year in review

[RuMR]

Nice Mark...when i saw you at Index, your rock skills definitely appeared much "improved"!!

 

Got some good news on Dan Holmquist!

[backclipped]

Tonight I was handed the new Watts Smith guidebook...a layover birthday gift from the one dude that has influenced me more than any single individual--mom and dad...and fiance aside. Sorry for the gush of sentimentality, but thumbing through this new book is a fantastic cap to '09. Thanks Jlag!

[stevetimetravlr]

Man, I thought I was getting it done this year, but after reading some of the other folks acheivements, I guess I better just keep my nose to the grindstone. Way to be going after it dudes and dudesses.

[denalidave]

Way to be going after it dudes and dudesses.

Dude, shouldn't that be dudettes?

[letsroll]

Tonight I was handed the new Watts Smith guidebook...a layover birthday gift from the one dude that has influenced me more than any single individual--mom and dad...and fiance aside. Sorry for the gush of sentimentality, but thumbing through this new book is a fantastic cap to '09. Thanks Jlag!

 

I was wondering if it was going to make it to you This spring we are going to have to get that book broke in proper like

[mountainsloth]

letsroll, your picture is hilarious!

8D

[YocumRidge]

Hyalite Ice was my highlight for the year. Frozen waterfalls rule! I badly need more in the nearest future.

 

2 solo Hood ascents.

 

Still suck at tele skiing but working on it.

 

Monkey Face failure.

 

Various sport and trad at Smith, Tieton, Broughton Bluff, Ozone.

 

 

O yeah, got divorced.

 

 

[ivan]

how about a handful of your favorite photos of the year?

aid-soloing at index

portaledging it on the upper town wall

da nose! dolt hole. all taint, all the time.

the sun's anvil - awanahee ledge in the afternoon

kewl kolors - topping out on leaning tower

da nose - sickle ledge

da turkey monster mord-wand!

near-dog experience - pick my nose for lunch route

hibernal hijinx on the village route

endless upside down jugs on mideast crisis

[Off_White]

My, but you really have become quite the whack and dangle merchant, haven't you Ivan?

 

Nice pics, good idea too.

[billcoe]

Pictures are a nice idea. Good ones Ivan! Thanks for sharing those, looks like you had a great year. Perhaps one of my more memorable ascents this year that had decent pictures was named "The Salathe Highway" on The Old Witch at Cathedral Formation. A formerly unclimbed pinnacle I free climbed, ground up with natural gear, solo. I posted a trip report earlier about this whole long drawn out exercise so I won't re-do it here. Short version, dropped into the saddle by the main wall and this route was the top of the pinnacle, not all the way from the ground, as represented by the big black dots in the top pic. Here's some pics.

 

Front shot overview:

 

The Old Witch closeup front view of the top:

 

Start of Salethe Highway. The bolts are also the rap anchor.

 

Why it's called "The Old Witch".

 

On top:

 

Putting on a sling to rap off of.

 

Sorry if I took up to much bandwidth, I can delete some if needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[spotly]

I like the picture idea. A few of my favorites for the year:

 

Carl on Mt. Assiniboine

 

My wife and I relaxing on Eagle Cap

 

Off route on East Ingalls Peak

 

Prusik Peak

 

Brian loving the exposure on Prusik Peak

 

[ivan]

jeebus that's some creepy looking rock bill!

[layton]

Got a job with 26 weeks of vacation a year

Published my book

F.A. on Dome Peak with Wayne 18p remote alpine big wall

Dragged my girlfriend up a 25-30 pitch 10c without breaking up

First time skiing, got a season pass and skiied a double BD

1st bolted sport FA (4p 10c)

Soled the wind river traverse and the little cottonwood travese in the same week

Led my 1st 5.12

...and back to the drawing board in my lead ability ice climbing as another year begins.

[denalidave]

Got a job with 26 weeks of vacation a year

Published my book

F.A. on Dome Peak with Wayne 18p remote alpine big wall

Dragged my girlfriend up a 25-30 pitch 10c without breaking up

First time skiing, got a season pass and skiied a double BD

1st bolted sport FA (4p 10c)

Soled the wind river traverse and the little cottonwood travese in the same week

Led my 1st 5.12

...and back to the drawing board in my lead ability ice climbing as another year begins.

So, other than that, did you accomplish anything last year? Can you write a book on how to get a job with 26 weeks of vacation? And, not have to go to school for 8 years to do it? If so, I'd like to have a copy on my desk by New Years. Thanks a bunch.

 

[denalidave]

 

Prusik Peak

 

That is such a crisp shot of Prusik, what are you shooting with?

[denalidave]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[spotly]

Hey Dave - Thanks. The Prusik shot was taken with one of those weather proof Olympus Stylus cameras. It's an ok camera but hit and miss when the lighting isn't perfect. We had great lighting that day.

[Peter_Puget]

Guys -

 

There is still time left in the year and it looks like the weather is clearing!

[layton]

I have to work the other 26 weeks 7 days week 10 hours a day if that makes you feel better.

[G-spotter]

Doesn't your tongue go numb after a couple hours Mike?

[frankstoneline]

Started climbing a lot again

Got in shape, started leading harder than I ever had before (.11s)

Rode my bike from Seaside-San Diego

Then made my way back up and Stayed in Yosemite for a month.

Did some sweet Yosemite climbs I had a blast on:

-Snake Hike

-Bishops Terrace

-Super Slide

as well as a bunch of boulders

Competed in my first gym comp ever, and won. Wasnt too stoked on the competition aspect but hanging out with good people pulling down on a blustery winter evening was sweet.

 

[jcp]

Quit my well paying but miserable job in NJ, sold all my stuff, and moved back to Seattle by driving my completely full 250K+ mile Accord cross country with nothing in it but clothes and climbing gear. Climbed at the Gunks, J-Tree, Adirondacks, and the PNW in the same year. Still suck at climbing, but at least now I'm broke and living on a couch! I love climbing.....

[texplorer]

•Made it up the Capitan for the 8th time

•A couple of car-to-car trips up the Hulk

•Learned to surf (ie get pummeled by by waves)

•Got a photo published and a name drop in the new gayer format Alpinist (that mag has to be getting soft)

•Discovered the Sierras

•Gave up a chance to do FAs in Peru with a honed partner to do another residency, WTF?

•Got fatter

•Enjoying the single life again

•Learned what a Bezoar is.

 

 

 

[Sol]

What a year, if only I could finish it with some backcountry splitboarding...

 

The Highlights:

• Passed the WA State EMT-B Exam
  
• My wife and I purchased our first home
  
• Began nursing school pre-req's
  
• Bouldering my first V9 (soft), couple of V8's and a handful of 7's
  
• Great week at WA Pass with my bro Tyree
  
• Sunny early morning summit of Stuart after unplanned shiver bivy while completing the FA of Gorillas in the Mist w/ Jens and Blake
  
• Climbing the 2nd ascent of GITM with my off-the-couch wifey
  
• Hanging with good friends and family at Colchuck Lake the night before...
  
• ...watching Jens go for broke on the FFA of DOE
  
• A few 11+ trad and sport onsights
  
• Climbed 6 summits on an attempt at the Souther Pickets Traverse. Narrowly avoided the axe (a giant block) on Inspiration. And nailed the descent off the Barrier and the 4000' schwack down Terror Creek in a whiteout
  
• Having all my friends come home safe and sound (and sending) from their adventures in AK
  

 

The pics:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Already very stoked for the 2010 alpine rock season. Tick list has been made, gear list amassed, off to train...

[dbb]

It's amazing to me how each year of climbing just keeps on getting better.

 

My mountain highlights are:

• Made my first trip to Patagonia, climbed Poincenot and hung out with a great group of folks!
  
• Pineapple Express on Snoqualmie
  
• Lots of dawn patrol skiing
  
• took a long time friend on his first voyage down the slot
  
• Spent a lot more days at Index and started leading harder trad than I'd done before
  
• Climbed a new route on the west ridge of Burkett Needle with my man John
  
• Climbed a bunch in Squamish!! Grand wall twice, upper black dyke, millenium falcon, and reconnected with old friends up in vancouver.
  
• Climbed the Beckey-Chouinard RT from seattle in 3 days
  
• Onsighted my hardest sport lead to date
  
• finally realized that sport climbing and bouldering are way fun
  
• swung the ice tools.
  

rad.

 

here's to another year!