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Location: UT : Moab Area : Long Canyon
By: Mark Michaels When: Mar 24, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Road condition update: 3/22/09 - Road is in good shape, passable to anything with 4 wheel drive (we saw a Subaru and Ford Escape). Also, there is NO CAMPING in Long Canyon. If you want to climb at Maverick Buttress, you can camp on top of the mesa above Long Canyon for free. Maps at BLM.gov show you must be a mile from the "main" roads in the area unless in a "designated site", but there aren't any of those, so camp a mile from the road, and stay away from the oil rigs.
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Location: UT : Moab Area : Long Canyon : Maverick Buttress : Texas Two Step (5.10)
By: Mark Michaels When: Mar 23, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Fun, interesting climb...that starts thin hands (#1 camalot) and widens to hands...and then fists (take the #4 camalot). It does offer a nice rest where it changes corners, so I would call it 10a, but I was following on TR. Certainly not harder than 10b.
A good climb if you don't have more than 3 cams of a given size.
NOTE: I replaced the anchor slings on 3/22/09. New slings and 3 oval biners. HOWEVER: the 2 bolts are slightly old 3/8", with loose hangers, a third bolt woul... more >>
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Location: UT : Moab Area : Long Canyon : Maverick Buttress : Hot Toddy (5.10b)
By: Mark Michaels When: Mar 23, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: After a couple days with the spring break crowds on Wall Street, we escaped to Maverick Buttress for our last day.
I got on this yesterday, and backed off with my tail between my legs. In my excitement to get on it, I didn't eyeball it thoroughly from the ground. I expected to be able to place several #2 camalots. Once I got on it, and pulled the start, I discovered it was gonna be 65 feet of #3 camalots...and I only had 3. I don't have the best eye for guessing size, and perha... more >>
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Location: UT : Wasatch Range : Wasatch Alpine Areas : Photo
By: Mark Michaels When: Jan 29, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: That N/NW faces off Superior look pretty solid...I remember thinking when I was up there...I wonder when Jimmy Garrett will get around to that...maybe he already has?
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Location: Mark Michaels : Indian Creek : Photo
By: Mark Michaels When: Jan 20, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Red Rocks, NV not Indian Creek. Screen Saver sized. :-)
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Location: Tea : AVATARDS : Photo
By: Mark Michaels When: Jan 20, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: How about a Fresca??!!
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Location: UT : Wasatch Range : Little Cottonwood Canyon : Kermits Wall and Perhaps Ar... : Gordon's Hangover, Original... (5.9+) : Photo
By: Mark Michaels When: Jan 15, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Vicente Planelles on lead.
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Location: UT : Moab Area : Indian Creek : Photo
By: Mark Michaels When: Nov 29, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: NICE scopion! Shoo! Nice scorpion!
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Location: UT : West Desert
By: Mark Michaels When: Nov 29, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: The amount of climbable rock in this vicinity is mind blowing. There is another canyon like Sawtooth a few miles north in the House Range which looks to contain several BIG domes/crags.
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Location: UT : Wasatch Range : Big Cottonwood Canyon : Storm Mountain Picnic Area : Reservoir Ridge : ... : Photo
By: Mark Michaels When: Jun 8, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Good hi res photo. Need more locator shots like this for some obscure routes.
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Location: UT : Wasatch Range : Big Cottonwood Canyon : Glass Ocean and Environs : High Dive (5.9+)
By: Mark Michaels When: Jun 8, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: One of my favorites in Big Cottonwood, must do every year.
I prefer to start on Glass Ocean and then meander left to the anchor on NW passage. The orignal route's pins are scary, with little other option for gear...worth doing once for the experience, but the second pitch is what all the fuss is about.
The second pitch gear is not bad, I'd say PG, or perhaps PG-13 at worst. Bring your TCUs and a set of small stoppers and you'll be fine. It will feel harder if you wander TOO far left at t... more >>
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Location: International : Canada : British Columbia : The Bugaboos : Howser Towers : ... : Photo
By: Mark Michaels When: May 26, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Good on ya Fred and Yvon.
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Location: International : Canada : British Columbia : The Bugaboos : Howser Towers : ... : Photo
By: Mark Michaels When: May 26, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: That's what I'm talkin' bout, right there. MMMmm hmmm.
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Location: International : Canada : British Columbia : The Bugaboos : Photo
By: Mark Michaels When: May 26, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Perhaps you could spray something on the tires and underside of the car that would repel the quilly little fuckers. Ammonia? WD-40? I think the government of Canada should solve this problem. They owe it to us Americans! I don't know why...but they do!
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Location: International : Canada : British Columbia : The Bugaboos : Photo
By: Mark Michaels When: May 26, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Where all da white women at? Sausage, anyone?
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Location: ID : The Sawtooth Range : Photo
By: Mark Michaels When: May 26, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: That there's purty right there, I don't care who ya are.
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Notchtop : Photo
By: Mark Michaels When: Oct 30, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: Look at the bones!!!! Run away!!!!!
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Location: Dyneema sling failure under...
By: Mark Michaels When: Oct 30, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: I would suspect sabotage. Looks like a razor cut. A thin slice with a razor blade just below the girth hitch could be difficult to spot...especially if one was looking for frayed, fuzzy "rodent" damage.
Reports of dyneema "snapping" under a .5 factor fall are rather alarming. Use your gear wisely....clip anchors with your rope, not a static sling. Don't leave anchors/fixed rope where it is possible for some idiot to mess with them.
Glad no one was killed!
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Location: UT : Wasatch Range : Little Cottonwood Canyon : The Egg : Lowe Blow (5.9+)
By: Mark Michaels When: Oct 28, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: Agree with Troy. Nothing bigger than a 3 camalot is required...placements in deep are sufficient.
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Location: UT : Moab Area : Castle Valley : Castleton Tower : Photo
By: Mark Michaels When: Oct 28, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: Scatter my ashes from the top, please.
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Location: UT : Moab Area : Castle Valley : Castleton Tower : Photo
By: Mark Michaels When: Oct 28, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: Wasn't that a spectacular day to be on the tower!!??? And with the soaking we got the next day...perfect timing! We finished the N. Chimney around 3 - 4....what'd you guys do? When you took this photo, we were at least halfway down the cone! Did you enjoy the hike down by headlamp? Still...to be up there at sunset musta been special!
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Location: UT : Moab Area : Castle Valley : Castleton Tower : Kor-Ingalls Route (5.9)
By: Mark Michaels When: Oct 16, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: I concur with others that say large gear is dead weight on this one. I #4 camalot might work on the 2nd pitch, but I recall sewing it up with smaller gear. There is adequate protection in the 3rd pitch chimney, including a small cam or medium nut in the very back just below the top. Miss that last placement and you'll be trembling on the awkward, exposed finish. I thought there was more dirt and loose rock by far on the N. Chimney.
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Location: UT : Moab Area : Castle Valley : Castleton Tower : North Chimney (5.8) : Photo
By: Mark Michaels When: Oct 16, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: You've gotta be really careful not to knock any of that choss back down the chimney! Watch your rope too! Maybe a service project to clean that choss off there would be a good idea? That and replacing the anchor at the end of pitch 2 of the N. Chimney!
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Location: UT : Moab Area : Castle Valley : Castleton Tower : North Chimney (5.8)
By: Mark Michaels When: Oct 16, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: Did the N. Chimney on 10/13/06. The first pitch is excellent, though the crux is probably among the hardest "5.8" moves I've encountered. The 2nd pitch OW isn't too bad, but the bolt "protecting" the OW is a 1/4 inch starhead drive in, half way out and bent! I was glad to have a #4 Camalot...a second #4 or a #4.5-5 Camalot (older style Camalot sizes...not C4) could be placed on this pitch if OW scares you. Be prepared to backup the "anchor" atop pitch 2. It consists of 2 m... more >>
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Glacier Gorge : Spearhead : Photo
By: Mark Michaels When: Oct 7, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: Sweet shot....tiny climber...big rock. I gotta get back up there!
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