shapp

My primary climbing partner for the last 14 years is going to be moving to Cape Town in January and will be there for a year. If anyone could p.m. me any info on capetown climbing and contacts for local climbers that would be great. I plan on making a trip there some time next year to hit the beach and crags for a visit too. Thanks, Jason

Bill, been climbing hanman/DEA routes, not my place to let out of bag, besides some people apparently don't like TRs of "contrived" Darrington routes.

Hold on there there AJScott, I didn't say I wasn't stoked, I just said I didn't think it was as good as some of the TRs I have seen. It was a great route, mostly for the cool fact that is is a striking feature in a great place!, but I didn't think the climbing was all that fun, except for a brief few moves in the book, the twin cracks pitch, and the final summit pitch. I thought the climbing other than these parts, was un-interesting, but totally worthy of climbing. You defenitely do want to be climbing what we been climbing up by darrington.

Hey Bill, Got no real good pics of hells canyon, when I used to go there a lot, was before digital and lost a bunch of the hard photos from a fire, but posted photos for you in the TR for Finger of Fate and in response to E. Oregon and Lee's Peak

While trying to find some more correct info to challenge some of the B.S. that was recently printed on Anthony Lakes in a crappy guide book by a couple of idiots from the west side, I contacted Dave Jensen. Incidently, Dave said he was not contacted by the authors of this recent book (P.S. don't buy it, there are is a ton of inaccurate stuff in there). Regarding Anthony Lakes area, Dave said that he made the first ascents of about six routes or more on the wall to the left of the Lee's Peak couloir. This was solo in 1970 in preparation (removing loose rocks, etc.) for rock climbing seminars and adventure camps which were held at Anthony in the early 70s through a guiding company called Lute Jerstad Adventures. Ross Petrie, who then was managing Anthony, was trying to generate summer business which was how this venture came about. Dave stated that he Didn't think they named any of these routes, and was sure nobody had climbed there before. He remembered that he and Dave Coughlin climbed the much easier couloir you refer to in 1974 approximately, but he had no idea whether they were first. Also a few pics of eastern oregon attached. Elgin Wall Elkhorns Dutch Flat Area Anthony Lakes Area (Gunsite and Lee's Peak The Lee's Peak Slab you refer to:

Here are some pics, not too many of the climbing (din't bring a camera on the ascent.

killer trip, incidently if you are looking to "put up FAs" on perfect lime stone you need only travel east about 6 hours from your home to a legal destination.

No Gay Robots, but did see a bi-curious robot with at 10 inch unit, although I was hoping to see some hot lesbian robot action on the summit. We didn't see any fixed modern gear (other than the 2 pins) but I did weld a smaller WC nut for someones booty pleasure.

Photo by Luvshaker = Triassic Sands?

Not much smoke, but could see the smoke off in the distance near Sun Valley while on top of the Finger, pics to come probably next week.

Trip: Finger of Fate - Open Book Date: 8/25/2007 Trip Report: After first hearing about the Finger of Fate back in about 1995 from a couple Idaho dudes packing guns at Smith Rock, I was looking for a chance to do it. Went out that way for a conference last week, on the way out did a raft trip down the Lower Salmon River (54 miles on the Salmon and 20 miles on the Snake River through lower Hells Canyon). Caught and fried a lot of small mouth bass on that trip, great sand beachs for camping, fun Rapids. Then headed to a conference near Stanley. After the conference, hiked into Hell Roaring Lake friday evening, camped and had trout and fried potatoes (how appropriate in Idaho) for dinner. Got up in the morning and humped up to the Finger. The base is around 9,000 feet which means I was really sucking some O's from living at sea level. Long story short, the route is fairly sustained at the 5.7 to 5.8 level. There is really only one fun pitch (the twin cracks pitch near the top). The jump accross the 4 foot ledge is kind of scary, the final mantle move at the top is rated 5.9 on the available topos, but it is really 5.7 but kind of scary. Overall a fun route, but not as good as the reports I have seen. There are some really good looking cracks on the East side of the formation. Trout fishing at the second lake up from Hell Roaring lake is great! Pics to follow soon Gear Notes: Stoppers to medium size, 3 smallest tri cams (used at almost all belays), 3 smallest TCU's, set of cams to #5 Camalot (new sizes) with a few doubles in the thin hand to slightly bigger than fist size. Actually placed the #5 several spots. Watch for rope snags on the rappel, We climbed with half ropes, 1 rappel of the top, scramble down to obvious trees to west, 1 more double rope rappel to ground. Approach Notes: Get a map and hike in there, we did the longer approach avoiding the high clearance road. Probably don't want to do that if you are doing the approach and climb in one day.

the steep sport route is Boys in the Hood

What guide book are these routes in?

Killer, good to see a great Oregon TR other than the south side of hood or what bend is like! Last time I was at Wolfy it was the day after Smith burned, climbed some routes, took a 25 foot wipper and found a bag of weed at the base of the big arch

Just got back from a trip over to the Goodwill store off dearborn street, was looking for some cook gear for my camp box, but ended up with an old selewa Piton hammer, 3 chinourd angles, 1 swiss (unknown brand) blade, and 1 Leeper Z pin, 1 SMC angle, and a set of old leg loops from France. kind of cool.

9. SHOT IN THE DARK 5.10c/d X From rattle and slime on the "flying camel move" Duane Constantino, Dave Tower, Marvin Wetzel 1979 After the first ascent of this route, Marvin told Duane that he'd seen a cop show the previous evening that displayed 4’ shafts of fire coming from pistols fired at night. Marv suggested this was total Hollywood to which Duane replied "Hollywood, hell!" as he pulled a large caliber pistol from his pack and fired it in the general vicinity of this route. In those days, you could see the rock from the parking area and there was indeed a big flash of brilliant orange, white and red flame! Pitch One: Begin in a small, arching crack near the cedars, then run it out a bit past a hidden bolt to a bolt anchor beneath the first overhang. Pitch Two: Leave the belay and move up past a hole and more 5.10 climbing to pass the second roof, a couple more bolts and the second anchor. Pitch Three: Climb over this difficult roof, perhaps using what Duane called his "Flying Camel” move. Work up continuously difficult rock and sparse, old bolts to the final anchors. Probably original

I heard the slab master whisper that these are the best routes he has ever done, which is quite a statement. More glory should be bestowed on the FA parties (for which I am not a part of). So now the cat is out, here are a couple pics to guide thee, roan wall, and roan wall below and salish in the mist

From what I understand David Tower and Chris were the driving force on Roan Wall and Chris and Todd the energizer bunny (who's last name I do not know)on Salish.

We saw nothing that said no climbing. It doesn't say no climbing on the pamphlet with the park rules that is handed out when you pass through the entrance, nor did we observe any no climbing signs anywhere.

Lance is also correct on the road names for the crack zone, here is a photo not too far from the Crack Zone, one of the D-Town crew who luckily decided to keep the jewels in the purse at the hot springs. Any one else know about this spot and the natural granite arches nearby?

I do believe that the columnar area is called Rainbow Canyon, over the last 15 years or so I find myself driving by there about every 3 to 4 years. This time we actually stopped. There are some sweet cracks there with some anchors on top. Ice pellets prevented a taste. Have you climbed there? interesting rock type that I have never seen before, though it looks like columnar basalt, it feels more like slippery granite.

Yes two locations, hints: one is about a little over an hour away from RR and the other is about 2.5 to 3 hours away (both in Nevada)

Trip: Red Rocks sort of - can you guess Date: 6/4/2007 Trip Report: On the way down to Red Rocks at the end of April, right about after Hanman and I finished an interesting discussion of a gentleman I once knew that drank chloroform (hey Jim Morisson used to do it?) and offered up his sister for unmentionables to just about anyone, we came upon the Land O' Crack not 200 feet off the side of the road, splitters and dihedrals abounded, but falling ice pelletts prevented a true sample of the area. Then on another day, when Red Rocks was nasty with precipitation, we drove over to the "other red rocks" about an hour away, hiked up a canyon near where the fugitive inidan drank from the natural well and found a great splitter hand crack and then proceeded to climb (possible FA, no sign of previous banditos) Then we drove back to the suck-ass campground at RR, where the wind drove us to Bonney Springs for 4-rounds of free shots from the ancient crusty bar maid that kept sticking a blinking keychain down her skirt. Hell Yeah! Shapp Gear Notes: Beers and cams Approach Notes: Mazda MPV

regardless of all the techno B.S. (well I heard this and I read that), hanman has actually placed a shiz load of anchors around Darrington and been actively evaluating them for several years, so I would tend to follow his advice.

There are several routes around Benthos buttress, VERT knows about these. Also Wallowa Lake Green Stone (or some refer to it as the dihedrals) which as some 1 and 2 pitch routes. I have climbed at the greens stone but not Benthos, though I know where it is and how to get there. I wouldn' really focus on climbing while on your trip, much better for hiking, if you are going to drive that far for climbing you could probably do better.