Control your Fear, Place your Gear, Earn your Beer!

Yeah... that's a leopard tube top at the crag.

Climbing partners are worth their weight in gold, or DMM offset brass nuts... whatever works for you. For me, the equation balances when a person's willing to learn, willing to teach you new tricks, and is focused on a mix of improvement and fun. Despite appearing like a total gong-show in this image, and despite chucking various objects at me from heights half the day yesterday, I vouch that Sonia is a really good climbing partner. 

Both of us jumped at early-season opportunity yesterday on what was a busy, perfect weather climbing day at Cochrane lane yesterday. Sonia led About a Rope which is a terrific moderate and is no means a walk-up. The leader's got to think about rope drag, ledges, protecting the second on traverse, and a high crux that's got tough gear to place at the grade. Get on it if it's at your grade!

Small cams can hold big mans!

At the end of the afternoon I jumped on Sticky Fingers despite having wimpy fingers from a winter of non-climbing (ice doesn't do much for crimp strength or tip toughness). After doing a better than I expected I found myself through the thin crux and placing a final blind piece from a secure finger lock. Clipped er' and just as I was committing to the final move my smear blew. This old yellow TCU... one of my oldest pieces held like a champ. Not that it was a big fall (8' or so)... but the first one of the year always feels bigger than reality. Beer earned!

We weren't the only climbers around yesterday, the place was full of locals, visitors, men, women, and even a very psyched kid out for a hike. Cars were parked to the end of the field and lots of people were thinking about goals for the season. What are your goals for this year? 

Sonia leading Sparky Start

Happy to top out About a Rope

Tracy over on Pass the Moonshine

First rock 2014... only about 3 weeks late

Well as of yesterday it was still snowing in the morning... but I think that's finally done. Spring is weeks late and most crags will be seeping snow-melt for a while. Cedar Pt. is good though... as always bone dry and warm.

I caught up with a good crew of Pepper Creek climbers for a few quick laps today. Not climbing in the gym over the winter hurts though... tonight my fingers ache, my tips are raw, and my calves are still white-hot burning fire! All the jogging / cycling / and chin-ups in the world don't compensate for a lack of climbing. Still though... was a terrific day to be hucking myself at warm rock with good company.

I've noticed that someone's contributed a lot in terms of chains and quick clip biners for this crag. Excellent! Perfect place to have them and a real service! I have noticed very quick rust accumulation on the galvanized chains. Marine environment and mixed metals perhaps? Check out this image of Stef belaying us up on these chains... I don't know if they are even a year old? I don't remember them last year.

Placing inexpensive equipment contributed out-of-pocket is a necessity for a place like this. Stainless quick-clip anchor installation is an expensive proposition and nobody's going to do it in a place that's got a history of anchor chopping (I had one removed that I placed a few years ago). That could  be a different story if we had a bit more security on the access however. If climbers knew they had a permanent right in this area it could make a great project for Ascent NB to work on. As it is now... I think it's a good example of how unsecured access leads to use of budget hardware (and rightly so). Not trying to knock the contribution someone's made... it's totally safe and appreciated... but just trying to image a future that could include fancy bling anchors!

Late Season Ice

For the past few trips, I've been climbing at the Hatchery... but decided to give it a rest given the recent access concerns (which are now thankfully solved). A week or two of reduced pressure there may help the situation further.  

Sonia and I decided to gamble on the conditions at Mt. Misery. We knew that it was likely to be mostly sun-baked and rotten, but it's been cold enough at night still to have hope. 

Before talking about the ice I'll mention the scene that greeted us. Upon dropping our packs and making our way to the anchor trees we found a scene of harsh natural selection.  A deer had been cornered at the edge of the cliff by coyotes and was freshly torn apart a few hours before we arrived. Not much of it left to look at... a bit of fur, part of a rib-cage and spinal column, and most of the lower guts. You are going to go right through it if you want to top-rope there for now. I tried my best to get Sonia to pose for a selfie with it... she was game right up until we found the cute little hooves.  Too bad.  

Not your typical scene!

The ice was rotten, but stable and full. We top-roped a few pitches and one was lead at the upper tier. Screws were marginal and took a bit of time to remove the bad surface ice. The melt-patter has actually left most of what's left in steeper conditions than normal... and very fun. The ice has the consistency of dense hard Styrofoam... and every swing is a guaranteed stick! I think it will survive until next weekend! 

Late season ice

Baked but full conditions.

I also realized the best part about late-season ice isn't the hero texture. When it's early-mid season my ethic is to leave daggers and overhangs alone. They are forming... and may yet touch down for someone to enjoy. During the late season that ethic goes away and I go out of my way to smash, bash, and drop anything that will make a big crash. Makes me think there should be a date on the calendar around March 15th for this. Fuck ice ethics... Super fun!