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[TR] Fossil Rock - many 3/19/2011


Drederek

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Trip: Fossil Rock - many

 

Date: 3/19/2011

 

Trip Report:

Finally got out on real rock this year after another season of plastic. It felt really good to be touching stone while the sun beat down on our backs (that really happened for a few minutes). At a little less than hour from Olympia with a 3 mile mtn bike (or walk) approach Fossil is one of two thurston county options for sportos who dun want to sit in the car for a couple hours+ each way. And it'll dry out overnite. We left Oly at 10 and were roping up by 11:30, starting with the easy 10 and the hard 9 on the first wall you come to in the sun.

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Then we stepped it up just a wee bit with the 10c between the hard 9 and the express arete (sorry I just dun know all the names anymore, wish I woulda bought the guide years ago when it was available). Its a lot like our warmups but has a nice steep section in the middle. After that I was ready to tackle the battle of the bulge, a deceptively hard route that requires good footwork and a keen eye for the "good" holds. Neither of which I had in abundance at that time. If you do it perfectly it may be as easy as 10b, sadly I generally make the crux move into a hard 10/easy 11 one.

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Then I put up the express arete, a very fun 11a thats pretty straightforward and steep, lots of heel hooks and weird contortions to make the many clips. Its hard to believe this gem fits between the battle and the 10c, which are only 6-8 feet apart but its definitely its own line.

A quick jaunt up a 7 or 8 on Boyle Bobbins wall to fetch some booty and we were close to being done.

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For dessert we did Sharks in the water, another 11a. Its a overhanging slab with a rather large and scary cleaver sticking out of the wall near the top (which you end up standing on!)

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What a great day, nice routes, good company and home in time for supper. Fossildg_004.JPG

 

Gear Notes:

rope and draws

 

Approach Notes:

Mountain bikes speed things along, moreso on the way out.

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Yah, boulderers and hardcore gym rats tend to do poorly out there. Hopefully I've counteracted some of the bad habits I picked up in the gym over the winter. And thanx to Miladugga who rode out with me. Hes becoming quite the model for cc trip reports. I'm just glad I got to shoot him before he got too famous.

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Fossil is not a simple place for top roping, though there are some moderate routes with decent protection you could lead. You might check out Exit 38, and certainly Leavenworth is a classic learning area. Royal Columns has good moderates as well, but you need to have your act together to set top ropes without killing yourself or the people below you.

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