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Cuckawalla
Trad climber
Grand Junction, CO
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 13, 2008 - 01:14pm PT
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Mike and I have known each other for a long ass time. While he was in the marines and in Iraq we would talk about the trips we would take when he got out. Three months ago he finally got out and moved here. Neither of us have climbed any sort of a big wall and with big plans of going to the valley this summer we have been working on our aid skills.
With Mike being the super slacker, to make up for the lost years by collecting unemployment from the ol' govner, he is the most available climbing partner ever. My spring break comes early so we decided to jet over to Vegas for some face time in the sun and on the rock and to give our newly made Spandex a whirl. Compliments of Todd the Seamster.
We leave Grand Junction at five in the morning and arrive in Redrocks somewhere around 12 or 1. WE go to the first pull out and slink into our rocker suits and pull down on some sharp edges retro style.
WE do this only long enough for the tourists to get some good photos and for us to realize how bad we are at sport climbing. After getting housed on a few routes we quietly pack our spandex and go to the third pull out.
We hike around and start doing our thing on some slab until we hear the loud sounds of a helicopter that keeps circling us and finally touches down to drop someone off. After a half an hour of passing over he touches down again to pick up a stretcher. When we walk out we see one of the SAR guys and he tells us a hiker had twisted her ankle. At the parking lot we see her in an ambulance talking on her cell phone. We had passed her on our way up to the climbing and her pudgy hand had had the cell phone pressed to her ear even then. She had been air lifted a good 500 yards to safety.
The SAR looked a bit bitter.
We crash at our friend's house. Its funny how people change. Our friend was a guy who used to run around the woods with us in high school and was nick named YETI. Now he has his Mercedes and pointy leather elf looking shoes that are so chic they force me to give him so much sh#t he gets pissy. Real Estate man, he works everyday. We see him in passing at night, he wants to take us out on the town. At 9:00pm we yawn and are too busy pouring over the guide book to go out.
The second day we hike out early to go do a roof crack called Risk Brothers Crack. Mike had found another pair of spandex somewhere that took flashy to a new level.
After we each lead a lap on it we hike down the hill and decide to run to solar slab and get some mileage in. WE simul-climb a few routes and run back to the car.
Third day we go do a route called Dark Shadows which was fun but we are hungry for some more and so we tick a few more routes in the area before hurrying back to the car, back to YETI's house, and packing our stuff to drive to Zion.
We pay the obscene amount of money for camping and sort gear
The next day we wake up late and take forever paying the 10 dollar bivy permit and then having to pay the 25 dollar park entrance fee. So much money.
We had our eye on Lunar Ecstasy on Moonlight Buttress.
WE crossed the river and ended up at the base at around 1:00PM and dragged all our crap up the ledges. I blasted off trying to free climb the first 3 pitches as fast as I could and hauled while Mike jugged. WE ended up at the top of the 4th pitch as the light began to fade and decided to set up camp.
A Little Something for the Cold Night to come:
It was cloudy the next morning and so we ended up sleeping in until 9:00. WE packed the sh#t up and I launched up the next pitch late.
Luckily the Sun Broke out half way up the pitch and life was good.
I took the pitch after as well and came across a bat in a crack. I had a small conversation with him about minding each others business and getting along.
He continued to snuggle and I high stepped past him. We named him Petey and he later joined me at the belay, flying into the crack right next to me and sat there hissing at me while mike led the crux pitch.
[Petey is in the crack next to the main crack, look closely.]
Petey and I chilled as we watch the shadows eat at the trailing rope and slowly trying to consume us all.
Mike Found the free moves at the top of the crux pitch to be the most difficult he cussed and did some ancient tricam charming chants but he charged through it all and we were two pitches from the top.
I led a short choss pitch and set up shop at a large ledge with a 110' pitch standing between us and the summit. Wild and exposed with sharp varnished rock. The last bolt is missing so I high stepped/free move to a decent cam. Good look to those under 6'2.
We Fix at a tree and haul the crap in the last of the light.
A can of Dolmas and a Cigar Each.
We are packed and ready to hike at 8:00pm, Ready to start off on the wrong path to hike two miles in some snow before realizing we are going to wrong way.
We hike back to the top of the route, find the right path and start down the steep user friendly paved switchbacks and realize that this is why it costs so much to climb here. We cross the river hardly noticing wet feet and walk two miles back up to the Big Bend Parking lot where we do the gear stuff. Its 12:30am
We sleep a few hours and head out. Tired but stoked to have done a mini big wall.
Sitting here with cloudy skies I hope it all clears. Indian creek for a few days before its back to having my face against a grind stone.
In the end we are just:
-Jesse
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John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
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Mar 13, 2008 - 02:24pm PT
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thanks for posting the TR.
Some great pics.
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Ricardo Cabeza
climber
Meyers,CA
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Mar 13, 2008 - 02:28pm PT
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eKat,
I believe those wonderful spandex pants are known as ...man-pris! ;)
Nice work and good pics guys!
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TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
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Mar 13, 2008 - 02:30pm PT
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NICE
thanks for posting up!
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James
climber
a porch in Chinese Camp
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Mar 13, 2008 - 02:36pm PT
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cool man
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handsome B
Gym climber
SL,UT
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Mar 13, 2008 - 02:38pm PT
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HIGH fashion at its HIGHEST
Thanks for the TR
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piquaclimber
Trad climber
Durango
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Mar 13, 2008 - 02:39pm PT
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I have the flu and have been out of it for a few days now but this made me laugh out loud...
"he cussed and did some ancient tricam charming chants"
Great TR Jesse! Thanks for posting.
PS. I could use a copy of those chants if the're available. :)
Brad
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snowey
Trad climber
San Diego
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Mar 13, 2008 - 03:11pm PT
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you know what I always say:
"mo spandex, mo betta"
Nice job guys. That roof climb at RR looks like fun. I added that to my hitlist. How was it?
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Cuckawalla
Trad climber
Grand Junction, CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 13, 2008 - 03:19pm PT
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Pretty long hike for a climb that is short but sweet (risk Brothers) There are some face climbs up and around there, but I wouldnt walk all the way out there just for it.
-Jesse
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Prod
Social climber
Charlevoix, MI
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Mar 13, 2008 - 03:25pm PT
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Nice work on the MC Hammer hat.
Looks like a great trip.
Prod.
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Zone Dweller
Trad climber
Mesa, AZ
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Mar 13, 2008 - 03:37pm PT
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Great Pics. Did you do the wall "clean", looked like a lot of fixed stuff. Enjoyed the fashion statement :)
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L
climber
Malibu, baby....in a Cheetah shirt
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Mar 13, 2008 - 03:57pm PT
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What a great TR! Petey sounds like just the sort of mascot for a climb like that...hanging in a crack and hissing at you.
The photos were awesome...and if you guys ever want to retire those "fashion statement" lycras, PLEASE send 'em my way! They were fantastic!
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Cuckawalla
Trad climber
Grand Junction, CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 13, 2008 - 04:01pm PT
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Route easily goes clean. We were told to bring all sorts of trickery and offsets. I placed maybe two offset nuts and had two offset aliens. Besides the anchors there are probably only 7-10 pieces of fixed gear. We did the Direct free variation at the beginning and did the Jarrett Finish at the end.
-JEsse
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John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
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Mar 13, 2008 - 05:28pm PT
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Jesse,
Do you remember what your rack was ...
This route is on my ticklist and it looks like I might not need as much stuff as I thought I was going too.
Cheers
john
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
there's a time for every star
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Mar 13, 2008 - 06:06pm PT
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oh. my. god.
"hella pants make u dance."
sexy pants get on the floor.
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rwedgee
Ice climber
canyon country,CA
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Mar 13, 2008 - 07:50pm PT
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Great TR but there will be hell to pay when Russ finds out you stole his spandex.
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Ezra
Trad climber
WA, NC
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Mar 13, 2008 - 07:59pm PT
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Strong work boys, nice lycra!
-e
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Orion
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Mar 13, 2008 - 08:15pm PT
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There has been enough talk about the spandex pants, they rock and all, total power cords stuff but what I'm curious is what material did you sow onto your wall pants the knees??
thanks for posting up a great TR!
Thank mike for us all for his service and I'm glad he came home safe and is still kicking ass.
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Cuckawalla
Trad climber
Grand Junction, CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 13, 2008 - 08:41pm PT
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the rack was:
1 #1-#4
2 #.5-#.75
3-5 #.3-.4
Set of C3's
Various other small cams
lots of various nuts (metolious brass worked great)
one set of HB off sets
Yellow/green offset
Yellow/red offset
1 Talon Hook
1 Rivet Hanger
Three Smallest Tricams
May want to bring one Baby angle to slam into the last hole on the Jarrett Variation (hole is empty)
I would focus on just bringing all manner of nuts. Most pitches that is all I placed except for the "leap frog alien pitch" which you really dont need aliens for. I found that I needed the most of .4 and .3 sizes
Hook was useful I bypassed some really blown out crap by hooking past it.
The material on the knees is this stuff called Herculite and it has velcro on the top part where I have a foam pad insert I can put in and out. Burly stuff no real sign of wear. Customized again by Todd the Seamster.
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Fluoride
Trad climber
Hollywood, CA
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Mar 13, 2008 - 09:17pm PT
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Great TR Jesse, love your writing style. Whole thing made me smile, from the lycra pants to Petey the bat (so cute!! I wish I had hissing bats follow me up walls).
I gotta say, Mike definitely rocked the lycra. The only people I see these days wearing those are French, great to see an American making them look good!!
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