A Classic Zion Weekend

Training in climbing is similar to the training experienced in ultra running. Both give you this insane high when you preform well or just at your limit. However, every insane high comes with some kind of low. I've noticed that just as I accomplish something new and exciting it's often followed by a low, wether that be not climbing harder enough after you sent your project or lack of motivation. These lows however I've been learning are what make the highs so good. Before i left for zion i had been in a low for about 2 months, pulling on plastic seemed to yield no results. Results or not I packed up the car and headed south. Thursday afternoon I pulled into the big bend parking lot that rests at the foot of Angels landing with no partner or plans. I walked over the to cerberus with the plan to solo some easy routes when i found a guy to rope up with. Aaron works over in springdale as guide and was super fun to climb with. We did a few laps on Flails of Power (11c) then he had to head out. With time left in the day i decide to grab my rope and go solo what i hear was suppose to be a hidden classic, the left side of weeping rock. For 5.8 this thing truly is good, while half of it is sandy chimney the other half is really easy hand cracks. After some awesome climbing and hanging out i rapped and heading out to camp for the night.

P4: 

The next day I linked up Springdale local Rob to check out some of the classics over in the confluence area. With a late 11am start we headed over to climb the ultra classic Smash mouth. Its two great pitches of easy 5.11 finger cracks. After, we went over to a more obscure route called the Larson Farr which the book calls 11+. However, we felt it more appropriate to call it 11-. If you love red camalots than this is your route! It's beautiful and a 70m gets you back to the ground. This is truly a hidden classic. As the sunset, I jetted out of the park over to St. George to pick up Chloe and enjoy some good food. 

The next morning we woke up around 7:30, made a quick breakfast and started the 45 minute trek to the park. I met up with Dan who was fresh off of moonlight at the Temple of the Sinawava to rack up for Monkeyfinger and enjoy the wonderfully cold morning. We set out to the base of the root around 9 but sat around awhile on the nice sandy ledge while enjoying the comfort of our puffy jackets. After a half an hour of talk about how awesome it would be to go climbing, we started soloing the first pitch. At 5.6 i'm pretty sure most don't bother roping up for it considering the grade and there is basically no protection. Once at the base of the 2 pitch we started the process of racking and getting psyched. This pitch is one of the many on the route that if it was a single pitch route on its own it would be an absolute classic. We both floated up this pitch which set the tone for the rest of the route which basically meant lots of monkey calls and laughter.

Dan the p2 crux

The crux pitch which i don't have pictures of was great and one of the best pitches on the route. I went into this pitch with no expectations.I thought, "If I could hang once that would be great, if i had to french free it then whatever, atleast this could be a good goal to train for". As I set out on the corner I plugged my big fingers into the crack and took off. Before I knew it I was almost to the top of the corner! After plugging a green c3 about 3/4's of the way up and pulling as hard as I could on what skin i could get in the crack I was through the crux. Some wider climbing follows the corner and puts you at the belay, below the 5.11 roof. As I clipped the chains I let out a monkey call and new it was game on, I thought to myself "Wow, maybe you have a chance at onsighting this". The roof however might as well have been the crux. I blasted up the first 20 feet till I was at a stemming stance at the roof. Here I stood for ten minutes and thought, "which pod do i put my fingers in? Right foot on that terrible smear? no that can't be right." Finally I just committed to it, pulling on a less than great hold and rocked my body onto some kinda of sandy ripple. I watch as the sandy ripple held and  started working my way up some sloppy linebacking, with all my heart I pulled as hard as I could. As I was midway through the crux of the roof I started to barn door far above my last piece, "oh gosh, don't fall, this is really going to hurt if you fall. why didn't you place another piece?". Some how all of this seems to go through your head in a matter of a second. Pulling it together I tighter my core and pulled over the roof. However, once you pull the crux there's still 70 ft of not easy 5.11 corner climbing to be had. The whole time on this pitch you think its going to let up but nope, it isn't  over till you clip the chains!

Dan following P3

 The rest of the pitches were good but not as memorable. So heres a brief over look at the rest of the route. Pitch four is an awesome handcrack that took about five minutes to dispatch. Pitch five is a fun off width that will makes sure not to let up till your at the chains. However, the monkey finger crack out to the left looks amazing. If i was to do this again I would most definitely take the monkey finger crack. 

P4

P5

Dan Following P5.

Dan atop the slab pitch

The slab pitch

Top out!

Setting up the first rap. 

Stopped at Kolob on the way home

Once above the o.w we took a minute and ate some lunch before finishing the last three pitches. The 5.11 slab wasn't bad at all however the last pitch was full adventure. I found the last pitch to be amazing, scary, and dirty. At only 10+ the final pitch packs a punch with terribly sandy rock, hard stemming, and run outs on questionable gear. After the top out we rapped and were back on the ground around 3. Thanks to Dan who was the man and offered to follow, carry the extra rack, and climb with the food and water! Your the man! 

Rack: (1) #, (2) #4, (2) #3, (2) #2, (3) #1, (3) .75, (3) .5, (3) .4 (3) .3, Double set of c3's and 70m rope. 

Zion, Snow, and Walls

Get Up: It's 4:30 pm on a Thursday and I'm three final deep so far. Just one more final i tell myself then its off to the desert where i can find myself and climb hard. Ok, maybe not that but i was psyched to get to the desert and run around the walls in Zion. Fast forward 11 hours, its 3:30 am and dark outside. Should i fall back asleep? "No, get your butt out of bed and get psyched!" I tell myself. I toss the bags in the car and I'm off. A little snow here and a little snow there and then all of the sudden I'm passing through cedar city and my car says its negative eleven degrees outside. Oh, well whats a little suffering? But as I pull into Springdale I get that sinking feeling in my stomach. You know the "Oh crap I forgot something" feeling. I left my ATC and Cinch in Salt Lake. After quick stop at the shop in town I grab an act and meet up with dan at the trail head. While spending a lot of time in this beautiful place i really haven't done any long free climbs. Most if not all of my time in the park has been spent walling, this day however was dedicated to free climbing on some beautiful sand stone. At half past nine we started up the approach to the Three Marrys. The route we decided on was the Immaculate Conception (5.10 6 pitches) on the right marry. In short it was a beautiful line with a snowy decent.

After the route we got this beautiful splitter at the base about 50 yards from the start of our route. It absolutely beautiful and added for an amazing way to end the day. 

Fixing Day: Now skip ahead to Sunday, its cold and it cloudy out with a high in the upper 30's low 40's. However, this doesn't matter because there is no more finals and i have two friends who are psyched to climb their first wall. My friend Jordan and Cal called me up about a month ago and were psyched to try wall climbing. Their psyche had be psyched which made this weather feel not that bad. As we walked up to the base of touchstone Jordan who has never placed a single piece of trad gear before was down to lead the first aid pitch. He killed it, well all up until half way up the pitch when a piece popped an he took a 50 footer! Most people this would kill there psyche and want lowered after, Jordan is the opposite though. This just got him pumped up and he finished this pitch up no problem. The rest of the day went no problem and we fixed to pitch three then retreated to cragging at the base! 

Summit Day: I wish i could say we had an epic but the guys cruised the route and we're psyched the whole day. The highlight of the day for me was hopping on  and on sighting a route put up by Randy Leavitt called the Intruder (.11+). Other than that I'll let the pictures do the talking.