Mark Dalen > Comments

Nov 7, 2016 S Central Utah > San Rafael Swell > San Rafael Swel… > Torres de Polvo Trump Tower 5.9 ● You'll be so tired of climbing this tower you won't want to climb anymore ... View Comment
Oct 25, 2016 Albuquerque Area > Sandia Foothill… > Fat City, India… > Upper Fat City Draina… 1/4" Minus V8 ● Paul Horak just reported this face was first done by a guy called 'Lunging Dave' out of Colorado ..… View Comment
Oct 25, 2016 Albuquerque Area > Placitas > Boot Hill Cowboy Yoga 5.10d ● Sweet line ... View Comment
Aug 27, 2016 Rio Puerco Area Cabezon Peak ● For more recent beta on Cabezon including other routes besides SE gully, see this forum post ... Cabezon P… View Comment
Aug 12, 2016 Wind River Range > Cirque of the Moon > Mare Frigoris (5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c A1 R) The route follows the obvious leftward diagnol up the beginning slabs and then up a crack system on the left side of the shadow. ● Fine view of the Cowcatcher formation ... the attempted 1979 line starts probably to the right of yours & g… View Comment
Aug 12, 2016 Wind River Range > Cirque of the Moon Mare Frigoris 5.11 A1 R ● 007 - this looks to be the exact line of that 'bodacious multi-pitch free climb' anticipated by one… View Comment
Jul 6, 2016 Yosemite NP > … > Valley S Side > P. Cathedral Area > 5. Higher Cathe… > Braille Book (5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c) Starting up Pitch 1 of Braille Book ● This pitch was so swarming with silverfish my first time on it (1975) that I freaked & bailed ... View Comment
Jun 15, 2016 Taos Area > Questa Dome > Legs No Questa About It 5.10- ● I could've sworn we did it in 3 pitches as shown in the topo ... you led P1, I know, & I led P2 ... may… View Comment
Oct 19, 2015 Alpine Rock > Sangre de Crist… > Crestones > Ellingwood Ledges (5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b) Ellingwood Arete (aka Ledges) routes. ● FWIW, it is possible to escape the direct start after P2...this would be right where the '5.7' notation is… View Comment
Sep 18, 2015 Albuquerque Area > Sandia Foothill… > Fat City, Indian School Upper Fat City Drainage (a.k.a. Embudo Canyon) ● The installation of the flood control dam in the late 70s was a game changer for Embudo all right. On the… View Comment
Aug 16, 2014 Albuquerque Area > Sandia Mountain… > La Cueva Canyon… > Thumb Aviary Ort Overhangs 5.9+ ● I did this in the fall of 1978. No one at that time would have considered rapping after 2 pitches. Since… View Comment
Mar 12, 2014 Albuquerque Area > Sandia Mountain… > Juan Tabo Canyon > Needle Southwest Ridge 5.8 PG13 ● The SW Ridge is classic the same way some old movies are classic. Not as measured against sound & visual e… View Comment
Feb 5, 2014 Durango > Pine River Area > Pope's Nose Contraceptive Cracks 5.10 A3- ● I had strained my lower back, Ken, as you may recall, & Paul caught some stomach virus ... my high point wa… View Comment
Dec 22, 2013 Yosemite NP > Yosemite Valley > Valley S Side > P. Cathedral Area > 6. Middle Cathedral Rock North Buttress 5.10a ● 'Burly' is the right word for P5 ... is it just me or is that 'chimney' following the finger crack not one… View Comment
Nov 16, 2013 Eastern Sierra > Lone Pine Area > Whitney Portal > Whale > Bony Fingers (5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c R) Climber, Tom Michael being photographed by Greg Epperson. Photo by Todd Gordon. ● So that's how that is done ... View Comment
Sep 7, 2013 Wind River Range Cirque of the Moon ● The third buttress is a bit more fractured but there's a definite line on it. While you're at it check out… View Comment
Jun 8, 2013 Albuquerque Area > Sandia Mountain… > Chimney Canyon > Muralla Grande Clarks Cramps 5.9 ● Clark - I never knew that story. I had always thought it to be more along the lines of Robbie Baker on Chi… View Comment
May 28, 2013 Taos Area > Questa Dome > Questa Flatiron > Questa Flatiron Origi… (5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a) Looking down on the arete the top. ● I thought I saw a rope going down & across ... turns out it's an optical illusion. Footgear might have bee… View Comment
May 28, 2013 Taos Area > Questa Dome > Questa Flatiron > Questa Flatiron Origi… (5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a) Looking down on the arete the top. ● Jason - how does my route description jibe with your experience? I was going strictly from memory especial… View Comment
Mar 31, 2013 Albuquerque Area > Sandia Mountain… > Juan Tabo Canyon > Shield > Knife Edge Ridge (Easy 5th 1+ 3 I 5 M 1c) Richard and Craig traversing left (north) around the first section of the "W" ● Yikes! ... exposure. View Comment
Mar 31, 2013 Albuquerque Area > Sandia Mountain… > Juan Tabo Canyon > Shield Knife Edge Ridge Easy 5th ● Steven VanSickle - Intriguing approach for a top-to-top ascent of the Knife Edge. I'll have to try it some… View Comment
Mar 28, 2013 Albuquerque Area > Sandia Mountain… > La Cueva Canyon… > Donald Duck Northeast Corner 5.8 ● There would be no shame in upgrading this pitch. NE Corner was my second climb in the Sandias. In 1974 my… View Comment
Mar 12, 2013 Albuquerque Area > Sandia Foothill… > U-Mound Feis on the U Mound, p. 2. ● Check out the original drawing by Rick Charron ... View Comment
Mar 4, 2013 Albuquerque Area > Sandia Mountain… > Juan Tabo Canyon > Waterfall Canyon > Juan Tabo Waterfall (WI2-3) Fall 1977 New Mexico Climber article on the Juan Tabo Waterfall - p. 1 ● The New Mexico Climber was a climbing newsletter that ran intermittently through the late 1970s. Those inte… View Comment
Feb 9, 2013 New Mexico, I-4… > El Malpais > 1096 (5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a) Dave - It turns out this climb had a different name before it was completed. Who knows if 10.96 crept into the vernacular. Either way what do you say to renaming it Twin Traumas? ● The New Mexico Climber, Fall 1977, page 4. Other scans of this historical artifact may be found here:… View Comment
Feb 9, 2013 Las Cruces Area > Organ Mountains > High Horns > Tooth The Tooth - by Paul Horak for The New Mexico Climber (c) 1977, page 1. ● The New Mexico Climber was a climbing newsletter that ran intermittently through the late 1970s. Its goal… View Comment
Feb 9, 2013 Las Cruces Area > Organ Mountains Organs overview written by Paul & Linda Seibert (c) 1976 - page 1 ● The New Mexico Climber was a climbing newsletter that ran intermittently through the late 1970s. Those int… View Comment
Feb 8, 2013 Albuquerque Area > Sandia Mountain… > Juan Tabo Canyon > Shield New Shield route info circa 1977 ... ● The New Mexico Climber was a climbing newsletter that ran intermittently through the late 1970s. Those int… View Comment
Feb 7, 2013 New Mexico, I-4… > El Malpais page one of Malpais feature from December 1976 - Dave Baltz contributor ● The New Mexico Climber was a climbing newsletter that ran intermittently through the late 1970s. Its goal… View Comment
Feb 4, 2013 Albuquerque Area > Sandia Mountain… > La Cueva Canyon… > Thumb Northwest Ridge 5.6 ● The Northwest Ridge goes so many different ways it seems a bit silly to try & tweak it. Nevertheless from… View Comment
Jan 22, 2013 Las Cruces Area > Organ Mountains > High Horns > Tooth then and now ● The weather is much better now ... ;) View Comment
Jan 12, 2013 Yosemite NP > … > Valley S Side > D. Half Dome > 1. Northwest Face > Regular Northwest Fac… (5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a C1) When the face first comes into view coming down from the shoulder, it inspires awe. And commands respect. ● And I can remember looking up from the base & thinking: 'You have got to be kidding!' Three days later we… View Comment
Jan 12, 2013 Yosemite NP > … > Valley S Side > D. Half Dome > 1. Northwest Face > Regular Northwest Fac… (5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a C1) Looking back along Thank God Ledge ● Sweet ... that's an angle you don't usually get. View Comment
Dec 31, 2012 New Mexico, I-4… > El Malpais > Mt Cosmic Debris (5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b) Cosmic Debris (La Vieja) from the south. ● If memory serves one of the W side routes takes the prominent crack system on the right. Two pitches, 5.8… View Comment
Nov 24, 2012 New Mexico, I-4… > El Malpais La Vieja (aka Mt Cosmic Debris) ● Plus a sweet little basalt chasm between the rock & the road that we were always a little too focused on th… View Comment
Sep 8, 2012 Albuquerque Area > Sandia Mountain… > La Cueva Canyon… > Torreon Wizard of Odd, P2, 2nd ascent, 1980. ● The crack through the roof is not to be missed. And while the traverse right that follows is dicey it soon… View Comment

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Mark Dalen > Comments

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