Scouting Mt Misery

I managed to find partners Saturday willing to go to Mt. Misery... a feat in itself these days with a recent plague of skate-skiing hitting the Fredericton community hard. I very much wanted to see how the ice is growing with a few weeks left to go until Ice School. 


Stacey, Greg, and their girls were game and I also found more willing partners in Angela and Magda. The weather was good and the river frozen well. 


The ice is coming along but it isn't as far as this time last year. Too much dry precipitation and not a typical Saint John rain, cold, rain, cold, etc winter. We found a few lines worth climbing and actual a very nice fat flow in the shade which I lead. This was probably as steep as anything I've lead before. Between the number of screws I plugged in a short climb and Stacey's imaginative commentary below I was well entertained. Something about me wondering 'where the hell I was going to finish'.  Anyway... 


Oh, and I've been catching a lot of flack lately about my rope... so I finally ordered a new line tonight. 


A few photos made in crummy light but with lovely models: 

Stacey... kick, kick, thwack, thwack

Angela... kick, kick, thwack, thwack

  

Problems Around Fredericton

The last few times I've been at the gym I've been hearing some younger climbers talk about finding problems local to Fredericton. I've been there. Before owning a rack and a car we used to go around town after class buildering and chasing the few boulders that are local. It's good fun.

The map above locates all of the areas I know of around Fredericton with problems easily accessible to local climbers. All you need is a bike (and an optional crash pad). There's probably way more problems out there so go find them.

Now... when you're out buildering, use some common sense. Public buildings are generally o.k. if you keep a low profile. Private property is different. If somebody asks you to leave... just go. None of these problems are worth putting up a fight for.

For those of you with Google Earth, you can download the KMZ file for these areas: Here

Parlee Brook

Accomplished the first goal of the 2011 climbing year on Saturday by actually finding Parlee Brook. It was a fun day out with Stef and Jon. The conditions were a bit less than ideal I'm told. I bashed a few pics and bottomed out one of the few screws I got in on my lead. Deep snow over top of just about everything. In some places there was ice under the snow... but in other cases... just moss (and not even frozen moss). We did All the Kings Horses, Three Amigos (which I'll lead next time with better ice) and we top-roped Blue Pillar. Nice area.

Climbing Goals for 2011

Climbing goals for 2011:

1. Physically find Parlee Brook. Assuming I can do that... I'd like to lead all of the WI3's and maybe a few WI4's.
2. Return to Odin and make it to the anchors in 90 minutes.
3. Lead 5.10 on gear.
4. Climb at least 150 pitches.
5. Aid the Prow in Cathedral.
6. Climb El Cap.
7. Fall more. I rarely take falls.
8. Climb faster. I rarely climb fast.
9. Take good photos of others.
10. Give a little back by installing at least 3 anchor stations and fixing some trails.

And here's a tick list of NB routes... small, but all I can think of for now:

• Three Amigos WI3
• Patrick's Choice WI3+
• Yellow Pillar WI4
• Iced Cheese WI3+
• The Drain Pipe WI3
• Golden Pillar WI3
• Odin A2
• The Great Roof A2
• Sticky Fingers 5.10b
• Pink Panther 5.10
• Waterfall Layback 5.9
• 5.8 for Style 5.9
• The Waltz 5.10
• Jai Voile ta Blonde 5.10