Mt Tupper – Upper Headwall of South Rib (5.11-) Personal Rating: ** Rock Quality: 6/10 Length: 7 pitches of 5.6 – 5.11- climbing Timeline: 12 hours (car-to-car) Gear: # Double Rack 0.3 – 3 I looked up at the relatively blank wall, seeing a few minor down sloping holds and poor feet with no obvious imperfections for gear placements, I thought we must have gotten a bit off route. I backtracked a… Read More
A 7’ wide runnel had formed down the center line of the slide-path and was a black hole vortex that sucked in every rock, dirt, and debris into it’s beckoning arms.
Personal Rating: ***** Rock Quality: 8/10 Length: 14-18 pitches Timeline (Bivy -> Bivy): 12 hours Gear: Full double rack (0.3-3) + ½ nuts Climbed: July 6, 2020 I yelled down to Tristan, “ROCK!”, and saw the focused look in his eye as he registered what I was saying before I had finished saying it. We both turned to look at the boulder rolling towards us. Now, in climbing rhetoric there are a… Read More
I awoke, or more, opened my eyes. The sounds of burners hissing, water boiling, and climbing gear gently clinking together overwhelmed all my senses. Pressing the lowest button on my watch revealed an ultra-bright 4:00am. I took one long, full breath. Soaking in the stillness and trying to enjoy the last remnants of comfort, or what was close to it (my air mattress had a steady leak that I would replenish every… Read More