North Bend, WA - Infinite Bliss

Click for a big fat panaroma of the valley from the route

With Dave refusing to join me on Friday and most other climbers booked I was once again resigned to leaving this route be. As a last resort I called Kathy Chung, KC, to ask what she was up to for the weekend and see if she might have a change of heart. She excused herself due to some running thing but dropped the names of a few folks who I proceeded to call. Lucky Dean answered his phone and after we chatted for a few minutes he admitted he had always wanted to do the 23 pitch Infinite Bliss - apparently North America's longest sport route (ref. Rock & Ice Magazine). Dean said he was able to lead 5.10, had multi-pitch experience and could set a belay. I had only met him once in the gym so I figured with all the boxes ticked we could proceed the next morning at about 6am from the Park'n Ride to the route. This would also end up being the first longer day I would spend testing out the newly rehab'd ankle.

Having been up to pitch 13? 14? 15? - can I remember? - with Dave some prior attempt, I felt confident that the 5.10 sections would go quickly as would the low fifth class slab sections down below.

I woke up to bright light streaming thru my window only to realize that I set an alarm on a clock that was not reset for daylight saving. It came out of my spare bedroom after cleaning up for the arrival of my new roommate and I didn't think to look twice. I jumped out of bed like I was late for a final exam, showered in under a minute, ate breakfast and was out the door in about 10 minutes - I was so glad I packed the night before! I called Dean on the way to the meet up to let him know I was running late and he said he was also running late. All in all we ended up about 1 1/4 hours behind schedule and I was determined we'd make this up.

Dean suiting up

Official Verizon Start Time (oh look I have messages and 2 bars of signal!)

The approach to the route is a steep climber's trail thru the forest and it took us about 1 hour to get to the base of the climb. Being early spring the route was running like a waterfall and required us to stay tight to the right and avoid the wet slab. We roped up and I told Dean that I was happy to simul-climb all the way to the head wall. He seemed ok with that and we would only stop to replenish runners if need be.

Dean Coming Up the 1st HeadWall / Slabs Down Below

That's a long ways down

At the start of the head wall I offered Dean the lead but he thought we were making good time and that I should continue for a while more. We motored thru the first section of easier terrain, the “stair case to heaven” and then on to the first bit of easy 5.10. At the belay at the top of the stairs we experienced rock fall and this is where Dean understood the benefit of a helmet. It was also the point where I discovered Dean's level of experience when I asked him to lead the next pitch and he replied that he needed a ‘refresher’ on how to set up the top anchors. It was not a good thing to discover this 12 pitches up this route. Dean really didn't have the confidence or experience to lead and I can only blame myself for not asking the right questions and adequately accessing his ability. This placed us both in a bit of a dangerous situation. I decided for safety sake that I should lead the rest of the way and keep a closer eye on Dean although he seemed to be following ok.

Top of the Stair Case to Heaven

A view down from the top of the 5.10- pitch... ankle is still taped up from injury

Dean making his way up a ton of run out ground - do you see gear???

The upper pitches of the route totally ease of in terms of difficulty but leave one far above any safety and exposed to loose rock and dangerous if not life threatening falls. For both our safety I recommended to Dean that if we are going to continue we would have to un-rope and each carry a line to the next head wall. The solo climbing ended at the next headwall but the start of pitch 17 was a bear to find since the topo didn’t clearly indicate its location relative to the football field sized head wall.

Soloing the easier but nasty rock up higher...this is scary!

Dean unties from the rope and I start coiling it up - you're on your own from here!

After some exploration and soloing on the upper wall I discovered that I had soloed above pitch 17 and was standing at the base of pitch 18. I beckoned Dean to come up via my route and we prepared for the 5.10+ section next. As Dean arrived at the belay he informed me that his feet were hurting him and he wasn’t sure he could go on. I had a hard time imaging bailing when we were this high on the route and only had 5 pitches left. I had to resign my disappointment and accept that if he didn’t want to go on it was my obligation to succumb to the lowest common denominator. I recommended that he loosen his shoes and let his feet breathe with the hopes that would spur him on and make him last the next 5 pitches. The next pitch was wonderful and sustained in nature and the best pitch on the route. It felt like 10b/c to me and it is too bad one has to approach through the other 17 pitches to get here. I carried on to the next pitch stretching out the rope and had to split draws to hit the belay. Pitch 20 and its coming un to 4ish in the aft; I can feel the summit closing in. I yell down to Dean to “Climb”! and he starts up. Unfortunately this pitch doesn’t go so well for him and he takes a great deal longer than I had hoped and leaves many of the draws hanging behind. This basically limits our ability to continue as we would not have adequate gear to carry on. As he reaches the belay he tells me that he is done, his feet too sore to continue. OK then, time to go down...I don’t say a word otherwise than “let’s get ready to start our rappels” and to which he replies “I hate rappelling”…………………. amen.

The upper section of the route - I left off just before the big corner

Due to no anchors on the upper choss, we had to down climb unroped

Oh finally a shrubbery we could sling and rap off but to where next???

We of course had our follies on the way down and it delayed us more than a few times but I stayed positive and kept my eye on Dean. I was more than happy to reach the base and prepped quickly to use the remaining twilight to descend to my van without head lamp and with great focus on not twisting my ankle. We capped the evening with a beer and a celebration that we were both alive, without injury and upon terra firma for the night. The route took us about 14+ hours car to car.