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Location: Dirty Gri Gri, or is it GiG... : Good for the soul : Photo
By: Andy Laakmann When: Nov 23, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Um, what's with all the SUV trails? Closet off-road maniacs?
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Location: AZ : Sedona : Lost Canyon : Shangri-La (5.12+) : Photo
By: Andy Laakmann When: Nov 18, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: You just a need a #5 camalot in there to round things out ;) Nice job!
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Location: CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Real Hidden Valley : Houser Buttress Area : Hidden Arch (5.11d) : Photo
By: Andy Laakmann When: Nov 17, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Um, what's with the dude in yellow overalls?
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Shirt Tail Peak : Gambit (5.8) : Photo
By: Andy Laakmann When: Nov 15, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Holy crap! That is hardcore.
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Location: UT : Zion National Park : Emerald Pools : Cracking the Emerald (5.10 C1+)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Nov 14, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: WOW - this looks great. Kudos guys.
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Location: UT : Moab Area : Fisher Towers : Kingfisher : Colorado Northeast Ridge (5.8 C2) : Photo
By: Andy Laakmann When: Oct 27, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I was still scared occasionally.
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Icebox Canyon : Refrigerator Wall : La Cierta Edad (5.10d)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Oct 17, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Fabulous and well protected route. My favorite route of our current trip. I didn't love the raps though.....
Approach - A fairly good trail takes off to the left about 100' up the wash once the main trail hits the wash. When you hit the pillar, wander left and up to the starting ledge.
P1 (5.8) - Mostly great rock up past four bolts and some gear. Bomber anchor bolts. 130'
P2 (5.9+) - Chimney up past one bolt and some gear... and then chimney out and up over the roof. Awesome climbing! ... more >>
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Black Velvet Canyon : Black Velvet Wall : Refried Brains (5.9)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Oct 16, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Good route. Not on par, IMO, with its neighbors... but absolutely worth doing. I didn't think P4 (as George describes it above and in the new Handren guide), was worth doing... but P1-P3 are cool.
P1 (5.8+) 150 feet - Great technical crack/face climbing. Very good rock. One bolt towards the beginning and then bomber anchor bolts.
P2 (5.8+) 170 feet - I was a bit confused, as I traversed all the way left into the corner.. only to quickly realize it was wrong. Head up the broken face slightly... more >>
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Pine Creek Canyon : Mescalito : The Walker Spur (5.10b/c R)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Oct 15, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Engaging and fun climb. We did the first two pitches and rapped Pine Nuts.
P1 (10b) - Not a whole lot of good gear until the bolt, but the climbing is easy. There is OK gear available prior to clipping the bolt, which is good as it is a reachy clip. The crux is right at the pin (10' past the bolt)... which doesn't inspire alot of confidence - particularly with the ledge fall potential. Someone taller than I could place a nut above the pin, but I couldn't reach it! Off the ledge the climbi... more >>
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Black Velvet Canyon : Whiskey Peak : Amber (5.10)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Oct 14, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Worthy climb! P1 is the sweet finger crack of WF. P2 is fabulous and very well protected. It felt 10a to me (I thought both cruxes of Wholesome Fullback were harder), but YMMV. I got inside the chimney... well protected and good fun. Not sure why the bolt is there... perhaps for laybackers? P3 is fun 5.8 with decent rock and is worth doing. I won't be repeating P4. The rock is scary (I had a foothold break on me while pulling the roof.... eeeeeks!) and there are only a few good moves. Mor... more >>
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Black Velvet Canyon : Black Velvet Wall : Yellow Brick Road (5.10b)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Oct 12, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Did Gobbler and linked it with Yellow Brick Road and DoWT. After doing the "reverse traverse" on DoWT, we built an anchor by the plaque where DoWT and Yellow Brick Road split. P1 of Yellow Brick Road is sweet. Very sustained and fun climbing. P2 of YBR was significantly easier.
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Black Velvet Canyon : Black Velvet Wall : The Gobbler (5.10-)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Oct 12, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Linked Gobbler into the Yellow Brick Road and then DoWT. From the ledge atop the Gobbler (top of P3 of DoWT), we did the "reverse traverse" and built an anchor where DoWT and Yellow Brick Road diverge. Anchor was one bomber bolt, bomber small nut, and some other not-so-bomber pieces. Then the two pitches up YBR and then two pitches of DoWT. It was fun and something different, and a nice option when you want to continue up and there is a party in your way on DoWT.
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Black Velvet Canyon : Black Velvet Wall : Sour Mash (5.10a)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Oct 5, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Repeated this route after a decade, and it remains my favorite on the wall. I brought the #3 camalot and placed it twice... including at the top of the long 5.9 pitch. The protection is generally excellent... the only caveat being the opening 5.8+ move. I managed to get a good HB offset, but it took some playing around and normal nuts didn't work so well. Perhaps a purple C3 would have worked, but I didn't have one. The long 5.9 pitch is the best on the route IMO. The gear is excellen... more >>
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Icebox Canyon : Sunnyside Crags : Cold September Corner (5.8)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Oct 4, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Super fun. The roof was cool.. #4 and #3.5 camalot sewed it up, and I ended up chimneying across facing left. Good times! 60m rope just makes it.
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Icebox Canyon : Sunnyside Crags : Mister Masters (5.9+)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Oct 4, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Excellent climb! Juggy thuggery on the bottom.... delicate and thoughtful up top. Plenty of protection up top that appears right when you need it (HB offsets went in perfectly). No move is very hard, but hanging out the place gear guarantees a 10- pump.
Be sure to find the best protection possible before starting the traverse to protect your second below.
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Location: International : Canada : British Columbia : Squamish : The Chief : ... : Snake (5.9)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Aug 7, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Great route - but expect lots of low-angle liebacking (big surprise for the Apron!)
P1 - Long pitch, 55m, up the corner and then out the dike to the bolted anchor. You can't really protect the dike traverse (you'd hit the slab below with all the rope stretch), but it isn't terribly hard if you find the right feet.
P2 - Traverse left. I did the lower slab option, and found it engaging considering your protection is 30' to your right. After finishing the traverse, you can protect your second... more >>
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Location: International : Canada : British Columbia : Squamish : The Papoose
By: Andy Laakmann When: Aug 4, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: A well worn (and marked) descent path heads climber's left from the top. It eventually hits the road where you began the hike to the wall, and you can follow that back to your packs.
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Location: International : Canada : British Columbia : Squamish : The Papoose : Mushroom (5.9)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Aug 4, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Great climbing!
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Location: International : Canada : British Columbia : Squamish : The Papoose : Hairpin (5.10a)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Aug 4, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Um, the upper pitches are much harder than 10a when you accidentally do the 10d variation! The Mclane Guide doesn't document the 10d variation very well, so I suspect many climbers unintentionally do it like we did.
That being said, the 10d finishing pitches are awesome and well protected. One bolt is missing a hanger, but the climbing isn't hard there and it is easy to sling a nut on it.
P1 - Fun 5.8 traverse. Don't F the second!
P2 - Awesome series of cracks separated by good ledges trendi... more >>
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Location: International : Canada : British Columbia : Squamish : The Chief : ... : The Squamish Buttress (5.10c)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Aug 3, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: The crux pitch is outstanding, and worth the all the scrambling to do it once. The crux pitch seemed heavy on the small cam/nut size to me. I placed a full set of C3s on the pitch in various locations. The crux doesn't climb like your typical Squamish fingercrack.... lots of body english and other fun stuff keep it interesting
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Location: International : Canada : British Columbia : Squamish : The Smoke Bluffs : ... : Mosquito (5.8)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Aug 2, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: This click rocks. Maximum fun for a 5.8.
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Location: International : Canada : British Columbia : Squamish : The Smoke Bluffs : ... : Centre Street (5.10c)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Aug 2, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: We did this in two pitches, which I would do again. A fall from the crux with 35m of rope out might drop you onto a ledge.
P1 really fun, maybe 10a or so. Expect a section where the gear gets fiddly.
P2 is short but stout. The moves aren't hard, but hanging out and placing gear will definotely get you going.
A great route!
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Location: International : Canada : British Columbia : Squamish : The Chief : ... : Golden Labs (5.9+)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Jul 31, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Worthy pitch. Starts as #3 camalots and ends as purple/green camalots.
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Location: International : Canada : British Columbia : Squamish : The Chief : ... : Xenolith Dance (5.10c)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Jul 31, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Very sustained and thought provoking for the grade.
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Location: International : Canada : British Columbia : Squamish : The Chief : ... : Rainy Day Dream Away (5.10c)
By: Andy Laakmann When: Jul 31, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: This thing is rad.... and cool and shady, a bonus when it is 95 degrees out. I placed some #3 camalots and #2 camalots on the bottom, and then the business goes from green camalot down to tight fingers. Great stuff! A 60m rope works fine for lowering from the chains. Just tie knots to be sure.
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