Squamish '09

Wow, is all I can really say for the past six days I spent in Squamish, BC. Now, back in the States it seams all a blur and I find myself asking, 'Did it really happen?' Then I look at my scabbed up left arm, bloody leg and pink tips, yes is the answer they all point to...
Friday night, two cars departed from Oly. One with Luara, Melody, Sarah and the other had Nicholas, Dom, Erica and myself. It was a cramped ride but comfort is a necessary sacrifice for the trip. We had a mandatory tour of the waiting room at the border and a scavenger hunt to find the campsite that Laura picked out at the expensive campground due to the fact that the Squamish camping was packed. Around 1ish everyone was set for a good nights sleep with the falls in the background.
On Saturday we broke camp and headed over to the Squamish campground to see(in daylight) if any spots were open. YES! We found a site and Nicholas guarded it as we hurried to set up camp before someone nabbed it. The activity for the day was bouldering so we set off into the forest to climb some techy/heel hooky Squamish boulders. David Allwine met up with us and was a vital member of the session. We started off at this gnarly slab that Laura sent, I got close but no cigar. I saw this awesome climb called the Bulb(V8). (It starts on a jug under a roof and goes to an awesome sloper and another hard move leads to another awesome sloper. (This problem ate away at my left forearm and left a few nasty scrapes). After this we went to Murrien Park and swam across the lake which was the best way to end my first day back in Squamish.
Sunday was Laura's and Meldody's last day in Squamish. We headed over to the Smoke Bluffs to do some single pitch trad.(Which was really helpful I found out later) I led my first total trad route. a slabby 5.4 (I would have rather liked to solo then stop and put in gear) Nicholas did an Impressive onsight of a 5.10a with a scary slabby finish. Once the sun peaked over the top of the crag it was time to hit the shade and we decide to go back to the cool waters at Lake Murrien. After drip drying in the sun we shifted gears and suited up for the vertical world. Above the lake there are a couple of walls with a handfull of sport climbs apiece. We started with another, yup you guessed it, slabby 5.8(Climbs sans holds is becoming a reaccurring theme) It was O.K. Then Luara had an impressive onsight of a slightly runout 5.10a which had some awesome holds. Then Oly's finest went for the onsight of a 5.12a. Dom got close but fell at the tricky crux, he sent second go. Nicholas and I went for the flash and pulled through. In the parking lot we said our goodbyes to Luara and Meldoy as they departed for the USA.
Monday Dom and Nicholas had the goal of doing a crazy 23 pitch climb, Ultimate Everything Link Up, 5.11b.(Read dom's blog for more detials) We got up at six AM. Nicholas and Dom departed for the climb and I headed off for a solo bouldering mission. Go figure, I got lost trying to find Gibs Cave,(a cool V8 I left unfinished from last trip). Onced I found it the landing was a little worse then what I remembered so I cut my losses after a few burns and headed over to Cutting Edge(V4). (One of my goals was to try and finish off all the 5 star problems V6ish or easier). After messing up the flash I figured out the right way that led to the top and sent in three more goes. After this amazing line I migrated over to Easy in an Easy chair(V4). This is probably the best V4 in all of Squamish. After picking deciphering the perfect beta I went for the flash and found myself standing on top of this awesome classic. It was a fun little climb that packs a punch. After trying a few other problems I headed back to camp to wait for Dom and Nicholas. Sarah and Erica hiked up to the first tier of the Chieftan and did a cool 5.7 two pitch climb. We returned to the waters edge of Lake Murrien and I took a rest period while everyone else did some cool looking trad lines. Later that night we had a nice dinner and made plans for the following day. Also Tony finally arived after being led astray by his GPS. Dom aslo did a crazy onsight of a 5.12a. A first for him in Squamish. It was pretty different seeing Dom work this hard on a route. Congrats Dom!!!!!!
Tuesday was the day of the Multipitch. We had three groups. Nicholas and Erica headed up Diedre 5.8, a classic problem that also goes up the apron. Dom and Sarah, and Tony and I did Banana Peel 5.7, which is the line to the right of what Nicholas and Erica were doing. Dom and Sarah went first so hat I would know where to go. (This was my fourth multipitch ever, second trad lead ever, and longest multipitch route to boot). Go figure, the route was a slab route and the first pitch had no holds on it. You just had to walk up trusting your shoes. I took this pitch and it was a little nerve racking but when I got to the horizontal crack relief came flooding back into my veins. Tony took the second pitch which follows this horizontal rail to a cool ledge. So far we placed no pro for two short pitches. I took the third and started up a tree to reach a blank slab which I followed up to a sideways flake and i decided to put in two nuts and they were bomber. After this I headed on up for 25 feet or so to a tree(put a sling on it) and headed up to meet Sarah before she headed off to meet Dom. (Tony forgot to tie his shoes for this pitch so I took him, he tied them, then he cruised up to the belay) The fourth pitch was the crux pitch and the most exciting. I started up and slung a tree about twenty feet up. Then cruised up another twenty feet to a little ledge to fiddle in a nut that I Was 75% sure it would fail. after doing a hard move on to the face, the nut popped and headed off down the rope to meet up with the tree I slung earlier. I said 'Oh well, it is only 5.7' and headed off up a traversing slab that lead to a crack. another twenty feet later I found some gear Dom left and clipped into them looking at an 80 foot fall if i screwed up. 'well it is only 5.7 and I have a pretty good hand hold, I think my feet arn't slipping, I didn't slip on my way over here(just crimped really hard) O.K. clip' After this I headed up to do the crux moves which were crimping in a horizontal crack with crap-o-la smears. OnceIi reached the tree I slung in and wait to see Tony's face appear over the slab. Sarah mentioned something about a fall with dom, blood, looking spooked and maybe a root? (Read Dom's blog for the full Details) (I didn't get the full details until after the descent, good thing too) Tony met me at the ledge and called me crazy for running it out so far but I was confident that I was O.K. Last two pitches were 5.4 so Tony look them and we linked them together with my 70m. We did a little bit of simul climbing to reach the top. We couldn't hear each other so I just left a 10 foot loop of slack and climbed from good hold to good hold. It all worked out and I was the last from the Oly crew to finish up this route. 8 pitches in 5, not bad! The Down climb was a pretty interesting little hike and we all met up in the campsite and swapped stories of the mornings events.
Tuesday was so big it gets another paragraph. That afternoon we headed over to Checkamus Canyon to try our hands on some single pitch sport. I warmed up on a 10a and felt like crap. Then I moved over to this 'techy' 11a that I guessed I powered through and thought that it was easy. I tied the onsight of a hard 5.12a but got stopped at the crux. Then Nicholas tried this line called The Fleeing Heifer, a 5 star 5.12c classic of the crag. I got the beta from Dom and Nicholas for the flash and tied in and deciced, 'well i geuss i'll give it a go, what's the worse that could happen' After i got through the crux(surprised) I took a decent shake out on some jugs up high and got ready for the final crux, grabbed a crappy pinch, hand heel matched, slapped up to a sloper arete, and grabbed jug. 'Holy crap, I just Flashed a 5.12c' Realization sunk in as i clipped the chains and hung out for awhile. 'I guess all the SCS traning paid off' So all you kids out there, training is worth it!!!!! After this awesome climb I took a break and got ready for the climb that I orriginally wanted to do. Timber Queen, 5.12c. A STEEP line up a 30 foot boulder. Dom placed the draws and I got up to the reachy crux and flew of. (Oh well, can't ask for too much after Fleeing the Heifer) I'll return to send it as well as develope some bouldering here at this sport crag.
Wednsday we all slept in and it felt so good! Tony and Dom returned to Smoke Bluffs, Sarah and Erica went to the aquatic center to Hot Tub and shower. Nicholas and I went Bouldering. First up was Gull Skull, a V6 located next to Cutting Edge. On the flash i got to the crux but used the wrong heel for the move. Two tries later I stood on top of the boulder checking out the sound. Nicholas also sent this problem with some helpful beta from me. It was good to see some closure on his longtrem project. (5 Sessions) I thought the problem kind of easy probally cause it is more Leavenworth like then Squamish like. Nicholas had to leave for the aquatic center so i did a couple more classics then packed it up for a ride back to the States with Dom and Tony...
This was probally one of my favorite climbing trips ever. It was different then the rest with a pretty laid back attitude. I would normally perfer and big physce for the bouldering but for this trip the mood was perfect. Some highlights that I can remember...
-Dom onsighting a 5.12a and seeing him trying hard and fighting till the top-Dom and Nicholas doing 23 pitch Ultimate Link Up-Luara doing the impossable V3 slab-Me flashing Fleeing the Heifer(5.12c)-Getting scared on 5.7 multipitch-Enjoying the multipitch on the walk down once it was over-Seeing Sarah on the Mulitpitch-Erica not giving up on the top out of a boulder problem afer slipping-Nicholas busting out the Fuzz v7 and the dyno V8.(vid coming soon)

This trip is the reason why I climb and continue to do so today and till I fall for eternity...