Ropes & Boulders...+Video

Geramino V9 from Jimmy C. on Vimeo.

4 years ago form this weekend we pulled into the swiftwater parking lot for my first taste of leavenworth granite(pre-guidebook). Using the free topo from climbingwashington.com we meander around finding some contrived lines and falling in love with the place. I had the same feeling when i reluctantly left late Sat. night. Friday afternoon Lisa and I piled into the Pilot. First stop was supposed to be Poison Ivy Crack, but due to private property dwellings we couldn't find an aproach trail. So option b was attempt the small crag on the eastside of Madesen's Buttress. I gave La cucaracha, 5.10d trad, a go and after a long couple minutes scraped my way to the top for the hetchy-sketchy onsight. I learned for parallel cracks, cams are needed... Next was a bolted line not in the old guidebook that looked 5.9 but is accutally a 5.12a. Lisa went for the onsight and hung down low and I managed a beta flash! Next up was the 5.10 looking mixed climb and lisa gave a burn but downclimbed. I put in my two cams at the start(I needed one size up though) and headed on up the climb, comitted to the move that I thought was a match in a shallow pocket, BUT I chickened out attempted to down climb, fell and one cam popped but the back up held! This now is my second ever trad fall! This ended our rope adventure and we headed to the campground...
The following day we met up with Micah at JY. First, Lisa and I stopped at the Sword Boulders where I messed around on Zoro some more. This line will probslly take a whole day to complete. Once micah arrived we headed over to the Strainer, a powerfull lokking V9. I managed the send in a few goes and deffinately see how taller people could considder it soft. I personally liked it because it was a sustained powere problem to the very top(just ask Micah ;) ). After a couple more goes Micah hit the finish nob and sent his first hard problem of the year!!!!!
Next up was the forestland fiasco then we headed over to Mountain Home Road to try Geramino V9. This is one of the cooler looking aretes around. I'd lost a lot of my psyche by this time but still managed to slap the finish a couple times. I'm looking forward to the send next time I'm here. But micah looking really strong kept it together and sent! his 2nd V9 of the Day! Next we went on an exploritory trip then headed to the star wars boulders and began projecting Yoda. It is surprisingly doable and i was coming an inch within the jug.
All in all it was a good vacation and it was like old times bouldering with Micah in Leavenworth. Once little si dries out it will be rope season but till then more L-town and Gold Bar, and Squamish is just around the corner!

Movie of Micah on Geramino coming soon!