Ten Climbs for 2009

In the Adirondacks (home area):

1. White Knight
2. Romano's Route
3. Freeride (at Wallface)
4. Fastest Gun

In the Sierras (going in August):

5. Third Pillar of Dana
6. Red Dihedral
7. Sun Ribbon Arete (or maybe Dark Star...)

Colorado (on the way home from the sierra):

8. Casual Route

Ice: (these might need to wait until early 2010...conditions dependent)

9. Power Play
10. Positive Thinking

1. Utar tower desert towers in moab
2. Vedauwoo
3. Tahquitz/Suicide
4. Needles California
5. Yosemite
6. Devils Tower
7. Red Rocks
8. Eldorado Canyon/Other stuff in Colorado
9. Smith Rocks
10. Hawaii

Rosy C, Eldo
Flying Buttress, RMNP
Sykes Sickle, RMNP
Casual Route, RMNP (reverse leads from last time)
Incredible Handcrack, IC
Numbered Flatirons In A Day, Boulder
All Mixed Up, RMNP
Alexander’s Chimney, RMNP
Rigid Designator, Vail
North Face, Grand Teton

Stretch goal: Grandmother’s Challenge, Eldo

Otto's Route - Colorado National Monument
Werk Supp - Eldorado Canyon
North Chimney - Castleton Tower
Beer Bong - Ten Sleep Canyon
Hooray For Boobies - Ten Sleep Canyon
Edward's Crack - Tongue River Canyon
Burning Daylight - Devils Tower
One Way Sunset - Devils Tower
Eyetooth - Cathedral Spires, SD
God's Own Drunk - Cathedral Spires, SD

So now that the year is pretty much over, how did everyone do?

I barely even touched my list. Not that it was a bad year of climbing... I made my first ever trip to Moab (and a return trip). Climbed some really wild stuff there including Ancient Art, which is one of my favorite routes anywhere. But last summer I was busy with an internship and didn't get a chance to tick all the high altitude rock I had planned for. Off my top 10 list...

California
The Red Dihedral
East Buttress of Whitney
NE Buttress of Higher Cathedral
DNB
Red Rock, Nevada
Cloud Tower
The Herbst/Hamilton Route
Rocky Mountains, Colorado
Pervertical Sanctuary
Syke’s Sickle
Wyoming
The Durrance Route
The Exum Ridge

...the only one I did was the NE Buttress of Higher Cathedral. Sweet climb. One of my favorites that I've done in the Valley. Cloud Tower and Rainbow Wall I had planned aiding when I put them on the list, but then I changed my mind and decided to just wait until I'm strong enough to have a chance at freeing them. Some of the stuff in the Sierras I couldn't find a partner for in the week or so I spent climbing around there, and I didn't even go to CO or WY this year.

But next year should be epic... I graduate in March so it'll just be climb, climb, climb... until I run out of money and have to get a job, haha.

Here was the list:

Jules Verne
The Evictor
The Wisdom
Doub-Griffith
Wunsch's Dihedral
D7
Scenic Cruise
Reg NW on Half dome (in a day)
The Nose, IAD
Astroman

I did everything but redpoint the Evictor, and didn't make it out to D7 or Scenic Cruise. I spent much of the year in Cali, so I missed out on summer season in Colorado.

Other climbs I was psyched on this year:
Mississippi Half Step
Hairstyles and Attitudes
The Rostrum
Tons of stuff in the Incredible Hulk (Venturi Effect was the best)
Romantic Warrior
The Grand Traverse

I guess I'll start thinking about the list for next year, it's gonna be tough to narrow it down to just ten...

-Scott

1. Ruper YES
2. The Green Spur YES
3. The Yellow Spur (reverse lead order this time) YES
4. Handcracker Direct NO
5. Chockstone YES
6. Spaceshot (Aid) NO
7. Touchstone Wall (Aid) NO
8. One of the shorter walls in Yosemite NO
9. Casual Route (Stretch) YES
10. Stairway to Heaven (I will have my revenge) NO

50%, but I win anyway.

Oh man...we need to make one of these threads for 2010. I'm super stoked for my first full year in Colorado!!!

Veritas
Gobot
Stained Glass
Evilution
Power of Landjager
Speed of Life
Midnight Lightning
Thriller
Beyond Life
Full Service.

Word.

1.Moonlight Buttress- Zion- Check 3-5/09
2.Bad Moki roof- Wallstreet, Moab
3.Gunky- Sinks canyon, Lander
4.Excuse abuse- Billings Rims
5.Easy street- Billings Rims- Check 3-22/09
6.Assembly line- Devils Tower
7.The good man- Devils Tower Check 5-29/09
8.Durrance route- DT
9.El Matador- DT Followed 5-30/09
10.any thing 5.11 trad... suggestions?

Meh, did ok. Should of gotten more done at the tower... Oh well there is always next year!

Kevin Stricker wrote:Last years list was epic, I only ticked 2 of 10. This year I am focusing on climbs less than 50 miles from my home, so hopefully I will save some gas and send more. Considering it is almost April I better get going! FFA of Spotlight Kid – Sunshine Wall, Cathedral Spires FFA of Wrinkle in Time – Sunshine Wall, Cathedral Spires FFA of Serpent’s Tongue – Brown Wall, Thunder Ridge Heart of Darkness - S. Platte Bishop Crack – S. Platte Shock Treatment - Big Rock Candy Mountain Reality Check – Thunder Ridge Brothers in Arms – S. Platte Bone Collector aka Bone Crusher – Quarry Wall Stuffed Wolf- Clear Creek

OK so this year was not a highlight in my climbing by any stretch of the imagination. I only sent 1 of 10 on my list(Bone Collector aka Bone Crusher
-2nd go), and got completely spanked on another(Shock Treatment-still needing therapy). I guess I know what my goals are for 2010.

Jeff G. wrote:1. Rainbow Wall, Regular Route - Red Rock Canyon 2. Drifting - Red Rock Canyon 3. Celestial Gate - RMNP 4. Ariana - The Diamond 5. All Two Obvious - Spearhead 6. Doub-Griffith - Eldo 7. NW Face of Halfdome IAD - Yosemite 8. Positive Vibrations - High Sierra 9. Bloodguard - Devils Tower 10. Astroman - Yos

I did 4 of my listed 10 but didn't "send" any of them. Drifting was amazing and I would like to go back and red point. Ariana was what you would expect for 5.12 on the Diamond. I don't think I'll red point that one anytime soon! I came very close to sending the crux of All Two Obvious, I will go back as many times as it takes for that one. Bloodguard is one of the best finger cracks I have ever been on. Really hard in the last 20ft. I had fun trying and that just means I have to have another go at the list this year.

My list for '09

1. Original Route, Rainbow Wall, Red Rocks.
2. The Flakes, Tahquitz.
3. The Green Arch, Tahquitz.
4. Valhalla, Suicide Rocks.
5. Third Pillar of Dana, Sierra; and really most any other classic climb here.
6. Levitation 29, Red Rocks.
7. Master of Reality, Stoney Point.
8. Run for your Life, JTree.
9. Paralleling, Big Green.
10+. All of the classic moderates at Tahquitz I haven't done (wow, this includes Whodunit AND the Open Book).

...and how it went:

Did:
The Flakes (Tahquitz), Valhalla (Suicide), Master of Reality (Stoney), Run for your Life (JTree) -- 40% success rate, onsighted half of those...(chest thump)
Did not attempt any of the others. 2010 will include Lev29 and The Green Arch, but I'll save the rest for the new thread.

I didn't do so hot on my list. The death of my father, lousy weather and the demands of fatherhood wrecked/rearranged much of my climbing goals.

Michael Schneiter wrote:My 2009 list looks something like this: Salathe Wall - El Cap in a fix and blast

Steck-Salathe - Sentinel No, but have plans for this summer again
Astroman No, but have plans for this summer again
Crack in the Cosmic Egg - Zion No, but getting plans put together for this spring
Atlantis - Black Yes
Prow - Yosemite - solo No
Moonlight - Zion - free No
Tricks of the Trade - Zion No, but have plans for February
Primrose Dihedrals - Moses No
Another new long free route in Glenwood Canyon Sort of, helped on a new route but can't really claim it as my own

Wow, that's a lot of No's. On a positive note, I did a bunch of stuff I wanted to do and this year has been a lot about being grateful for what I have. Every day is a blessing with my little one so I'm psyched for the many climbs I got to do while taking care of my new kiddo. And, with the sudden death of my father, I've been reminded about what's most important in life so while I'm psyched to have ticked certain climbs and completed certain goals, I've been most happy for the little climbs I did, like cragging with my little girl in tow and doing things like running and winning a race while pushing her in the stroller. It's the time with family and friends that have been the most rewarding.

Now, time for a list for 2010 and I think mine is mostly started from last year.

This was my 2008 list, became my 2009 when I ruptured a pulley and was out for about 8 months:

1. Traditions Whitesides, NC
2. Groover Laurel Knob, NC
3. Fathom Laurel Knob, NC
4. The Open Book Linville Gorge, NC
5. White Fang Big Lost Cove, NC

The only thing that went down was Groover at Laurel.Some favorites were upper exum,third pillar of Dana, and raptor's delight (NC).

1. New Dawn to WEML/Tribal Rite, El Cap YES, via Tribal Rite
2. South Seas to Pacific Ocean Wall, El Cap NO
3. Moratorium, YNP NO
4. Positive Vibes, Incredible Hulk,High SierraRed Dihedral Instead
5. Various Routes in the Winds- Didn´t Go
6. Harding Route, Mt. Conness, High Sierra NO
7. Fishhook Arete, Mt. Russell, High Sierra NO
8. Chiaro de Luna, Aguja St. Exupery, Argentine Patagonia January?
9. Bonnington Route, Central Tower of Paine, Chilean Patagonia Waiting for good weather, maybe by New Year´s?
10. Evolution Traverse, High Sierra Did Thunderbolt to Sill instead

Credibility Gap OS
Crescent Corner OS
The Ascension Did the Martyr instead, which was better anyways
Pearly Gates OS followed, but could have lead
Le Petit Grepon
Grand Giraffe I decided I don't like ow
Rosy Crucifixion RP on 3rd try
The Scenic Cruise
Casual Route Almost, ffed through the crux in a snowstorm
The Naked Edge Did the first pitch clean on tr, then bailed

I did almost 10 FA's but some are still in progress as they need cleaning up more or added pitches.
Its amazing to see a line, clean it up, work out the gear to see if its safe, figure out the moves and then link it all together for the send.
That's what I learned this year.

Oh, AND a friend helped me see that if you don't send your project its OK. You just have to keep learning whatever it is that you need to gain the ability to climb it. I've had this line I've worked for a couple of years and finally pink pointed the first half. That was proud for me. Who knew that would be one of my best climbing moments of the year?

Next year I need to learn how to lock off on something really steep, place the gear and then keep moving. Relax, keep breathing, the falls are clean, the gear is good. Keep moving. don't panic, enjoy the movement.

sounds corny huh?

In all the years that I've been climbing I'd think I would have sent somebody's entire list! But, no, the best I did was 8, a couple of times. I seem to have missed out by never climbing in RMNP, the Black, and the Hulk. Maybe next year I'll try and hit these.

And what was all that yammering about ticks? Somebody here applying for a job? These aren't cutting edge ascents we're talking about anyway. It's your own experience. Make of it what you will.

Here was my list:

1. Anything big in Venezuela YES, 8 PITCH NEW ROUTE

In Arizona:
2. The 5.11 variation to Endgame - Cochise Stronghold YES
3. **** NO
4. Jabberwockie - Cochise Stronghold NO, GOT THROUGH THE 11 AND 12 AND BAILED OFF THE 5.9 PITCH
5. My first 12a trad (Shotgun at the forks or Hanging Judge at Winslow) NO
6. Earth Angel - Sedona NO

In California:
EBGB's - JTree NO
Figures on a Landscape - JTree NO
Regular NW Route on HalfDome NO
The Nose NO

That's a pretty low percentage completed, though I must say it was a great climbing year. Venezuealan Tepuis are rad. I climbed the best route yet (OR Rainbow Wall), hardest trad lead yet, Resolution Arete in RR is excellent, and had plenty of great adventures with great people.