Roadstead1

I've heard the same thing 20 years ago, A bolt is just out of frame.

It's a little late... but this weekend is the annual 420 weekend. If you were wanted to have some fresh beta about the Canyon this would be a great time to go. Hope to see ya in Hell.

killed

Nice work... Mr. Pete

You would think so...

Thanks Dane, Trad 1,2 and 3 how about; I'll just leave them out for you and keep there value high.

Dane, We talked a few years back (2004 I think) about this very pitch. My offer still holds with a little work it would be the best jug haul on Chimney. I'm doing a article for OutThere about Castle Rock/Kingston. I would like to add your trad line on the Main Face. I was not given a lot of time to put this article together, so I have a deadline on next Wednesday. It's not a guide it's about getting out and climbing.

Andy, This is a copy of your email that you sent me after your recent trip to North Idaho and I only post it so Joe knows he not the only climber in the Northwest. Stopped at Laclede on way in Sunday. Should have taken your advice to keep driving. I led Trainspotting. Started up the corner to the left (where it's obvious to climb) without reading guidebook description that you're supposed to contrive your way up the slick slopey bulge. Anyway, that made the early bolts really difficult to clip, and then I hit a bunch of cobwebs and gravel on the jugs up high. Not a good way to warm up after 7 hours in car. We fought through the jungle to the main cliff and Ed led Shook Me. Pretty stout for .10b, and a total mossfest at the top. We finished off with the Dihedral (my lead) and Chicken McNubbins (Ed's lead). Both pretty good climbs, but a little on the funky side. My Subaru nearly overheated going up the last part of road to the Chimney trailhead. Got a leisurely start hiking in on Monday. Did It Ain't Hay/Fun Roof, then watched some thundershowers pass over Priest Lake. We didn't have time for another multi-pitch, so I "led" Lord Greystoke. "Led" as in I would briefly lead a few feet before hanging on the next piece I plugged in! Jesus, that thing is burly! I'd like to go back to try it again in better style. We sat in our camp chairs for a good hour-and-a-half Monday night and watched a spectacular lightning show. One of the storms finally moved over us and it rained a good part of the night. We got over to the East Face on Tuesday. Sunny, beautiful blue skies to start. After my Lord Greystoke experience, I decided to stick to the first pitch of Free Friends instead of branching off on Illusions. Even at that, the start of the first pitch is in your face! Ed led the second pitch as a black cloud gathered overhead. By the time he reached the belay, it started raining. By the time I reached the belay, thunder was cracking like cannon shots from directly overhead. You could hear the sound waves shooting off and traveling out across the sky. We were obviously a little nervous and it looked like we might be getting socked in. We discussed our options and nearly decided to bail, which would have meant leaving gear. Instead, we decided to stay put a little while longer, hunker down, and see how things looked in a few minutes. Things lightened up and it stopped raining. (Between the steep face and the fact the storm was coming from the west, we really didn't get too wet.) I started off for the top. Ed had stopped to belay at a small ledge about 30 or 40 feet short of the big ledge below the last pitch. When I set off and got to the big ledge, I kept going up the main flake system. (Guess we shouldn't have left the guidebook at the base.) Pretty soon I ran out of crack, but there were some pods where I got in a small C4 and higher up a TCU. It looked like I had two options from there--traverse right on a ledge, then up to a small crack system through a roof (with flaky blank rock in between), or make a hard-looking face/mantle move directly up to another ledge with some quartzy holds, then ????. I spent a LONG time moving back and forth trying to decide between the two options. It looked like either way, I was going to hit dirty rock with no protection. I finally committed to moving straight up. It was a pretty hard move (irreversible) and it led to a dead end, at least as far as I could see. There were some obvious jugs leading up and slightly left through some overlaps, but it looked dirty with no pro. Pretty much the same thing to the right, only with the same flaky exfoliating rock I'd seen before. It started raining again. I had one place to put in a small cam. I had Ed lower me down to the big ledge, backcleaning as I went, to see if I was off-route. When I got back to the big ledge (where I guess we should have belayed after the second pitch), I realized I was on Tsunami instead of the last pitch of Free Friends. I pulled the rope from my lowering piece, tied back in, fired for the top, and fought through some of the worst rope drag I've ever experienced. I brought up Ed and we got the hell off the thing. We thought our adventure was over, but we somehow got off the trail back to the East Face. We ended up hiking way north along a ridge until we could drop down through a break in the cliff, then hike back towards the East Face below a cliff band. Eventually we dead-ended and I roped up to lead up through the cliff band. It was true alpine fun--raining, slick rock, moss, mud, hanging flakes, girth-hitching dead stumps, and eventually fifth-class trunk pulling through a vertical alpine fir forest. We left Wednesday morning, stopped off to swim in the Priest River, and stopped off in Spokane so I could replace Ed's cam. I already want to go back! Now that's a Trip Report! Thanks Andy

What a lucky day you got to meet Jane.

Bill, I was hoping/waiting we'd have that TR up by now. Thanks ...and your full of it! This TR will be better than the site, it's about as Plain Jane as one can get. Then it will have to be; those Crazy Guys in Hell. With that said: I'll be in Hell this weekend so if you or anybody else would like, come join the fun. And I hope...I'll see you in Hell! :crazy:Dave

Hell

Bill, I wished, I was still the same age. It's been about that time frame 15 years maybe more. At 65 and 11 bucks a pack Jim should just call it off!! I just turned 52 and I quite cigs almost ten years ago and it was one of the best thing I have ever did for myself! If I do remember right, I helped Jim move those Betas over 15 years ago! You guys need to make it to Hells Canyon this fall after it cools back down. I would sure love to hangout and do some climbing. Keep Strong ~Dave

Damn Bill, you are old! Hanging with Opy makes you just seem young. Tell the Old Man Hi.

Hola Dave: I take it you want the place to remain "secret" or under the radar? Como estas Bill, That is not the case at all. I'm one of Hells Canyon Best Salesman. I'm just haveing a little fun pokeing at the bears. As a matter of fact: I'm headed there this weekend and would love to see some new/old faces. Hopeing for a little climbing in the sunshine on Saturday and with some luck it won't rain us out before Noon on Sunday. The Fifth Annual 420 Get Together will be on the weekend of the 17th, 18th and 19th of April this year. Tons of free camping on the Snake River, craging is 10 mins from camp. Last year there was over 35 climbers and I had only 25 color topos of the South Flat Iron. If anybody needs a somemore info let me know. http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/North_America/United_States/Idaho/Western_Idaho/Hells_Canyon/ a little info about routes and directions

I heard they filled in Hells Canyon with dirt. It's all gone!

Had one day of rain on Sat. Other than that is was a very nice weekend in Hells Canyon. How was the weather in the City?

You might find that the weather...just might be OK at Hells Canyon this weekend. It's going to rain, so at least there is the dry caves to climb in. Headed out tonight maybe I'll see you in Hell.

Maybe about 5 hours, it's almost two hours from Spokane. That's way to far of a drive, just to climb on some of the Best Limestone in the State...when you have Vantage just down the Hill.

Look for September's OutThere Monthly when it comes out next week.

DonnyBaker might be the best thing I have read in a long time. I still LOL when I think of the bait used on one of the best Trolls ever. The line had to be cut when the BAIT taken along with the HOOK, LINE and SINKER.

Eric, I went and had a look for your daughters harness Friday morning. I had no luck with the harness, but I did pluck a bail biner from the first clip of Delayed Adolescence.

Now that Blowboarder has been outed and he can't be missed at the crags anymore. It's now time for DonnyBaker to tell the world that he's "Gay" (there's nothing wrong with that) and John K. is his lover! Let's pick a weekend!!

Do you think he would come if we asked him Very Nice, I'm sure he will. The true question is will you guys/gals come over?

So lets pick a weekend and I can get the BEER brewing. I'm thinking a IPA

Eric, I'm sorry you think I have ethics. You like what you seen, that would be from of a lot hard work that has been going on for the last 8 years. (you just made your first trip out there)I think of it as more of a (style) than a "ethic" and I hope this "Style" will keep McLellan Rocks as nice as it is... by the way it's not as nice as it once was. Enjoy