parking lot in the morning, after another French toast breakfast, Emily and I headed out for our destination before the other student/teacher partners were called out. We were on a mission. We talked excitedly about the climb during the 45 minute hike to the base. I went over different techniques/skills that I wanted to confirm the correct order of implementation.
Once we got to the base of the climb and were flaking out the rope (making sure there were no knots or tangles) another group of 2 came along. These boys were from Oklahoma and had just spent a month climbing all over the west. We quickly made friends and decided to climb together.
To get down there is a 60m rappel off the face, so you need two ropes. If we went by ourselves, we would have had to either carry one rope in our backpack, or lead with two ropes. Neither are fun options. We decided that we’d tie our rope with the guys’ rope to rappel down, allowing both parties to carry one rope a piece. Emily would still lead and I would follow cleaning her gear. Then one of the boys would lead the same pitch, and the second one would clean his gear.
One of the climbers had a lot of experience and led all the pitches. The other guy was a pretty good climber but he was definitely new to aiding as well.
The follower
The leader
The first pitch rated 5.8 had a tricky spot with little hands and virtually no feet. It was hard for Emily to protect the route well and a challenge for me to clean the route too. After that beginning section the rest of the pitch was pretty straightforward, going up and over flakes.
The second pitch had a nasty 5.8 chimney finger crack, by far the hardest part of the day. When I finisehd the pitch and met Emily at the belay station she told me “yea, but it had great feet” and my reply was “I couldn’t find one good foot, it was terrible.” Apparently I need a bit more practice. I was also carrying a backpack up the route (another first for me) and I think the backpack took on another added challenge level, especially in the chimney. I found some pretty good spots for my hands/fingers but with all my weight on them, I couldn’t hold the position very long.
While climbing that crack I wore out my arms quickly I asked to “take” (this means the belayer should take in all the slack on the rope) so I could rest for a moment. I was saddened as I was let down a few feet (ruining the progress on my last few moves). Emily’s new rope had a high elongation ratio and Emily moved to get in a better position to hold me, and while doing so, some more slack was necessary.
A bit disheveled, knowing the boys were watching me from below, I tried to get back to my old position a few steps higher, staring at the vertical face with no obvious feet and the small crack expected to help me progress. In retrospect, this silly finger chimney crack was actually overhanging a bit, no wonder it was hard!
Once I got to my old position I jammed my hips into the sloping chimney and held there for a moment--flailing with my feet. I felt like a newb, but eventually I got a good enough foot hold that I could move my body up. Hopefully I didn’t look too much like a wiggling worm.
Normally I’d try to squeeze my back into the chimney, but with the backpack on this wasn’t an option. I wasn’t really sure how to navigate.
Once I topped the chimney the holds for hands and feet increased exponentially and I was back to feeling good about myself. I thought ‘the next time I climb that, I’m going to do much better.’
Yes, there will be a next time.
Once I reached Emily at the belay station it was time to unpack the backpack. We pulled out the aiders and Emily once again suggested I lead. I was excited and nervous, even though leading this section was basically the same thing as following it.
I ran through the basic scheme of things, Emily approved, and encouraged me on. I started up the wall in what felt like the slowest pace ever. About 3 bolts in, I had made a small tangle with the rope and the ladders and my personal anchors. I had to ask for slack and unhook a few things to re-arrange.
I wasn’t about to let this mishap happen again. By this time it felt like the guys were already at the belay station (either they did really fast getting up that chimney, or I was really slow, or I just didn’t notice when they got there, but anybody watching makes you self-conscious).
I worked up the rest of the route as Emily shouted encouraging words and commented on my fast pace. I didn’t really believe her about the fast pace because I felt slow as a snail, but I had my routine that enabled my aiders to be clutter free and slowly made my way up the rock.
I kept hearing about how you had to “whale” yourself into the mouth of the monkey. I wasn’t really excited for this part, but soon was able to experience it. I didn’t think I had to “whale” too much, and although there were no handholds I felt like I was able to kick myself up with the aiders instead of beaching myself into the mouth.
I belayed Emily up and she was a speed daemon, I couldn’t believe it. When she got up I commented on her rocket speed and said there was no way I was fast at all. She claimed that she’s had a lot of practice and went on to tell a story of the first time a VERY experienced climber led this pitch and he was at least 2-3x slower than I was leading it. I felt like this would be a silly story to make up, so I went with it, and took the compliment, feeling a little better about myself, and less like I was holding the other dudes up. Emily said that the dude’s even commented on my speed up the wall. My conclusion: aid climbing is slow no matter what.
Soon we were ready for Emily to lead the last pitch up out of the mouth. This is the “most exposed 5.7 move in the world.” It looks like a “1500ft drop but is only 150ft.” I think I was more scared when Emily was leading then when I followed (though I’m not sure why, I was more than completely confident in her skills, maybe it was just because it was an awkward belay stance and if she did happen to fall it was going to be another adventure getting back up).
When it was my turn to get out of the mouth I stuck my head out to try and find the next hold. I wasn’t confident in where it was, and I hesitated for a what seemed like a few minutes, trying to gain confidence in just “going for it.” I went over the facts in my head: worst thing that could happen is I fall a few feet and have to prussic up the rope (due to rope stretch) to get back to the mouth. No biggie.
I felt lame for hesitating, especially when there were so many spectators watching (I swore somebody called out my name too). I felt like I wasn’t putting on a good show. For the spectators, if I fell, that’d be epic, or if I climbed it, that would be just as awesome (for them). When Emily climbed and got to the top, many of the tourists cheered and many took pictures with thier telescoping cameras.
It was really odd knowing that you were going to be in all these climbers photographs. We decided we were in at least 50 peoples shots (not to mention the guys with the super crazy telephoto lenses that you could hear constantly shooting). We should have shouted out our emails or held up a sign so they could email us the pictures!
Once we got to the top (wohoo!) we waited on the flat head (that strangely has no anchors/bolts) for over an hour while the two guys climbed the aid section and joined us at the top. When I left the mouth, the lead guy was in the mouth, but the second guy must have taken FOREVER to do the aid section. He apologized about the wait and said it was his first time using aiders (hey, it was mine too!).
Either way, it was super sunny weather and there was a slight breeze so it was rather enjoyable (the delay was just was going to make us get back a bit later). We took the boys photo’s (after asking them to take one of us) and then we all started the rappel. There is a very short rappel to the double rope rappel station where we tied our ropes together so we’d have enough rope for the 50/60m rappel.
This was my first real free rappel (free as in you’re not going down the wall/touching any rock, you’re just hanging in midair!). At one point Emily yelled up to tell me to do a leg wrap and then let go of the rope so I’d be freely suspended in the air. I’m pretty sure she got a picture of this too.
Emily walking home
By the time we walked back to our bags (less than 20 minutes from the rappel station) it was time to race back to the meeting spot. We hadn’t brought any lunch to the summit (opps in retrospect, but it would have made the bag heavier!), so we grabbed a quick bite and then skedaddled back. We were surprised to see almost nobody on the wall (especially nobody from our group—yesterday there were many groups over 2 hours late to the meeting spot). Perhaps since today was round two and it had been so hot out everybody decided to call it quits early (and to make up for their tardiness the day before!).
We were the last to arrive and everybody wanted to know how Monkey Face was. I claimed it was “totally friggin rad.”
Before making it back onto the highway we stopped at this tiny climbers shack where our carpool enjoyed a scoop each of mtn huckleberry and blackberry ice cream. Delicious!
What: Climbing Monkey Face in 4 pictches
Where: Smith Rock
When: (I think) July 19th, 2009
[awaiting pictures from Emily!]
On Saturday when Emily came back from her climbs with another student she asked me “Did Oscar tell you the plan?” Unaware of any plan, my curiosity was instantly peaked. “No…” I hesitated, a little excited, trying to hide my enthusiasm; any day worthy of a “plan” sounded enticing to me, especially if it was with (my new idol) Emily.
“Follow me” Emily beckoned and without hesitation I was a step behind headed to the car to unmask the elements required for the “plan” the following day.
When we got to the car Emily pulled out a pair of aiders (also called etrier’s) as she unveiled the plan of climbing Monkey Face the next day. This climb has one pitch (a section of rock that only requires one rope length) that required aiders, which I had never used. Aiders kind of look like ladders made of webbing (they ‘aid’ you up the rock face). This section of the climb is bolted, so you would hook the aider to a caribeaner and then hook that to the bolt, giving you an instant ladder. You’d have two ladders so while standing on one, you could reach the next bolt, clip in with the next ladder, shift weight onto the new ladder, and then unclip the old ladder from the lower bolt.
Emily scanned the area for a tree worthy of demonstration. The only reasonable tree happened to be in front of the crowed of classmates (this is while we were still waiting for some classmates to get back to the parking lot). Emily made two makeshift “bolts” in the tree (just caribeaners on varying lengths of cord). She showed me how to adjust the personal anchor that’s attached to the aider to assist in reaching the next bolt.
Then it was my turn to try. It was a little awkward climbing the tree, a rock face would be much wider, but I could at least get the idea of what was going on. Climb as high as you can on one ladder until you can reach the next bolt. Bolt your second ladder in, climb it until you can reach the next bolt, rinse and repeat.
Emily also mentioned the possibility of leading this pitch. The class specifically said that it did not cover leading, so I was surprised to hear of the lead potential. I told her it sounded awesome, but I’d give her a final answer the next day. At this time I’m not sure if the head instructor was aware of this part of the plan or not—it was surely his call first if it was going to be OK.
Sleeping at night was hard. I’m not sure if it was because of my excitement of the next days climb, or if it was just because it was super hot out (I’m assuming mainly the latter, but the former didn’t help). The night before had been rather cold, but this night I had my 30 degree bag unzipped and was still sweating.
While trying to sleep I went over how to use the aiders in my head and went through the calculated risk of leading this pitch. It seemed like there was basically no risk of falling. Not only would I be secured by the rope, but each aider had its own anchor to hold me on, the most that could happen is I loose my balance and swing into the wall, this is no worse than any other fall (in fact, it is probably better than falling anywhere else, because it is a completely vertical pitch so I wouldn’t be falling onto strange poking rocks). I decided if Emily/Oscar (the head instructor) said I could lead, I would love to take the opportunity to do so. Maybe they’d even let me lead a real pitch at Squamish (rock wall in BC) in a few weeks! (Don't worry Mom, leading for this part was basically the same as following).
When we got to the parking lot in the morning, after another French toast breakfast, Emily and I headed out for our destination before the other student/teacher partners were called out. We were on a mission. We talked excitedly about the climb during the 45 minute hike to the base. I went over different techniques/skills that I wanted to confirm the correct order of implementation.
Once we got to the base of the climb and were flaking out the rope (making sure there were no knots or tangles) another group of 2 came along. These boys were from Oklahoma and had just spent a month climbing all over the west. We quickly made friends and decided to climb together.
To get down there is a 60m rappel off the face, so you need two ropes. If we went by ourselves, we would have had to either carry one rope in our backpack, or lead with two ropes. Neither are fun options. We decided that we’d tie our rope with the guys’ rope to rappel down, allowing both parties to carry one rope a piece. Emily would still lead and I would follow cleaning her gear. Then one of the boys would lead the same pitch, and the second one would clean his gear.
One of the climbers had a lot of experience and led all the pitches. The other guy was a pretty good climber but he was definitely new to aiding as well.
The first pitch rated 5.8 had a tricky spot with little hands and virtually no feet. It was hard for Emily to protect the route well and a challenge for me to clean the route too. After that beginning section the rest of the pitch was pretty straightforward, going up and over flakes.
The second pitch had a nasty 5.8 chimney finger crack, by far the hardest part of the day. When I finisehd the pitch and met Emily at the belay station she told me “yea, but it had great feet” and my reply was “I couldn’t find one good foot, it was terrible.” Apparently I need a bit more practice. I was also carrying a backpack up the route (another first for me) and I think the backpack took on another added challenge level, especially in the chimney. I found some pretty good spots for my hands/fingers but with all my weight on them, I couldn’t hold the position very long.
While climbing that crack I wore out my arms quickly I asked to “take” (this means the belayer should take in all the slack on the rope) so I could rest for a moment. I was saddened as I was let down a few feet (ruining the progress on my last few moves). Emily’s new rope had a high elongation ratio and Emily moved to get in a better position to hold me, and while doing so, some more slack was necessary.
A bit disheveled, knowing the boys were watching me from below, I tried to get back to my old position a few steps higher, staring at the vertical face with no obvious feet and the small crack expected to help me progress. In retrospect, this silly finger chimney crack was actually overhanging a bit, no wonder it was hard!
Once I got to my old position I jammed my hips into the sloping chimney and held there for a moment--flailing with my feet. I felt like a newb, but eventually I got a good enough foot hold that I could move my body up. Hopefully I didn’t look too much like a wiggling worm.
Normally I’d try to squeeze my back into the chimney, but with the backpack on this wasn’t an option. I wasn’t really sure how to navigate.
Once I topped the chimney the holds for hands and feet increased exponentially and I was back to feeling good about myself. I thought ‘the next time I climb that, I’m going to do much better.’
Yes, there will be a next time.
Once I reached Emily at the belay station it was time to unpack the backpack. We pulled out the aiders and Emily once again suggested I lead. I was excited and nervous, even though leading this section was basically the same thing as following it.
I ran through the basic scheme of things, Emily approved, and encouraged me on. I started up the wall in what felt like the slowest pace ever. About 3 bolts in, I had made a small tangle with the rope and the ladders and my personal anchors. I had to ask for slack and unhook a few things to re-arrange.
I wasn’t about to let this mishap happen again. By this time it felt like the guys were already at the belay station (either they did really fast getting up that chimney, or I was really slow, or I just didn’t notice when they got there, but anybody watching makes you self-conscious).
I worked up the rest of the route as Emily shouted encouraging words and commented on my fast pace. I didn’t really believe her about the fast pace because I felt slow as a snail, but I had my routine that enabled my aiders to be clutter free and slowly made my way up the rock.
I kept hearing about how you had to “whale” yourself into the mouth of the monkey. I wasn’t really excited for this part, but soon was able to experience it. I didn’t think I had to “whale” too much, and although there were no handholds I felt like I was able to kick myself up with the aiders instead of beaching myself into the mouth.
I belayed Emily up and she was a speed daemon, I couldn’t believe it. When she got up I commented on her rocket speed and said there was no way I was fast at all. She claimed that she’s had a lot of practice and went on to tell a story of the first time a VERY experienced climber led this pitch and he was at least 2-3x slower than I was leading it. I felt like this would be a silly story to make up, so I went with it, and took the compliment, feeling a little better about myself, and less like I was holding the other dudes up. Emily said that the dude’s even commented on my speed up the wall. My conclusion: aid climbing is slow no matter what.
Soon we were ready for Emily to lead the last pitch up out of the mouth. This is the “most exposed 5.7 move in the world.” It looks like a “1500ft drop but is only 150ft.” I think I was more scared when Emily was leading then when I followed (though I’m not sure why, I was more than completely confident in her skills, maybe it was just because it was an awkward belay stance and if she did happen to fall it was going to be another adventure getting back up).
When it was my turn to get out of the mouth I stuck my head out to try and find the next hold. I wasn’t confident in where it was, and I hesitated for a what seemed like a few minutes, trying to gain confidence in just “going for it.” I went over the facts in my head: worst thing that could happen is I fall a few feet and have to prussic up the rope (due to rope stretch) to get back to the mouth. No biggie.
I felt lame for hesitating, especially when there were so many spectators watching (I swore somebody called out my name too). I felt like I wasn’t putting on a good show. For the spectators, if I fell, that’d be epic, or if I climbed it, that would be just as awesome (for them). When Emily climbed and got to the top, many of the tourists cheered and many took pictures with thier telescoping cameras.
It was really odd knowing that you were going to be in all these climbers photographs. We decided we were in at least 50 peoples shots (not to mention the guys with the super crazy telephoto lenses that you could hear constantly shooting). We should have shouted out our emails or held up a sign so they could email us the pictures!
Once we got to the top (wohoo!) we waited on the flat head (that strangely has no anchors/bolts) for over an hour while the two guys climbed the aid section and joined us at the top. When I left the mouth, the lead guy was in the mouth, but the second guy must have taken FOREVER to do the aid section. He apologized about the wait and said it was his first time using aiders (hey, it was mine too!).
Either way, it was super sunny weather and there was a slight breeze so it was rather enjoyable (the delay was just was going to make us get back a bit later). We took the boys photo’s (after asking them to take one of us) and then we all started the rappel. There is a very short rappel to the double rope rappel station where we tied our ropes together so we’d have enough rope for the 50/60m rappel.
This was my first real free rappel (free as in you’re not going down the wall/touching any rock, you’re just hanging in midair!). At one point Emily yelled up to tell me to do a leg wrap and then let go of the rope so I’d be freely suspended in the air. I’m pretty sure she got a picture of this too.
By the time we walked back to our bags (less than 20 minutes from the rappel station) it was time to race back to the meeting spot. We hadn’t brought any lunch to the summit (opps in retrospect, but it would have made the bag heavier!), so we grabbed a quick bite and then skedaddled back. We were surprised to see almost nobody on the wall (especially nobody from our group—yesterday there were many groups over 2 hours late to the meeting spot). Perhaps since today was round two and it had been so hot out everybody decided to call it quits early (and to make up for their tardiness the day before!).
We were the last to arrive and everybody wanted to know how Monkey Face was. I claimed it was “totally friggin rad.”
Before making it back onto the highway we stopped at this tiny climbers shack where our carpool enjoyed a scoop each of mtn huckleberry and blackberry ice cream. Delicious!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Bob Rocks, err, Smith Rocks
Who: BRC BoeAlps (namely, Bob B, Vermon, me!)
What: Rock Climbing! (Learning how to climb cracks)
Where: Smith Rocks, OR
When: July 18th, 2009
We woke up early to ensure we had enough time to grab a bite to eat at the local diner. Filled with French toast we were off to climb at Smith Rocks.
At the parking lot we were all assigned instructors. I was stoked when I found out that Bob B. would be my instructor (Vermon’s too). Bob B. is one of the intsructors who attended 2 of our climbs for the BCC class. He was obviously one of the more experienced climbers who helps out with the BoeAlps programs. The 2 weeks before this climb he had been up having a crazy time at Yosemite doing some really big wall climbs. His stories by far beat any i've ever written. Though I’m not sure if I’m jealous or not...
It was really fun to also note the interaction between instructors. Especially the youngish but more experienced ones. There was tons of playful banter; the better you can give it back, the more respect you earn. My kind of team!
Every group was assigned a starting area as well (to space us out on the rocks). As we walked to our assigned spot, Bob asked us about our skills. We admitted to not knowing anything about cracks, but we showed a lot of enthusiasm to learn. Bob decided that our wall would not be as fun for learning (for on the second pitch is when we really get into the crack section) and brought us a bit further down for some practice crack climbing.
Before getting on the wall Bob told us of the many methods for holding on such as fist jams, hand jams, and finger jams. He noted how some people use tape gloves (tape covering your fingers/back of your hand to prevent the rock from scraping it up) but wanted us to know that he didn’t use them. He claimed he didn’t feel tougher than others, but it was just his preference not to use them.
Climbing my first crack. Bob is belaying
I personally wanted to wait to use tape. I wanted to see what the cracks felt like first, because the tape is only going to lesson your feeling (perhaps in a good way!). All in all, after a day of climbing cracks, my hands were barely marred. For now I’ll be tape free.
After practicing crack methods we crossed to the other side of the wall to the Spiderman Buttress Area. Apparently this area is always SUPER crowded, but this weekend, there were no lines. We hoped on Spiderman (a 2-pitch route) and Bob led with two ropes. This way Vermon and I could climb at the same time (well, relatively, about 15 feet apart). With a reverso (a model name) belay device Bob could belay us both from his position on a ledge above. Once we got to the ledge, the process repeated, with Bob leading and us climbing.
Bob leading Spiderman
It was a super fun climb. At the beginning of the second pitch there’s a really awkward exposed move that got my heart pumping a little. Later on up, there’s an overhang roof that we had to navigate. I just kept telling myself that this pitch is supposed to be easier than the first pitch so there’s got to be really good handholds somewhere. I just have to find them!
By the time we got down it was about noon and all the rocks were hit with the suns oppressive rays. We found an overhung section and decided to take a lunch break and we got to hear some of Bob’s ridiculous Yosemite tails. If other climbers passed by, we’d just tell them we were projecting a route (planning how to go about it). Some people joined us in our "project". Side Note: the route we were actually sitting under was rated as a 12d, once thought to be just barely under the edge of an impossible climb rating.
Once there was some shade available we made our way back to our practice wall where there were some BoaAlpers climbing. They recommended the climbs adjacent to their current spot claiming they were good routes.
Look at all those secret footholds!
So we jumped on. There was this one route, Bookworm, that is rated a 5.6 (not very hard), but I think that’s if you use the face. I tried to only use the crack, and it proved to be one of the most challenging routes of the day! But I really wanted to get a full crack experience, especially since that’s what most the routes will be when we go to Squamish, BC later in July.
Vermon starting a climb
We squeezed in another crack and when we came down from the last crack we noted that the time was right for us to head back, if we had jumped on another climb we would definitely be late. We moseyed back to the cars (and by mosey, I really mean, suffered while walking in the heat up this uncessessarily steep hill leading to the parking lot. I’m not sure if it was good ending, getting your muscles stretched, or if it was just depressing (and oppressive), because you had to use your last few ounces of energy). Either way we made it back to the cars, first.
I think Bob was a little disappointed that his reputation might suffer--if people found out he was first back, instead of being the hardcore-always-late-climber. Alas, soon a few other climbers joined us. Unfortunately, it took the final climbers 2+ hours past the deadline and we ended up being late for our dinner reservation.
It’s ok though, we were still served, and the greek hummus pita was most excellent with a glass of strawberry lemonade!
What: Rock Climbing! (Learning how to climb cracks)
Where: Smith Rocks, OR
When: July 18th, 2009
We woke up early to ensure we had enough time to grab a bite to eat at the local diner. Filled with French toast we were off to climb at Smith Rocks.
At the parking lot we were all assigned instructors. I was stoked when I found out that Bob B. would be my instructor (Vermon’s too). Bob B. is one of the intsructors who attended 2 of our climbs for the BCC class. He was obviously one of the more experienced climbers who helps out with the BoeAlps programs. The 2 weeks before this climb he had been up having a crazy time at Yosemite doing some really big wall climbs. His stories by far beat any i've ever written. Though I’m not sure if I’m jealous or not...
It was really fun to also note the interaction between instructors. Especially the youngish but more experienced ones. There was tons of playful banter; the better you can give it back, the more respect you earn. My kind of team!
Every group was assigned a starting area as well (to space us out on the rocks). As we walked to our assigned spot, Bob asked us about our skills. We admitted to not knowing anything about cracks, but we showed a lot of enthusiasm to learn. Bob decided that our wall would not be as fun for learning (for on the second pitch is when we really get into the crack section) and brought us a bit further down for some practice crack climbing.
Before getting on the wall Bob told us of the many methods for holding on such as fist jams, hand jams, and finger jams. He noted how some people use tape gloves (tape covering your fingers/back of your hand to prevent the rock from scraping it up) but wanted us to know that he didn’t use them. He claimed he didn’t feel tougher than others, but it was just his preference not to use them.
I personally wanted to wait to use tape. I wanted to see what the cracks felt like first, because the tape is only going to lesson your feeling (perhaps in a good way!). All in all, after a day of climbing cracks, my hands were barely marred. For now I’ll be tape free.
After practicing crack methods we crossed to the other side of the wall to the Spiderman Buttress Area. Apparently this area is always SUPER crowded, but this weekend, there were no lines. We hoped on Spiderman (a 2-pitch route) and Bob led with two ropes. This way Vermon and I could climb at the same time (well, relatively, about 15 feet apart). With a reverso (a model name) belay device Bob could belay us both from his position on a ledge above. Once we got to the ledge, the process repeated, with Bob leading and us climbing.
It was a super fun climb. At the beginning of the second pitch there’s a really awkward exposed move that got my heart pumping a little. Later on up, there’s an overhang roof that we had to navigate. I just kept telling myself that this pitch is supposed to be easier than the first pitch so there’s got to be really good handholds somewhere. I just have to find them!
By the time we got down it was about noon and all the rocks were hit with the suns oppressive rays. We found an overhung section and decided to take a lunch break and we got to hear some of Bob’s ridiculous Yosemite tails. If other climbers passed by, we’d just tell them we were projecting a route (planning how to go about it). Some people joined us in our "project". Side Note: the route we were actually sitting under was rated as a 12d, once thought to be just barely under the edge of an impossible climb rating.
Once there was some shade available we made our way back to our practice wall where there were some BoaAlpers climbing. They recommended the climbs adjacent to their current spot claiming they were good routes.
So we jumped on. There was this one route, Bookworm, that is rated a 5.6 (not very hard), but I think that’s if you use the face. I tried to only use the crack, and it proved to be one of the most challenging routes of the day! But I really wanted to get a full crack experience, especially since that’s what most the routes will be when we go to Squamish, BC later in July.
We squeezed in another crack and when we came down from the last crack we noted that the time was right for us to head back, if we had jumped on another climb we would definitely be late. We moseyed back to the cars (and by mosey, I really mean, suffered while walking in the heat up this uncessessarily steep hill leading to the parking lot. I’m not sure if it was good ending, getting your muscles stretched, or if it was just depressing (and oppressive), because you had to use your last few ounces of energy). Either way we made it back to the cars, first.
I think Bob was a little disappointed that his reputation might suffer--if people found out he was first back, instead of being the hardcore-always-late-climber. Alas, soon a few other climbers joined us. Unfortunately, it took the final climbers 2+ hours past the deadline and we ended up being late for our dinner reservation.
It’s ok though, we were still served, and the greek hummus pita was most excellent with a glass of strawberry lemonade!
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