Squamish, BC - Calculus Crack etc.

A quick mid-week trip with James put us in Squamish to climb some moderates including Calculus Crack a sweet 5.9 moderate multi-pitch route on the Apron and another link-up in the Bullet Heads. The weather was great but just not enough time to stay and play.

Lower Apron - Calculus Crack 5.9

Leavenworth, WA - Iconoclast

Having not completely finished this route and coming up short on partners I checked out the climbing board to see who might be free. Net result was James and I meeting up with a poster for a run at Icconoclast on Snow Creek Wall. Unfortunately on the approach I snapped a branch off of a fallen log while stepping over, sprained my thumb and put a hole in my leg that kept pumping blood. It took a while for the blood to finally stop but the sprain didn't go away so easily. I led a couple of pitches and swung leads with Charles. The 4th and 5th pitches were spectacular if not challenging with a semi-useless appendage. Its all good beta for the Hyperspace run coming in the near future.

James moving up the 2nd pitch

The notorious hard corner pitch 3, tricky small gear and a bit dirty


Pitch 4 belay duty

Also mossy but a sweet traverse begins here and eventually leads to...


..this chicken-head covered face!

The next generation of pee licking climber's friends in training.

Time to go babes these guys are too dehydrated.

Banks Lake, WA - Northrup Canyon

Sarah and I spent a few days up in the Canadian Okanagan climbing at Skaha. Mostly single pitch cragging we were too lazy to pull out a camera and take pictures. On our return we had a bit more time and decided to make an early stop at Banks Lake for breakfast and then some climbing in Northrup Canyon. With Sarah wanting to get some more time on lead and placing gear she decided to do the SW Arete of Gibraltar rock. It is a bit grungy to start but she stuck with it and took us up in 3 pitches. Nice leads Babs!

Gibraltar Rock - SW Arete goes up the left skyline

First pitch

Second pitch - a little mossy needs more traffic

Working thru the roof

Good rock on the south side of the parking area

Hidalgo, Mexico - El Potrero Chico

It only took about 15 years to make it back to this place but it all came together when the Cartwrights, Ken, Karen and George Wiggins, Sarah and I made the pilgrimage to El Potrero. We ended up pulling down some 70 odd pitches over the time we were there even though there was cold weather, plagues and long nights playing dominoes. Sarah and I made it our first international trip together and put in a whole lot of multi-pitch climbing even with our "crack of dawn" starts.

I'm sure this sport climbing mecca will see us again but hopefully the town will have more to cater for us on the next trip.

Sarah cutting her teeth on Jungle Wall limestone

Jungle Wall from afar showing scrubbed lines

Spot the parties on the multitude of lines

Looking across from the Moto Wall towards the pinnacles

Base of Dope Ninja

El Sendero Luminiso runs up the center wall

Sarah coming up Dope Ninja

The "tricky" pitch on the Dope

Dope Ninja - route line

Summitting Black Cat Bone

Signing the summit register

Moto Wall - the scene of many multi-pitch climbs :)

Eyes down from the top of Black Cat Bone

Many P's off the deck on Jungle Warfare

The Black Cat Bone roof - so much fun!

Tie up them stinky shoes on Estralita

On Top of Snot Girlz

Higher on Estraliata - one of the few better pitches

Darrington, WA - Spring Mountain

With the threat of cooler wetter weather upon us, thoughts of squeaking in one more route was swirling in my head. I'd been up to check out a somewhat newer climbing area called Spring Mountain a few weeks prior and spotted what looked like a nice climb. Other Side of Tracks is a 5 pitch 5.10 of mixed nature although it is predominantly bolts; Camalots .4 - 2 does nicely and covers everything on this route.

My friend Sunil picked up a gig in Hong Kong so it would be a slim chance that I would get to see him in the near future to climb. I rung him and he was easy prey for an early meet at the PnR. Sarah was also on board as she is always ready to go and hit it with her endless appetite for stone.

The route is pleasant with an interesting overlap on pitch 1 and a spicy fun finish to that pitch. The money pitch is the 3rd and it keeps giving nice holds and smears. 3 of us finished up in under 4 hours and down in about 1 hr. Go give'er a run and enjoy the solitude.

Thanks Sunil and Sarah for getting out and enjoying a beautiful day doing what we love!

Sunil wondering if he's going to get the infamous Topher epic adventure - home by 6pm dude!

Sarah leads us off today - never mind the moss it is 'off route'

Must recall spicy move, que?

This is the man himself - stylin P1

...with ease brotha...

Steeper P1 finish

Sunil enjoys his pitch 3

Keep'in eyes on the lead man cause he is movin smooth - note snow on hills

What I'm watching

Trouble brewing in the back :)

View from P3 belay of the valley below

P4 was a bit short

Racing to the finish -last pitch

Making our way down

One happy climber

The Spring Mountain Club

A little time to spend contemplating the beauty of this place, the flow of our lives and the constant state of change.