We've now been out to Squamish twice, separated by a week.
The first week was uneventful; we worked Anubis (V7), and while it should go, it hasn't yet. I was given me some beta later on that might be worthwhile, but who knows. It was probably a better day for V than for me; she sent Made in the Shade (V1) and the V1 version of Squamish Days Traverse.
We started early the second week. We warmed up at Squamish Days, and headed quickly off to the Thighmaster area: the goal was to look at Thighmaster (V4), Tim's Sloper Problem (V5), and maybe take a stab or two at Sesame Street (V9).
Unfortunately, none of us really got anywhere on these! Thighmaster seemed intractably awkward to start, Sesame Street, well, it is a V9, and while we could do most of Tim's Sloper, the topout seemed awkward. We left somewhat dejectedly to go look at Black Mark (V4), which was conveniently right next to the Airtight Garage (V7), something that I'd left as a project last summer. While K worked to success at the former, A and I took another stab at Airtight Garage. He had sent it last summer, but I just couldn't do it.
This time around, I quickly reworked the (fiendishly simple) sequence, and after a few tries with minor variants grabbed the crimp, stepped up and topped out---my first V7 sent.
During the afternoon we headed out into the Apron to check out a few areas: K wanted to see Shots Fired (V4), and we thought we'd also look in the Snake Pit area for a bunch of V1s for V and M. It turns out that this area has a nice collection of fun V1s, which will serve as projects for V to come back to, or for us to warm up on.
Shots Fired, once we found it, definitely deserved its reputation. It was climbing at its best; interesting moves and holds, requiring a good mix of strength, technique and ingenuity. A and I both send it, but unfortunately K didn't get it this time, which means we'll have to go back and play around on it again. Somehow, I don't think any of us mind all that much.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
South
We're sitting in the Denny's at 10:30pm. We've just arrived after a long, not-so-fuel-efficient drive, we're hungry, it's dark, and the Von's is closed for groceries. We eat, leave, and set up our tents.
We're sitting in Taqueria Las Palmas, it's about 8pm, and a large group of us are noshing on chips and fresh salsa waiting for our overly large burritos. It was a good day; we met the folks with whom we are dining at the strikingly obvious line of Iron Man, which I flash, if perhaps with an awkward topout which Clarrie makes look much better. We try a few odds and ends on this rock, including an attempt at the ridiculous dyno of Iron Fly, but instead we move on
There are other rocks we see; it truly is a playground for boulderers. We climb Bowling Pin Low, which has a somewhat airy topout, and then we head off to Saigon, and Seven Spanish Angels to end the day. Mark and Andrew send that problem, and we find ourselves sitting as a group before Krystal, Mark, et al. leave at the end of their trip, as we are just beginning ours.
We're eating Mexican again at another Taqueria, which we've just caught as they close. It isn't as good as the night before, but we're hungry and it's late. We'd left the Happy boulders with it dark enough to see my my shadow from the moon, forgetting that in smaller towns, the food options shrink as the night wears on.
We had wandered up a Heavenly Path, had a brief sip of Red Rum, before catching some rays at Solarium, and battling The Hulk. This place was amazing. Having only really climbed in Squamish where a "good landing" might mean death or dismemberment if you sneeze at the wrong time, here the landings were flat; the topouts had holds.
The sun beat down on us as we wound down the day looking at a problem that, despite its Squamish stylings, had bested Gerry every time: Rave. We all took a look at the standing start version, which Andrew completed with some lovely vocal accompaniment. A quick look at the low start to Grindrite found us wandering down a dark path home.
We're eating store food and leftovers, cold inside the car. It is windy, it is freezing out there. Our choice of rest days was a good one, as it turns out, as we would have had to weigh down the pads with the very rocks we were trying to cover if we wanted them to stay in place.
Still, all was not lost. We took coffee in the morning, we saw photos, and we made our way out to an empty field, 8000ft of elevation where someone had cleverly built a concrete tub to take advantage of the natural hot springs nearby. It was frigid out there--walking (nay, running) the 200m from the car to the tub was painful, but the reward at the end worth it.
We're at happy hour at Whiskey Creek, our trip coming to a sooner and than we'd planned. The food is good, as is the beer and the company, but there is a weight over the table, a gloom.
We'd started out at the Birthday boulder. There are nice warmups there, and we'd intended to go from there to Fly Boy, and then off to High Plains Drifter and perhaps even Soul Slinger.
Up at Fly Boy, we met a moderately famous climber whose girlfriend was working the sit start to this climb. They had brought enough pads that it looked like a bouldering gym, so we decided to take advantage of this rare chance.
Andrew hopped on the easier version of the climb pulled up and into the crux move, and...
Pop.
Pop.
He hopped down, and his fingers didn't hurt, but none of us quite knew what to make of that sound. As the ache set in, it became clear that something had gone wrong on his attempt. A ruptured pulley, perhaps? How serious?
Nevertheless, we climbed for a little while, soberly, and Clarrie managed to send the climb in grand style, which I sadly could not.
We're at a casino north of Reno, we're on our way home. I still don't understand what exactly they mean by Country Gravy, a strange white and bland sauce that seems to go with many things. Our trip was shorter than anticipated, but we could not climb for two more days while Andrew nursed his fingers. A relaxed trip home, a stop at Powell's in Portland, and we are home at 2am in Vancouver.
There will be other such trips.
We're sitting in Taqueria Las Palmas, it's about 8pm, and a large group of us are noshing on chips and fresh salsa waiting for our overly large burritos. It was a good day; we met the folks with whom we are dining at the strikingly obvious line of Iron Man, which I flash, if perhaps with an awkward topout which Clarrie makes look much better. We try a few odds and ends on this rock, including an attempt at the ridiculous dyno of Iron Fly, but instead we move on
We're eating Mexican again at another Taqueria, which we've just caught as they close. It isn't as good as the night before, but we're hungry and it's late. We'd left the Happy boulders with it dark enough to see my my shadow from the moon, forgetting that in smaller towns, the food options shrink as the night wears on.
We had wandered up a Heavenly Path, had a brief sip of Red Rum, before catching some rays at Solarium, and battling The Hulk. This place was amazing. Having only really climbed in Squamish where a "good landing" might mean death or dismemberment if you sneeze at the wrong time, here the landings were flat; the topouts had holds.
The sun beat down on us as we wound down the day looking at a problem that, despite its Squamish stylings, had bested Gerry every time: Rave. We all took a look at the standing start version, which Andrew completed with some lovely vocal accompaniment. A quick look at the low start to Grindrite found us wandering down a dark path home.
We're eating store food and leftovers, cold inside the car. It is windy, it is freezing out there. Our choice of rest days was a good one, as it turns out, as we would have had to weigh down the pads with the very rocks we were trying to cover if we wanted them to stay in place.
Still, all was not lost. We took coffee in the morning, we saw photos, and we made our way out to an empty field, 8000ft of elevation where someone had cleverly built a concrete tub to take advantage of the natural hot springs nearby. It was frigid out there--walking (nay, running) the 200m from the car to the tub was painful, but the reward at the end worth it.
We're at happy hour at Whiskey Creek, our trip coming to a sooner and than we'd planned. The food is good, as is the beer and the company, but there is a weight over the table, a gloom.
We'd started out at the Birthday boulder. There are nice warmups there, and we'd intended to go from there to Fly Boy, and then off to High Plains Drifter and perhaps even Soul Slinger.
Up at Fly Boy, we met a moderately famous climber whose girlfriend was working the sit start to this climb. They had brought enough pads that it looked like a bouldering gym, so we decided to take advantage of this rare chance.
Andrew hopped on the easier version of the climb pulled up and into the crux move, and...
Pop.
Pop.
He hopped down, and his fingers didn't hurt, but none of us quite knew what to make of that sound. As the ache set in, it became clear that something had gone wrong on his attempt. A ruptured pulley, perhaps? How serious?
Nevertheless, we climbed for a little while, soberly, and Clarrie managed to send the climb in grand style, which I sadly could not.
We're at a casino north of Reno, we're on our way home. I still don't understand what exactly they mean by Country Gravy, a strange white and bland sauce that seems to go with many things. Our trip was shorter than anticipated, but we could not climb for two more days while Andrew nursed his fingers. A relaxed trip home, a stop at Powell's in Portland, and we are home at 2am in Vancouver.
There will be other such trips.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Another cold day.
The weather promised to hold, at least until the afternoon.
5:30 am I wake, sip some coffee, and begin my trek downtown to meet Chris. We hop into his car, and we're in the parking lot at the Grand Wall just past 8am, to meet Tom and Scotty.
Our first real stop of the day is at Viper (V5); classic, which neither Tom nor I had sent. Scotty made it look easy, Chris insisted it was easy and then fell repeatedly, and then Tom and I both sent it in quite different styles--his, smooth and stable, mine with feet flying out behind me, but still holding on.
We moved from there to Skin Graft (V4), which looks obvious until you step onto it. We try at least six different sequences in every different way until we find one that works; a precarious cross right onto a shit foothold on the slab, step up, cross left to another (slightly better) hold, and match the left arête. Gently up to the crimp up high, and over.
At least that was the idea; I managed the first send, after slipping twice on the way up, yet still holding on. Later, Michelle shows up and points out that we took the somewhat scary ascent option. Fun!
Off to fight Superdyke again, the hardest V3 in Squamish. Chris has better beta and both he and Tom send it, but it eludes Scotty and I. I blame my reach, though I know that's a poor excuse; a woman shorter than me who passed by finished the route with relative ease.
Up to Practical Horsemen (V4), which while decent, didn't really grab me.
At this point we went up to join the others around Autobody (V8), Encore une fois (V11), and The Weasel (V8). That last problem developed quite a crowd, yet not a one of us was able to send it before the rain misted in. We tried to hold out as long as we could, but tiredness and rain make fearsome foes.
5:30 am I wake, sip some coffee, and begin my trek downtown to meet Chris. We hop into his car, and we're in the parking lot at the Grand Wall just past 8am, to meet Tom and Scotty.
Our first real stop of the day is at Viper (V5); classic, which neither Tom nor I had sent. Scotty made it look easy, Chris insisted it was easy and then fell repeatedly, and then Tom and I both sent it in quite different styles--his, smooth and stable, mine with feet flying out behind me, but still holding on.
We moved from there to Skin Graft (V4), which looks obvious until you step onto it. We try at least six different sequences in every different way until we find one that works; a precarious cross right onto a shit foothold on the slab, step up, cross left to another (slightly better) hold, and match the left arête. Gently up to the crimp up high, and over.
At least that was the idea; I managed the first send, after slipping twice on the way up, yet still holding on. Later, Michelle shows up and points out that we took the somewhat scary ascent option. Fun!
Off to fight Superdyke again, the hardest V3 in Squamish. Chris has better beta and both he and Tom send it, but it eludes Scotty and I. I blame my reach, though I know that's a poor excuse; a woman shorter than me who passed by finished the route with relative ease.
Up to Practical Horsemen (V4), which while decent, didn't really grab me.
At this point we went up to join the others around Autobody (V8), Encore une fois (V11), and The Weasel (V8). That last problem developed quite a crowd, yet not a one of us was able to send it before the rain misted in. We tried to hold out as long as we could, but tiredness and rain make fearsome foes.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
And again.
Today was one of those good days.
On Thursday, I had fun with all the new problems, and in particular set my eye on one V8: it had fun, overhanging moves on round pinches going up the Whale Belly. I figured out the sequence relatively quickly, except for the end: the only plausible thing I could see was an awkward dyno from not-so-great holds up, out, and to the left. At least it finished on a good hold.
While I was nearly able to stick it, in the end it eluded me, and so I figured I would come back today and send it.
I showed up, and felt a little tired; I knew all the moves, but they didn't quite seem as steady as I wanted them, and so I worried a little that it might not go as planned. To compound this, Chris suggested an alternate way to finish it that, when I got up there to try it, seemed quite awkward. After a few tries of that I decide to go back to attempting the dyno and... it stuck. Solidly.
So I have another V8 under my belt, and a fun one at that.
Afterwards, I joined Chris working on a V9 on the main wall; it starts with a low traverse across the main wall, up to a big sloper feature, crux move back into an iron cross on jugs, and then up and into a corner with a weird gaston and a shaky finish. That's how it went, because it did. I sent a V9 as well, today, and my first.
Was it soft? I don't know. Chris didn't seem to think so, though I helped him figure out some better beta, and he was tired today. But as I said last post, I just have to accept that I am that strong now.
Onward and upward.
On Thursday, I had fun with all the new problems, and in particular set my eye on one V8: it had fun, overhanging moves on round pinches going up the Whale Belly. I figured out the sequence relatively quickly, except for the end: the only plausible thing I could see was an awkward dyno from not-so-great holds up, out, and to the left. At least it finished on a good hold.
While I was nearly able to stick it, in the end it eluded me, and so I figured I would come back today and send it.
I showed up, and felt a little tired; I knew all the moves, but they didn't quite seem as steady as I wanted them, and so I worried a little that it might not go as planned. To compound this, Chris suggested an alternate way to finish it that, when I got up there to try it, seemed quite awkward. After a few tries of that I decide to go back to attempting the dyno and... it stuck. Solidly.
So I have another V8 under my belt, and a fun one at that.
Afterwards, I joined Chris working on a V9 on the main wall; it starts with a low traverse across the main wall, up to a big sloper feature, crux move back into an iron cross on jugs, and then up and into a corner with a weird gaston and a shaky finish. That's how it went, because it did. I sent a V9 as well, today, and my first.
Was it soft? I don't know. Chris didn't seem to think so, though I helped him figure out some better beta, and he was tired today. But as I said last post, I just have to accept that I am that strong now.
Onward and upward.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Meanwhile...
I sent a V8 yesterday.
It was a good day; warmed up, sent a fun V5, flashed a V6 (which I thought must be soft, but everyone else had more trouble on it than on the V5, so....), and started working on green and white. It had a fun start; heel hook around a corner, hold awkwardly onto slopey rails, up and slap around the corner to a hold, and then the crux---figuring out what the deuce to do with a big blocky hold with only one good spot, and no good feet to use so as not to barndoor.
Anyhow, I worked out a sequence, and then the next few moves weren't so bad, and so it was sent.
My automatic reaction is that if I sent it (in particular, in one session), that it can't be a V8. I think I need to let that view go.
I had never sent a V8, and so anything I could sent I always assumed was a V7 or less (this is more relevant at the coop, where problems are not always graded), and honestly, that doesn't make sense to hold onto that view. I am getting stronger. If the consensus is that that climb was a V8, then I have sent a V8. Maybe a soft one, I'm not sure, but I need to accept that yes, I can climb that grade.
I'm getting stronger. Onwards and upwards.
It was a good day; warmed up, sent a fun V5, flashed a V6 (which I thought must be soft, but everyone else had more trouble on it than on the V5, so....), and started working on green and white. It had a fun start; heel hook around a corner, hold awkwardly onto slopey rails, up and slap around the corner to a hold, and then the crux---figuring out what the deuce to do with a big blocky hold with only one good spot, and no good feet to use so as not to barndoor.
Anyhow, I worked out a sequence, and then the next few moves weren't so bad, and so it was sent.
My automatic reaction is that if I sent it (in particular, in one session), that it can't be a V8. I think I need to let that view go.
I had never sent a V8, and so anything I could sent I always assumed was a V7 or less (this is more relevant at the coop, where problems are not always graded), and honestly, that doesn't make sense to hold onto that view. I am getting stronger. If the consensus is that that climb was a V8, then I have sent a V8. Maybe a soft one, I'm not sure, but I need to accept that yes, I can climb that grade.
I'm getting stronger. Onwards and upwards.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Physio
I'm heading to Edmonton this weekend for the Tour de Bloc local competition; once again, I will be in the open category.
I'm curious what the competition there will be like; I know who the strong climbers are in Vancouver, I know how good I am in relation to them, but I don't know that in Edmonton.
I like the U of A gym though, which has had some pretty fun problems every time I've been there. They've hosted nationals before as well, and I gather that the setup is much better for spectators than, say, the Edge, or Cliffhanger, or Beyond the Crux in Kelowna.
I'm crossing my fingers that I'll make it into finals there, but it really depends on how strong the local bouldering scene is. We'll see.
Speaking of fingers, I went to see my physiotherapist again about my middle finger on the left hand. The previous injuries seem to be all gone, but in the last few weeks. a new pain has started to show up in the first joint on that finger. As usual, this worries me (not the least due to the fact that I would like to be able to compete at full strength this weekend), but after a bit of poking and prodding, Len figured that it isn't a joint issue, and that it's simply another tendon problem. He figures that I should be able to climb on it just fine if I warm it up well enough with some simple exercises.
He and I are supposed to go climbing later this week, and hopefully some time during the summer, which raises the question: How do you climb with your physiotherapist? Climbers talk about aches and pains pretty often, do I have to avoid that topic now? The etiquette escapes me.
I'm curious what the competition there will be like; I know who the strong climbers are in Vancouver, I know how good I am in relation to them, but I don't know that in Edmonton.
I like the U of A gym though, which has had some pretty fun problems every time I've been there. They've hosted nationals before as well, and I gather that the setup is much better for spectators than, say, the Edge, or Cliffhanger, or Beyond the Crux in Kelowna.
I'm crossing my fingers that I'll make it into finals there, but it really depends on how strong the local bouldering scene is. We'll see.
Speaking of fingers, I went to see my physiotherapist again about my middle finger on the left hand. The previous injuries seem to be all gone, but in the last few weeks. a new pain has started to show up in the first joint on that finger. As usual, this worries me (not the least due to the fact that I would like to be able to compete at full strength this weekend), but after a bit of poking and prodding, Len figured that it isn't a joint issue, and that it's simply another tendon problem. He figures that I should be able to climb on it just fine if I warm it up well enough with some simple exercises.
He and I are supposed to go climbing later this week, and hopefully some time during the summer, which raises the question: How do you climb with your physiotherapist? Climbers talk about aches and pains pretty often, do I have to avoid that topic now? The etiquette escapes me.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
A cold day in Squamish
We pulled into the Grand Wall lot at about 12:30pm; I was glad for my four layers as we made our entrance into the shaded forest, setting up near Superdyke (V3) to warm up.
We hopped on Dyke surfer (V0) as a warmup, and I admit that I felt a little weak. The rock was cold, and I worried that I'd slip on the top-out. But we continued on. Off to Largonian Bulge (V2), which I'd last tried years before when we first came out to Squamish. I remember that we were regularly sending V4s and a few V5s, and we were shocked that the V0s and V1s would spit us off so callously. Largonian Bulge was then a V1, I think, and it just epitomized the shock we felt upon moving onto real rock.
Flash forward to today, and I dispatch it with ease. Despite what I felt those summers ago, I would comfortably say that the grades do match well enough.
We then moved around to look at Slave to the Pushers (V5) with another pair of climbers. It's a burly, somewhat awkward and slappy climb, in many ways typical of the problems in Squamish. We worked on this while Kasper and Daniel worked on the hardest V3 in Squamish, the aforementioned Superdyke. A few tries in Slave is sent, but Superdyke resists all of our efforts.
Daniel and I quickly mopped up Palminator (V4), the left-hand cousin to Easy in an Easy Chair (V4), and we moved on to look at Lounge Act (V6), which Kasper wanted to try to send.
After setting up in one of the nicest spots to watch a climb, Kasper shows us the beta, and Daniel promptly flashes the climb. A few tries later, Kasper and I both desperately send it, and we move on below to try out the juggy Swank Stretch (V5). When my turn comes, I pull on, reach up left to the finger slot, hoist up and out right... and stick. Up the the jugs, and out--flashed! A while longer as each of the other climbers make their sends, and we move on to the project of the day.
Worm World Cave (V9). No luck on this, but we make a lot of good progress in terms of the first few moves. It'll go, it'll go.
We looked at Corrupted (V7), which seems quite tricky: There is a match on a hold barely large enough to hold three fingers, and then the crux move of a big swing out right. Sadly, none of us were able to send this either.
Packing up, we quickly stopped off by Trad Killer (V4) which I happily flashed, and then out through the talus fields home.
We hopped on Dyke surfer (V0) as a warmup, and I admit that I felt a little weak. The rock was cold, and I worried that I'd slip on the top-out. But we continued on. Off to Largonian Bulge (V2), which I'd last tried years before when we first came out to Squamish. I remember that we were regularly sending V4s and a few V5s, and we were shocked that the V0s and V1s would spit us off so callously. Largonian Bulge was then a V1, I think, and it just epitomized the shock we felt upon moving onto real rock.
Flash forward to today, and I dispatch it with ease. Despite what I felt those summers ago, I would comfortably say that the grades do match well enough.
We then moved around to look at Slave to the Pushers (V5) with another pair of climbers. It's a burly, somewhat awkward and slappy climb, in many ways typical of the problems in Squamish. We worked on this while Kasper and Daniel worked on the hardest V3 in Squamish, the aforementioned Superdyke. A few tries in Slave is sent, but Superdyke resists all of our efforts.
Daniel and I quickly mopped up Palminator (V4), the left-hand cousin to Easy in an Easy Chair (V4), and we moved on to look at Lounge Act (V6), which Kasper wanted to try to send.
After setting up in one of the nicest spots to watch a climb, Kasper shows us the beta, and Daniel promptly flashes the climb. A few tries later, Kasper and I both desperately send it, and we move on below to try out the juggy Swank Stretch (V5). When my turn comes, I pull on, reach up left to the finger slot, hoist up and out right... and stick. Up the the jugs, and out--flashed! A while longer as each of the other climbers make their sends, and we move on to the project of the day.
Worm World Cave (V9). No luck on this, but we make a lot of good progress in terms of the first few moves. It'll go, it'll go.
We looked at Corrupted (V7), which seems quite tricky: There is a match on a hold barely large enough to hold three fingers, and then the crux move of a big swing out right. Sadly, none of us were able to send this either.
Packing up, we quickly stopped off by Trad Killer (V4) which I happily flashed, and then out through the talus fields home.
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