Pine Creek Canyon

I met up with Dave again for a nice weekend of climbing near Bishop. Dave is a very psyched Med student who is doing rotations in Bakersfield. I had met up with him a few weeks earlier for some climbing in Kernville, we got along well, so decided to venture onto some larger climbs.

We originally planned to go into the Needles, but the road was still closed, so we ended up going to Pine Creek Canyon, an area I have yet to explore.

Sierra Eastside - always lovely.

 We drove up to Bishop Friday night, and found ourselves a nice BLM site to camp at Horton creek

Camping

 On our first day we went into PSOM slab, which has a collection of moderate multi-pitch routes. 

PSOM slab

 First up was PBR street gang, a 5 pitch 5.9. Dave was psyched, so he led the whole think. The climb was mostly easy with a short very fun 5.9 section. Good times!

Dave through the crux

 We were the first at the crag that morning, but once we were a few pitches up lots of people arrived. The combination of well protected climbing, multi-pitch and lots of moderates certainly brought out the crowds! Luckily we avoided the shit show, and were rapping down by the time the shit show was moving up. 

The PSOM shit-show

We took a short break, and then started up my objective for the day, The John Fisher Memorial route, a 7 pitch 5.10c.  It was my turn for the lead, and I led the entire 700 foot route. It was very nice, every pitch as 5.10 and the crux was an excellent finger crack. Very fun, and very well protected, so not very stressful.

Me on the sharp end

 

Hi Dave!

 We topped out around 5 PM, savored the views of the canyon, and then started the 7 rappels back to the ground.

View from up on the PSOM slab

 The next day we went to the even more busy Pratt's Crack area. This is the main event for Pine Creek Canyon, and I can see why, the climbing there is world class.

Pratt's Crack is the giant crack splitting the dihedral

Dave was dying to climb Pratt's Crack, a 165' off-width. So he grabbed the # Merlin cam and had at it!

#8!

 Dave pushed the #8 up the whole way, did a great job. Its a committing and full body climb. Good work Dave!

Dave fighting his way up Pratt's crack

 Afterwards I took caught some air on some sport climbs on the Moustache wall, and then we had to begin the long drive back to the Western slopes. Great weekend, I'm looking forward to climbing again with Dave, and climbing at Pine creek again some time!

 

Indian Creek

Ever since seeing Return2sender way back in 2005, I have wanted to climb and visit the famous crack climbing paradise of Indian Creek. This year with Spring Break being so late in the year, I finally made it out there!

Welcome to crack climbing paradise

I loaded up the Subaru and drove the 1000+ miles and 13 hour drive to Moab, Utah. There I met up with my brother and we headed into the Indian Creek Canyon.

Indian Creek

It's a popular spot, so there was no camping free at all when we arrived. We strategically parked our twin Subarus in the bathroom parking lot and set up "camp".

"camp"

Kyle navigates the BLM land map

We cracked some beers, chatted with some other climbers here and there, and watched the desert sunset over the two six shooters.

Sunset over the six shooters 

The next day we headed out for out first day of climbing. We avoided the very crowded Supercrack buttress and instead went to a quiet crag the "Blue Gramma" cliff. 

Looking our from Blue Gramma

We found a wide variety of enjoyable crack routes at the crag. We started on a pretty pumpy 5.10+ then moved onto a enjoyable 5.10b finger crack. I found the climbing difficult, and sustained!

5.10+

Feeling pretty good, I tried to on-sight a steep fingers to fists 5.10c/d crack. Things started off ok, but quickly deteriorated... 

Me - leading the finger to fists 5.10 corner

I was completely gassed by the final 10 feet of the climb, and basically got stuck at an off-width section. Fear, adrenaline, resulted in a mini-meltdown!

Melt-down!

Thankfully Kyle took over the lead and finished the climb for me. Whew! We finished the day on a nice solid 5.9 hand crack. A great solid first day at the creek. 

Packing-up

On day 2, we headed into the back of the canyon to climb at "Way Rambo". While up there we ran into the legendary Jim Donini. Pretty cool, the guy is still out crushing and climbing at the age of 80. He gave us the beta and we started up "Monk". 

Way Rambo Cliff in the back of the canyon

Climber on "Way Rambo (5.12)"

We climbed a bunch of nice 5.10 routes up in the area, and then headed back to "camp" around dinner time.

Back at camp, bracketed by the ubiquitous Sprinter vans.

 

Break time

The following day we needed a rest day, and the weather was starting to turn south, so we headed into Moab for the day to call Mom for her birthday and explore Arches National Park. 

Just outside Moab, while wishing our Mom a Happy Birthday we parked outside of what looked like a mine. Kyle noticed the very conspicuous radioactive contamination sign!

 

Uranium mine tailing clean up

 




Turns out the site is a massive uranium mine tailing site, which is being decontaminated. 

We then headed into Arches, which was a cool, but very crowded park, typical of America's national parks. 

Arches National Park

Cool

Woohoo! Arch!

That's a big arch!

The next day there was a bit of rain, so in the morning we explored Canyonlands National park and the many amazing petroglyphs scattered on the cliffs around Indian Creek.

Kyle looks over the greater Canyonlands

The signs of those who came before

Later, the sun came out and we got on some more great crack climbs!

Sun's out -- crack time

Cool route!

 

Generic crack!

We had a couple more full days of climbing before having to head back home. As always, it was great to climb with my brother and very cool to explore Indian creek. I got my butt spanked, but it was a great time!

Bye Indian Creek!

A day in the Red River Gorge

When I got an invitation to attend a NIH grant writing workshop at the University of Kentucky in Lexington-- I thought to myself, isn't that near the RED? Sure enough, its only an hour drive away.

I managed to fly in a day early so I could check out the climbing. I kept my fingers crossed for good weather. When I arrived on Saturday, it was a level-9 rainstorm, but Sunday was beautiful, sunny and warm. Some of the routes were wet, but I got a good day of climbing. 

Things were occasionally desperate on lead!

Wet rock -- that route is a 5.14c put up by JStar.

 I met up with a couple local guys from Louisville and they showed me around. Super friendly and chill guys. The rock as steep and required some powerful climbing. I was tired from flying, and eating crap food for the past while so I can't day I performed my finest, but it was fun.

One of my guides for the day - Juffrey- nice guy, good climber!

I found the climbing quite stiff, and very pumpy. I hung a fair amount on mid 5.10s, but still had a great time. I think a few days climbing that stuff and I would start to feel at home. I can also see how this area would produce really strong climbers. The routes are long and require both power and endurance.

Some kids on a 5.11b - look how steep up there!

Me on-sighting some steep 5.10

I would love to come back some time, bay for 10-12 days, that way I could actually redpoint and send some things! Maybe one of these years~

Winter cragging

California has has a very WET winter! Great for the mountains, the reservoirs and the skiers, less good for the rock jocks. The bad weather has meant a bit more gym time than I am used to, but it has probably been a net positive for my climbing. I've pushed through some important mental barriers in the past month.

In the gym, I am routinely sending 5.12 now, which has been historically been very difficult for me. I have also had a lot of "air time" taking  many falls on lead in the gym. This has translated to greater comfort leading outside, and has let me push my limits sport and trad climbing.

Despite the unusually wet and cold weather we have had for the past 5 weeks, I have managed to get in a fair amount of climbing, although I have had to drive far and wide for it!

We have made a few trips to Barstow, I sent several 5.11s, which again has been historically a mental barrier for me. Michelle Johsnon has become an enthusiastic climbing partner, I find her interest in hard sport climbing has been a good motivator for me to try hard.

Michelle takes the sharp-end at Barstow

Me leading at the Bighorn buttress

We took three trips to Barstow since January, despite chilly temps,each trip was quite good. I had a few fantastic moments where I got into the zone, entering a flow state and on-sighting some difficult (for me) climbs. 

New Jack City - Sport climbing in the high desert near Barstow

 

Onsight!

I have also spend a fair amount of time up at Danland. Dan and crew put up a new crag with some very fun overhanging cracks. 

Danland!

 At Danland I met up with a climber from So-cal, and I brought my aiders out of retirement, which was quite fun. Maybe I'll even get back into wall climbing....

Toby getting the aiders out

 

Climbing the nose at Squirrel Creek. If only the real nose were so easy!

Also to the list of winter cragging was a trip out to Kernville to climb at New Directions. Despite sub-freezing temps, and a bit of snowfall, the nice West facing sunny crag gave us a nice day of climbing.

Penny came long for the ride

 

Getting ready to climb

Not so impressed with the snow fall....

The next few weeks are busy for me, conferences and workshops. Hopefully the weather will be good by mid-March and I can get back to the rocks!

Sunset at Danland