Long Overdue

For me, climbing experience has been hard earned. Finding suitable partners and mentors has proved often elusive. My goals set for years have only now started to come to fruition. I was able to try an alternate route up South Sister (Prouty Glacier) that proved to appear too risky for all the participants excluding myself, meaning a premature turnaround in my eyes.  Dodging bergstroms didn't appeal to my climbing partners I suppose.  Video is here.














I also finally got to settle my score with Broken Top, leading and fixing the one low fifth class mini-routes to the step that leads to the cat walks. Nothing ground breaking, but refreshing to be able to do it none-the-less.

Then yesterday I was able to climb Superslab at Smith Rock with my good buddy Matty B. This has been in the works for three or so years, maybe even longer. Busy life and a myriad of factors prevented it, but I couldn't imagine a better person to climb with and learn from.  The climb was at a relaxing pace; both of us hadn't done much rock climbing in the last year or two.  I would like to lead the second pitch if we run up this again anytime soon.

After the climb, we rappelled down in the dark, spent about 25 minutes getting the rope unstuck from a crack (the wind started howling and dragged it off the fall line) at the mid wall anchor point, then rapped the rest of the way down to the ground. 

It is said to be the best 5.6 of its type in the area - 3 pitches of fairly good trad climbing.  It was truly 450 feet of great fun.  The first pitch is a little funky, and the second pitch is a traverse on ledges followed by a short but unprotectable section of 5.4 (we only got a sling and one micro on the second pitch).  The third, and most difficult of the three, is by far the best.  It has a better rhythm, thank-god holds where you need them, some steep and fun moves, some great jams, and the best section (and maybe most difficult) is the last 10 feet or so.  For some great pictures of the last pitch looking down, check out here.

Next up is some practice leading some trad routes, and perhaps First Kiss, Spiderman or Moscow.