texplorer

I'm also looking for a partner and a ride down this weekend for some .11, .12 sport and .10, .11 trad or anything really fun.

I think that certain climbs like Damnation and Godzilla are not that difficult but demand competency in a variety of crack sizes to make them fit their grades.

REI usage: (Yuppie Soccer) Mom: Why do the call this place RECREATIONAL Equiment Inc.? There is tons of stuff me, my fat husband, and 2.5 kids need here. REI Employee: May I suggest the new REI version of the pink Nalgene bottle. Y.S Mom: Oh wow, I bet that thing 'll stand up to even rolling out of the floor of my Hummer.. . . Oh Ashton (Yuppie son) did you get to rock climb on that mini climbing wall? Y. Son: Yea, it was bitchin mom. . . . can I buy this cool nesting cast iron cook set for my backpacking trip.

Maybe there's help for boulderer yet.

Not for sure Rudy but I bet that Leuthold's is in good condition now.

Whatever happened to "if the grass grows, Mow it" motto?

Yes, that's the one. She always climbs in a sportsbra but she looks 16 or so.

A second on the crack house and don't forget backer-cracker and the rebirthing problems at Yos.

Some things have been said about what I have said in the past. Well here are my views. 1) I agree with RuMr on the ways to climb 2) Muffy, you need to force yourself to start leading harder sport climbs. No wimping out! Also you need to do a little aiding to give yourself confidence in your gear placements. 3) Finally if your not falling on gear you found at the base of El Cap, then your not keeping it real. And there is nothing wrong with not keeping it real. 4) If snafflehounds are good enough for fred B. then there good enough for me. 5) Think less, solo more 6) The portland rock gym is very expensive but there is a hot young chick working there.

These would be good for aiding in situations where you backclean for a long time and want to move fast.

or. . . Melt down the "aircraft grade aluminum" and make some part for an expensive aircraft. Then get yourself a nice little contract with the dept of defense and sell the little babys for 500 dollars a pop (that 1000000000 in canadian dru)

I have heard that BD reslings their cams (usually for free) Wouldn't it be a good joke to send them a whole rack of mangled and worn out cams and ask them to resling them. I wonder what they would say to that. You might even get some new gear out of the thing.

Last year I was on the last pitch of snibble tower which is supposedly 4th class. Everything up there was loose and I couldn't seem to find the 4th class route to the summit ridge. I began working up 5.6 choss when a hold broke and I got that electric panic-like feeling shoot through my body as I lost my balance. As I was falling backwards I groped and luckily grabbed a rock that held. I was over a hundred feet out on a shitty cam and another 40 out from the belay on that one. Scary. . .

I totally use dropped cams as long as they still look ok. I even have some el cap booty I use on my rack from time to time.

The rangers still recommend avoiding it. After all there are a ton of good climbs in the valley that are clearer of rockfall.

Yea, the Portland Rock Gym has alot of good stuff but is crowded at times and 50 bucks a month if you sign up for a year. the month to month rate is even more expensive. If your out in beaverton stoneworks has cool people that work there and is cheaper but is not even close to as big. You can check out the PRG for free once if you know a yearly member.

Badass. . . Dumbass. . . pretty much the same thing.

Climb: Mt. Hood-Yocum Ridge Date of Climb: 2/11/2004 Trip Report: Yocum Ridge has occupied my mind for some time now. Anytime Mt. Hodd is visible in Portland you can look east and see a majestic and aesthetic ridge slicing straight up the west flank of Mt. Hood. Over the years the ridge's difficulties have become notorious but, unlike other such desperate climbs, I have experienced this routes prickled back firsthand. After attempting the route in bare rock conditions I was anxious to give the route a go when it was a little more in season. Admittingly, it still seemed that the mountain might not be in condition as we haven't had many days for the rime to melt and freeze into the hard ice that is desirable on such a route, but the weather finally gave us a few nice days and I couldn't resist the thought of raking my tools through rime. I had planned on doing the route with Terminal Gravity but he had encountered a tree on a ski descent recently and was out of commission. So, when Crackman called me, I wiped the slobber dripping from my lips and packed my gear for the "mother" of all Mt. Hood climbs. Crackman (Tim) and I arrived at about midnight and awaited Jarred and his partner Jay. We hoped to be able to share ropes so that each team would only carry one but so that we could use them together in any double rope raps. After waiting for some time we decided we had to go and left T. lodge at about 2:45. (much too late now looking back) The climb up the mountain and across the Reid was uneventful. Jarred and Jay caught up with us at illumination saddle and the four of us proceeded. As we approached the ridge Tim took a higher and steeper line onto the ridge. Knowing that the route had enough to offer, I ascended a line lower on the ridge and took the gentler, less exposed route to the ridge's crest. Tim and I met up again and quickly came upon Ivan and Shredder at the base of the 1st Gendarme. There was plenty of rime but it was very flaky and wouldn't hold a tool. I usually think of myself as a fairly bold climber but watching shred and Tim thrash around on the first step seemed very dangerous. Tim actually climbed onto a small step of the gendarme but above there loomed overhanging rime or a shallow chimney like feature with some rock but mainly the same wretched rime. This difficult section of 30-35 feet would have to be climbed with nothing but the anchor for pro and it was already 10 feet below. That could possibly result in an 80-100ft factor 2 fall onto a two picket and buttonhead bolt anchor. At that point everyone decided to abort the ridge except Tim and I. We knew it was getting late but thought we might be able to make it if we moved fast. We dropped down and traversed just under the gendarme (as can be seen in shred's pic of me below the first Gendy. It was hard to know where to go as the flank consisted of a maze of options. Tim and I wove our way through encountering great ice in places as well as steep snow in others. At one point Tim took and upward gulley and I continued traversing horizontally. Soon I found myself very exposed out on a rock fin covered with what I can best describe as vertical snow with an icy crust. I had been making lots of moves that were right at the limit of my solo abilities and any fall would result a gentle vertical freefall punctuated by periodic bumps with rock and ice projections until you reached the Reid. Once on the Reid your lifeless body would continue to slide another 1200ft or so until your crampon caught the ice and torqued your body into one of those grotesque poses you see of soldiers dead on the battlefield. Now I had come to a steeper section with no other options. I could hear Tim above but couldn't see him. Below and to my right lay easier terrain and a nice gulley upward but both ways to it seemed sketchy. After pondering for a moment I told myself to just get on with it and go. I tenuously crawled down onto the other side of the fin and easily kicked a step which sank 4-5 inches as I weighted it. I moved several more steps like this and then it got steeper and the snow thinner still. At this point you could say I was pretty f@#$ed. I yelled for Tim and saw him peek his head over. He made a quick anchor and began to throw the rope toward me. Try after try the rope didn't even come close. I began to think I was going to have to climb out afterall. Somehow, after 5 attempts, Tim managed to get the rope to me. I am usually calm in such situations and this was not an exception but I can't tell you how good it felt to go from that situation to being on toprope. After I climbed up it was obvious conditions were deteriorating quickly. The second gendy was right in front of us but the ridge leading below it was sharp and jagged with many difficulties. We were both physically feeling the effects and I know I was mentally exhausted. With two double rope raps and some down climbing in between we made it back down onto the Reid by about 1:00 (bootying two BD lockers in the process). The entire time coming down we were being pelted fairly heavily by lots of rime up to the size of golfballs. All the pieces coming down made a tinkling noise like a 1000 chandeliers being jingled. In three more hours we were back at the car making our roundtrip about 23 hours. Remember it doesn't have to be fun to be fun. In conclusion, this route is serious but doable even in the conditions we encountered. It is my belief that, due to routefinding, you should plan to spend alot of time on ridge. Bring a sparse rock rack, a few screws, pins, maybe a specter, and pickets. If your bypassing the 1st Gendy, then traverse in low on the ridge. Overall a really fun route if your ready for it. Gear Notes: 3 pins 2 pickets two 60 meter ropes 5 screws 6 total screamers/runners Next time bring: 3-4 small to mid cams 4-5 nuts very long pickets Approach Notes: Hike over illumination saddle,across the Reid glacier and drop down to what should be an obvious gulley onto the ridge. Go up the gulley until you are on the crest of the ridge.

That is a great climb. I believe it was one of my first multi-pitch trad routes and Crackman was my partner.

1. Belayed partner through wrong end of a figure eight. 2. Lowered myself off two bolt anchors directly -safe but not good on the rope.

Amazing this Simon dude. . .first he cuts the rope and then he has the gaul to ridicule people for being terrible singers on national TV.

anyone know where the movie is showing in the pdx area?

If you have to think about it maybe its not your kind of sport.

The "butte" has got to be one of the worst places I have ever climbed. The rock seems to always have a layer of dust, there aren't that many climbs there, there is always the drone of the interstate, getto latinos always hangin out given you the "I want your rims" look, add in the used condoms, needles, and bible thumpers across the road and you have the crappiest crag in Portland. If it wasn't so damned close.

I agree with caveman on Damnation. That's a great climb though. I would also say that Godzilla is a great one but very very close to a .10a. Not sure on it.