Castle Rock - Midway -- July 18

Ashley and I had planned to get an early start at Castle Rock to avoid the 90 degree forecast temps, but with the late night Friday night and a last minute addition to our party (Velvet decided to go and get in some climbing at Leavenworth), our early start became a normal start. We were on the road to Castle Rock by 8am and arrived just before 10am. We got our gear together and headed up the short hike to Loggers Ledge and the start of Midway (3P - 5.5 Trad). Upon arriving at the obvious start of the climb, I was a bit stressed out once I got a look at the first pitch. It was a chimney that gained the top of Jello Tower and it looked very intimidating... harder than 5.5 for sure. I gave the start a good "looking at". There was really no protection placements until about 12 feet up or so, but the holds seemed like they were there, so I started to relax a bit and get mentally prepared to lead the pitch.

I geared up with a pretty standard rack, 10 cams (up to 4) and 10 nuts (standard sizes) and started up. After reaching the first stance and getting in a bomber cam, I started to feel better. I placed another piece pretty quickly and kept moving up. It seemed a bit awkward, but I kept making good progress toward the top. The crux seemed to be the last 10 feet or so before the top of Jello Tower, after which I had to catch my breath for a minute before topping out on the tower. There were nice chains here, so I built an anchor from the rap chains and brought Ashley up. He had to grunt-fuck his way up it as I did, but finally made it up. This pitch seemed harder than 5.5 to both of us... more like 5.7 but oh well, we made it.

Pitch two starts off with the infamous "step across" move to gain Castle Rock proper. There was a perfect foot ledge for your right foot and a sloping shelf for your left foot once over. For hands, there was a nice under cling for your right and a weak sloper for your left. After planning the moves, I stepped on over and moved up a few moves until I could place a piece, which felt good. I moved right, then down climbed a few feet and traversed under the roof and up the crack system. The climbing and protection were very straight forward, although the rope drag increased as the pitch went on. This pitch felt a lot more like the advertised 5.5 rating. I arrived at a belay with a weird "angle iron" bolt, which I clipped into and built an anchor with two cams and a nut. Ashley followed without any issues and soon joined me at the top of pitch two.

After exchanging gear and doing a little rope management, I was headed off on the final pitch. It continued up the crack system, which eventually petered out and led to easy face climbing with plentiful holds and seems everywhere. Once I topped out, I spent a while looking for chains, but there were none... must be due to the walk-off, no one needs to rap down. I ended up slinging a huge boulder on the summit for an anchor. The wind and road noise made it impossible to communicate, so we did a bunch of rope tugs and eventually I was able to haul up all the rope and get Ashley on belay. He joined me on the summit soon thereafter at about 1pm, where we enjoyed our time on the summit. We finished just in time, as it was really starting to cook out there... it was probably 90 degrees as we prepared to get back down.

A short hike down, with a quick stop to pick up my pack, and we were back in the parking lot. We met a couple cool climbers (names??) who were finishing at the same time as us, and one guy pulled out a hookah... sweet! We hung out for a few, drank a few cold beverages and took a few pulls from the hookah (loaded with flavored tobacco of course... triple apple). Ashley and I were starving, so we headed over to the burger place in Leavenworth and had a bacon cheese burger... it was so good. After eating, we decided to find a spot on the river and cool off in the water. We found a good spot near where you launch and pullout of the river and hung out in the water watching people float by. It was hot but the water was freezing! It took a while but I was finally able to get all the way in... for a second. It did a great job of making the heat of the day pleasant, which was very nice.

Once the afternoon started winding down, we decided to pick up a few things at the store and head back to camp for a few before getting in a little session at Bruce's Boulder. We got there at about 7:30pm and the heat was backed off to an acceptable level, but the wind had kicked up a bit. We started off on the 5.6 slab route on the east face, which is a great climb to practice slab technique. Velvet was feeling a bit apprehensive as she hasn't climbed much lately, but she roped up and jumped on the climb. She made it up to the crux, but burned herself out figuring out the sequence. She lowered off and Ashley and I sent the route, as she gather beta on the crux. She roped back up after we did it and sent the route clean.

It was starting to get dark, but we had time for another quick route, so I ran up and moved the TR to the face route next to the crack on the other side. Ashley went up first and Velvet followed him, sending the route on her first attempt... and quite quickly at that. I skipped it as the wind was picking up big time! We headed back to the camp and had beers by the fire.

My alarm went off at 6:30am, but I turned it off and went back to sleep for a while... it was nice. I got up at about 7:30 and made coffee before starting to organize gear and pack the car. We ended up getting out of there by about 9:00am or so and headed to Barney's Rubble.

We did the fun 5.6 slab route on the north face. Velvet tore it up... made the climb no problem. This was a big step, as she had never finished the route before. After that, we set up a TR on the 5.6 crack to the left of the gully. I went first to show beta. It's a fun 1/2 crack 1/2 face climb with a fun under cling section to finish. I breezed up it... I like my new shoes that are geared for crack climbing. I can tell my crack climbing is getting much better, as I felt this pitch seemed much easier than when I had done it in the past. Ashley made it up with no trouble... he's done the route a few times as well. Velvet gave it a shot and got about 1/2 up before coming back down. She did great for her first crack climb... once she gets the technique down, she'll send it for sure.

Next we headed over to the XY Craig near 8 Mile CG. There we did a couple 5.7 routes. Velvet made the climb on the first route without incident. She really has started climbing a lot better. One the second route she hit the wall at the crux and gave it a number of attempts before coming down. After that I TR'd a 10a that was there, and was going to lead it, but the run-out between the 2nd and 3rd bolt was too much... a deck if you fell for sure. I made the route clean, but didn't figure it worth taking a fall. After that we packed up, as it was 1:30 and it was getting hot again! We had a beer at the car, then headed to Munchen Haus for our usual done with climbing ritual... brats and German beer. You can't beat a perfect weekend climbing.

Exit 38 - Interstate -- July 11

I hit up Exit 38 with Joel, Jian and Jeremy for some climbing on Saturday. Everyone met at my house at 7:00am and we were off to the I90 corridor. Jian and I wanted to stop and get food to go on the way, but couldn't find anything open worth getting on 203, and ended up at the Safeway in North Bend.

Once we arrived at the Far Side, we hiked up to Interstate Park. After a sweaty 20 minutes or so, we were kickin' it in the shade looking at climbs to warm up on. Joel led Nocturnal Remission (5.8) and I followed. Jian had only got 1/2 way up on Midnight Scrambler (5.7), so Joel finished putting that one up too, and both Jian and Jeremy climbed that one... I didn't, not sure why but I guess we were ready to move over to the fun short 2 pitch route of Eating Rocks (5.6) and Insomniac (5.8). Jian and Jeremy went up first with Joel and I following up after. I let the first pitch so Joel could do the better pitch since I have led it a few times. While at the belay, we noticed Jian off route. He didn't bring enough draws to finish the route, so ended up at the anchors for Bicycling to Bellingham and brought up Jeremy to get more draws and finish. While he was bringing Jeremy up, Joel led up the pitch and passed them to the correct anchor. Jian went up next, and was about ready to bring up Jeremy as I passed him on my way to the top. It was a nice sunny day and quite hot at the top, but the views were spectacular. We rapped down the back next to the Block of Doom. It's a committing repel with a couple tough places where you tend to pendulum and it's overhanging where that happens. I went first and Joel followed without incident. Jeremy came next, and had a bit of trouble getting over the lip and fell a bit, scraping his leg up in the process. He made it down fine and Jian followed last.

We then headed up toward Eastern Block, but it was pretty busy from the middle on up the hill. I noticed a route right below on a wall and realized it was a small area I've never climbed before called Off-Ramp. It was only 4 routes (.8,.9 & 2-10.a), but all were in out collective range. We climbed all the routes there, with Joel leading the two 10a's, Girls Rule and Boys Drool. I led Hit and Run(5.9) and Jeremy did his first sport lead on Jersey Barrier (5.8). We all climbed all the routes and I will be leading the 10a routes next time I'm in the area.

After that, we went back up the short trail to the left side of EB. The routes in the middle and left of EB were being used by a "small army" so we just got on the fun traversing route, Impartial Eclipse (5.8) which I led. Everyone followed on that, then we set up a TR on Space Face (10c) which was fun. Joel made it up with a bit of struggling on the thin slabby face. Jeremy tried, but couldn't get past the crux, and I didn't get on it, as I noticed I blew out the toe in my shoes again! I've only had this pair for about 5 weeks or so... total BS. I am going to return these (Evolv - Defy) a to REI and not get another pair, as I feel they just don't hold up. We had an uneventful trip back to the car, with a quick stop at the river to cool off and wash up a bit.

Index - Lower Town Wall -- July 3, 4

I had Friday off, so I headed up to Index to climb with Dave for the morning. We met up in the parking lot and headed to the LTW area with another guy Dave knew (who's name I'm forge ting). We started off on P1 of Japanese Gardens which was pretty tough, but a fun climb. Next we moved over to Godzilla and gave that one a go. Another fun, uber classic route. I still can't make it clean, but I feel like I'm getting better at it every time. After Godzilla, we left the rope up and TR's Bat Skins (.11a). It was a fun traversing roof, to a bouldery crux move right below the chains. I actually had a lot less trouble on this than I was expecting. Dave did a couple laps on it, preparing for a lead on it soon. After that it was time to head out.

I came back to the LTW area on Saturday morning with Ashley and Joel. We has plans to climb the Great Northern Slab route (3 Pitches, 5.7). The scramble up to the start of the route was a bit spicy, but we all made it up with out too much trouble. Joel let the first pitch to the RR Bolts, which was very easy, basically a roped up scramble. I led the second pitch, which seemed to be the most fun. The pitch goes up into a corner, then into an awkward chimney move (we called it the beached whale move). Once through that, you gain two really nice cracks and work up towards the chains. The cracks take pro well for the first half or so, but once you get beyond the tree with a sling on it, the cracks get shallow and don't take cams well, so I had to find a couple good placements for my nuts... (haha, I said my nuts). I got the the chains and belayed Ashley up and then Joel. Joel led the last pitch, which has some fun run-out slab action at the top. We did a single Rap down to the top of P2 then a double rap down from there. There were about 8 people either at the chains or headed there when we rapped down... quite a Charlie Foxtrot (CF or cluster fuck for those who don't know the lingo). It was a fun climb and I look forward to doing that one again soon.

Exit 38: Gunshow -- July 1

I headed out at 3:00pm to meet up with Chris D. for some after work climbing at Exit 38. We met up at the Eastgate Park & Ride at 3:45 and were off. We had plans to climb at Gunshow, and after the short hike, we were there. We wanted to get on Endless Bliss(5.10a), but as usual, there was a party of two already on it, and in the middle of P1 no less. We settled on Elation at the Edge of Eternity(5.9) to the left and up the hill just a bit. I wasn't too worried about leading P1 without warming up on something easier, but the pitch ended up being pretty tough and I got pumped a couple times. It ended up being a pretty tough lead and I ruined my on-sight with a rest on the rope... weak-sauce! I brought up Chris to the chains, and while I was climbing, I guess Jim showed up and Chris brought him up behind. Jim ended up being a great climber (I've never climbed with him before) and climbed the pitch in under 2 minutes. He went ahead and led P2 which was good, as it was a bit spicy. It was sort of slabby climb on great rock, with a tough step up. We both followed up and rapped off. I think this climb was tougher than Endless Bliss, although rated less.

P1 of Elation

The party on Endless was still kicking and scratching away, so we did GS-7(5.9), a short fun route just to the left of EB. The crux of the route seemed to be getting into a crack and over a block. Chris led this one without too much trouble and I followed, cleaned and rapped.

Start of GS-7

While I was rapping and cleaning up the rope, Jim got on lead with Chris on belay and started GS-4(5.10b). When Chris and I saw Jim climbing and heard the grunting, we knew we were in for trouble. Once Jim was at the top of the pitch, Chris followed up and quickly got to the first crux, which was this open book sort of thing. He made it past that and then worked the second crux for a little bit before making it up. I was next and started up. I got to the first crux and had to really work hard to make it past. I was happy to be past that, but the second crux came at me all too fast, and I was already pumped. The second crux required a couple tough moves into a weird undercling move. I finally figured out the sequence with Jim's encouragement and made it up. I was pumped, big time. There is a second pitch that wasn't in the book, but was a 5.10c and basically a one-move wonder acording to Jim... but I can tell you the move was tough. Jim led the pitch with just a bit of trouble on the move, but made it pretty quick. Chris went next and struggled to pull it off, and finally came back down after 10 minutes of trying. It was my turn and I wasn't feeling great about my chances if Chris didn't make it, but I sacked up and gave it a go. After a few easy feet of slab, I was at the move. It was tough even getting into position to do the move, as you had to use and awkard undercling and bring your feet way up. The without losing balance, move your right hand to a very awkard sidepull that you could'nt quite get a good hold of, the move your left to a tiny crimp, still keeping balance. At that point youo had to get your right foot up on a chest high ledge and just pull up onto it. Much easier said than done, but on my third try I pulled it off! Up and over and soon at the chains. I was stoked that I made it. We got back down and I was very surprised to see it was already 9:00pm.

Chris on Belay, GS-4

GS-4

We packed up our gear and hiked back down to the parking lot, arriving at 9:30pm. It turned out to be a perfect afternoon and another great trip to Exit 38.