More Granite

The push for new granite routes in the Lower Canyon continues at a steady rate.  My efforts have been generally concentrated on the Single Malt Wall and the nearby Riverside Wall.  I was itching to move on from the Single Malt Wall to other locales but there was one line that I had been eying during the development of nearly a dozen other routes nearby.  A steep although short fissure splitting the upper wall was an obvious line that I had rappelled over or gawked at while installing other routes.  The problem was I could never touch it because I was always swinging out away from the wall by the time I got a look at it.   I brought gear and bolts for a recon and as is usually the case, this was a future sport route, not a trad or mixed route.  This route takes off from the ledge accessed by La Phroaig .11a, Stranahans .12c, Oban .12b and Glen Morangie .10a so you have your choice of first pitches.  It lies directly above Stranahans so it received the name of Stranahans exclusive once-a-year second casking 'Snowflake'.  Short and wickedly pumpy because of its steepness this little devil checked in at a conservative .12b.  I think climbers would love this route and it would become popular if it started from the ground but as a 2nd pitch route, it probably won't get climbed very often.

A frequent climbing partner, Bryant Hall expressed an interest in bolting and I suggested we update aging hardware on a sorely neglected route at the Island as a way to instruct on the finer points of route equipping.  My good friend, the late Bobby Model, put up Wild Thing .10d in the mid 1990's.  This route has taunted climbers with the threat of a crazy swinging fall from the crux mantle for two decades now and many have walked away with bruised and banged up knees and elbows.  Often after flailing and failing repeatedly climbers will sneak to the right and climb an easier albeit looser option far from the bolt to the right.  I watched it too many times over the years and talked with Bobby before he died about the possibility of splitting this line into two different routes.  He agreed it was an issue but sadly we never got to act on the project before he left us.

The day we chose to attack this project, Bryant led the route and I watched the scenario unfold as I had seen so many times before, a swinging, spinning fall punctuated by doubt and an escape to the right for a scary adventure.  As he shakily scrambled onto the ledge and relative safety, I explained this is what we were here to fix, that and 20 year old rusted hardware.  He then continued up through grass and dirt to the larger ledge and the old chains on the back wall to fix a static line for us.  We each took a side and were able to install two sets of new chains and separate bolt lines preserving but separating the two different experiences, each now well protected with shiny new bolts.  A thorough scrubbing and a new start for each finish produced Mild Thing .9 and Wild Thing .10c, both of which get climbed and enjoyed often now.

As the section of the River Side Wall under the giant chockstone becomes more dense with routes, it will most likely garner its own name differentiating it from the routes around the corner, above the road and closer to the river.  For now its still part of the RSW and has seen the most action this year so far.  I tackled a blank section with a steep red shield at the far left side of the wall near the road to create The Dog Soldier .13a/b.  I have been staring at this piece of wall for a long time trying to decide if it had enough climbable features and wondering how to get over and down to it from above.    In the end it wasn't as bad as thought it would be save for a logistical error caused by bringing a second rope that was too short.  I managed to come up with a solution and cleaned up this wandering little beast.  After getting stymied by the crux on my first try and tugging past it on the quickdraw, I pulled off a seat of my pants ascent on my second go.

Working through the cruxy section on The Dog Soldier 5.13a/b

Winter Ramos strolled back through town and was interested in checking out the new additions to the canyon along with sending an unfinished project he bolted last year.  We teamed up for 3 days  of climbing and enjoyed a day over in Ten Sleep at the Octagon where we sampled new routes and I was able to flash my first ever .13a, Duke Roofus.  With a good day under our harnesses, we headed back to Cody to try Winters route Craggenmore at the Single Malt Wall.  He rapped in and pre hung the draws to protect a hard clip at the crux.  After a valiant fight he still didn't have a solution for the vicious sloper move, he lowered down and handed me the sharp end.  I was a bit intimidated but eager to try hard, I somehow managed to stick to the slopey rail and climb on to the chains.  Craggenmore .12c is situated above the road starting on a dangerously slanted shelf and though it is weird to get to, it is totally worth the effort.  Our 3rd day found us fighting wind at the Brown Wall where we climbed the long and brilliant Golden Gate .11a, Foxy Brown .12b, I Speak Jive .11b and The Bolus .11b.  I was eager to try the extension on the Bolus as I had tried once last year and realized I needed to scrub it more. After a spirited scrubba-dub last Fall it felt crisp and sticky today and I fired it on my first go. Lower angle but cryptic and powerful, I felt like this short section merits .13a. 

Unfinished routes bug me, especially half finished routes or routes with no ending or poor cleaning jobs.  Right in the middle of all the new routes on the River Side Wall was a nearly 25 year old route, started but never finished, literally 4 bolts to nowhere.  A climber/river guide by the name of Marty lived in Cody in the early 90's for a summer.  He aided his way up the wall leaving bolts/hangers, machine bolts threaded into drilled holes and even a copperhead/mashie and ultimately a steel quick link bail biner. There it sat for 20+ years, I had climbed up the large coffin shaped feature to the quick link before so I knew that part worked.  I rapped in and cleaned 50 more feet above, installing chains and 6 more bolts.  I found great rock and more fun climbing, and dubbed it Marty's Coffin .11c.

Summer at the 6

I ran into two old friends in Ten Sleep the weekend before last.  BJ Tilden and Kyle Elmquist were on a quest to send some of the harder lines the canyon has to offer.  They asked me to come along with them and their friend Tom and we had a great day at the Superratic and French Cattle Ranch.  They were resting the following day so I talked them into hiking in to see a new crag I have been working on, Crag 6.  I convinced them to bring harnesses to belay me but couldn't get them to bring their shoes, it was their rest day after all and bringing a pair of shoes usually means you will climb.

I have spent two seasons putting routes in at this remote crag and like so many random crags dotting the vast Big Horn Mountains, this one is a real gem.  Needless to say I was eager to show off my find and try to send something.  There are nearly 20 routes there now and with some 10's from Charlie K, some 11s and 12s from JB to compliment the 13s I installed, we now have a crag stacked with three star climbs.  I was asked to keep this crag a secret even though I stumbled upon it first and started the process of development.  I agreed and we laid down some ground rules, 'no topos and no directions posted on the internet', though bringing friends in for a day of climbing was allowed.

Many of the routes I put up are very hard for me and I knew they would each take serious effort for me to ever be able to redpoint.  Consequently I have given several away and was psyched to see the rest sent as well.  When I finish a new route, I always climb it to see what its like and then determine if I am ready to start projecting it or move on.  Crag 6 has two premier walls, one really long with endurance related routes and a shorter wall with bouldery routes.  I chose a route on each wall to save for myself.  BJ and Kyle were very impressed with all the routes and decided to come back the following weekend.

Our crew consisted of myself, BJ, Kyle and his lady friend Julie. In addition, Casper sent along two envoys, Micah and Eric to round us out at 6.  After warming up on the incredible long 5.11s, the Casper guys set to work on Special Delivery .12c, an enduro steep arete on the far right side of the Rap Stars Wall.

Micah Rush on Special Delivery .12c

BJ onsighted and Kyle flashed the long brilliant Deez Nutz .13a for seemingly a second warmup. Then Kyle, BJ and I went to work on some of the shorter bouldery routes.  I sent Bo Cleevil .13b for the FA on my second try of the day after climbing through the hard stuff and bungling an easy move up high on first go.  BJ went right to work on the steep blunt arete and after a quick recon sent it on his second try,  he dubbed it Godfather FUZ .13c.  He then went on to flash Bo Cleevil and its sister route High Park Rodeo .13b for the FA.

Kyle Elmquist on Bo Cleevil .13b

BJ Tilden getting the FA on Godfather FUZ .13c

The second day we swapped the Casper guys for some friends from Cody, John M. and Jesse.  BJ flashed Thugagra .13b, the longest and hardest of the enduro Rap Stars routes in impressive style.  He then went on to dissect the Girl Next Door .13c for its second ascent and strung its start into Godfathers finish to create the linkup Girl FUZ .13d.  Kyle and I floundered about on High Park and Bo Cleevil and at the end of the day when we were all thrashed from a weekend of tugging on small pockets, I went to hang draws on Holla, a long pumpy .13-. This being the last unsent route and my next project, I wanted to equip it so I could try it next time I was there.

It never fails to surprise me how I can sometimes perform my best at the end of several days on and this was no different.  I guess it was low expectations for that particular try, I made it through the crux down low and felt good moving through the bigger moves in the middle.  I kept finding the best jugs to rest on and as the route tipped back and the moves and holds got bigger, I just kept going.  I only became nervous about 10 feet from the anchor when I realized I might just pull it off.  I don't normally celebrate when I clip the chains but I couldn't help letting out a "HOLLA!" that echoed across the empty meadows down below.

My cohort in development of this crag JB Haab has always been diligent about enjoying a cold beer directly upon reaching the truck after a long day at the 6.  Having absorbed this lesson well, those beers felt as good going down as they did on my swollen finger tips.  

 Homeboys and girl grinning ear to ear after a great day at the 6.

I went back the following day and bolted another line and started in on a second one.

Cody Granite in the Winter?

A very warm January and February saw a flurry of activity on the granite walls of the lower canyon in Cody.  My friend Jason and I were enjoying some fine Scotch whisky one evening the first week of January and he mentioned he was going to try bolting the following day.  I chuckled at first, then immediately checked a weather app and realized mid 40s could be reasonably comfortable for bolting.  That spark set off a little over a month of Jason and I equipping 10 new routes and climbing or trying nearly all of them in unseasonably warm winter conditions.

The Single Malt Wall had a half finished route I had started last Fall, so that is where my 2015 bolting season began.  That line became Single Track, named after our fantastic spirit distilled right here in good 'ol Cody Wyoming by Dr. (and former climber) Tom Pettinger. A goofy line, in my opinion, that rambles up a vertical wall passing through a roof and finishing on a steep shield with a bouldery mantle of a top out.  I honestly wasn't that excited about the route, but everyone that has climbed it has really enjoyed it, including my wife who is a harsh critic of granite sport routes, her least favorite medium for rope climbing.

Jason Litton reaching for the 'bread loaf' coming through the roof on Single Track .10d.

Photo: Christian Baumeister

Meanwhile, Jason began bolting a meandering line just left of Pug Mahone .12a, coming through a large blocky roof and finishing up a beautiful headwall of red stone.  We stopped to look at it one day as we approached other climbs.  As we stared at it it became clear that we were looking at two different lines, he returned a few days later to split them into their respective individual lines.  The Last Pale Light in the West .12c and The Judge .13a/b? turned out to be really amazing lines.  I have yet to try either but am stoked to put some time in when the cold weather subsides.

Kevin Wilkinson grapples with The Judge .13a/b?

Seen here with a knee bar and shoulder scum, this thing looks physical!

Last Fall while warming up on LaPhroaig .11a at The Single Malt Wall, Dan Miller asked why I hadn't put a line up the blunt arete in the center of the formation. 'It looks like a killer dyno might be the final move!" he said.  I have to admit I had been wondering as well what sort of climb might materialize there.  After swinging himself over and confirming there was a decent hold to jump from, he planted the seed that would become Stranahans .12c.  Meg and I toured the Stranahans distillery in Colorado last Fall when we were in Denver to see the Black Keys in concert at the Pepsi Center.  A delicious and somewhat sweet grain distillation, I'd swear it was partially a bourbon.

Jason Litton going for it on Stranahans .12c.

Jason was keen to install a line to the right of The Art of War .12c and had mentioned it often over the past couple seasons. The rock turns bright red for a steep stretch before graying out and entering rounded runnels.  It was an obvious line and after I installed Slapping the Fridge, a .12a a little further right last Spring, I told him he had better get after it cause the clock was ticking. He took the bait and put up Phoenix .12b, a truly inspiring long line.  I wish I had a photo for that one.

Stranahans allowed me to glimpse at the features just to its right and I realized another cool line may exist there as well.  Three steep folds produced 3 individual boulder problems that seem like V1, V3 and V5 with great rests in between. A bouldery little nugget of a route The Oban .12b/c is very entertaining and now that it is cleaned and chalked well, apparently quite on-sightable.

Trying to get into position for the last bouldery section of the Oban .12b/c.

Jason made his way up the canyon a bit and tackled the back side of a steep red fin with bullet looking stone.  This was another line he had been dreaming about for a couple seasons but had failed in trying to scramble up the slabby choss pile on the front side to establish an anchor.  He decided to put his Rope Access skills to work and teach himself to aid climb, bolting as he went up.  He borrowed my brand new Climb Tech RB and though he was successful in his task, manage to mangle the RB in the process.  Oh well, all in the name of progress, he got two new routes out of that endeavor. The Red Baron .10+/.11- and The Red Right Hand .12a are supposedly of high quality though I haven't been able to try them yet.

There is a wall directly across the river from Single Malt Wall that has been calling out to me for years now.  I knew people had been over there to climb the path of least resistance cracks as evidenced by a blue sling on the lower plug of rock.  I also knew that Nick G. and his brother had climbed and summited the much taller upper section of the formation via a wide crack/chimney system. I was interested in the plumb line up the steeper left face starting right off the river rocks.  What I didn't know was how to get to the base of this wall as it appeared to be rim-rocked.  Last Fall on my birthday, I was in the area trying to send a new route and wandered toward the cliff while resting between burns on the project. I found a passable ledge system and with a few 5th class scrambling moves I was deposited at the base of the wall where I gazed up at this gorgeous possible line.

Straight up the center of this face to finish by climbing the rounded seam in the little white streak.

Oh my!

The rappel in from the top of the cliff was way longer than I anticipated.  My 75 meter static line got me to where I needed to be with 4 feet of rope left. This line has all the colors Cody granite offers, black, brown, pink, white, all the shades of grey and a full spectrum of licheny greens. Now it is bolted and cleaned, I even hiked the gas powered back pack blower over there to blow the dust and dirt off the larger ledges.  This is going to be a super route!

Unfortunately winter has returned, temporarily.  Can't wait to try it out!

Summer in Tensleep and other Wyoming Happenings

Yada yada Tensleep this...  Yada yada Tensleep that.
Bolted some new stuff.  Helped open another new Crag.  Climbed a bunch of amazing routes.
I've got zero pics or footage.

Here's something different.  Some folks over in Western Wyoming are working on a new multipitch line on overhanging limestone.  While the line doesn't look to be done yet, they have leaked out some footage of their project.  Check it out:


Pilgrimage to the Sun - 5.11+ from ClimbingWyoming.com on Vimeo.

Some Local Flavor

Western Gold was released yesterday and based on reviews that are trickling in it sounds like Alex Savage has done it again. Myself and several other Cody residents were psyched he chose to spend some time here last Fall to check Cody bouldering out, as he turned out to be a really nice guy.  It wasn't initially in his plan to visit Cody but a changes in plans and an open schedule found him touring around some of our favorite spots. Marc spent the most time hosting Alex and now finds himself in the video and representing on the front cover. Nice Work! Can't wait to see the video. You can order it as an HD download to watch immediately or buy a DVD Copy. Im waiting for a real Copy to show up at my doorstep.

Some Sending

I finally sent something new! McClelland Strong is the first route I bolted on the Single Malt Wall. In fact I started bolting other routes just to have some warm ups for this beast. This climb is demanding from the moment you step off the ground and doesnt let up till your clipping the anchor. It has very atypical moves on pinches, slopers and underclings with some optional knee bars. Initially, this climb felt like it would be impossible to sew together and the pump was throttling me under the roof. Once I had my sequences figured out though I was able to climb smoother and more efficiently allowing me to get to the lip fresher. Last season I made it out the roof but blew it higher up near the anchor. Today I just went for it and it felt great. This may be the hardest route in Cody now at 5.13b. Real cutting edge.... Yes, we are still in the stone age in terms of grades in Cody

The weather has been perfect for the new granite routes down by the river, with multiple days in the 50's and 60's. Last weekend, I finished bolting the arete at the right side of the Dragons Den. This was one of two I started last fall, I put three days in and was close to finishing but the winter weather shut me down. A long and winding route, this one starts right of Labor of Hate on the steepness and goes up and right to the arete finishing up the vert wall to the top of the cliff. I am syked to begin working on it, the initial boulder problem looks desperate. The route is long and though the rest will be cool, the crux will surely be the start.

More routes planned for the Lower Granite and the Island.

Getting out and on a rope. Finally!

After several months of flux, winter blahs, job changes, etc., a real climbing day materialized. I rallied the troops for a blast over to Tensleep for a wintery visit to the Octagon.

A fresh blanket of 8 to 10 inches had fallen making the hike in more interesting to say the least.

The river crossing is always a heads up affair but on slippery logs and planks covered with snow, even more so.

After crawling up the braided hand line we were rewarded with our first peek at the cave.

I have been here a dozen times over the the past year in every season and its always climbable. Its perfectly situated so it catches sun all day in the winter and shade throughout the warmer months.

We hopped on The Dean Of Mean .12d as our warm up. This was a climb I did last season after what seemed like way too many tries. I thought I would do it on my second go like so many of the steep and pumpy climbs in this cave but after several visits and many attempts I was still failing at the top after a lengthy rest. Its so juggy and flows really well and really is one of the easier climbs in the cave so I was psyched to dispatch it today as a warmup and get on with the next step, Fight of the Night .13a.

Starting out on FOTN
Thanks Marc for snapping these pics
A nearly horizontal girdle traverse brings you out of the back of the cave to join Dean of Mean.

This has been my high point for several tries. From here there is only about 8 more feet to the rest, then the redpoint crux of Dean of Mean.

Marc was with me last fall on a visit and was quite taken with Baby Face Assassin, a short .13a.

This climb is more Tensleep-ish than anything else in this cave. It comes up the back wall at a consistent 15 or 20 degree overhang and has small and medium sized crimps the whole way. Its kind of bouldery and suits Marcs style and strengths well, plus its super fun! It also has a 60+ foot extension called Soul Assassin that goes out the horizontal roof and up the headwall at .14b.

Marc starting up BFA

Approaching the crux.

All in all a great day, though no one really had much sending success. Its still early in the season and on the way home, we all talked of returning in a few weeks for more full body thrashing after some more gym training. Can't wait!!