Archive for the 'Rock Climbing' Category

Zion

Published
by
Andy
on October 27, 2009
in Rock Climbing, Trad Climbing and Utah
. 1 Comment

The Watchman looking over the Virgin River

Travis and I headed south to Zion to climb some big sandstone.  As teenagers Travis and I climbed a handful of big walls in Zion but stuck mostly to aid routes.  Neither of us had been back in many years, getting distracted by clipping bolts, bouldering and cragging in Indian Creek.  All very tame pursuits compared to the adventures that we both knew existed in excess in Zion.  It was time to explore the awesome free climbing in Zion.

We arrived midday and decided to warm up on a moderate climb: The Headache 5.10.  Three pitches of nice handjams.

Can you say splitter?

Me leading the 2nd pitch, more fun. Photo:Travis Kemp

Me leading the 2nd pitch, more fun. Photo:Travis Kemp

Travis following the second pitch. More perfect handjams.

Travis following the second pitch. More perfect handjams.

Mandatory "summit" photo.

Mandatory "summit" photo.

Rapping. Travis far below.

Rapping. Travis far below.

The East Temple as the sun begins to set.

The East Temple as the sun begins to set.

The next day we headed to Red Arch Mountain to climb Shune’s Butress 5.11+.  A super classic climb that features a little of everything that Zion has to offer. Finger cracks, chimneys, offwidths, perfect hands, even a bit of thin face climbing.

Red Arch Mountain. Shune's buttress starts pretty much in the center of this photo above the tallest tree and climbs straight up through the black rock, heading into the major left-facing dihedral that begins at the end of the black rock. At the end of the dihedral the route jumps left around the arete and climbs an amazing tips to hands overhanging crack to the top.

The first pitch is strenuous fingers in a right-facing corner.  Long and sustained with a few rests I think it is the crux pitch of the route.  The second pitch is either a 5.9+ chimney (left) or a nice 5.10 finger crack (right). We climbed the the finger crack and it was quite enjoyable.  Probably the easiest pitch of the route.

Second pitch finger crack. Photo:Travis Kemp

Second pitch finger crack. Photo:Travis Kemp

That took us to the major left-facing dihedral and the beginning of a few offwidth and chimney pitches.

Travis heading up the first of a few offwidth/chimney pitches.

Travis heading up the first of a few offwidth/chimney pitches.

Don't come to Zion unless you like a bit of the wide stuff...

Don't come to Zion unless you like a bit of the wide stuff...

Looking down the the wide corner. The next pitch goes around the sunny arete to the overhanging tips to hands crack.

Looking down the the wide corner. The next pitch goes around the sunny arete to the overhanging tips to hands crack.

Me reaching around the arete to the awesome and exposed tips to hands crack. Ridiculously classic. Photo:Travis Kemp

Me reaching around the arete to the awesome and exposed tips to hands crack. Ridiculously classic. Photo:Travis Kemp

Mandatory summit photo.

Mandatory summit photo.

Travis all smiles at the bottom after a couple of dark rappels.

Travis all smiles at the bottom after a couple of dark rappels.

Looking pretty dorky myself.

Looking pretty dorky myself.

Lone Peak Cirque

Published
by
Andy
on October 5, 2009
in Rock Climbing and Trad Climbing
. 1 Comment

Lone Peak Cirque is an amazing place.  Once in the cirque it hard to believe that you are so close to a metro area.  The approach,  a steep four hour hike with a little bit of route finding involved,  generally keeps the riff raff out.  Travis and I headed up there with no specific goals aside from enjoying pristine alpine granite in a spectacular location.  

 After pounding out the approach we set up camp and melted some snow for water.  We were glad to see that there was still a snowpatch since it was late in the season.  We decided to climb Center Thumb 5.9,  a direct line up the “thumb” on the south summit wall.  

Center Thumb climbs up the center of the "thumb" or leaning pillar staying in the sun until near the top of the thumb where the route goes left around the corner into the shade.

Center Thumb climbs up the center of the "thumb" feature that seems to be leaning against the wall. Seen here from the North summit.

 

Travis heads off on the 2nd pitch. Super fun moderate climbing.

Travis heads off on the 2nd pitch. Super fun moderate climbing.

Classic moderate climbing leads to the crux,  a fun and exposed hand crack which leads to the top of the thumb.  One more pitch of slightly loose 5.7 leads to the top of the south summit wall.

 

Looking down from about the midway point on the last pitch. Travis is belying from the top of the thumb in the upper left corner of the photo.

Looking down from about the midway point on the last pitch. Travis is belying from the top of the thumb in the upper left corner of the photo.

 

Travis on top of the south summit.

Travis on top of the south summit.

 Tired and hungry we descended back to camp to make dinner.  Scoping lines and topos over dinner we decided that tomorrow we would first climb Vertical Overhangs 5.10-, a link up of the crux pitches of two classic lines: Vertical Smile and Triple Overhangs.  Then we would see how much time we had left and go from there.  

Travis heading up the first pitch, enjoying the awesome granite that abounds in the cirque.

Travis heading up the first pitch, enjoying the awesome granite that abounds in the cirque.

I had climbed this route before so Travis agreed to lead the pitches that I had lead the first time so that I could lead the pitches I had followed the first time.  Everything went smoothly and soon enough we were topping out…

Travis following last pitch.

Travis following the last pitch.

North Summit. Travis with a mouthful of Clif Bar.

North Summit. Travis with a mouthful of Clif Bar.

Next we headed to Question Mark wall to climb Doomsday Book 5.10b…

 Question Mark Wall. Doomsday Book climbs the prominent green corner centered in this photo.

Question Mark Wall. Doomsday Book climbs the prominent green corner centered in this photo.

We were looking for something quick and easy.  We found something quick. Doomsday book is three pitches, two of which are short and easy and the crux pitch that is 150+ feet and maybe a little sandbag.  I can’t really say how hard the crux pitch is I was too busy mumbling as I made insecure move after insecure move over less than ideal gear(mostly my fault, I had placed some key pieces down lower thinking that the crack at the top  was wider and easier when in fact it is thinner and harder all the way to the top).  I made it,  but not before a bunch of screaming like a 5 year old girl.  Travis followed the pitch cleanly and shot up the last pitch quickly since we were in a bit of a hurry.  We descended to camp and packed up quickly trying to get as much of the hike to the car done before dark. 

One last shot before we go. North summit wall is left. South summit wall left center. Question Mark wall far right.

One last shot before we go. North summit wall is left. South summit wall left center. Question Mark wall far right.

Travis is back

Published
by
Andy
on September 25, 2009
in Rock Climbing and Uncategorized
. 1 Comment

My close friend and long time climbing partner Travis Kemp was recently transported to Washington D.C. while his wife does her residency.  A few months after their arrival in D.C. Travis severely injured his eye in an accident working with heavy gauge fencing wire.  I will not get into details because it is gnarly, but three months later Travis’ right eye is still healing.  He still has months to wait until it has healed completely before he can have an artificial lens put in to replace the one which was destroyed in the accident.  Until then he is pretty much blind in his right eye.  Great time to take a climbing trip!

A few weeks ago Travis made his way to Salt Lake to see family and friends but more importantly  to climb.  We lucked out, my schedule worked out perfectly and I had a couple weeks off to climb with him.  There is nobody I feel more comfortable with in the mountains or on a rope than with Travis.  So when the chance comes to climb together I have to jump at it.

We started off in the canyon we had climbed together in so many times since we were barely teeneagers,  Little Cottonwood Canyon.  We chose to get on this a relatively new climb that neither of us had either tried but everyone who had climbed it raved about it.  I was a 7 pitch 5.11a called “Stiffler’s Mom”.  Not too hard,  not too easy,  it was a good experiment to see of how Travis could climb with one eye.  The climb proved to be high quality.  Mostly very moderate climbing with a handful of 5.10 and one pitch of 5.11.  We cruised through it all swapping leads.  It was impressive to see Travis cruising pitches with only one eye.  I often closed one eye while following pitches and attempted to climb like Travis with only one eye and was amazed at how difficult it was to see footholds and usually only made it an easy move or two until I would open my eye.  We were both psyched to see that Travis could climb and quickly started planning out our next objective.  Time for some pristine alpine granite…

Lone Peak Cirque…