eldiente

These "Druggies" you're referring to probably all climb 5 grades harder than you do. I know, it hurts to think that the most successful climbers also happen to be stoners. Just think, you could be climbing way harder routes, and having more fun (cause you'd be high) than you are right now.

I was in the same area the previous weekend (dribbles area) and noticed very unstable snow. While hiking around the top we experienced large cracks going through the snow. We were spooked enough to give up on the walk-off and rap the route. I have to question why the climbers continued to force up the gully after setting off the first slide(?) Sliding 300 feet would be enough for me to bail or at least go climb something else that day. I really hate to hear about people dying this way, what a waste. Condolences to Guy's family and friends. Sounds like a good person and the world needs more of those.

This problem is about as much fun as you can have in Cabo without having to get a shot the next morning. [img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SCOVhWUc0DI/AAAAAAAAChc/fe9el7lsQqg/s640/IMG_1934.JPG[/img]

[img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SCOVYGUc0BI/AAAAAAAAChM/B4hWNnQYNU0/s512/IMG_1931.JPG[/img] Don't bother with a rope or gear, not worth it. Bouldering there is way fun though. I soloed a route that had bolts and they looked awful, very sketchy. On the plus side, there was lots of um', maybe one of these would hold a fall on the way down? (And you thought Ozone was over bolted!) [img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/Sw11IcU9xJI/AAAAAAAAIZs/j3eXDmse_lo/s576/IMG_1939.jpg[/img]

No one that runs a marathon at a competitive level has anywhere near 15% body fat. More like 4%-8%. On the same note, I bet you'd be hard pressed to find an elite (whatever that threshold is) rock climber that has body fat over 10%. Easy test. Go to gym and onsite the hardest route you can. Add 10 pounds to your harness or wear a weight vest and watch how much of a difference it makes. For me, 10 pounds in the weight vest cuts off one full number grade, sometimes even more.

The building next to PRG has a 10" OW that has been lead and free soloed. Rumored to be hard...

I always thought for 5.10bish that is was not super easy, that little spot above the tree is a bad for big hands, #1 size always feels like work for me.

Yes, a regular pair of snowboard boots and crampons works just fine. How often are you going to have to climb waterfall ice to get at your chosen descent? Very simple, put crampons on snowboarding boots, walk-up. How's this for stoke?

Dusty, expensive, no shade, loud, no water. Basically it sucks.

Um, melting hot boulder problems,stupid hot sport climbs. Or rad, perfect temperature granite cracks? That's an easy choice.

The views suck, and the 2 minute walk from the Brew Pub is rough late at night. [img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/RmGwVog8UzI/AAAAAAAAAu8/A_3v7Ler5EI/s640/IMG_0610.JPG[/img]

OK so maybe Beacon isn't the best crag on Earth. However it is one of the few places where I can row ashore from my home and go climbing. [img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/Rt45Yr-4n5I/AAAAAAAABDU/UUqhBETYp_o/s640/IMG_1383.JPG[/img]

Clearly you've been spending too much time on the warm-ups down there.. If the jamming is putting you to sleep, may I suggest some routes that might wake you up? There is a new line out there that a certain 9 fingered big-shot tried to work on during a recent trip there. He wasn't able to send it, maybe because this guy is only good at climbing in the Valley, and is actually a shitty climber? This route would be perfect for you, just like Beacon Rock stemming!. The beta is mellow. Yes, there is a few tips finger that you have to jam, but fear not, these jams are 15 feet apart with nothing in between so hopefully you won't get too bored. Gear? You won't need much as this seam only opens up a few times for micro gear. Assuming you don't fall asleep while leading, you can have the FA and the only 5.14 on the wall. Go get it!

All are fun pithes and great PDX climbing.(Is there actually any mandatory jamming on windsurfer?) However, when I think of the "best" crack climbing around I'm usually thinking of this place. [img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/RyoDqvTLSeI/AAAAAAAABkQ/-pdG4tTC8j4/s640/IMG_3230.jpg[/img]

Find a buddy and do 4X4s with some type of work-load in between circuits. There is a ton of variation on this but here's one "buddy" workout that might be less boring than the usual session. Do 4 boulder problems in rapid succession, as soon as the feet touch the deck you go back up. Ideally you start at your red-point max and work backwards, (Ie V7, V6, V5 V4) If you can only do V1s, do 4 of them with no rest between problems. The goal is to be almost falling off from the pump on the last problem, scale accordingly. While you climb, you partner works. Ex 20 push-ups, 20 squats, 30 sit-ups. It really doesn't matter what sort of work, just something to keep the heart-rate elevated. The goal with this active rest is to get you breathing hard before your next set of boulder problems. Sort of like pulling into a small stance on a hard lead and trying to get your breathing under control before launching into the next crux. Even though your "resting" your still on lead, working hard shoved into that stance. Repeat 4 times, total of 16 boulder problems. Fun to do with a partner, everyone gets pumped, even the 5.13 climber will be working hard. -Nate

Give it a spin, one of the better routes out there. I would suspect the reason that you never see anyone on it is because there is one move on it that isn't a huge jug. I know, an Ozone route that requires a brief moment of effort! No worries, that moment is brief at the bottom and then the route goes back to the usual jug haul to the anchors. 5.Fun for sure...

What? I hope your joking. Are we talking about the same Leap and the same Beacon Rock? The Leap makes Beacon Rock look like a teetering choss heap (which it is) But since were talking about it, let's put my vote on Free for Some linked into Dodd's, lot of bang for the buck.

Trip: Red Rocks - Rainbow Wall Free- Cloud Tower- Epinephrine Date: 10/22/2009 Trip Report: I haven't seen a TR in here for the Rainbow wall, here is what we encountered over a very pleasant four days of climbing in RR last weekend. Pics here. Day 1* Cloud Tower. 5.12- ( See Alpinst 28 for a nice picture of pitch 5) Day 2* Rainbow Wall. 5.12B variation. Day 3* Epinephrine. 5.9 Day 4* Sport Wank. Various routes Sunny and Steep Wall, Calico Basin. Original Route Rainbow Wall-route marked in blue. [img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCRG3MpLAI/AAAAAAAAIMg/7tRwWE4mn4k/s640/RW%20Wall.jpg[/img] The Rainbow wall has been on my mind for a long time, it is the most obvious wall in the park and I recall 6- or 7 years ago thinking that it would be fun aid route if I ever got the motivation to do a multi-day aid route at Red Rocks. I started going to Red Rocks a few times every year and gradually ticked off many of the long, classic free climbs in the park. One of the few remaining formations that I hadn't been on was the Rainbow Wall. When a college friend of mine suggested a two day aid trip up the wall, I jumped at the chance and bought a plane ticket. The original plan was a hybrid aid/free climb up the Rainbow Wall. We'd lead most of the pitches on aid hauling bivy gear with us and if time allowed I'd try to work on the free moves with the hopes of practicing the pitches for a future free attempt. Our plans changed when we both realized that aid climbing sucks and we took Rainbow Wall off the list and decided to do a bunch of long free climbs instead. Who wants to haul that crap anyway? Plans changed one more time once I got down there. (!) My partner came down with a bit of flu and was in need of a rest day after doing the Cloud Tower. My now ill partner introduced me to Mike who was amped for a one day free ascent of the Rainbow Wall. I was a bit skeptical that we could do it, but Mike (no big deal) was all for it. Late Saturday night we drank beers and planed for an early start on Sunday morning. Our early start plans didn't happen and we started hiking about 7:30 in hot early morning sun. I just about puked on the hike in, the last steep slabs to the base are crusher, I was trying to push the pace and felt very trashed from the effort. The hike-in is no joke and I can sort of understand why people do the hike-in the day before. [img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLke7D2VI/AAAAAAAAIEw/Bplpj5xL4mA/s640/P1000827.JPG[/img] Base of route looking up from the slabs. [img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLj6qBgII/AAAAAAAAIEo/edvdT7WH2Dc/s640/P1000826.JPG[/img] Fixed hand lines on the slab approach. 8th grade gym climbing style! The route itself climbed like a dream, it really is as good as it looks! We used a 70M rope and climbed 1,200 feet in 6 pitches with some simuling. Mike is a machine and on-sighted or followed clean every pitch. I fell about a half-dozen times at various points on the route but was able to free all the moves without aid. After a blitz effort we were on top of the wall by 3:00PM. The route is sustained in a lot of ways, but what really sticks out is the boulder problems, at least 6 crux boulder problems come to mind that seem impossible when you first see them. I also found the grades to be a bit stiff compared with other RR routes, normally a 5.11+ pitch at RR is going to have some nice edges, not so on this route. The route sort of follows a seam but only has a few jams, most of the crack is too thin for fingers. Here is what we found pitch by pitch. P1 5.6 (Solo) P2 5.11C Left hand variation. Wonders around a bit but very cool tech climbing with a mix of bolts and gear. P3-P4 (5.11+, 5.11C. Linked as one 200 feet) The start of P2 is burly. Thug layback into small stance below a crux boulder problem. Crazy layback section with no feet to a huge throw. Higher up another boulder problem that involves a wild, feet flying in the air dyno far right to a good edge, with another throw back into the crack to the left. (Take my first fall going back into the left) P5-P6-P7 ( 5.11B/C, 5.10D, 5.10. Linked as one 210 feet) A bit pumped as I followed the last two pitches as one, and as soon as I pull into the belay Mike puts me on, and I'm leading the next few pitches. Not quite as hard as the last bit, this section is all gear with no bolts. The 5.11 pitch has a nice roof pull and into a long bit of sustained 5.10ish finger crack climbing. I run out of gear and place one piece on the last 5.10 pitch that leads to the bush belay. P9-P10-P11 (5.8ish, short spot of 5.9) The only lame part of the route. Lots of traversing across blocky terrain with a short 5.9 OW chimney. We simul this, many options, but your looking for a big tree far right. The last bit is a long traverse straight left on a narrow foot ledge with minimal gear. Exposed. P12-P13 (5.11+ 5.12 Linked 180 feet) The 5.8 wild traverse plops us out at the base of the two crux pitches, gorgeous corner system on dark red rock. Sounds good but this corner is just a seam with a lot of nothing in between. I felt both pitches were 5.12 but I'm also really bad at this style of climbing. The first boulder problem is improbable, the smallest feet I've ever used with desperate smearing stemming and body tension to a edge. It keeps going with another no foot/no hands boulder problem at the intermediate anchor. The foot you want to use is at waist level, bring your yoga loving buddy for this move. Higher up a pump starts to build as I'm making violent stabs at pin scars in a lyaback position with slick feet. My feet give out on me and I hang on the rope working the last crux section by a good bolt. The last boulder problem is the hardest yet, a pebble pinch for the thumb with crystals for feet lead to a harsh dead-point. P14-P15 ( 5.12B-5.10 Link 200 feet) I get us off route (we left the topo on the deck to save weight) and take a 5.12B variation to the right off the belay when I really wanted to do a 5.11C bit off to the left. Ooops. My punishment is a fall. Higher up the pitch eases up with steep moves on perfect edges, tough if your short. Fun if you like sport climbing above gear. The last 5.10 pitch is a glory pitch to the summit with a roof pull on jugs. Belay from tree on summit. Yeah! The descent was long, with a single rope we made about 14 single raps down the wall. Found our packs just as it went dark and marched out with head-lamps, made it back to car by 8:00ish. We took turns hooting at a party of climbers stuck high on CC that were making the raps in the dark. Sorry guys! I hope your made it down sometime before sunrise. [img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLlU5H2CI/AAAAAAAAIFE/MN2HWAKrth4/s640/P1000831.JPG[/img] Mike leads pitch 2 [img:center]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLoTytNHI/AAAAAAAAIF4/sAFhui5FzJI/s512/P1000840.JPG[/img] Myself below the roof. P5 [img:center]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLpfKw6lI/AAAAAAAAIGI/ZPC-BzWNL_g/s512/P1000842.JPG[/img] Pulling the roof P5 [img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLqfwyhxI/AAAAAAAAIGY/O7_aagDjGWM/s640/P1000853.JPG[/img] Mike drying out his shoes (huh?) mid pitch 12. [img:center]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLq5RfzLI/AAAAAAAAIGg/bqEWqR3SuwU/s640/P1000854.JPG[/img] Near the end of pitch 13 post pebble pull crux. [img:center]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLtaWdmtI/AAAAAAAAIHU/-02na2bPLdU/s640/P1000860.JPG[/img] Summit Rainbow Wall Cloud Tower My second time up this route, a contender for the best multi-pitch crack route in America. Anyone care to disagree? I botch the red-point taking a foot slip on the 5.12- thin corner thingy (damn those feet are slick) and another hang right at the chains on the last 5.11+ crack pitch. So different than most RR routes as there are very few holds, just splitter crack in a airy position. Love it! [img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLYvyKiGI/AAAAAAAAIBk/wk7Y1-Wg_0s/s720/P1080432.JPG[/img] Hodge hiking on the first 5.10 pitch. [img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLdAIIwBI/AAAAAAAAICo/1Q6ASy09vPI/s720/P1080454.JPG[/img] Mike with the trick beta on pitch 4 crux. [img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLfiDWYtI/AAAAAAAAIDU/IoA_dWw4hPs/s720/P1080505.JPG[/img] Me happy to finally have a real jam after a long spot of tips. [img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLgfPC7QI/AAAAAAAAIDk/4XNiZR1-ewU/s512/P1080511.JPG[/img] I'm too fat for this pitch, about to go tunneling on pitch 5. [img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLiEu_DGI/AAAAAAAAIEI/lkVOa5cAmYA/s512/P1080516.JPG[/img] Me on the 5.11+ last pitch. 160 feet of perfect hands. How come this pitch is so pupmey when the jams are so good? It is that damn last move at the anchors that gets me, don't layback! Commit to a bad .75 jam and throw for the finger lock finish. [img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLt5A9qBI/AAAAAAAAIHc/EWKIeTTSKNs/s640/P1000862.JPG[/img] Looking down on the last pitch of Cloud Tower from the summit of the Rainbow Wall. The last 5.11+ pitch is in the corner with the tan rock to the right. Epinephrine The classic and just plain fun. My feet/legs were tired from the Rainbow Wall the day before so I was happy to have Hodge lead most of the route (including the wide stuff what a nice guy) while I sat in the back-seat and enjoyed the views. We weren't moving fast, but still finished the route 9 hours car to car. We linked a few pitches and simuled a bit. [img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLwssew9I/AAAAAAAAIIQ/brUo77QYdv8/s512/P1000881_2.JPG[/img] First Wide pitch. [img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLxd5DveI/AAAAAAAAIIg/24vmq3np7Js/s640/P1000886.JPG[/img] [img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLxyugF6I/AAAAAAAAIIo/hVWFZ8JF0LI/s640/P1000889.JPG[/img] Top of Black Tower, post wide workout. [img:center]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCLzcMR_aI/AAAAAAAAIJE/8bGkYM8Mv-w/s640/P1000893.JPG[/img] A few pitches above the trunk. [img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCL2-rwN1I/AAAAAAAAIJw/ZK-ybD14sSU/s640/P1000906.JPG[/img] Trying to fly in the 50MPH wind up top. Sunny and Steep Wall, Rest day [img:center]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCL75Mv29I/AAAAAAAAILk/gySBUTdJqUA/s512/P1000941.JPG[/img] [img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCL4oStTqI/AAAAAAAAIKo/YhC8F-kpzns/s640/P1000918.JPG[/img] [img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/SuCL4PdjFJI/AAAAAAAAIKY/z6435dgkv7U/s512/P1080611.JPG[/img] Gear Notes: Rainbow Wall. Doubles of cams to #2 if linking. There is a lot of bolts, but many pitches need lots of small cams. Brass nuts useful for pin scars. Cloud Tower. Every cam you and your buddy owns. Triple Green Alien-#4 BD with a 4x #2 BD. Bring a 00 C3 and a 0 C3 for crux tips pitch. Approach Notes: Hodge's Toy truck and a cheap airline ticket.

Let's all just say Ozone is soft. Could the holds get any bigger?

MD route is tricky, much harder than the other two routes mentioned above. That said, it feels right on for 5.11C when compared with routes of a similar style out at Broughton. Not very sustained, just technical.

Yes, it is very vogue to rag on the "bolt zone." For what it is worth, both of those routes are very soft for the grade. I'd give both of them 5.11c if we were at other well known WA sport crags. The crumbling could very well be 5.11 if not for that starting move off the ground, huge jugs the whole way. Although compared to other Bolt Zone routes, 5.12 seems fair for both of these routes. Many of the routes out there feel a full number grade easier then the guidebook gives them. -Nate

A bit silly but hey, why not. A strong climber (strong enough to making news, FAs or whatever) isn't going to be dumb enough to plug up a useful jam with gear. Even if there is some case where hands and gear are shoved in same feature, this doesn't make the move any easier, in fact you probably just made the move XXX harder by having your fingers jammed onto a slick bit of uneven metal instead of nice bit of rock. This happens to me every so often and usually I curse myself for plugging up a jam. So no, touching gear with a jam isn't aiding unless your doing it specifically to make the moves easier. Again, this is not relevant on a crux lead as your going be above your gear anyway. Side note. Many "strong" climbers are very honest about this. Adam Ondra skipped a bolt on a route because he felt the rope drag he was getting was making him few pounds lighter as he traversed away from it. Beth Rodden elected to re-lead the crux pitch of the Nose as she felt like was getting help form the rope drag created by a bolt that was clipped high.

I always back that pin up with a cam a few feet below it. The pin looks OK, but at that point in the climb I'm usually at ground-fall if that pin were to fail. Also, it is nice to be able to move well above that pin before stopping an placing the next piece, it makes me feel better to look down and see the pin and cam working in together.

Sorry to burst your bubble, we did this route two weeks ago. I love this line, really technical moves at the start with tricky pro. That pin was placed there so people could step on it at the crux. No kidding. I bet 99% of ascents step on that pin, damn thing is right where your foot needs to be. -Nate

There are lots of ways to rig this system, all of the involve the very real possibility of taking a big fall onto the anchor, only useful for steep routes with clean falls. *Run rope though anchor, tie into one end. Take out as much slack as you think you'll need to get where your going, tie into that with a locker. You've now just made a big runner out of your rope harness/knot(s) acting as the sewn part of the runner. Climb as normal, when your done with the hard moves, untie pull rope up and into your pack, keep climbing. If you need to add more rope as you climb, consider using grigri or be prepared to retie the second knot as your move along. This method is really only useful on routes with chain belays and hard climbing close to the belay, you'd have to be brave to get 100' feet out from the anchor with 100' feet of slack in the system, may as well leave the rope at home IMO.