Canada Ice, Mixed 2-22

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Update 5-2022: I will be updating ”page 9”, but will no longer be posting new entries on this journal. Thanks for the support all.

2-5-2022 Mythological 3p-WI5+ w/Michael T.

2-6 Carlsberg 3p Wi5 

2-7 Distillery mixed m7

2-8 Superbok 3p WI5 w/ Michael, Doug 

2-10 Suffer Machine 4p,wi5,m7-ao w/ Michael T, Doug 

What an incredible trip! I was just going to do Mythological, but when I saw how close it was to my friends new place in Golden, I decided to stay for the week.

Well since WordPress insists on charging me for my website, and my readers won’t help with any expenses, I’m left with the decision about whether to keep the site going or not. this one is pretty much over.

Joshua Tree ’22

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Smack in the middle of a frustrating ice season, I decided to get a sunny rock trip with an old partner of mine in California. Michael and I had been to Joshua tree before but for only a few days. That was my only time there and I found it to be strenuous/stiff Ratings, windy/ cold, and old school style climbing. Again on this trip we went after four star climbs exclusively. This works out OK anyways cause there’s not a lot of similar climbs next to each other anyways. What that does mean is a lot of hiking in between crags, and sometimes even driving to different ones. So if you are driven then, you do three to five amazing pitches a day. Over five days that’s exactly what we did. Most of the best climbs are in the shade, so if its cold, well..

1-20-24-2022 Joshua Tree 16p to 10c, w/Mike L.

1-20 Cake Walk, Anacram 10c

1-21 Poodles r People too 10b ao, Prepackaged 10a, Taxman

1-22 Silent Scream 10a, Apparition Crack10a, 5.9

1-23 Bird Fire 10a, Popes 10b, Touch and Go 10a, Diamond Dogs `10a, Exorsist 10a

1-24 Wanger attempt, Room to Shroom 5.9

Touch and Go
Bird of Fire
Photo, Mike
Wangerbanger
Room to Shroom 5.9
Room to Shroom 5.9
Bird of Fire
Diamond Dogs 10a from mike

Northwest Ice’21/22

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J-Currency/Cable p2

2-1-2022 Sundance Kid wi5 x2 w/ Jenn, Carl

1-30 J-Currency, MP14 left 2p to Wi5 w/ Jenn, Christian

1-29 FMA J-Currency Mix Tape WI5, M5 x3 w/ Christian

1-27 MP14c, H202 x2  3p wi5 w/Zach

1-15,16 Dustys in and Out  wi3 30m, 10 laps w Kyle M, Dave, /Jenn, Tristan

1-11 MBLI w/jenn wi4 x3

1-10 TOAC wi5 x2 w/jenn, Shiona

1-5 Shannon far left WI3

1-2 Wet Dream M5 WI3+

1-1-2022 2 minutes for Hooking 3p WI4+ w/Jeremy

12-31-21 Tears Of A Clown 35m WI5 w/John Roskelley, Ben ,Vern

12-30 Eriks m5 under mixed conditions w/Jenn

Well, what a crazy local ice season we’re having here in the Pacific Northwest! What started out as a very frustrating beginning , is ending up cruising into a long slow burn of cold temperatures, good ice, and a stunning new first/ reimagined ascent! By far one of the coolest first ascents and mixed leads that I’ve done since bring Da ruckus, is a reimagined second pitch of the notorious cable route at Banks Lake! Long ago my friend Jess and I envisioned bolts at the top and wherever else they were needed down the thin ice that dribbles down the basalt columns. I finally got around to fixing it up with Christian, it climbed so well, only needing two bolts to make it a safe lead. Besides many available top rope variations, It now has amazing access from the very top, and a new fixed rope across the middle ledge as well! All this work and play was done in tribute to fallen comrades: Jess Roskelley, and Bob Prosser.

Gear: 7 screws, 2 cams, and 2 bolts. 60m rope

The other thing I’ve come to know better is there are secret stashes of ice on the eastern side of the Cascades. The reason they need to be kept sort of secret, is they would be over run by Seattle people if it were blown up on social media. I understand and appreciate this concept so I am trying to do my part as well.

Cold, wind,and crazy weather shut me down in Lillooet, but it is in all-time shape if somebody can get up there. Squamish was the usual awesome though!!

Hydrology is again baffling at Banks Lake many routes are super dry, and others are quite fat.

I hope to extend the season for a while, but it looks like there is a warm-up coming. I’m headed up north for a few days to keep the party going. Then, it may be time to look at higher altitude things in WA after. Cheers!

Eriks
TOAC
Wet Dream, Squamish
2mfh
2 minutes for Hooking
Jenn on Dustys
Dustys
upper and lower Cable
J-Currency/Cable p2
Bob Prosser Traverse
TOAC
TOAC

Hyalite/Bozeman Ice Fest ’21

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My friends and I had a great time at the 2021 Bozeman ice festival! The festival did however dodge a bullet with temperatures that finally started to go down enough to build ice. Though there were many cancellations there were still a lot of people climbing ice there, and it appeared that everybody went home happy. With six days of mixed and ice with many friends, I did too. Though things started out thin, conditions are improving rapidly.

12/7-12/21 Hyalite 17p to WI5, M6

12-7 Amphitheater 5p to m6 wi3 w/ Duncan. lots of fun new mixed routes here now! thanks Tate!

12-8 Magically D + 2dt 3p to m6 w/ Mik

12-9 Upper Greensleeves R 2p wi3 w/ Dave AJ, Moe. super day out with adaptive crew. thanks Sterling Ropes!!

12-10 Matrix x2 w Jenn. our favorite

12-11 Zach Attack attempt 3p to wi3, m4. too cold/ windy today, but route in good shape.

12-12 Comet, Astreroid 2p wi5. Comet is so fun!

It was so fun to see my friends Priti and Jeff give their amazing multimedia show on their sabbatical. They are stars now and definitely have a “brand“. We will be hearing much more from them in the future I’m sure.

The tactic that I use to get ice routes during the crowded festival is I go super early and try to do more difficult routes around the festival/clinic area. It seems to work really well. Other tactics I have seen: people get out late and climb at dark.

The other reoccurring theme that I noticed is that there are many young people, particularly women, are trying to develop climbing partnerships and are struggling. The thing that I would tell the men are: please be inviting and inclusive, and help all of our young alpinists to get their reps in and connect with the community. The thing I would tell young people looking to get established: post “partner wanted”on the various partner finding options often. Screen, and find the best possible partners to get out with. And be patient, it takes a long and continual time to develop a good list of partners. I personally have about 20 people that I tend to climb with, but I’m always looking to take out new people and build the community.

I also hope to see a “Mixed Day” at the next Festival. With climate change, it is the future of the sport.

Matrix photo by Gavin
Jenn on Asteroid
PJ!
Me next to Brett! photo by Daniel
Amphitheater Mixed, Photo by Daniel
Matrix

Yosemite Valley ‘21.2

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Skull Queen rap, photo by McKinzie

Trip: 10/9-17/21 Yosemite Valley 41p to 11c, C2+, 5 multi-pitch routes

10-9 Sherries/Super Slacker Hwy 8p 10c w/Jenn, PJ. Fun to repeat this!

10-10 Braille Book 5p 5.8+ w/Jenn. slippery, adventurous climb

10-11 NA wall p1 C2 w/PJ,Jenn. Great aid practice 

10-12 Positively/Absolutely Free 6p 5.9 w/Sam, Jenn. fun trad romp

10-13 Bishops Terrace 5.8 w/Jenn. Nice os-lead Jenn!

10-14-16 Skull Queen attempt 8p 5.9-C2+ w/Jenn Sweet big wall experience! We got up all but the last 3 pitches.

10-17 The Rostrum 8p-5.11c w/Mik. My finish to the Trilogy(Astroman, Voyager, Rostrum), and the only one I got clean, leading odd# pitches. One of the planets best climb. From MP: “The Rostrum is a truly rad climb. Every pitch is high quality and would be sought after individual classics were they at any crag, but stacked on top of each other they create a superb and memorable challenge. The climbing is secure, well protected, and physical.”

This dream-of-a-lifetime trip was only possible with the support and community that I, in turn invest in. That’s right, it takes willingness to accept the help of others as well as to offer it to others. This should naturally occur in relationships, but please put in the work to develop the people you choose to climb with. The “karma” will come back manyfold, in many forms. You will have deep friendships with experiences that otherwise could be hollow victories. Oh, and do it out of love. 

Revenge is best served cold!? 

We (my wife Jenn, and I)had planned this trip for 2020, but C19 and a severed finger demanded that Jenn and I try and get camping in the valley this fall instead. The temps were frigid, but the stoke was high for classic routes in the sun, and getting some big-wall time in for Jenns’ first ever go. We were ecstatic to have 7 nights in the Pines campground with Priti and Jeff, and 2 perfect nights on Dinner ledge. First up we got after classic multi pitch routes, ticking Superslacker again, and the slippery Braille Book. Sam came through as our rope gun 3rd for a wonderful trad route: Absolutely Free, and Positively 4th st. We stayed fit but didn’t tax ourselves to much either.

It then became warm enough try our big wall attempt. After buying the latest book, we settled on Skull Queen, hoping to get along with the 10 other people vying for the South Face route nearby. It worked out fine with our team speed to get within 3 pitches from the top and rap back to another calm, moonlit night on Dinner ledge. Jenn led the Kor Roof, and got some great follow experience along the many aid climbing pitches. We met some great new friends along the way and many thanks for their great pictures too!

Using the rap and walk out as a rest day, It was finally time for the attempt to onsite the incredible North Face of the Rostrum. The final chapter in the trilogy for me, it was the only one I got “clean”. I led the odd number pitches, thanks to winning a ro-chambeau against my fellow barn animal: Mik. Our first real climb together went great, and the climb was everything we dreamed it could be. It had many beautiful hand cracks, tricky boulder sequences, and in your face steep sections requiring some major core power to turn. I had been wanting, and planning it for decades as there are no other climbs like these world class routes. It helped that we had the route to ourselves. Jenn brought us hamburgers and booze to us at the top out! It was just a short walk in the dark to the car from there. A storm chased us out, and we set off to spend the final evening with my daughter at her new place she bought!

Thanks again to the efforts and patience of my friends and family! Lets continue to care for each other. Jenn, Willow, Andrea, Priti, Jeffery, Sam, Mik, Sharon, and McKinzie.

The Valkyrie, Asgard Sentinel

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Photo by James

After doing the amazing climb called Acid Baby back in 2015 with Jon T., I had kept the Valkyrie route on the list hoping it would be nearly as cool. When James and I climbed it last weekend, we found it to be a very unique route, worth doing for sure. It is a tad confusing however with the pitch layout and the route finding. We managed these difficulties one at a time, key word: time. I found myself constantly second guessing my (and James’) route finding. along the 5-8 pitches of the route, there are ~15 sections to navigate. Each are really fun, yet before you know it you have rope drag, and we didn’t always know where to belay from.. The topo in Blakes book is minimalistic and at times vague. Maybe I have lost some alpine skills over the years? At any rate, it is a great climb, and most people “nail” it just fine. I remember also struggling at the top of Acid B, and not getting to do the spectacular top out, but this go, I damn well made sure I did

Mongo Ridge, a second ascent, and yet another!

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https://alpinevagabonds.com/mount-furys-mongo-ridge-a-second-ascent

Thats Pritis and Jeffs report from 2021!

Update 7-15 -2022 Sam and Lani just made a run at the ridge too! they did the pole this trip, and did the rooster comb bypass ala Priti and Jeff.

I cant wait to hear their story! Its such a crazy climb!!


It is a unique honor to have close friends that are interested in visiting the path my past exploits. Though we are always trying to hit the bullseye of an almost impossible target, the second dartboard ring is pretty sweet as well! I remember being disappointed that I had to start partway up the ridge, but was not disappointed that I didn’t summit real West Fury. Priti and Jeff’s efforts: Their disappointment in the rock quality was palpable, as well as not being able to climb in the same way I did. Though I am a serial sandbagger, I don’t remember being too concerned with the quality of rock, it was just a relief to be able to climb up it at all. Time has a way of softening the pain and the memories. I was certainly concerned with the scale of the ridge, so I do feel bad about encouraging them to try to do the whole thing in the day. There was a good reason I took bivy gear, I guess.


Hats off to my determined and amazing friends! I am so impressed the courage they showed that is required to tackle such a maniacal project.

Yosemite ’21, 5 Big climbs

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Barely home two days from my Utah Idaho trip I jumped in my car yet again. This time to go to Yosemite with my friend Doug. I picked the toughest possible itineraries that I felt we could possibly pull off. It ended up being just above my overall capacity, but thanks to diligent training, my performance was adequate for most of the task.

It was nice to first stop in on Mike and Britne, They’ve had a rough go recently and it was nice to spend some time with them. Thanks you two.

Soon enough though we were off to the high country to Crying Time. This was a very nervy route with lots of insecure moves above the bolts.It was quite a mental reintroduction to this area again. We tried to sleep high but the altitude punched me in the nose with a bad case of AMS. I recovered well enough from that and we backed down to a cragging day.
Facing cold weather in the forecast we just squeezed in the amazing Matthews crest traverse in cold windy conditions. It lived up to the hype, but the down climbing was scary. We preferred going in the John Muir trail approach and out the cathedral. Everybody seems to be doing the three climb link up, so we felt a bit lightweight. Big day just with the crest alone.
What followed was a spell of cool weather that lead us nicely into Yosemite Valley. An amazing day at Sentinel Creek, then a day with the super fun Slacker Hwy climb, led to an ambitious day on the Voyager route.

This is where I really got to test myself, as it had been my goal to lead an 11+ for the first time this rock season. The real story with the Voyager is that first long 511a pitch however, it is sustained, long, and techie. Of course the Incinerator crack was an arm load of work, but fair game. Impossibly complex however, was the Boulder problem 11 C after that. I popped off of it and really struggled to figure it out. Overall I felt this route was technically harder than the Astroman, but not as big of a day overall. I can’t wait to try the last in the trilogy, the Rostrum.
As the trip wore on, the weather warmed up again. We decided to finish on the sunspot dihedral of the Incredible Hulk. As it loomed above me at the start of the wall, however I started to get second thoughts and almost went off to an easier climb. I forced myself ahead on the climb and it proved to be more difficult than I was prepared for. It too had an endurance 511 a pitch, and it too exhausted me before I could get to the top of it. I took a large fall on it near the top with a stopper in my mouth, it was funny that I didn’t spit it out when I yelled “falling”!, I just bit onto it and yelled. As tired as I was I couldn’t give the crux 11b a fair shake so with a few points of aid I was once again In steep endurance physical corners. It was great to be able to rappel the route next to us: the solar flare, as I was very tired after this long, amazing trip. Toughest. Trip. Ever! It was well worth the effort however as comes with it the reward. Thanks Doug, Mike, Britne, Mik, Sam(Congrats on Salathe!), Jennifer, and congrats to my daughter , she just bought her first house!!!

6/5-13/2021 Yosemite  36p to 11c w/Doug

6-5 Crying Time Again, Lembert Dome 6p 10 spooky

6-6 Olmstead pt 4p to 10a/d

6-7 Matthes Crest Traverse IV-5.7 ~10p south to north

6-8 Mañana, Sentinel Creek 3p to 10d

6-9 Super Slacker Highway  10c, 6p

6-10 Voyager, Fifi Butt. IV-5.11c ao 1 fall

6-13 Sunspot Dihedral, Incredible Hulk IV- 5.11-ao 1 fall, 3 pts of aid

City of Rocks and World Cup 5-’21

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Some time around 2019 I became addicted to watching World Cup bouldering videos. Of course the Covid stalled that for over a year but by chance the next World Cup event that first featured an audience was held in Salt Lake city! With a growing number of my friends interested in it, I got together a group of us to climb, and spend two weekends attending the World Cup bouldering events. In between the events I went to city of rocks and climbed my brains out once again, this time with Lane. Both the World Cup and the city climbs were completely astounding! The World Cup in particular completely blew me away with how exciting it was.

5-22-31 City of Rocks and World Cup 30p to 11a w/ Lane, Benka, Shiller-Hunt, Ronnie

5-24 Oputina, Have +Hold, Groom w/ View, Shock+Awe, True Grit 5p to 10b w/ Shiller-Hunt, Ronnie

5-25 Coo-Coo Cachoo, Sailor Wall, 5p to 10d w/ Lane

5-26 Sloppy Seconds, Zinger, Blind Pig, Honeymoon tr, 5p to 10a/d

5-27 Bloody Fingers, Sabbatical, Animal Craker, Interceptor Crack , Muffin top 5p to 11a

5-28 Jolly Rancher, Bandito, S. Ridge Taco, Mole’ 5p to 11a

5/22, 23, 29, 30 World Cup Bouldering  Comp SLC w/ Benkah, Lane. Incredibly fun!

5-31 Bath rock, Elephant 5p to 10a

City of Rocks ‘21.2

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Though my main drive is towards climbing, I am also grateful to do it in the finest settings, and with my favorite people. “The City” as it is called is that and much more. During the mid week it has it all: great camping, relaxed atmosphere, challenging and moderates venues, shade or sun, engaging routes, and wilderness at the same time. Oh, and a ton of what I call the Goods; hundreds of 3-4 star climbs in the sweet spot of 5.8- 5.11. With the amount of climbing I do and have done here (60+ days), my list still is big, and thanks to recent development, its getting bigger!

Can the place keep up? It is only a matter of time before tons of people show up and crowd this jewell as well. More infrastructure is going to be needed if this is inevitable. Until then, enjoy, and help out by giving the vegetation a break, and minimizing your impact (even if it means not climbing there?).

I went on the trip solo, but with plans to meet up with some great friends. I ended up having extended time with Beau, Kate, Rusty, Kristen, Shaun, Audrey, and a brief run in with the Plaid and wife as well! My best memories will always start with finishing Beware of Nesting Egos, This 4 star 5.11b is a unique and just-my-kind-of-route climb. I top-roped it a couple of years ago, and was barely ready to endure the tricky, thin cruxes, one after another! Those chains may have hearing loss after the yells of celebration I let loose with. That, and many more great memories we shared, so thanks guys, and can’t wait to do it again. Favorite routes have links to them.

5-8 Lost world 10b, Drilling Fields, pigs, hired 4p to 11a w/Beau, Kate

5-9 Crimson, oputina, Shock and Awe, Twinkee 4p to 10c

5-10 No Moss,  big brown eyes, Comp Splitter 3p to 11a w/ Rusty, Kristen

5-11 Nesting Egos + 3 4p to 11b w/gang of 5

5-12 Smiley Face, Sexcellent, True Grit 6p to 10c w/Beau

5-13 Conceptual Reality, Bovine attempt 2p 5.9 w/Beau

    The drive
    • Drilling area
    • Rusty on Elephant rock
    • Beware selfie
    • Beware, photo by Kristen
    • Sexcellent p1