Shark Fin

Here is what the steepest tower in the utah desert looks like.
Be sure to bring a helmet, bring your A-game and a little luck to be sure that all the holds stay on the wall as you attempt to free it! This is pitch 2 on the climb and its full of solution pockets, horizontal and vertical cracks and loose rock (but not that much, I cleaned most of it off). It's nice and pumpy and exposed as you can see. Andrew Burr photograph.
This is one of my favorite photos. On the last pitch crux of the route. One old pin out a roof between you and the anchor. Totem Pole off in the distance of Monument Valley and an eerie feeling like you are hanging off a cliff on Mars. Andrew Burr photograph.

http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/deserts_steepest_tower_goes_free/

More Norway Climbing Photos

Seaside climbing with beautiful views of the coast and sailboats.

We got rained out of the bigwall climbing on only two days, but the sport cragging was steep and well protected and just a short hike from the shore. I think it is around 2 am right now! Here Mike Brumbaugh gets it done on an unknown route.

The fish are dried on these racks and then shipped to places like Italy or South America. There was an awefull stink around while walking under these old wooded racks. I considered campusing the old wood but feared the smell of dead fish would never leave my hands!

A dried Cod from Norway. My hand for scale.

Each day the weather was good, we'd wake up from camp on the beach (whenever) and then climb as long as we wanted because there was never any darkness. Approaches were generally very short and well marked and the climbing was vertical to slabby granite crack with great gear and comfy belays.

Green River Time

green river towers (we climbed the 4 to the right)/(it looks like there is only on more on the left)

canoe parking in the tamarask trees!

Orin getting on his new route First Kiss 5.12-

base camp (just a few feet from the river)

I spent the last week away from my wife and on the Green River with some climbing friends: Andy, Pete and Orin. It was our hope to climb some desert sandstone towers, canoe, camp and climb some more. All in all it was a great trip with many great memories forged through our expereinces on and off the rock.

As luck would have it we discovered a few crags with perfect sandstone and wildly unique cracks. In all, we established seven new free climbs and equipped them with anchors. We also got the first free ascent of one of the green river towers by free climbing an old aid section.

I am sure that we all will remember the tents getting crushed and nearly blown into the green river by the wicked cold front. Andy demonstrating what a california butt fish swam like. The mouse that had died and been preserved in some old uranium mining equipment inspiring the name of a new route "mouse in a tractor". The old barrel that Andy tossed into the green. The chef boy r dee night of terror. The sand storm during dinner, making those bean burritos just a bit crunchy. More offwidth climbing then we could have possibly imagined. Deserted desert tower summits. Replacing tat at anchors, huge racks of big cams, falling rocks, 150 foot pitches and more. Night jugging, night canoeing, Orins first new route. And of course, lots of trundling (or for those who don't know, rolling giant boulders down the hillside until they explode in a pile of dust). Enjoy the pictures...

A Gentlemans Agreement

Early in 2009, I made the first free ascent of an aid line in Zion called Gentlemans Agreement. This is the crux pitch, it goes at 5.13 something. I was lucky to have Keith Ladzinski take some cool photos (check out his site http://ladzinski.com/). Yes this is a tips finger crack dihedral. I actually pulled my back out liebacking this section!

You did what?

Some shallow water bouldering! Jason tearing it up.

Jason and Nelson getting ready to tango on the sandbar.

Me aiding the first pitch.

Carrying some gear from the boat to the route.

Our pile of goodies.

Nelson and Jason filling up the kayak, with Steamboat rock in the background.

Our tent site along the river.

Well this weekend was a busy one that wore me out!

It began with driving nearly 7 hours after work to the upper left hand corner of Colorado to a place called Dinosaur National Monument. We were heading to Steamboat Rock which lies at the confluence of the Yampa and Green rivers and stands a few hundred foot tall. Layton Kor climbed the plum line up the sandstone wall and I was out to free the first aid pitch (hope to free at least). I traveled with Nelson and Jason, both of whom were up for an adventure.

One of the difficulties was the fact that we had to cross the river without getting our gear wet, so we borrowed an infaltable kayak and paddled across. Since none of us are very expereinced on the river it was nice to see that all the water was flat and there were no rapids downstream to wreck our day.

So we arrived late at night and slept in a traquil site along the river under some huge trees. There was a light breeze and thousands of stars in view. As we faded into our slumber, it was easy to count the shooting stars burning up in the atmosphere above because every August is a great time to see space junk getting caught in Earth's gravity.

In the morning, we filled up the boat and crossed the easy flowing 200 ft wide river. Jason and I crossed with the gear and I went back to get Nelson and the camera gear.

On this climb I began aiding up the thin and sometimes nonexistant crack with my rock hammer, pins and knife blades. Each placement getting me a bit higher on the route. It was the first time that I had ever led a hammering pitch and it was kinda cool. I eventually reached the top of the pitch and set a top rope in order to practice the free movements of the route. Unfortunately, Jason and I had good success at the bottom of the pitch, but found that there was not enough features in the sandy dihedral to free climb to the top. I knew that there was a chance that the route would be impossible and I hoped that it wouldn't be but not ever climbing trip is perfect. It was successful in that I learned how to keep gear dry on the river and perform river crossings and that I enjoyed the experience. I look forward to my next river/climbing trip in September in Utah.

After we retreived our gear from the route it was time to swim and have some fun in the river because we were getting crushed by the heat of the sun.

jane in training

One of the first pieces of art we saw this year (2009) at the Sweden/Norway border. Unfortunately it was made of styrofoam so we couldnt complete a free ascent!

Jane icing after after a 16 mile run. She really isn't cold, she is just pretending... NOT! And, yes she is wearing her bathing suit. : ) Notice the Ice cubes in the tub.

This is the reindeer that we nearly collided with head on shortly after we got into the rental van in northern Sweden. I kept looking for Santa Claus to tell him that his animals were trippin. Flat to rolling terrain and lots of water equalled the most perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes! We were a bit nervous about not seeing any giant rock walls but that worry was soon taken care of. (more photos and stories to come)

Fast Times

Andy Burr and I somewhere on the Steitend, Norway!

Mike on "good evans", Mt Evans

Mike crying for his mommy at Mt. Evans.

Piz at the top of the wall before the rappells.

Mike in full pose down looking into the abyss below.

Finally the weather has been a bit more stable around the Denver area.
I was able to get out and climb on the Black Wall on Mt Evans at 13500ft.
"Denver" Mike (as I refer to him) met at 5am to get an early start on his first time on the alpine rock climbing wall. Not really a big wall because it only yields 3 pitch routes, but a real alpine experience none-the-less. When we exited the truck at about 6am the winds were blowing as the sun was barely rising above the eastern ridges. We waited a few minutes because Mike forgot to bring warm clothing. When we began, the wind was ripping. Our first steps were easy as the terrain to the climb is flat, but a few minutes later we were quickly gaining altitude and feeling the affects of less oxygen. Thirty minutes later, we stood at the edge of the wall and were getting ready to rap into the route. It's nice because the hike will make you breath hard but not actually wear your out. Typically alpine route approaches will destroy you before you even get to climb, not at Mt Evans.

On Sunday, I took the time to check out a sport climbing area that I hadn't ever visited called the Monestary. It lies just west of Loveland, Colorado at about 8500ft in elevation.

The schist and granite that makes up the area climbs like the Black Hills in South Dakota and like super smooth and crimpy, blank granite slabs. While attempting to onsight routes you get to enjoy the view of Colorado's most famous climbing 14er Longs Peak. By the end of the day, I had climbed a great variety of routes from steep overhanging pumpfests to crimpy crystal pinching routes. I barely had any skin left on my fingertips and was already looking forward to next weekends adventures.

Enjoy the pictures!