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[TR] Smith Rock State Park (pics) - 5 routes 3/6/2015


twinkletobes

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Trip: Smith Rock State Park (pics) - 5 routes

 

Date: 3/6/2015

 

Trip Report:

Took a few days to get some climb time in with my friends at Smith Rock over the weekend. We were very fortunate to have been invited to stay at a nice time-share nearby by some friends, Jim and Gerry. It was the best weekend I've ever spent at Smith and I was able to have the biggest climber-skills-development day of my life. Eternally grateful to our friends and hosts.

 

Now for the details.

 

Day 1

We started of with Voyage of the Cowdog, 3 Pitches (5.9). This route starts around back of Ship Rock, climbs a fun 5.9 slab ending in a tricky notch and then gaining a belay station. "Pitch 2" was a simple walk through a notch, gaining the left skyline of Picnic Lunch Wall. Apparently we were off route and actually supposed to work rightward, whatever. Final pitch is an incredibly exposed climb up the left skyline, eventually gaining the top of the massive wall. We walked off, this route has the funnest walk off I've ever done, a little adventure in itself. Summit party of 5. Heraldo's first multi-pitch!

 

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Oren soaking in some winter sun.

 

 

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Brenden clipping the last bolt.

 

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Summit Party!

 

 

Next up was First Kiss, 5 Pitches (5.8). This route is a blast, I highly recommend it next time you are in the park. Its a 500 foot, adventure route that had a free-solo FA. Highlights include fun slab climbing, bolted sidewalk, mosy amphitheater and the steep, heavily pocketed final pitch. The final pitch is one of my favorites in the park. (BEWARE! there is a huge, precarious flake at the final belay just begging you to pull on it, or sit on it. DONT! It will smash you friends)

 

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Oren Wrapping up after First Kiss

 

 

The next morning Oren and Brendo sent something hard, 10c? Meghan and I took turns leading 5 Gallon Buckets. A fun fun fun Smith Classic. And then I moved a bail biner up two bolts before giving up on another hard route.

 

Next was Sky Ridge 3 Pitches (5.8)

This climb was a huge developmental step for me. The first pitch is an exposed class 4 ridge to a belay. Pitch two is a 5.8 slab on nubs and pinchers, I've led 10c but this felt WAY more bold. A little run out (but not enough to hold the R rating it used to have). After the slab is a beautiful low angle arete' that sharply splits your vision between the east and west faces of the Smith Rock Group. Pitch 3 is the money pitch. This pitch was trad, my first experience ever with trad climbing, or placing gear. I led the vertical hand crack, into the hand traverse. Sinker hand holds, minimal feet, but very secure. The awesome hand crack gave me good stances for fiddling with pro, learning on lead, until I thought it was secure. I brought up my rope-mates simultaneously (another first for me) Until we all reached the top. A short scramble and another hand crack later I was standing on the highest point of the rock group. YEEHAW!

 

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Soloing the easy stuff

 

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Brenden on the arete'

 

 

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Leading the hand crack, (Black dot on far right tower)

 

 

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Placing gear for the first time

 

 

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Standing on top (black dot atop summit block)

 

 

Incredible trip, learned so much. Thank you so much to our hosts, and to Brenden and Oren for turning over the lead on ALL the money pitches! Also thanks to Meghan and Geraldo for the great photo-documentation of my first trad climb!

 

New friends! New experiences! New skills! Sneaking into hot tubs! HELL YES!

Edited by twinkletobes
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3rd photo from bottom is great!

My friends took them! I love the development there, it looks like an ancient village like Mesa Verde'

 

congrats on not making yer first gear climb cinnamon slab :)

 

great first trad lead actually, i've always thought the second is way more in danger on skyridge.

Yeah, I agree that it can an interesting route to follow. But it felt good to make gear placements that I knew I could trust the lives of my friends to. Honestly the climbing through the hand crack felt so natural that I didn't even want to stop to make a placement. The first bolted pitch was much more scary to lead.

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