carolyn

First Full weekend to do anything all summer! Choice: Climbing on North Shore Background: The North Shore has climbing both along the cliffs of lake superior and inland. Its typically MUCH cooler on the cliffs, although weather can be a bit testy w/ forecasts being completely unreliable. The exposure can be great for some, especially with high winds and pounding waves. Its one place in the midwest where you can seriously be marooned if you are'nt able to make it up the climb. Heavy surf or ice can make talus impassable, cutting off your escape route. In this case you better know how to ascend a rope, enjoy getting pullied out, or be prepared for a long, cold swim. Ratings are old school...meaning tough! A 5.9 climb isnt just a couple 5.9 moves - the entire route is a 5.9. Pitches can vary from 60ft- a couple hundred feet. Routes often seem underrated. The rock -along the cliffs- is rhyolite, filled with zillions of sharp crystals (OUCHEE!). There is and probably always will be a no-chalk ethic in this area. The North Shore is an amazing place to climb. its vital to be mentally prepared, because the environment can fuck with your head so easily, turning your experience into a miserable one. Day 1: Wake with the sun along some logging road where we found an open field to camp the night before. Cup a Joe and we are ready to go. Started out with some easier climbs at Shovel Point (one of the more gentle cliffs)to boost my confidence. Moved onto some slab climbing with waaaaay cool exposure. Gorgeous weather all day- 75 and sunny. . The lake was calm and skies clear, inviting a number or divers and kayakers below us. Later in the evening, back along the logging road, we had great views of one shooting star after another as we ate dinner and threw back a few moose drools. The milky way lit up the sky before the moonlight took over, with mars shining brightly next to it. Found: A nice, new beefy rope left by a very disorganized, unsafe, and generally rude guiding company. Current location? My house! Day Two: Up again with the sun. Hit Palisade Head this day. The weather was a bit cooler - upper 60's with high winds and crashing waves. Thick fog through the early afternoon hours, finally clearing to sunny skies. this is where the mental games begin. Unlike last time, I was completely prepared and ready to take on whatever challenges came my way. The first, a 70+ft, sustained 5.8 offwidth. This route put a fear in me last year like no other climb has ever done before. A fall anywhere on the route can offer a good 30+ft pendelum, often times forcing you to start from the beginning. No problems this time around. It was actually quite enjoyable. I especially liked the 'sleeper' hold half way up. It will be a sad day when that flake breaks free. Knowing I now had an escape route, I took the opportunity to try some harder cracks. One in particular is photographed on the backside of "Freedom of the Hills" (Phantom crack). Easy 30-40ft slab start, ending with a 40ft+ hand crack, the crux being maybe 5 feet from the top. Grrrrrrrrr! Not being well versed in crack technique, I took one fall at the crux. A little determination and some creativity, I shortly topped out. One last climb before the long drive home. 80 ft sustained finger crack. Well, a finger crack for those with larger hands. Fortunately for me I was able to get my entire hand in the crack at some spots. Climbed it clean...though tough, very enjoyable! The best: Being greeted at the top of the last climb with a cold moose drool. Looking out the back window on the way home we noticed the Northern Lights. We hightailed it down a back road and enjoyed the pulsating dance in the sky for nearly an hour before realizing it was 10:30pm and we had a 4 hour drive home. Too bad for the suckas that had to work at 8am! So how was your weekend?

Awesome! Meant to book my flight last week. I will be doing it this week fer sure! Cant wait!

ITs a beautiful hike. THere is a good campsite along the way. head back toward grand marais and do a couple sections of the superior hiking trail. Hike pincushion mountain, cascade river , or the devils track. Just beware if its during hunting season. Dont forget to stop by "My Sisters Place" for some good grub and a brew. Unless you want to be a real tourist, then go to Sven and Oles (not recommended). Have fun!

You must not have been intrested in climbing when you were out here. If you are seriously going to be in the area and want to climb, I can point you in the right direction.

The only proof I got is the copywrite page where it credits the photos on the cover/backside

I just realized the back cover for the 6th ed (and maybe others) is a climb here in Minnesota. Phantom crack, Palisade head (I believe).

...in chat, if anyone wants to join

When I first started climbing I had a specific goal in mind. In order to reach that goal I knew there were things i needed to learn. As I have learned or begun to learn some of those things I have become a bit sidetracked with my initial goal.I have no problem being sidetracked, because I am having a blast with it and discovering aspects of climbing I never thought I would have interest in. As I brought up in a thread a while back, I think its important for me to determine my short and long term goals . Doing this might thelp me identify values/ethics I hold (ie/if I want to climb a .14 than I probly need to accept the gym as a training tool, falling needs to be okay with me, etc). The only goals I can identify at the moment are to have fun (absolute MUST!), challenge myself and learn from every climbing experience, as well as get myself to a point where I am consistant, confident/independant with my climbing. I often say, "when I get to this 'grade' I will be satisfied. Yet I find the further I work myself up ont he grades (in a consistant manner), the further I want to go. The more I climb, the more I want to learn. I understand goals are flexible and mine will change as I learn more. I guess I just wonder if others have goals, what they might be.Do they change often. And, How do your goals affect your ethics/beliefs around climbing?

Needed a change from hanging out at the crags all day on my one and only day off. Desperate for a more solitary activity that would kick me in the ass. Rode my bike about 10 miles to bouldering/traversing area. climbed for a couple hours (w/ a few breaks to deal with the pain of workin' in new pair of shoes), rode another 15 miles. (thats a good start for me, as I dont have much experience with 'cross training' or 'doubling up'). Later met up with a friend and his preschool age children. Went to the zoo with them...carrying them half the time and playing the "swing me with your one arm" game. Good times! Had dinner made for me, visited until it was safe to go home (there was a big festival a 1/2 block from my house)...crashed hard! Work the rest of the weekend.

I will be in the PNW OCt 1st- ? (probly around the 15th -20th). On past trips I have done some solo backpacking and then hooked up with folks from this site to climb. I know its a long way off, but thought I would plant a seed in anyone's head who is interested in climbing weekday/weekends during this time period. I will be in PDX Oct 1-2 (time for a pubclub?). Looking for a ride and/or partner(s) to smith the weekend of Oct 3-5 (Im flexible with those dates, of course). Plan on working my way up to Seattle around the 6th or 7th. A ride is great, but amtrack works just fine. Before the rope up time frame I would LOVE to do a route on Liberty Bell. Im open to ideas of other alpine routes instead of or addition to... (Mt Stuart?)...More interested in discreet/less popular routes than the big volcanoes. I will probly be looking for a ride from Seattle to the rope up. Looking for partners at the rope up who want to climb away from the crowds. Im happy to head out there a day earlier/leave a day later in order to make that happen. Any suggestions/beta on climbs is greatly appreciated. Anyone interested in hooking up for the time frame Im in the area, feel free to send me a pm.

Anyone know how I can get a copy of this out here. No luck in any of the stores. I checked on amazon.com...a no go. Do any of the stores in Wa offer mail order? I would love to look at a copy before heading out there. Leavenworth: Levenworth Rock 2nd Ed, Viktor Kramer Index: Sky Valley Rock, Darryl Cramer

Thanks Chris! I thought about that a bit after I posted. Or maybe hang out at the rope up one night rather than all 2 or 3. Whats the guidebook for the area? More beta questions to follow in a different thread at a later time.

Wow! (my initial reaction to this post) Secondary reaction.... Ive been planning a two-three week trip out to the pnw to climb. I scheduled it around the rope up because I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet/climb with some of the folks Ive been corresponding with or gettin' to know via cc.com. over the past few years. I think there are some good ideas being brought to this years rope up. Heck, If I was a newer climber in the PNW or had the opportunity to climb out there on a regular basis, I might even be psyched about the event. However, now I am (selfishly) wondering if planning my trip around this date is going to meet my goals. I dont really want to stand around in a line to top rope something (bless the belayers taking on this job, tho). I dont necessarily want to climb inbetween parties on some multipitch route, while numerous others are waiting on the ground (which sounds like it migh tbe the case). And, I dont want to be overwhelmed with activities/options. I just want to climb ( A LOT), meet some new folks, and throw back a few beers. This post is wierd. The whole thing is wierd. I dont really have an opinion one way or another if whats going on is right or wrong (just call me ms. wishy washy). I do however need to reconsider if attending would be the right decision in order to meet the goals i have before shelling out all the bucks for the flight and time off from work. Regardless, Ive already chosen to take this block of time off from work. I will be in the area whether I decide to attend the rope up or not. If anyone has either encouraging thoughts on rallying up partners/climbing opportunities at the rope up or some fresh ideas, please send me a pm. As far as I know there are a group of folks gathering at smith the weekend before. I contacted tg abou this a while back and he offered to donated some kegs to both the smith gathering and the 'original' rope up in l'worth. I offered to bring the beer up from PDX (on the conditions I found a ride or vehicle) to l'worth. I dont know if tg's side of the offer still stands. Im sure he will chime in eventually.

My regular climbing partner has either lost interest or his excuses are real, I dunno. So, this summer I have had to either go with his flow or take the bull by the horns. I chose the later. Its given me some wonderful opportunities to climb with other people and learn from them. The attitude of "just do it" has become a common theme for me. No excuses ...shoes, hungover, 'just not my day', wet/greasy rock, etc. Banking on each others strengths has also been key, along with recognizing and using my own vs using my weaknesses as an excuse. The one person who has helped me the most is someone who believes in my potential to reach whatever goals I set. He helps me focus on my strengths and points out what I can work on in a gentle way (knowing that I will do so when Im ready). He allows me to disagree with him, despite his experience. Most importantly he has encouraged me to reach deep down in order to find both the mental and physical strenght neccesary to keep moving forward. I think its easy to fall into a rut with the same climbing partner. On the other hand, if you allow each other to go out and experiment by climbing with different people, you can bring back so much more to your 'relationship' and climbing skills/attitude (hmmmm...kinda sounds like sex! ) I could go on and on about this subject, but I will spare you all. I think Erik hit the nail on the head (for me at least) Thanks for the topic

Wow! Thats pretty inspiring!

Soul Asylum tonight at our ever famous ribfest (man do I miss the "old" soul asylum) Climbing (in my new shoes) Saturday If I make it back in time, catch a bit of the Ice T show. Quick bike ride sunday am...then....work

Mine as well take what I can get, eh? Goes to show what a positive attitude can do for ya. Seriously though, I went into the bouldering a bit skeptical of the shoes and NOT trusting my feet. I dont believe there was much of a placebo affect going on. Thanks for clarifying.

Its late over here...or maybe Im just a little dense. huh?

Well, I got a new pair of shoes today, because I cant seem to mend the hole in my mythos and I cant fathom the idea of not climbing for three weeks while I wait to get them resoled. I chose the scarpa reflexes for a couple reasons. One biggie...because it was one of the few we had in my size at the store. They are actually a perfect fit. I would have liked to squeeze into those ananazi lace ups, tho. Oh well. Also, because they seem to serve a different purpose than my mythos. I tried 'em out in our climbing cave before I purchased them. Should have known better...its so freakin greasy down there. VERY VERY different from my mythos because of the ?board? in the soles. It was strange to not feel much contact to the rock around my toes I was a bit nervous as I handed my paycheck over in exchange for the shoes. Hopefully they are like ice tools, in the sense that you get 'used' to the way they feel. It was getting dark, but I just couldnt wait until tomorrow evening, so I headed accross town to a bouldering/traversing area outside. Good thing I had my head lamp! I took a run along an easier portion. Not too bad. The edging was awesome! Smearing...hard to say. Not great, but I think the verdict will come in that regards once I do some vertical climbs...and once they wear in a bit. I was a bit tentative with getting my foot into some cracks. Not as bad as I thought. The verdict is still out on that one as well. I ran down to the beginning of the wall where there are some more difficult bouldering/traversing problems. Ive had to work at getting some of these problems down. To my suprise they were suddenly MUCH easier with these shoes ( I know its not possible to improve that much overnight). Again,the edging on practically needle sized holds was incredible! I look forward to getting out and doing some real climbing with these shoes in the next couple days. I will, however, miss my mythos quite a bit while they are getting resoled. Anyone else have these shoes? What do ya think of 'em?

Gots a bit to kill if anyone is interested in joining... click here

I like to think I try to push myself when it comes to climbing, as well as other aspects of my life. I like to think I take risks and go beyond what I believe I am capable of. THis weekend I learned otherwise. I DONT push myself enough when Im climbing. I also learned what an incredible feeling it is when you DO. Mentally, I pushed myself on a lead ( accidentally) by running it out more than usual. It had the potential to be a pretty brutal fall. The reality of it all set in and I had to deal with it when I couldnt find a piece to place right before the crux. I thought I had been pushing the mental aspect of climbing all along. This was a true test. Thank god I passed! Physically, I took the risk of trying a climb that I knew damn well I couldnt finish. Why couldnt I finish it? Well, because...the grade was higher than anything I have done to date. I gave it a go anyway. To my suprise, I sent it. These experiences got me thinking about how much I have been holding myself back. The majority of it is mental. I have a hard time seeing myself as 'moving forward', thus giving me an excuse to not try harder climbs...or not push myself to even TRY harder climbs. All this time, the only thing keeping me from moving forward was the belief that I wasnt ready. When all along, I probably was more than ready. I just never gave myself the chance. to those who recognize your limits and push them. To those who dont...I reccomend giving it a try sometime. And for those who arent sure if you do...push a little harder and I bet the answer will appear. to an all too short, but GREAT weekend!

Thanks, I can grab a bit of seam grip easily. And, yes, I will clean them good before hand. Thanks!

btw...there is no one local who resoles shoes, so I would have to send them out when the time comes. The process takes about 3 weeks! So, until I get a new pair its not a possibility. Home improvements are mandatory at the moment.

Freesole? Not something we sell at the store. Not that Ive seen anyway. we have a 5.10 resole kit which I believe has rubber cement in it for the glue. ya, its near the pinky toe...more on the side. I cant imagine how I ripped a hole in that spot climbing today. It had to be the glass. Damn bums!

We have been pretty lucky this summer...lower humidity and temps. Although I hear we have it comin' to us later this week. Its raining right now, so a moose drool is quite fitting. mmmmm....winter! I cant wait!