marc_leclerc Posted January 18, 2010 Posted January 18, 2010 (edited) Trip: Squamish - Split Beaver Date: 1/17/2010 Trip Report: So Scott wanted to try his new photography stuff so Tamara and I went to Squamish with him so we could climb and he could shoot. Penny Lane area was mostly dry so to warm up I lead 'Power Windows' which was a great route. The 5.11 traverse was also the first friction slab I have done in Squamish (cruel shoes is face climbing on edges and does not count) and I was amazed at what my feet would stick to compared to the finer crystals out in the valley. Tamara followed then we set a TR on 'Kahoukers' (thin seam left of Crime of the Century) and I ran a couple laps on it and felt super solid, then right when I decided to lead it I tore a nasty flapper in the crux tips lock and decided to screw it and go to Split Beaver, wich I had heard was a wicked lead. So I have heard people swear that The Split Pillar and Apron Strings are the burliest or most full on 10b's in Squamish, these people must not have climbed Split Beaver! Slightly but continously overhanging hand jams widen to off-hands, fist, then rattly fist and finally fora skinnyguy like me, arm barring and knee jamming. I groveled and sweated and slid my #4 with me through the crux then had to leave it behind as it widened into the final knee jamming/arm barring section.... I had no #5 but I dont really need to buy one because that is the perfect size for my knee, and if my knee fitst then I can't fall off. So verall it was a burly hard lead, I struggled, but it was worth it! Power Windows Crux traverse as the crack dissapears. Tamara styling the lower finger crack... Tamara on the upper slab Good Times! TR laps on Kahoukers before tearing some skin off... the Beaver! End of the fist jams! Begin Off-Widthing/groveling! Almost there.. commence knee jamming! The End! Edited January 19, 2010 by marc_leclerc Quote
JasonG Posted January 18, 2010 Posted January 18, 2010 Cool! It has been fun watching your progression these last couple of years. Ahhhh, youth . . . . Quote
pink Posted January 18, 2010 Posted January 18, 2010 (edited) good climber, cute girlfriend, stellar routes for a youngin: i hope u realize how blessed (and i don't mean this in a biblical sense) u are marc. Edited January 18, 2010 by pink Quote
marc_leclerc Posted January 18, 2010 Author Posted January 18, 2010 Great TR/pics Marc. Smoke Bluffs area? Thanks! Yeah, its at the Smoke Bluffs... everything on the chief was all wet, or most likely wet. The routes we did were the sunniest (good, aesthetic, challenging) ones we could find... Quote
Sherri Posted January 18, 2010 Posted January 18, 2010 So jealous!!!! Those photos make me *almost* feel like I was there jamming that beautiful crack, too. Sigh. Awesome climbing and pics, Marc. Thanks for the Squish stoke! Quote
rocketparrotlet Posted January 18, 2010 Posted January 18, 2010 Looks great! I'd love to head up there and climb some of these routes you make me drool over. Once I get my passport, I just might be able to! -Mark Quote
billcoe Posted January 18, 2010 Posted January 18, 2010 All we're seeing down here is rain, what a switch! You guys are getting sun there? Woot! Nice pics Scott! Thanks for sharing it Marc! Quote
matt_warfield Posted January 18, 2010 Posted January 18, 2010 It's always great to get a good TR. You are correct about Cruel Shoes being devious route finding and face climbing and not slabbing, but if you get the urge there is plenty of good slabbing right of Diedre that will put a little charge in most climbers. Quote
eldiente Posted January 18, 2010 Posted January 18, 2010 (edited) Split Beaver is indeed burly. I got spanked on it when I tried it a few years ago... [img:center]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/RkDCyr-jt5I/AAAAAAAAAGE/bWtk-lyymBs/s512/IMG_0374.JPG[/img] Edited January 18, 2010 by eldiente Quote
OlympicMtnBoy Posted January 18, 2010 Posted January 18, 2010 Hehe, nice, I like sunny rock climbing pics in winter. I'm pretty sure I pulled on my #4 for a moment when I groveled up Split Beaver a couple years ago. Nice job. Quote
hafilax Posted January 18, 2010 Posted January 18, 2010 The Split Beaver is brutal. I was fine up until the pod above the horizontal break. Felt like forever to get above that since I have zero offwidth skills. I'd like another kick at it. Way to take advantage of the weather Marc. Quote
marc_leclerc Posted January 18, 2010 Author Posted January 18, 2010 The Split Beaver is brutal. I was fine up until the pod above the horizontal break. Felt like forever to get above that since I have zero offwidth skills. I'd like another kick at it. Way to take advantage of the weather Marc. Yep, thats the crux. Shove your arm all the way in to your shoulder and tense everything! If you tense hard your muscles push on the crack and you can move up and grab a slopery face hold on the left.... then I cheated and laybacked a crimp in the crack to get my foot on the face hold where my hand was.... then emit a weird but loud grunt-like sound and you should be able to thrutch up and stand on the face hold.... then my knee fit so I couldnt fall anymore Quote
TamaraSlade Posted January 18, 2010 Posted January 18, 2010 Such a fun day! But fingers were SO COLD! ...it was worth it though! Quote
Choada_Boy Posted January 18, 2010 Posted January 18, 2010 Nice send. That climb should still have my DNA on it, the way I got spanked so hard on TR. Quote
G-spotter Posted January 18, 2010 Posted January 18, 2010 Are the chockstones near the top still there and if so could you reach in far enough to grab them? Quote
marc_leclerc Posted January 18, 2010 Author Posted January 18, 2010 Are the chockstones near the top still there and if so could you reach in far enough to grab them? they are there but I didnt grab them... I wasnt THAT desperate yet... they are way in there! Quote
matt_warfield Posted January 18, 2010 Posted January 18, 2010 At Granite Mountain, Prescott AZ there is a climb called Beaver Cleaver that starts on a knife edge arete, goes straight up, and doesn't have any pro for 20 ft. or so. I don't know how many women have climbed it but believe me men are at risk as well. Quote
Rad Posted January 19, 2010 Posted January 19, 2010 Thanks for the rock stoke. There was an odd road trip game from my Maine camp counselor youth that involved spotting VW bugs. If you were the first one to see one and call out "Beaver" you got a point. If you spotted a red one you yelled "Beaver Cleaver" and got two points. Convertible was 5 and red convertibles ten. Can't remember what the last were called. Anyone else remember this? Quote
curtveld Posted January 19, 2010 Posted January 19, 2010 Great TR Marc. And fantastic photos, Scott! Quote
pope Posted January 19, 2010 Posted January 19, 2010 i hope u realize how blessed (and i don't mean this in a biblical sense) u are marc. And why's that? The cute girl? Or the fact that he's at Squamish and nowhere close to Portland? Quote
pink Posted January 19, 2010 Posted January 19, 2010 i hope u realize how blessed (and i don't mean this in a biblical sense) u are marc. And why's that? The cute girl? Or the fact that he's at Squamish and nowhere close to Portland? and he's a decent climber at a young age mostly. chicks come and go and yes portland sucks for climbing. Quote
TamaraSlade Posted January 19, 2010 Posted January 19, 2010 i hope u realize how blessed (and i don't mean this in a biblical sense) u are marc. And why's that? The cute girl? Or the fact that he's at Squamish and nowhere close to Portland? chicks come and go ... Im not going anywhere Quote
pink Posted January 20, 2010 Posted January 20, 2010 i hope u realize how blessed (and i don't mean this in a biblical sense) u are marc. And why's that? The cute girl? Or the fact that he's at Squamish and nowhere close to Portland? chicks come and go ... Im not going anywhere well, all i gotta say is that i wish u happiness and longevity together. Quote
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