Squamish and Smith Rock

Wednesday 24 August 2011

Climb “St Vitus’ Dance” 5.9 with Cecile.  Tim decides that my using his house for everything besides actually sleeping there without paying rent has gone on for long enough, so now I’m back to living out of the van properly.  Not sure if I’ll stay in Squamish for another week, or just head back to the States and visit Smith Rock on my way to Yosemite.  Ah the life of a climbing bum.  Overstaying welcomes and being a general free-loading pest!  Sorry Tim, I should have realised earlier and made the move myself.  Interestingly there is an article on just my type of behaviour in one of the recent American climbing mags.

Thursday 25 August 2011

Climb “Calculus Crack” 5.8, “Memorial Crack” 5.9 and “Squamish Buttress” 5.10c with Cecile.  This linkup takes the climbers from the Apron car park all the way to the First Summit.  Took us a full day, climbing from about 8am to 8pm (not including the hike down!)  Got back to the car after 9.  12 pitches total, most being easier than 5.9, but the crux came with the penultimate pitch - 5.10c finger crack in a corner for about 20m.  Sustained and slippery!  I placed gear every few feet (yes feet not yards!  So I was a little nervous...) near the end, which only added to the pump.  Losing the headspace!

Camped in the campground carpark, even though there is lots of signage saying that it is forbidden.  There are so many vans and station wagons there overnight, and when I woke up people had set up chairs outside there cars to have breakfast, so hopefully I can get away with it as well.

Friday 26 August 2011

Wake up in the climbers campground parking lot quite late after a really good night’s sleep.  The past 2 days of long routes have worn me out, even though they weren’t really big days when compared to what we’ll have to face in Yosemite.  But the rangers have caught up with me and given me a warning not to camp there.  Back to the logging roads!

Sunday 28 August 2011

Climb at Chek with Cecile and Emily.  Onsight a cool 11c and fell of the end of a 12a on the flash attempt.  Didn't get back on it again, even though it would have been a good one to play on for a bit longer.  These couple of routes make me realize that I probably need a break from trad for a bit before Yosemite.

Tuesday 30 August 2011

Drive from Squamish down into the States, and camp in a rest stop in southern Washington State.  Customs was a hassle again - hate US border guards, the power-drunk suspicious bored clueless douches.  Always the same questions and incredulity that I would be doing exactly what I say I'm doing.  "You're NOT working here illegally?  How do you support yourself?  You're just spending savings?  Bullshit.  is that a charger full of coke bulging the back of your trousers?  Let's have a look shall we?"  Ok maybe not that extreme, but I'm over it.

Wednesday 31 August 2011

Drive through some pretty amazing scenery in Oregon.  The forests here are amazing; they envelop the car it seems as you wind down endless highways.  Because of a massive fire south of Seattle, I've been forced to take a longer route than the main drag.  Fine by me, this way isn't all gas stations, McDonalds and Dennys.

Arrive at Smith Rocks late in the day.  No-one else in the campground, so I wonder if there will be any climbers around tomorrow?  Its been hot, and this isn't really the peak season to climb here.  maybe they dirtbags have found cheaper spots to camp?  The rock is surrounded by farms and private property, so I'm not sure where they'd stay on the sly.

Thursday 1 September 2011

Climb at North Point wall with some kids from Bend.  One girl had never climbed before, and the other had never lead outdoors, and one of the guys hadn’t led anything harder than 5.9.  But the other guy boasted that he could climb 5.12 and was projecting 5.13, so I thought I would be able to get on some hard stuff with him.  He was more of a boulderer though, and didn’t have much endurance.  Plus he wanted me to put a toprope up on a 12a he wanted to start projecting, because he didn’t have the confidence to lead it.  I didn’t have the balls myself to clip the crux bolt and I let go from the good holds and took a fall rather than climb further or just man up and try clipping.  But the fall potential got into my head and I wussed out.  The second try went fine and I even climbed past the bolt to clip at my feet to send the thing, but I was very frustrated not to have done what was necessary to onsight such a soft 12a.  Seeing kids like this guy and how he wants to toperope first and not take falls makes me want even more to get better mentally at climbing.  Such a huge barrier to doing better, and harder, routes!  Time to clock up fall time now I'm on bolts.  But the rock looks like solidified mud with stones sticking out of it, and is that bolt hanger spinning?  Hmm.  Can I trust this kid to catch me, even though I just met him?  I miss solid reliable partners!  Time, that's what's needed, with a new partner.

Friday 2 September 2011

Ruptured a tendon on a shitty 5.11b.  Devastated.  I’ve strained tendons and pulleys pretty bad before, resulting in months of downtime before they are fully recovered, but this is the first time I’ve done such a job on my finger, with an audible ‘pop’ and instant numbness and swelling.  I’ve iced it a bit, and I’ll see how it feels before climbing again tomorrow.  Maybe my trip to Smith will be very short.  Such a shame to do a stupid thing like that, and such a waste.  So many cool routes here to try!

Saturday 3 September 2011

Rise early to climb a 3 pitch mixed route with Bob.  High solo on thin huecos to 3 bolts of face climbing, past a sport anchor and into a finger crack / dihedral to a ledge with a bolted anchor.  I felt nervous even though the climbing was dead easy.  If I had of fallen from there it would have been far but not deadly.  Probably a broken ankle, perhaps worse.  I won't be doing that again!  Not worth the risk, hawever easy the route is or low the risk.  Second pitch Bob led, which I was thankful for because it was very run out although easy enough.  3rd and final pitch was the best; a great thin flake to a ledge, then traverse left and up a wide groove to the top.  Fantastic position, and summiting does add something pure to the climbing, no matter how much of a sport climber I am.  Finger is still stiff and sore, so I iced it some more after the route.