Plaidman

I suck at pull ups. Every time I get good at them I stop and then have to start all over again. I have done as many as 25 at a time. But every time I have to start over it is brutal. I start with about a dismal 3 then by the end of the week I can get up to 10 or 12. My buddie told me to do 50 a day. Not at one time. Just by the end of the day. I hate pull ups. Plaidman

Even better descriptions of the Clinics -Trad Anchor Building Anchor building skills used in trad climbing. Hosted by Chockstone Climbing Guides. -Self Rescue for Climbers: A hands-on presentation and discussion of self-rescue skills and tools. Topics covered: Knots, raises/assists, preventative measures, pick off, etc. Hosted by Timberline Mountain Guides. -Boulder Light Minimal impact practices for the modern day boulderer. Topics include site selection, terracing, pad light techniques and spotter placement. Hosted by Tony Holmes with The Access Fund. -Intro to Sport Climbing Learn the ins and outs of sport climbing from a world class coach at a world class climbing venue, Smith Rock State Park. Hosted by Scott Jenerick, Coach of Team Zero Gravity, ranked 2nd in the nation. -Intro to Trad Climbing Topics to include anchor building, proper gear selection, gear placement and on route efficiency. Learn from a true trad master, Jim Yoder. DUE TO FAMILY EMERGENCY JIM YODER WILL NOT BE ATTENDING THE DETOUR-THIS CLINIC WILL BE COMBINED WITH THE TRAD ANCHOR BUILDING CLINIC LISTED ABOVE. SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE. -Intro to Crack Climbing Learn the basics of crack climbing: hand/foot techniques, proper body positioning and gear placement. Hosted by Gavin Ferguson from Marmot and Jetboil. -Red Point Tactics This clinic will focus on improving your redpointing level. We will work on stratagies for learning new moves, building strength and endurance and being efficient. The day will be spent in the park climbing challenging routes. Hosted by Smith Rock's very own Ian Caldwell, who has redpointed nearly 1/2 of the 5.14s at Smith Rock, so here is your chance to learn from the master. This clinic is good for climbers in the 5.9 to 5.12 range looking to improve their redpointing. -Clinics with Steven Jeffery Steven Jeffery, Mad Rock team athlete and generally cool guy, has committed to doing several on site clinics. Sign up the day of the event. Steven has 15 years of comp climbing experience. -Clean Up details Meet at the info booth at the Smith Rock Detour. REI to provide coffee and other goodies. Clean Up volunteers will receive free parking for the day and a raffle ticket. Come pitch in to help keep Smith Rock State Park beautiful! Sponsored by Access Fund, REI, RedPoint, Mountain Supply, Mad Rock, Big Agnes, Edelrid and Climb Max Mountaineering.

Clinics - Climbers Package $65 - Includes a clinic of your choice and a festival package. Red Point Tactics Clinic - Taught by Ian Caldwell This clinic will focus on finding rests on routes, warming up, rehearsing routes, being efficient, using beta and even trickery like rodeo clipping, stick clipping, hand warmers ect. Self Rescue Clinic is full. Intro to Crack Climbing - Taught by Gavin Ferguson Intro to Trad and Building Trad Anchors - Chockstone Guides - Gabe Coler He is currently an AMGA Certified Rock Guide and has completed his Alpine Guides Course, and Aiare Level II Avalanche course. Gabe inspires those around him through his teaching style, personality and his humble attitude towards climbing. Bouldering Lite - Taught by Tony Holmes - Access Fund Regional Coordinator, Oregon With an emphasis on low impact bouldering,leave no trace ethic and a tour of the bouldering to be had at Smith Rock. Intro to Sport Climbing - Taught by Scott Jenerick

Trip: Beacon Rock - South East Corner Date: 7/26/2008 Trip Report: Bringing Up The Boy Bringing up the boy. It was a problem that would take some figuring out. My son had just started climbing with me and I wanted to give him the experience of climbing a multi-pitch climb. But the how to do it safely? I mulled over the logistics and what skills I was able to teach him up to this point. The plan started coming together after I found a competent climbing partner. I decided that we would climb as a party of three, with Noah my son climbing second and my partner John cleaning the route. The route would be the South East Corner of Beacon Rock. This is a classic 5.7 route with only one pitch of 5.7. Noah was familiar with rope management and his basic climbing skills were practiced. To assist him in what he would be required to do on the route as the second climber I set up a route in the back yard. I slung runners on various objects in the yard. I clipped the rope through all these placements and put Noah on belay. With Noah trailing the second rope I had him unclip the lead rope and then clip the trailing rope that was attached to his harness with a locking carabiner to the carabiner on the runner. We practiced this until he was comfortable with the system. I got him all psyched up and ready for the climb. I told him you make it to the top of this one and you will be changed. We would be up at 3:45 and in the car by 4:00 am. We got to the base of the rock and started climbing at 6:00 am. John led out and we all got to the crux pitch. I planned on leading this and would belay both John and Noah up to me at the same time with a Reverso. It was a good plan except I put in too many pieces and did not get a very good line for the rope to follow. When the rope line is not straight is causes rope drag. It was awful. It was like doing squats in the gym to get the rope to move. I could hear Noah below me yelling up “Daddyeeeee”. He was frightened. I felt terrible. I thought that maybe I had traumatically scarred him for life. It turned out that John literally pulled him up and over the crux with one hand pulling Noah and the other on a crimper hold. We couldn’t have pulled it off without John. We all got to the belay and Noah was fine. He was laughing and joking. I led the 6th pitch and when Noah started up I was surprised how fast he was coming up. I looked down and he saw me. He was on a slab of rock and yelled up “Hey Dad check out this new move. It’s called a body smear”. He was laying spread eagled on the rock using the friction of his whole body. I roared with laughter. We finally made it to the top and were told by a reliable source that Noah being 12 years old was probably the youngest climber to have finished that route. It was a very long day. It took us a total of 11 hours to finish the climb. I was able to share my love for climbing with my son and we have something we can remember for the rest of our lives. There were some enormous lessons I was able to teach him and climbing is a great sport to teach so many life and living lessons. So I am still bringing up the boy, and we are doing it together. Gear Notes: Too much gear always. Approach Notes: 15 mins. down the trail.

SWAG -- SWAG !!!! SWAG ---- I have been told that last year someone bought $20 worth of raffle tickets and walked away with over $500 of gear. This year they have even more SWAG and Raffle items. So everyone is a winner. Very politically correct.

Smith Rock Weather from NOAA Here is the weather report for Smith Rock for the weekend.

Email Alex I'm looking for a ride from PDX. Of course split gas and such. Let me know! Alex bakerjohnalex@gmail.com

If you want to meet there my cell # is 503-706-5315. Or just look for the guy wearing plaid Plaidman

I have a #6 Friend. I call it The Hulk cause it is green and mean. Or sometimes I call it the boat anchor. Plaidman

Prices --- Cheap Cheap Cheap!!! For the Food, Camping, Reel Rock Tour and Swag ect. - $35 To include a Clinic - $65 (The clinics are from 9am to 2pm Saturday) Just the comp - $20 Comp and Food, Camping, Reel Rock Tour and Swag ect - $55

entrance exam and midterm were on the list. Also Doggie Diversions and Doggie Do on the Camp 4 Wall. Thanks for the list.

I just figured out how to tie into the rope wearing one. Now all I need to do is learn to play the bagpipes and get on a ledge high up on El Cap and drive everyone crazy. Plaidman

I am headed down to the Valley for a run up Snake Dike and plan to get on some Valley off-widths to practice for the Steck Salathe. While doing some reading about the route I ran across this. "To practice for the Steck-Salathé, crawl across asphalt parking lots in the summer, on your knees and elbows." — Dingus Milktoast. It is still hot enough around here I think to practice for a while.

cruising at beaocn and snake dike in yos are both 5.7 - i free solo cruising all the time - snake dike was so fuckign scary we bailed only a little way up it Did you get to the 3rd pitch crux on the friction slab? I thought the second pitch was the crux of snake dike. the third pitch was not that bad.....just a high step up and left and it was over. The way we did it was the lay out of pitches from the SuperTopo guide book. The Third pitch moves left on a run out slab to get to the dike itself. It can be a real bugger for the second if they come off.

cruising at beaocn and snake dike in yos are both 5.7 - i free solo cruising all the time - snake dike was so fuckign scary we bailed only a little way up it Also you are about 7 ft. tall and don't have to make near as many moves as I do to get Cruising done. You have to touch every hold with your elbow to make it even fair.

cruising at beaocn and snake dike in yos are both 5.7 - i free solo cruising all the time - snake dike was so fuckign scary we bailed only a little way up it Did you get to the 3rd pitch crux on the friction slab?

Call to register and get a camp spot. Food is included. I hear that Darin is a great cook.

Anyone going? It should be a blast. It is this Saturday and Sunday. Sept. 19th-20th Camping outside the park but right next door on the corner just as you turn into the park from the main road. Youth Bouldering comp Slackline comp Dyno comp Reel Rock Film Tour first showing this years film Saturday at 8pm Clinics with industry pros - I am taking the Self Rescue Clinic Vendor fair Music Food They will have loads of swag. Presented by Climb Max Mountaineering Call 503-797-1991

I would agree that Little Wing is the hardest 5.8 ever and Cruisen is not 5.7 It is very sustained and tricky gear.

Nice job Adam and Bill. Liked the trip report. Wish I had been there instead of climbing the choss across the river.

Videos now posted!!

Trip: West Chimney - Crown Point - Columbia River Gorge - Alpine Choss Date: 9/12/2009 Trip Report: The plan was to climb the West Chimney then hike up the slot canyon at Moffet Creek and then pop over to Beacon Rock and do a lap on the South East Corner. Plans are great. We took one car up to the top of Crown Point and parked it then drove down from Corbett to the freeway and stopped across from Rooster Rock on the on the East bound side of I-84. There is a road to the railroad track with a locked gate. We just pulled way off the freeway and hopped the fence. We ascended the forested slopes by way of a gully 50 yards short of the fence on the South side of the tracks. The going was rough in Tevas. We wore sandals because we were going to go up Moffet Creek later. We thrashed our way up the blanketed slopes full of brambles and nettles. I am convinced that a machete and a blowtorch combo flamethrower should be standard equipment in the Northwest. We bushwhacked for an hour and got to the base of the climb. We started up and right off I realized this was alpine climbing at sub-alpine elevation. Very loose rock. I was encouraged by finding lots of fixed pitons and found my way up the first pitch. The first belay was awesome. One 3/8" bolt and two very good pitons. I added a Brown tricam to the mix. The next pitch was the crux. My first piece was a piton that I backed up with a nut and then placed a cam on the traverse right. Went 12' right then straight up. It was a bit loose but not too bad until I got further up toward the chimney. I had my wife move climbers left so that she would not be in the fall line. It was spooky. Every hand and foot hold were suspect. I got to the next belay. Good pin and the chock stone was bomber. I slung the chock stone and used the pin. Upon my wife arriving we needed to move around a bit and there was not much room so I climbed up above her in the chimney. I led off into the deeeeeeep chimney that actually goes all the way through to the other side at a 45 to 50 degree angle. It is filled with dirt and rock. I climbed on the rock and stayed off the dirt any where from 5 to 10 feet. In the middle was the squeeze section. After arriving on the other side in the sun I yelled off belay. No response. I yell loud. But I yelled louder. No response. Three tugs on the rope. No response. Cell phone. Wife answers. You are out of rope. I answered you are on belay. As my wife climbed I started musing hmmm. How do we get off. The guide book didn't say. I think we are in for an adventure. My wife came up the gully and wondered way we needed a rope if we were just walking up the dirt. I told her that is not how I climbed it hence the protection that was placed high in the walls. Oh she exclaimed that would be more fun and requested that I lower her down so she could re-climb it. I nixed that. She arrived at the belay and we had a discussion as to how to get off the climb. I chose straight up. And because I was the leader I got my way. I thought it would go. It would have been at about 5.9 if I could have got it done. The rock was crap. I found a good crack and stuck a cam in and then a good nut. As I got higher there was a ledge with a bulge right at the ledge. I could not find any gear so I placed a pink tricam in a crack and didn't like that much. Out came the hammer and I drove in a good knife blade #2 bugaboo. I was on aid now. I hung out there and placed another knife blade #1 bugaboo and had to tie it off. Above that I found a really good horn that I slung and clipped a biner to that and put a 48" and two 24" runners on that. Climbed up them until I was standing on the 24" runners. I was just over the bulge and ready to fire up and over when my wife yelled up. Hey I don't think I can make that move. Crap. She was right. So down I came. I back cleaned and tried a traverse along the ledge. I tried to nail it up and rocks the size of my head were coming off. She said that's it come down now!! Hrump.. I conceded she was right. I built a rap anchor with the #2 bugaboo and a large brass nut. Down I came. Back to bushwhacking up an around to the right. I thought it would be a good time to teach my wife how to simul-climb. So now we are in Tevas again and I am kick stepping in mud and moss. Using my piton hammer as a ax to cut steps in the dirt and we are having a royal good time. We made it to the top with out too much yelling at each other but there were a couple of close calls were the anxiety level was elevated. We made it to the road or should I say under the road. The road is supported by pillars near the top at Crown Point. We traverse under the road and I let my wife use my knee to jump over the wall onto the road. my last piece of gear was a runner girth hitched on a piece of conduit so I could get up and over the wall by stepping into the runner. We made it off before dark. My wife told me later I was not yelling at you earlier. I said that's funny I didn't see anyone else around. West Chimney Videos: Start: Start Second pitch Start third pitch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Q7D_GSjtk Top of third pitch and start of 4th pitch and Tyrolean traverse. High Point of 4th pitch Top out. Great hair. Gear Notes: Pitons and a full rack of nuts and cams. Pitons helpful. Hammer a must for testing fixed pitons. One set of nuts and a few small cams would be enough. Approach Notes: Bushwhacking up and left to the base of the wall. Took one hour.

I would have to agree. Nice trip report. I could almost see myself there. Damn I missed a good one. Would have loved to have seen the train. Great description and visuals. Several thumbs up. Sorry I only have two. And one of them is a little short.

Go climb there. You will see. Pictures don't tell the whole story. Plaidman

I returned a pair of climbing shoes there. It was my bad technique and not the shoes. So I was smart and took it straight to the returns window and not the rock climbing equipment area. If anyone that climbed had seen the damage I had done to the shoe they would have laughed me out of the store. I had been climbing at Vedauwoo, Wy. http://www.mountainproject.com/v/wyoming/vedauwoo/nautilus/105757027 I was on Ted's Trot and was facing the wrong way. I needed to jam my hand in overhead and then stem out with my left foot and smear a large crystal. To get fully turned around I cranked on the crystal in a turning motion and fully corkscrewed a hole all the way through the bottom of the shoe to the leather. Wish I had a picture. R.E.I. replaced the shoes. Love those guys.