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A Nice Finish - November 17, 2007
I headed out on Saturday for what could have been the last climb of the 2007 season. If the weather stays unseasonably warm, I may get out for another climb or two, but I really should be skiing right now. Nonetheless, an adventure is an adventure.

Ben and I went over to the Redgarden Wall to climb a route I have wanted to climb for quite sometime...Swanson Arete (5.5). We climbed the route in 3 pitches rather than the typical 4 pitches. To begin the climb, you must first get to the Red Ledge, which is a rottern band of rock forming a ramp that cuts acorss the bottom of the Redgarden Wall. There are several options of gaining this ledge, so we decided that Ben would lead the first pitch of The Great Zot (5.8+) (an Eldo classic at the grade) to get us to the Red Ledge where the Swanson Arete pitches actually begins. The Great Zot was real nice with fun and challenging moves to pull over the small, awkward roof. I enjoyed the positioning and nice stances on the pitch as well, and for a moment I actually thought I could have led the pitch...then I remembered how off balance I felt pulling the crux. The climbing above and below the crux was thoroughly enjoyable...probably no harder than 5.6.

From the first belay at the Red Ledge, I scrambled up and right across the "dirty" West Chimney to a spot along the ledge with a nice tree where I would lead the next two pitches. I combined pitches 2-3 into a longish 150' pitch and climbed well. The protection was abundant yet the route was hard to decipher from time to time which made it really fun. Most routes have an abundance of chalk on the holds so route-finding is not an issue, but this was not the case today on Swanson's, which is unusual due to the popularity of the route. After a bit of route-finding deliberation, I remember that the route stays right of the arete to remain 5.5, so that's where I climbed. I arrived at a nice belay about 100' below the summit of the Lumpe Tower. From here, the positioning is even better with some nice exposure and cruiser climbing. For the sake of time Ben arrived at the second belay and we quickly re-racked our gear and he swung the lead for the final pitch.

If this was my last climb of the season for me, it was a good one. I find myself being very comfortable leading 5.5 in Eldo and I hope to build on this next year. I can feel I am becoming more efficient with my gear selection and placements, as well as route-finding and belay setups. Who knows, maybe I'll even get another climb in this year, but if not, I have plenty of time to build up my strength for next year.

Duh-d! October 6, 2007
My frustrations on the sharp end of the rope are building. We started off in the upper Rincon area in a section of rock which contains numerous steep dihedrals. The plan was for Colin to lead Emerald City (5.9) and Ben would lead a neighboring route called Over The Hill (5.10b). I would belay Ben as he climbed up a series of thin, steep dihedrals to a belay well over a half rope length up. I would then second the pitch and clean the gear. Over The Hill has two cruxy sections...one in the lower third that goes at 5.10 and the upper section at 5.10b. I have never climbed anything rated 5.10b in my life, and now I know why...it is HARD! I climbed fairly well through the initial crux, trying to trust my feet as much as possible since there was virtually nothing to grab onto. Much of the pro consisted of fixed "pins" (pitons) which made cleaning the pitch easier than if I had to remove cams, nuts, and slings from each precarious stance. Needless to say, difficult stemming was something I didn't have a lot of experience with. The moves were strenuous and committing even as the follower, but I managed to get to a decent stance on a comfortable ledge just below the start of the upper 5.10b crux...20' of some of the thinnest, steepest climbing I have ever been on. Just stepping up into the cruxy dihedral from my stance on the ledge was enormous effort, not only physically, but mentally as well. I was so gassed that I figured the only way I was going to make it to the belay was by "aiding" through the crux, grabbing happlessly at each of the three quickdraws clipped to the pins and pulling myself up the route while delicately stemming my legs across the thin walls of the dihedral. If that wasn't difficult enough, I then had to unclip the draws from each pin, rack it, and then continue to the next pin. Can you say hangdog? Once I arrived at the belay, we decided to climb a variation of the second pitch which ascends a nice right-facing dihedral (5.8) to the walk-off at the top. The actual second pitch of Over The Hill was being climbed by Colin and Laura after completing the first pitch of Emerald City. Over The Hill's second pitch looked sweet...a steep, wandering hand crack splitting an enormous slabby face. I would definately like to climb that crack sometime.

After those strenuous climbs, we headed down the West Ridge to the south to find something at my lead level. There isn't much, but Ben had been recommending I lead the Duh Dihedral (5.6) for a few weeks, so I strolled up to the route and figured I'd give it a go. Gazing up at the route, the Duh Dihedral is an obtuse dihedral with a series of thin cracks and a funky off-width in the "dihedral" proper. The route is steep for 5.6, protects reasonably well, and just happened to be covered with wasps. They were flying in and out of every crack and pocket on the route. At times they would fly into my face as I was climbing. They weren't aggressive, but to say they were a distraction would be an understatement. Not feeling very tip-top at this point, I slotted a #7 nut about 20' up (that I just couldn't convince myself was good enough) and then proceeded to ponder the nut's reliability...for about 15 minutes...in which time, I became so gassed and mentally fatigued, that once again, I bailed on the lead. I felt like a complete "duh-d". Ben finished the route commenting that "he would have fallen on my #7 nut placement anyday", and proceeded to bail me out of my third failed onsight lead attempt. Ben rigged a toprope at the top of the route, and I then climbed the line feeling quite uneasy at a few points on the route. I remember thinking, "I am really glad I didn't continue up this on lead!". The kicker is this...even as pumped as I was, I still climbed the route with only a bit of focused effort. Looking back, there was no reason for me to bail on that lead. Sure it was steep, sustained, and covered with bees, but the protection and climbing was all there. I just wasn't able to settle myself down enough to push through the fear of falling on my gear placements...something I thought I made progress on the week prior while climbing Purple Haze. I think the fear of re-injuring myself has something to do with my low commitment levels on lead right now. I need to stick to more confidence inspiring routes while building up muscle endurance.

My first lead fall on gear. September 29, 2007
Hoping to lead something in the 5.6-5.7 range this past weekend, I hooked up with Ben and two other climbers with whom Ben had hooked up with during my long recovery from a foot injury. The plan was to head up to the upper West Ridge to try some "harder" routes in the area. The Irishman in the group, Colin, decided to have a go at Xanadu (5.10a). The lower part of the route goes at 5.8 with sparse gear and interesting moves. The upper third of the route is all business with about 20' of 5.9-5.10a climbing on thin finger locks and even thinner feet. To say I was gassed at the crux would be an understatement. After hanging on the rope a few times, I managed to pull through the crux and top out at the anchor...successfully reaching the top of another 5.10a. I really enjoy toproping more difficult climbs in Eldo. I always feel like I improve my technique and overall confidence on routes of this grade. I've got to get my ass into the gym, though. Improved muscle endurance would help me dramatically.

With that said, I was itching to find something well-protected to lead. Ben suggested the first pitch of Purple Haze which goes at 5.7. The route is a nice looking right-facing dihedral with a layback crack for about 40'. I thought, "Sure...it looks like it takes good gear, I'll give it a try." So I racked up and immediately started questioning my decision. Can you say sandbag? The route climbed pretty stiff for 5.7, and after just grunting my way up Xanadu, I was feeling pumped right off the deck. I placed a few pieces of gear in the first 20' of the route, but the crux at mid-route had me feeling a bit uneasy. I slotted a #3 camalot into the crack just below the crux and after a bit of self-talk, decided to tackle the crux and shoot for a nice shelf about 10' up that would give me a rest and the chance to plug in more gear. I started liebacking through the crux and after about 3' the crack became more flared. My feet were now just at my last piece of protection, and without warning I popped...taking a short (but exhilerating) fall. Although rather unneventful, the fact that I had taken my first trad fall on gear that I placed was somewhat of a revelation. "Wow...the gear actually works!", I thought. I tried the crux a couple more times, opting to downclimb instead of repeating the fall. Needless to say, I bailed on the lead and handed it over to Ben to "clean up my mess". I'm hoping I can build on that experience and use this new knowledge in future climbs.

Ahhh...it's good to be back! September 22, 2007
Went to Eldo for the first time in two months and had a pretty fun outting on the Wind Tower. I really wanted to keep things on the easy side for my first day out since recovering from my foot injury. I was really hoping that my heel would respond well, and I'm happy to report that it felt pretty darn good. I took the first lead on Recon (5.easy) and it felt, well...easy. It felt soooo good to be climbing again. After my first pitch lead, Ben and I scrambled up and left 50' from our Recon belay to climb Reggae (5.8). I had never climbed Reggae before and was a little concerned that my time off the rock would rear its ugly head, but I actually climbed the pitch pretty well. Ben took the lead for the second pitch of our climb, and of course made it look easy. The crux comes towards the top of the pitch and involves liebacking a thin finger crack for about 10'. The crux moves are pumpy and sustained and I didn't want to dilly-dally cleaning the gear Ben had placed on lead. I managed to pull through the crux just fine, although I could feel that my muscle endurance was lacking.

I had planned on picking off another easy lead like the first pitch of Breezy (5.5) or Tigger (5.5), but both routes had other parties on them, so Ben decided to lead the first pitch of Tagger (5.9)...a thin line that traverses under a huge roof and then over a smaller roof with very thin finger cracks and slopey feet. The protection is also very challenging, offering little more than small nuts and cams in a few spots. Ben, once again, made it look easy on lead, and after setting up a toprope at the top of the pitch, it was my turn. I have climbed this route several times in the past, but this time it was particularly challenging. So much so that I fell three times making the thin traverse moves under the roof, but I kept at it and climbed the route again. All-in-all it was a good day out, but I really need to work on my muscle endurance and overall strength if I want to jump on stiffer climbs.

Back In The Harness, September 17, 2007
After seven long weeks of recovery I am now ready to hit the crags again. It has been a long and frustrating healing period, but my foot has responded well to the time off. We just returned from a "wicked awesome" vacation in coastal Maine visiting my folks who live in Boothbay Harbor, and after 9 days of sailing, kayaking, and breathing moist sea air I am now ready to be tied into the end of a rope again. I'm hoping to get out for my first climb this coming weekend for the first time since July 28. My plan is to take it easy and stick to routes well below my pre-injury ability...doing laps on some easier pitches on the Wind Tower in Eldo. I'm hoping to get back to consistently leading 5.6 before the season is over.

On The Mend, September 3, 2007
Well...it's been 5 weeks since my injury I can finally say I am on the mend. I am now walking gingerly without crutches for the most part. Even better, it looks like I'll be able to leave for vacation without the boot and crutches! The thought of being on crutches and traveling across the country with two small children and a layover is a scary one. I'm now getting psyched for our trip whereas before I was dreading it in many ways. I should be climbing again by the time I get back from vacation on September 15. I can see the light at the end of the healing tunnel.

Injury Update, August 10, 2007
Finally got in to see a podiatrist today about my heel injury. More x-rays were taken and they continue to be negative for fractures. The doc says I probably "damaged" my plantar fascia ligament that runs along the bottom of the foot to the heel pad. Without an MRI (which he was reluctant to order at this point) we can't really know the extent of the damage. Needless to say, I will remain on crutches for the next two weeks until my follow-up with the podiatrist. I am also wearing a boot to protect and support my foot. I really miss being able to play around with the kids and of course, climb. I hope I'm a fast healer.

I Am Not A Boulderer, August 1, 2007
On a recent trip with the family to Eldo, I decided to bring along my rock shoes and chalk bag for a few goes on the Gill Boulder. The famous boulder has about a half dozen "easy" bouldering problems, ranging in difficulty from V0-V1...the equivalent of rock routes in the 5.10 range. Now I am not a 5.10 climber, although I have managed to flail my way through a few 5.10's on toprope. What made these problems interesting was they are high-ball problems of approximately 20' in height. I figured I'd play around on the lower traverses and commit to the upper portions of the boulder only if I felt strong enough to push the envelope a little. Although I had the whole family there, Delana has no experience giving a bouldering spot. I gave her some basic instruction, but felt that if I were to peel trying to make the stiff moves 10' off the ground, I woud probably take her out and hurt both of us. So I kept it mellow.

After traversing one side of the boulder I decided to take a break. I looked over my left shoulder for a clear landing zone, and then over my right shoulder. However, the way my right arm was holding me to the rock, I couldn't get a clear view of the ground behind me. I figured what the hell, I'll just jump off. From about 5-6' up, I turned and hopped off the rock and when I landed on the ground, my right heel contacted a small rock sticking out of the ground. The pain was immediate and striking. I actually went into a little bit of shock...chills and dizziness overcame me for about 10 minutes afterwards. I was beginning to wonder if I had broken my heel bone. Upon further inspection, I figured that I had badly bruised the fat pad of my heel. It has been 4 days since the incident, and I still have a hard time putting weight on my heel without walking with a bit of a gimpy, flat-footed stride.

I have concluded that I am not a boulderer. Needless to say, I think I'll stick to roped climbing. Hopefully I'll be able to get back on the rock soon.

Jams, Smedges, and Offwidths, July 15, 2007
To mix it up a little, Ben and I took a trip down to the South Platte and the Turkey Rocks area, about 2 hours southwest of Denver near the little town of Deckers. This area was at the epicenter of the Hayman wildfire in the summer of 2002, which was Colorado's worst wildfire in the state's history. What was once a beautiful landscape of lush pine forests and towering granite domes now resembles a thick stubble of burnt trees for miles. Our destination was the Turkey Perch crag home to many moderate trad leads on perfect granite. The Platte offers up some of Colorado's best crack climbing opportunities and stunning views of this now charred landscape. The weather was hot, but at an elevation of over 8,000' there was a bit of relief from the 95° heat in Denver. Still, we relished the periodic cloud cover and taking breaks between climbs in the shade of the few trees that were left untouched by the wildfire.

We started out on the fun route Left Handed Jew (5.8). Ben, of course, took the first lead and made quick work of the 70' pitch with perfect sinker hand/foot jams. It can be painful work, but when you feel that hand lock into the crack, you know it's go time. When it was my turn to follow up the route, I was surprised how easily I was able to lock off my hand jams and ascend the route with my right foot jammed into the crack and my left foot smearing on the small granite crystals on my left. I was sure my shoe would begin scuttling off the tiny "smedges", but this was granite...a smearer's dream.

The next route would be my first serious 5.7 trad lead. We jumped on Honky Ass Jam Crack (5.7) which is the neighboring route to the left of Left Handed Jew. The route is steep and sustained for the grade. Now I had never led anything harder than 5.6...until today. A steep, sustained 5.7 hand crack. Needless to say, I was a little nervous. I knew the pro would be good and the falls clean, so I was up for the challenge. I racked up and took off, getting to the start of the crack about 20' up. I plugged in a big #3.5 cam and it was game on.

I led the next 30' feeling pretty solid. I found myself fiddling with my gear more than I would have liked, but I kept the lid on mentally. Towards the top of the route is the crux. The nice hand crack turns into an offwidth crack for about 15'. When I came up to the start of offwidth, I put in a #4 cam and just didn't have the strength to pull through the offwidth. I yelled, "Take!" and hung the rope for a few minutes to get some crank back. After a bit of deliberation, I decided to downclimb a few feet and join a crack to the right, which is actually the top of Left Handed Jew. Having just climbed this clean, I finished the pitch for my first real 5.7 trad lead. In hindsight, I should have used an arm-bar to crank through the offwidth crux, but it just didn't feel right at the time. Ben says I'm ready to climb the Bastille Crack in Eldo. Maybe...but I'll want to toprope that pitch one more time. :)

Back to Bolts, July 4, 2007
Hooked up with Mike (Lena's friend Madeline's dad) for some climbing on July 4th. We agreed to hit Clear Creek Canyon just west of Golden to clip some bolts for the morning. I haven't been to CCC in almost a year, so I was kinda looking forward to a break from plugging gear in Eldo. Trad climbing requires so much attention that it would be nice to relax the mind and just climb on fun, well bolted granite for a change.

We decided on the High Wire Crag because of the high concentration of quality moderate routes available. Mike and I have never climbed together so I was hoping we would match up well, since he lives right around the corner and I am always open to more climbing partners. I decided to take the first lead of the morning on a route called Pony Up, an easy 5.8 lead with a spicy first clip off the start. The start (as always seems to be the case) stymied me for about 10 minutes, as the route requires you climb up a steep bulge about 15' before making the route's first clip. A fall before clipping the bolt would certainly be injurious. Once I figured out the sequence and clipped the first bolt, the route was a cruiser to the chains 85' up. Next, Mike led the route with steady confidence. We seemed to by very well matched up.

Next, we climbed Cracker Jack (5.9), a route that I had attempted before on toprope, but have never led. Mike had started to lead the route, but didn't like the position of the second clip, so I took over the lead and pulled up to just under the bulge and clipped the second bolt protecting the crux. I then pulled up into the crux with a awkward hand jam in the bulging crack, but felt very off balance. I called "Take!" and hung the rope for a few seconds and then noticed a positive crimp on the right side of the crack. That hold was all I would need to crank through the crux. Sure enough, I hopped back on, jammed my left hand into the crack and pulled up with a right hand crimp and I was over the bulge! I chastized myself for hanging on the rope in the first place, since if I had just opened my eyes, I would have seen the key hold and redpointed the route. Now that I know the move, I'll nail it next time. After the crux bulge, the difficulty of the route eased off dramatically and became a fun 5.4 jugfest to the anchors. I don't even think I clipped the last two bolts on the route.

We then headed down the crag to a route called Nickels and Dimes (5.9+). This is a route that I have climbed before, but it was on toprope over 5 years ago! I remember the face moves being very thin but was determined to pick off another lead. Mike led the route first and stuck to the flake which can be awkward but is a tad easier than staying on the thin edges on the face. When it was my turn, I planned on climbing up to the flake and then stepping onto the face for about 15 feet of thin 5.9+/5.10 face climbing. I nailed it. There were a couple times when I though to myself, "My toe is going to blow off this little dime of a foothold. I know it...it's gonna pop!" It never did and I made 3-4 very crimpy moves all the way to the anchor. What a great lead and a fun morning!

Head Games, June 23, 2007
What is wrong with me? My second attempt at trying to lead the first pitch of Wind Ridge (5.6) ended in a familiar way...I bailed on the lead. Once again, I struggle with the mental aspect of this route's start. Sure, it's a 5.8 move...a one move wonder. But I have never led a climb at 5.8 even if it was only one move at the grade...ever. I guess it would make sense that I might struggle mentally. But to not even try the move at all? Lame. To make matters worse, I had two pieces of gear protecting the crux start and I still wimped out. Ben was once again positive and very supportive, but jeesh...he's got to be like, "Dude, just do it for God's sake!" After I bailed on the route for the second time, I followed the route on toprope and once again, made the moves...only this time I climbed it differently than I ever had before. Almost to the point where I climbed a bit off route. Although not exactly confidence inspiring, it did provide me with the knowledge that other options did exist. Holds I didn't know where there before have been revealed. Will this new knowledge help me on the next attempt? We'll see.

There was a bright spot, though. I did successfully lead the second pitch of Wind Ridge, which is almost twice as long as the troublesome first pitch. I even found a cam on the route! Gotta love climbing booty. It was just laying on a small ledge about halfway up. There were a couple spots where I definitely had to stop and check myself...even toss in an extra piece of gear to silence the voices in my head screaming "you're gonna die!" It's amazing how, when faced with such thoughts over 100 feet off the ground, that I am able to focus and overcome the fear and push upwards. In essence, this is what I love about climbing. Safely pushing my own limits both mentally and physically.

Next, we went up to the West Ridge to climb a route called Chockstone (5.10a), an Eldo classic at the grade. Ben wanted to lead something a little spicy and I'm always eager to toprope harder routes for the experience and challenge these routes present. After placing a couple very small nuts in the crack just below the crux moves, Ben cranked his way up the crack. It was at that point that even a strong climber like him had to hangdog a little on a cam above the crux to recover some arm strength. What amazes me is the fact that he would lead a route of that difficulty at all! I get sketched out on easy 5.6 leads while he's willing, and even eager, to throw himself on 5.10 routes. Then again, he has been trad climbing for 10 years to my 10 months.

Ben finished the route and setup a toprope, and then it was my turn. I have only ever climbed one other 5.10 climb in my life, but I am happy to report that I have now topped out on my second 5.10a climb in Eldo, even though I had to hangdog the rope for about 10 minutes at the crux. The crux moves involved a very strenuous thumb and finger lock in a blind crack with poor feet. Once you get that finger lock, you step up into the crack and crank up to hand jams above. After pulling the move, I was so gassed that the rest of the pitch felt much harder than its 5.8 rating. So much so, that I had to hang on the rope a few more times to regain some strength.

All in all, another great day of climbing in Eldo.

Climbing's Ups 'n Downs, June 16, 2007
Went back to Eldo with Ben psyched to lead Wind Ridge (2 pitches, 5.6). Although I have climbed this route before as a second, I have never led this climb, which is arguably the finest of any grade on the Wind Tower. Technically the route climbs at 5.6, but the direct start off the belay is a 5.8 lieback off a large flake and then moving around a corner onto the face of Wind Ridge. The pro is good at the start, but the first move messes with my head everytime.

I was all racked up and tied in. I stepped up under the bulging flake, slotted a #.75 cam and then proceeded to bail on the lead. I felt like the biggest chump. I asked Ben to take over the rack and lead the route (again) so I could climb it once more for "piece of mind". Whatever. Once Ben finished the first pitch and put me on belay, it was my turn to climb. I stepped up to the flake, drew a breath, and stuck the moves without any troubles. Go figure.

When I arrived at the belay of the first pitch of Wind Ridge, Ben asked me if I was going to redeem myself by taking the lead for the route's second pitch. I declined...opting to lead the second pitch of the neighboring route Breezy (5.5) instead. Breezy is a quality route to the left of Wind Ridge that follows a left-facing dihedral and then zig-zags up a series of cracks to the walk-off ledge on the Wind Tower. I started leading the route and everything was going fairly well. I had little information about the upper pitch of Breezy, except for the grade, and had moments where I was definitely uneasy, but I successfully on-sighted the pitch. Although satisfied with the climb, I just wasn't "feelin' it" that day.

en had wanted to head over to the Bastille to climb a route on the West Face called West Arete (5.8). Man did this route look nutty! A steep, and even slightly overhanging jug-fest with interesting pro. The first pitch finishes with a 5.4 chimney, which I absolutely flailed in. Perhaps it's just my poor chimney climbing technique, but that thing was awkward! Not to mention, just as I entered the chimney, it began to rain lightly...and would continue to do so for about 15 minutes, making the route even more slippery than it was feeling to me at the time. Upon arrival at the bolted belay, I was stoked to have climbed the lower crux moves so efficiently, but less thrilled about my performance in the chimney. We deciced to bail on the long second pitch due to moist rock and time constraints, so we rapped off and called it a day. All in all, a fun outting. I just need to develop a more consistent lead head.

The Need For The Lead, June 9, 2007
Justin and I went to Eldo today to climb a couple multi-pitch routes on the Wind Tower. I was really antsy to climb again after over two weeks off the rock, and literally talked Justin into coming along "for the adventure". Hey, I needed a belayer! The weather was beautiful and we were the first ones on the Wind Tower. We started on The Bomb (2 pitches, 5.4). The first pitch was easy, fun climbing up a nice well-protected crack to a comfortable belay about 90 feet up. The second pitch was a strange chimney that provided little protection opportunities, or enjoyable climbing for that matter. Just another route to tick off the list, but nothing too memorable.

The next route we climbed was Tigger (2 pitches, 5.5). The route started awkwardly at first, causing me to overthink the first gear placement (aka "The Jesus Nut") right off the belay. The initial moves are up and over this bulge to get into the main crack before moving left into the right-facing dihedral. After downclimbing once at the start, I quickly figured out my error and slotted a small cam into a horizontal crack and pushed over the bulge...commenting to Justin how ridiculously easy the move was.

The route then followed the dihedral up and right past a fun flake to a belay at mid-face. Well...it wasn't quite that straight-forward. I accidentally climbed past the belay shelf after moving around the flake and was now beginning the traverse left at the start of the second pitch! Realizing I had climbed too high, I was forced to downclimb ~30 feet, removing pro as I descended to the now obvious belay shelf to setup the anchor. This routefinding error cost us a lot of time, but I felt confident that the next pitch would be a snap.

When Justin arrived at the belay, he was a little sketched out by the overall position of the stance. The belay "ledge" was a narrow, slanting shelf about 5 feet long at mid-face about 90 feet off the deck. To make things more interesting, Justin occassionally experiences vertigo in high, exposed places. So when he arrived at the belay, he was nervous to say the least. We got him tied into the anchor and he took a few minutes to collect himself before I began the second pitch.

I know exactly how he felt. Trusting the gear at a belay anchor is an acquired feeling. The first time I belayed from a narrow, exposed shelf over 100' off the ground, I was a little tweaked out too. You just don't feel like you can weight the anchor...feeling that if you did, you'd pluck the anchor right from the rock and it's off to the pearly gates. Thankfully, that rarely happens in climbing. By not relaxing at the belay, you make it much more uncomfortable than if you sat back into the anchor and simply enjoyed the view. Once Justin learned to relax and trust the anchor, he was fine.

The second pitch climbs up and left from the belay about 30 feet then up a ramp to an "exciting" roof...the crux of the route. The gear was solid under the roof which allowed me to make confident moves at the crux. After turning the roof and continuing up, I realized I had clipped the last piece of pro under the roof short, creating an enormous amount of rope drag. A basic rope management error I will be very aware of in the future.

I arrived at the top of the second pitch and belayed Justin to the top of his first ever multi-pitch climb...and it was an exciting one for both of us! Despite some routefinding and rope management issues, it was another great day and learning experience at Eldo.

Brian's Redpoint Fiesta, May 20, 2007
Returned to the West Ridge of Eldo yesterday for a little redemption. Not that the rock had done me wrong somehow, but I felt I should have led Washington Irving last week and had decided against it. It just didn't feel right at the time, I guess. Well, yesterday I successfully led Washington Irving! It was great. I climbed efficiently, placed solid gear, and most importantly...I "kept the lid on" for almost 100 feet. I was so amped up with adrenaline after the climb that I didn't fair to well TR'ing The Unsaid (5.9)...a route adjacent to Washington Irving that I have climbed thrice before. After a much needed snack, we hiked further up the West Ridge trail to Dr. Michael Solar (5.7), which I then proceeded to lead for my first trad redpoint of a 5.7 route. Dr. Michael Solar is a steep, albeit short, route that is very pumpy. It's literally a jugfest on solid face holds with a nice crack to accept gear. The route is also vertical, even slightly overhanging in a couple spots. Not the type of route you want to dilly-dally on while placing gear. I made this one look easy, cranking through the steep moves and placing solid gear at each rest. Needless to say, I made a huge leap forward in my climbing not only mentally, but physically as well. My redpoint of Calypso is not far off.

West Ridge, May 12, 2007
Went for my second climb of the season intent on leading Washington Irving (5.6) on the West Ridge in Eldorado Canyon. It was the first pitch of the day, so I asked Ben to climb the route first and let me know if he felt it was something I would be comfortable leading. I haven't led anything harder than 5.4. He rappelled down the route and told me he felt I might get sketched at two point on the route despite the mellow 5.6 rating. I decided (wisely) to toprope the route to "check it out". Sure enough, the two moves were definitely spicey. The first move wasn't too bad, a lieback over a small bulge towards the beginning of the route, but the second move at the top of the route was indeed awkward for a 5.6. I hung on the rope for a few seconds to inspect my options. Then I put the moves together and the moves weren't nearly as hard as they seemed. I lowered off and Ben suggested that I climb it again on toprope, only this time, placing gear as if I were on lead. My next climb up the route went smoothly. Ben cleaned the route and critiqued my gear placements. He felt all my placements were solid, except for one small micro nut, which I knew was a dud when I placed it. It was more psychological than truly necessary. We proceeded to climb 4 other routes on the West Ridge including The Unsaid (5.9), Dr. Michael Solar (5.7), Lunar Avenue (5.8), and Positively Fourth Street (5.10a). Positively Fourth Street would be my first ever successful 5.10 climb! I hung on the rope at the crux a couple times, but I finished the route using a thin finger stack and thumb jam at the crux. A huge accomplishment for me, 'fer sure.

Gambit (5.8), April 14, 2007
First climb of the 2007 season! Man am I outta shape. Gambit is a 5 pitch climb on Shirt Tail Peak in Eldorado Canyon. My climbing buddy Ben and I did it in 4 pitches, however, combining the third and fourth pitches into one long 175' pitch. The first couple pitches were a fun way to start the season...easy 5.6 climbing up a right-facing dihedral to a big comfy belay ledges. The next combined pitch was more grueling. It started out with an awkward move to surmount a large block and then the route quickly changes to an exposed dihedral...steep and sustained. The crux was moving over a small roof while exiting the dihedral using smeared feet and hand jams. At only 5.8, the move felt spicey being that it was my first climb of the season, but I made the moves with just a bit of grunting. The last pitch was a fun 5.7 jug haul on steep and sometimes loose rock. Overall a fun first day of the season.

A Little History
Since moving to Colorado almost 15 years ago, it took me 8 years before taking up the sport of rock climbing. Imagine that. I guy from New Hampshire (which has some of the best climbing locations in the Northeast), doesn't start climbing until 8 years after moving to one of the country's climbing meccas...Colorado. I have always been a die-hard skier afterall, but I never thought of pursuing rock climbing until I moved to Colorado.

I began climbing in 2000. At that time, I did a lot of toproping to learn about the basics- knots, gear, climbing anchors, rappelling, and general climbing techniques. After I became more proficient (and cocky), I started getting into sport climbing. Sport climbing involves ascending routes with "fixed" protection points on the route, allowing the climber to clip the rope to bolted hangers on the rock to reduce the danger of a fall during the climb. I sport climbed for almost 6 years, and it was awesome. However, I found that the number of sport routes at my ability level were few. It seemed like most sport routes were in the 5.10 - 5.13 range at most crags, and I could only climb routes in the 5.5 - 5.9 range. See Yosemite Decimal System. Climbing was fun...scary at times, but fun.

I had always poo-hooed "trad" climbing, or traditional climbing, because, quite frankly, it looked too dang frightening. I had seen the pictures, and it didn't look like a good idea to me at the time. Trad climbing involves placing specially designed camming devices (referred to as chocks) into cracks in the rock as you climb a route. Rather that clipping your rope to fixed protection points like in sport climbing, trad climbing requires that the climber place their own protection points manually. The process of "placing pro" relies solely on the skill and judgement of the climber to protect any given route. Errors in this skill or judgement can result in serious injury or even death, depending on the situation. Quite frankly, any type of climbing whether it's on rocks or in trees can kill you, but trad climbing puts the responsibility of safely climbing the route in the climber's hands. It seemed like the perfect transition from sport climbing for one main reason...I could climb low difficulty climbs, and still feel like a rock star. Sign me up! Besides, I already knew how to climb. I understood the dynamics of climbing, fall forces, climbing anchors, and the various rigging systems they employ. I understood the gear and their individual limitations. Now I just needed to put that knowledge to work.

My first ever trad climb was in Eldorado Canyon outside Boulder, Colorado. "Eldo" as it's called by climbers, is one of the most famous climbing areas in the country, if not the world, and is almost exclusively a trad climbing area. Not to mention, it's only 45 minutes away. The first route I ever climbed in Eldo was Calypso (5.6). I seconded the climb with my new climbing partner Ben, an experienced climber who has been climbing in Eldo for years prior to us hooking up through a climbing website called Mountain Project. I remember being thrilled and scared all at the same time during that first Eldo climb. The rock was so big and the exposure was like nothing I had ever felt while climbing. I was hooked.