Jump to content

Coming to WA for college


celticelement

Recommended Posts

I will be in Tacoma Washington by the 29th of AUG. I will be there at school for the next four years - so long as everything goes well. (I am a bit skeptical of long range planning no matter how concrete it is.)

 

I want to hook into the climbing community as quickly as I can. I have been climbing off and on here in MD for over two years. I have climbed in the 5.10s in our gym here. I have followed 5.9 at Seneca. I have lead a short 5.7 sport outside. I had been leading as high or higher then my TR grade in the gym. I need to build my climbing level back up again - I have had a summer job that did not allow time for climbing. I expect to have to start back at 7s and 8s. I have everything for TR. I want to get another rope to lead sport on. I would really like to start learning trad. I have only ever done one ice climb, but would like to get into that as well as other snow and glacier techniques. I am not sure how much gear I will be able to buy, but I should have the use of a 4runner. I should be able to get on the military installations to rent some of the ice and mountaineering gear until I can get my own. I will be looking for partners and mentors so I can start roping up as soon as possible. My goal is to learn every discipline that allows me to move in the mountains. The more unconfined that movement is, the better.

 

My first priority will, of course, be school. Having said that, the whole reason I am coming out west for school is to be where I can have more abundant opportunities to have experiences in the mountains.

 

I know I can not get integrated with one post to a web site, but it is a place to start. I will be lurking on your site for a while to try and get a feel for it. I am very excited to be moving out west, and hope to start a new life out there.

 

I hope to see some of you soon on the rock.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 19
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

If you have not been out here before, you'll be pretty floored. The East has nothing that compares even remotely to the size of stuff out here. The "hiking hill" near Seattle, Mt Si, is larger in relief and height than almost any peak in New England outside of the Presenditials...

 

9s at Seneca and the New are respectable, if you kept your shit together at Seneca you'll probably do ok out here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bug... no need to feel self-conscious smile.gif I can be made comfortable with almost any accent rather quickly. My father is in the army. I have lived a bunch of different places. I wonder what kind of accent I have.

 

Sobo and Alex: At Seneca I only did one 5.9 pitch(crusher critter, south peak, west face) the rest were 8 or below. I did not fall on the 9 pitch. Actually, I did not fall that day and we made the summit. I did hang to try to get my leader's cam out of an odd position. Not having done much crack climbing before I was pleased with myself. The day before though I had fallen once on an 8, but I had worn myself out trying to extract the leaders first piece, a red tricam, while on a bad stance. I followed a couple of sport 9s at Franklin. I bet I will be a couple grades lower then that for a little while though. I seriously had an unhealthy summer.

 

Kemp, trad will probably be my primary interest once I learn how. If you are willing to lead I am willing to follow. Maybe I can help you figure out what to do with some of that trad gear. wink.gif I will be going to PLU.

 

I have a mix-match of on-sale pieces I have picked up (some of the old BD stoppers, small BD hexes, a couple DMM nuts, one metelious curved nut, two tricams, and two small BD cams I got for a birthday) and played with when I could not find people to go climbing with. I was out during some of the winter at the Great falls just wandering around the rock trying to place stuff. I have rappelled off of a gear only anchor - after spending almost an hour getting 5 pieces into good looking positions and equalized. I am thinking of getting two full sets of passive gear (??WC Rockcentrics on dynema+Frostworks Sentinel Nuts??)to seriously start training with. (Plus, I will want to organize my mismatch of slings and biners.) I want to be good at placing passive before I allow myself to rely on spring loaded. Plus, it is cheaper and lighter if I can learn that way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK. I will, when I get solid dates.

 

But only if you promise to stop showing me your a$$. rolleyes.gif

 

I may be in, a couple days earlier, at a friends house. He lives up near Mt. Baker. I would be free to climb then probably. I really don't know how much time I will have there. I am guessing 24 or 25 through 27 or 28. I will just have to see how fast I move across the states. It looks like I may get one last chance to swing by Seneca on my way out of here. I hope I can get a couple more pitches following trad under my belt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...