Rad

RIP Ranger Anderson. What a tragedy. Alex, a fund for her kids is an excellent idea. IMHO we should contribute it as "the climbing community". This would have the added benefit of sending a good message to the surviving rangers and others. Clearly, justice needs to be served, but I think there are two lives lost here. We don't have the full story, but this young man apparently served our country in Iraq, suffered PTSD and depression as a result, and probably was not given the medical care he needed to safely re-enter society. If our government fails thousands of vets in this way is it surprising that a number of them commit suicide and some snap and commit horrible crimes? I hope someone will take a hard look at the VA. There's much more to the other side of this story than we've been told.

I know someone (on this board) who had a disagreement with a ranger in the field regarding a lack of a back country permit, was issued a citation, contested it in court, and was handed an additional fine when the judge felt he not only committed the offense but did so willfully and indicated he would gladly do it again. Attitude in court is important. Being humble and earnest is more likely to yield a good outcome than being ornery. The angle to pitch, IMHO, is that there was no sign indicating the parking area in question was subject to the permit requirement and a reasonable person might think it was ok to park there. If you subpoena the ranger you may be headed down the path of my friend mentioned above. Good luck! If our states, cities, and counties could fund parks we wouldn't have this dumb pass in the first place.

Thanks for posting, Rainman. I know a number of next-generation route developers, including myself, whose philosophy is very close to what you've described: live and let live, and strive to develop great routes that others will follow and enjoy for ages to come. We are VERY fortunate to have so many wonderful FA adventures waiting our own backyards. If I ever feel sorry for myself I read the Orygun forum and feel much better right away

Well, it's probably safer than some of the fuzzy noodles I've seen you bring to the crag.

Don't forget your manly leather gloves!

Been waiting for someone to pull of a winter ascent - I guess yours counts as fall, but who cares. Nice work! Lots more lines to be had out there...

That's how many falls it will hold before it snaps with a loud TWANG! Seriously, though, I wouldn't lead on a rope that old no matter how it was stored.

Just to be clear, I don't object to a discussion/rant about history, ethics, or anything else. Debate is good. But don't do it in a Trip Report (TR). Trip Reports are undoubtedly the best part of this site and we want to encourage more, not dump on the ones people post. So please go to the Climber's board, click "New Topic", start whatever discussion you want, and continue it there. If you want, someone can even set it up for you and send you a link to go there directly. In fact, the best thing you can do, CM, is to write a Trip Report and photos of some of the routes and adventures you've had over the years. I'm sure lots of us would love to hear them.

Brandon, thanks for sharing the stoke and inspiring others. ................ I don't think I've met the illustrious CM, and he may be a delightful chap in person to whom we should all bow in grateful reverence, but in my view shitting on another man's dream in public is a completely inexcusable act far worse than placing a bolt on rappel or cutting a tree limb. Get over yourself and get back onto the rock we all love. I think of a passage from a Magic Treehouse story my kids listen to on long drives to magical places: Jack: What people own this land? Running Bull (laughs): People cannot own land. All land belongs to the Great Spirit. .................... Brandon, I can't wait to share the stoke on THIS route and your NEXT one. Let's send the pink route in the gym this winter Peace, Rad ps. If y'all think Alex H can't handle hard sketchy slab read his piece on free-soloing the NW Face of Half Dome, including the 5.12 slab at the end.

Put a handwarmer in your chalk bag. Wear a puffy. Off you go! No pain, no pain...

Wow. thanks Sol. I've been thinking about doing this and now have the extra push needed. Where does one find the rings? Will any old straps do? How far apart are they set?

starting to daydream a bit early, eh?

Awesome! Congrats.

I just pulled the 40 min out of thin air. Insert your own numbers.

Depends on the location and the availability of other options. For example, I could never see joining VW or Stone Gardens (15 minutes w/o traffic from my home and work) when I have free access to the UW gym 2 minutes from my work. But when the SBP opened up I signed up as a member. One of the main reasons is that it is really easy to get there from my house and it is open until 11pm most nights. So location and hours of operation played a big role in my decision. It sounds like SG Bellevue is a great gym and the new VW Seattle gym will also be great. But I doubt if I'll become a regular at either because I'd have to cross a bridge or the city to get to either. Again, location is key. In Seattle we have lots of choices, so people can be selective. Out by Wenatchee or other spots where there is nothing close at all, people might be willing to drive farther. Also, if they're used to driving 40 minutes to the Icicle to climb/boulder they might be willing to spend the same amount of time to get to your gym. If you're thinking of a gym, talk to founders of other gyms and find out where they make their money and what their customers want. As long as you're not competing they probably would be willing to share info. Another idea is to talk to VW and see whether they would consider opening another franchise/satellite. That might help you get things going faster. Good luck!!!

This must be the opposite of trad OW redpoints Always amazed at the ways that Czech kid can use his feet.

Probably. Trad lines, as you know, usually follow the path of least resistance. The first two check in around 5.10 (DITR) to 5.10+ (FITM) with lots of clean rock on either side of them. So there are lots of opportunities for harder routes, particularly if you're willing to run it out between gear placements and/or bolt by hand to protect the featured faces. Let's go next summer!

Thanks Mike. Definitely post a TR from China! Rad

Amen. This may sound obvious, but cams are very different creatures from passive pro. Take some time to practice setting, testing, and cleaning them in cracks on the ground and have your partners do the same. Otherwise you'll be getting them stuck and leaving them behind. Spendy habit that.

Thanks for the kind words, but let's not get carried away. There are lots of more dedicated, more driven, more talented, and more prolific route developers, including many on this board. Thank YOU for starting up cc.com and giving us all the opportunity to share the stoke!

Sweet! Can't wait to get back there to explore some of those lines. Looks like great rock. Borat thanks you for to post.

Hey Joe, good post. I agree with everything you've said EXCEPT the prophylactic use of NSAIDS. There are three reasons: 1 - The mild inflammation (soreness) after a workout is necessary for the process where micro-torn tissues are re-modeled and strengthened. Inhibiting this natural process prevents the system from properly recovering and getting stronger. 2 - NSAIDS can mask pain. When you are in pain your body is sending a message to your brain: "Hey, something's going on out here that you need to know about". Taking NSAIDS to mask that pain is wearing your ipod while crossing a busy street. You might not hear the bus that's about to run the light and flatten you. 3 - I was recently told by a PT (haven't seen data myself) that NSAIDS (either in high acute doses during a strenuous activity, or taken at lower doses over a long time) actually loosen/weaken tendons, increasing the liklihood of failures. There is a time and place for NSAIDS, but protecting tendons and pulley is probably not one of them. If someone else knows more I'm happy to be corrected. ..... Again, all of your other points are spot on IMHO.

Trip: X38 Far Side - Trad headpoint: Metaphysics (FA) Date: 11/1/2011 Trip Report: People usually think of X38 as the land of short, bolted routes under 5.11, and for the most part it is. But there is a growing set outside those boundaries. This is a tale of two new routes that hold both mental and physical challenges for trad leaders. At the Eastern edge of the Far Side of X38 lies a 300 foot, East-facing, diamond-shaped cliff that can be seen as you drive West on I-90. When we first walked under it, I was captivated by a striking crack/flake that leads to a roof half way up the wall. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that a stellar two-pitch route, protected by a mix of bolts and gear, could go straight up the middle of this face. In the photo below, the second pitch starts on a ledge up and left from where I am, goes up and over the obvious flake/roof just left of center, and ends out of sight just above the highest point of rock visible in the photo. I knew that in order to climb the route I'd have to bump up my meager abilities and become a different climber. This concept gave rise to the route's name: Metamorphosis. In May of 2008, Michael and I did the first ascent of this adventurous two-pitch line. A number of people have repeated Metamorphosis, but it deserves more traffic than it gets. Here's an old topo that lists the gear and sections (cam = camalot). Ever since those early days, I've been admiring a line right of Metamorphosis that follows cracks in a slanting roof feature below a blank-looking face. We continued the "meta" theme with Metaphysics: a branch of philosophy that explores the intersections between reality and fiction, determinism and free will, and poetry and quantum mechanics. This line was obviously well-beyond my abilities in 2008, so I filed it away for "someday". A few years passed, more FAs followed, and I gradually got a little stronger. I went up this fall to take a closer look at the line and scrub the lichen off the upper face. Two things became clear: 1 - The line would involve excellent movement on impeccable stone (there was no loose rock to remove), and 2 - The route could be adequately protected without any bolts, although it would have a couple of spicy runouts. I worked out the moves and gear placements, scrubbed off the lichen, and prepared to headpoint Metaphysics. For routes at or just beyond my limits, I draw detailed maps marking every feature, foothold, and handhold. These help me memorize and visualize every detail of the sequence, like a choreographer's map of a dance routine. I expected the weather would shut down and Metaphysics would have to wait until next year, but there was a convergence of weather, fitness, and partners on November 1st. So we went for it on a gorgeous, sunny afternoon. It was great to share the experience with two climbers who are avid explorers and route developers. Unlike most of my first ascents, this one was captured on film. Side note: don't be deterred by some moss you'll see in photos of the bottom of the line. You don't have to climb on or through it. The hand and foot holds are all clean. I'll do more cleaning when I can... Preparing to commit. Shaking out before making one last move to a protectable crack in the slanting roof. Five feet higher, I started doing the sewing machine while holding a gaston and trying to place the protection. A fall there would not be good. I forced myself to relax, stay in control, place the critical protection, and make the moves to a good hold below the crux roof. The crux requires a leap of faith. You're getting pumped and you think, "there's no way I'll be able to hold onto that", but then you do. Fortunately, you're protected by multiple pieces of bomber gear at this point. Thin face moves above the roof get your attention. The foot holds I'd planned to use worked fine on TR but felt too small on lead, so I improvised a new sequence through this thin and balancy section. At this point you're committed because the gear is below the lip of the roof. It was only after I saw the photos that I noticed the rope was running over a protruding foothold. I don't think it's sharp enough to cut the rope, but I'm glad I didn't have to find out! Gear under the upper roof is not obvious and must placed carefully so it won't rip out in the event of a fall. See topo. At this point there are a few more tenuous moves left. They shouldn't be too hard, but I was mentally and physically fried from the lower parts of the route. I set a solid heel hook and prepared for the final moves to the anchor, which is shared with Metamorphosis. And for a few seconds I got sketched out. If the upper gear holds, a fall here would be safe. If it rips out you'd be in trouble. Sometimes we have to rely on the force of will to carry us through when our minds and bodies are convinced we're going to fail. Mind over matter. Metaphysics. I think of a scene late in Finding Nemo, where Nemo's dad Marlin is scooped up and swallowed by a pelican. His amazing and improbable adventure is about to end in the belly of a lazy seabird. But something snaps in Marlin, who has been grumpy, skeptical, and negative up to this point. He stops himself in the middle of the pelican's throat and screams, "NO!!! I DID NOT COME THIS FAR TO END IT ALL HERE". Through force of will, he stops himself mid-esophagus, reverses, and escapes from the gull's gullet with Dory in tow. And that's what I had to do....without the aid of Pixar's brilliant graphics team. I willed myself through the key heel hook/mantle and stayed focused to the end, clipping the chains with a whoop of delight that was probably heard back in Bellevue. The most satisfying and memorable climbs for me are the ones where the outcome is in doubt. They require hard work and test the limits of both mind and body. The FA of Metaphysics is right up there for me, and that's part of why I'm telling the story here. The other reason is that I want other people to go out and experience their own adventures on it. ................... I'm not a purist. I've placed my share of bolts, generally believing that the quality of a route should drive decisions about how it is developed more than the ego of the first ascentionist. Another rationalization is that I don't want to create a route that kills or seriously injures someone. I'd expected to have to bolt Metaphysics to climb it, and even when I found some gear placements I thought that I might still bolt it, otherwise no one would ever climb it. But it felt right to leave the line in its natural state, to preserve the raw challenge presented by nature, even if it meant there is the potential for serious consequences if you make a mistake. That's ok. Part of climbing is overcoming fear, controlling your mind, and using every skill you have to safely ascend a line without falling or hanging. Life has consequences. Why should climbing be different? ..................... It's hard to be objective about a route's grade when you have it wired. Perhaps 5.10R to V2/V3 to 5.10R. So maybe 5.11R? I don't know. It is what it is. Climb it and let us know what you think. THE NEXT IMAGE CONTAINS DETAILED BETA THAT WILL RUIN YOUR ONSIGHT IF.... you can decipher my solution from the cryptic hieroglyphics below. Gear Notes: Trad gear as noted in the topos Approach Notes: Orientation: The Far Side area of X38 has several East-facing crags in a line: Interstate Park, Eastern Block, Squishy Bell, and Headlight Point crags. There is a giant talus field East of this line of cliffs. Drop down to the talus and cross it to pass under the bottom of the large, scraggly buttress. Follow an indistinct path, pass a giant tree, and pop out onto a second, smaller talus field. Go straight up. Where the talus ends at the forest go right to the Meta amphitheater. Shangri-La is to the left. The Meta cliff pictured above is on your left as you enter the Meta amphitheater. It's best to belay very low at a divot in the vegetation. Start climbing in tennis shoes and change to rock shoes at the bottom of the two obvious cracks where the climbing starts. I'll try to develop a less dirty, less erosion-prone approach by springtime.

Congrats on your climb and first TR. CC.com can always use more TRs

I asked a hand surgeon if tape would help. He said it wouldn't hurt but likely wouldn't take any significant load off the tendon or pulley. Rest/recovery/healing are critical and tape doesn't change that. Lots of websites with suggestions on how to apply tape if you want it.