January didn't have anything too eventful. After arriving back in boulder from a wild 2 week trip to LA for the holidays, I was eager to get back on the tools immediately. Unfortunately, aside from the usual days of soloing and running in the flatirons, I only climbed ice 2 days that month. And one of them was just a single pitch in heinous conditions before deciding to bail. The other was a laid back day of cragging at Vail with a few buddies. I'm never stoked to climb at Vail. There are usually a lot of people, most of which are already climbing the routes I want to climb (which are very few), and aside from the ice routes there, the overhung drytooling routes have never really appealed to me much, kinda like sport climbing and bouldering. I know that if I did more of it I'd be WAY stronger, but I just have a hard time getting inspired for that stuff. Once we're at the crag and climbing, Vail isn't so bad and I always feel stronger when the day is over. It's mainly just finding the motivation to do the 2 hour drive. On this specific day, though, it was fun watching some really strong dudes crush some absurdly overhung mixed routes as well as the classic ice pillar the fang.
Some guy sending the fang.
Gordon approaching Brain Freeze on mt. Otis.
Gordon starting up the first pitch of brain freeze in miserable conditions. I was shivering non stop!
Wintery pines in RMNP
Exploring skunk canyon in the flatirons
Come February, I had my bags packed and was on the road headed west again. The first stop was Red Rock, Las Vegas. What a place! Everything from single pitch sport routes to 30 pitch desert mountaineering routes and absolutely stunning desert scenery. It's hard to believe that the power and water sucking metropolis of Vegas is just 20 minutes away from such nature. We had a big group of people, so we didn't get on anything too committing or wild, but nonetheless the few days of climbing were an absolute blast and I can't wait to return. Hopefully my next visit there will include a big route up the majestic mt. Wilson. As much as I say that alpine climbing is my number one passion in life, climbing rock in the sun with good friends is a close second and I tend to forget about everything else on days like that! On the last day there, Marques and I woke up early to go for something moderately big as a final prize before heading to LA and ended up getting hailed on in the parking lot. After cursing at the sky and weather for 10 minutes and throwing rocks out of frustration towards the peaks and spires that were now soaked and barely visible through the clouds, we returned to the hotel to round up the rest of the group up for walk around the strip. It was Marques' first time in vegas and he was quite blown away at what a hole it really is, while laughing hysterically at all the characters. That stuff never gets old! Undoubtedly the best possible destination for world class people watching.
Finally I was back in Boulder 2 weeks later with no big travel plans again until Alaska in May. The rest of february and March went quickly with all of the climbing that was done. I also did my only snowboarding this season with my dad at an annual event he attends in Vail. Luckily I was there for an amazing powder day, which ultimately got me pissed at myself for not getting a pass early in the season. I miss snowboarding and really need to make it more of a priority next season. It's just too much fun to not do every winter. Always type 1 fun.
Red Rocks!
Me belaying Matt on a burly 11c
Marques climbing another 11
Goofing around on some easy sport routes
Splitter!
Back at the hotel after being denied by the weather, Marques decided to get drunk at 9am.
While in LA this time around I took a trail run around the sandstone peak wilderness, my favorite place to hike there. Beautiful views of the coast.
Vail aspen grove boarding. The best!
Mount Holy Cross in the distance from a chair lift in Vail.
As for a few of the notable alpine days... There was a climb of the route "enter the dragon" on the dragontails spire in tyndall gorge. Steve, Chris, and I attempted this route last June as a desperate attempt to get one finally outing in with our tools and crampons. It was so warm out that day and most of the snow had already melted resulting in rock climbing up a loose and dangerous gully with crampons on. However, this time the route was in pretty fine shape. Although the crux chimney pitch was completely choked with snow mushrooms which made for one of my more insecure and desperate leads. Its amazing how something like a snow mushroom can turn what should've been an easy to moderate, well protected pitch into an exhausting fight with unstable and runout terrain. Definitely a type 2 fun pitch! I now understand why in certain descriptions of routes you'll find lines like "battle your way up the snow mushroom." It was definitely a "battle" in this case. Gordon made a fun little video of that day which I'll post below. It sums up the adventure nicely. About a month later Steve Martin and I went back, this time all the way to the summit. Basically this time around the conditions were much better with more ice and less mushrooms. The summit pitch was also quite exciting climbing wet 5.7/8 in mountain boots.
Sunrise at the bear lake parking lot
Hallets north face and the dragon tail spire on the right, which we climbed
Break on the way in
on the approach slopes
Steve belaying me on the first pitch
Gordon following the second pitch through broken rocky terrain
going for that hook
Me on the crux pitch. Cleaning the mushrooms out of the chimney while desperately searching for pro took a lot out of me!
Steve checking stuff out around the ridge. Weather was worsening.
Gordon on the last rappel down
Sunrise in Tyndall Gorge
Traversing to the summit pitch on the second trip
Awesome ridge
Steve looking up at the summit pitch.
Martin following the summit pitch
Doing the approach on a beautiful evening
An amazing shot by Gordon of the walk across the loch
Steve brewing up some hot water
Sunrise on Taylor peaks east face
Steve starting up the first pitch. We bailed shortly after.
The cathedral spires
Gordon hiking down from the base of taylors massive east buttress
Taking a rest before breaking down camp and hiking out
On the hike out. It started looking awfully windy up there.
Steve and Forrest gaining the ridge
Me taking the lead at the start of the ridge
Beautiful snow arete
Steve on a short technical section
the rappel into the notch
Throwing another layer on, it was getting chilly!
Ridges are always so photogenic
Forrest stoked to be at the top...Until he turned around and realized the true summit was still another 30 minutes away
Summit shot
A few weeks later we found ourselves meeting up in Lyons at 5am for yet another adventure into the park, this time for another shot at brain freeze. Fortunately this day was the exact opposite of the previous time with Gordon a few months prior. Instead of blistering winds and snow, we had bluebird skies and warm temps. Its such a treat to get that perfect weather in RMNP considering the rarity of it. Brainfreeze turned out to be one of the best routes i've climbed in the park. The pitches were all exciting and offered a lot of variety. Everything from iced corners to drytooling to fighting snow mushrooms. The crux pitch involved squeezing your way up a chimney and finally pulling a tricky and awkward overhang. All in all, the adventure went smoothly...until the descent. Major rope pulling problems and rigging rappel anchors put us off the mountain just after midnight with the 4 mile hike back to the car still remaining. It couldn't have been a more perfect night, though. No wind, tons of stars, and the big rocky spires looming above us in the darkness. Quite the place to be wandering around at 2am. On the drive back to boulder we even encountered road work and had to wait an hour until they let us pass. Our final time boulder to boulder clocked in at around 26 hours. Alaska training I guess?
Sharks Tooth from the base of the route
Steve on first pitch
Steve arriving at the top of the third pitch, which was a great line of iced and mixed corners
Gordon starts up the 4th pitch, more fun mixed ground
Steve going for the crux roof. You can see the snow mushroom above that needed to be excavated before the chimney was climbable.
Mix crux, no more snow mushroom!
Next up is ALASKA! My first big climbing trip to one of the worlds greater ranges. I've never been so excited about anything in my life. I don't really know how to express it on here. After 4 years of looking at pictures, reading books and trip reports, and watching videos of people climbing in the Alaska Range, I'm finally going to experience it for myself. To see all these legendary peaks in person, to witness the majesty and grandeur of their scale up close, especially knowing many of their climbing histories, is going to be an incredible moment filled with so many emotions. And to go with such a great group of partners will surely enhance the adventure. All there is to do until then is train my ass off!
Surely there will be a few more big outings to RMNP until Alaska, but for now here's a few more photos of rock climbing in the sun around boulder! Looooooong post, I know. But thats what happens if I only post every few months! I'll work on that...
