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Cuckawalla
Trad climber
Grand Junction, CO
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 15, 2008 - 11:09am PT
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8:30 PM I get off work and call Jesse B and Mike Z and tell them that we are going to the Fishers, Colorado NE Ridge on King Fisher. They question my reasons but by 10 pm we are on I-70. Iron Maiden albums on repeat and soon we are on the river road. At the parking lot of the Fishers Mike has a great idea of using his car to pack down the snow. 15 minutes later and a lot of driving back and forth we have our camp. We each have our two mediocre sleeping bags stuffed inside each other. We pound a nightcap and stuff ourselves into our sleeping bags by 12:30.
7:30 Am: A not quite Alpine start Mike starts up the car and its Slayer until we leave.
I realize that I forgot a rope. Two will have to do. I realize I just brought approach shoes and everyone else was smart enough to bring some boots. Desperation inspires ingenuity, I use the tent stuff sacks as gaiters:
The sun Rises and eggs us on.
We slide around on the trail
We start Climbing at around 9:00
Jesse B Links Pitches one and two.
WE can see the sun spreading golden down from the top. We jug faster to bask in it.
Jesse Fixes the first pitch as he goes by, and I start jugging. At the first pitch ledge I belay him and Mike starts jugging the first pitch. Jesse gets to pitch two and I scurry up to the ledge with promise of sun.
When the sun hits us we stop and stare off towards it. Our eyes closed. Revitalized.
I get the crux pitch.
I clean the snow but the ice below enhances the route.
The #3 Camalot blows and I fall.
I go back up topstep and get a f*#ked REd Camalot and it holds. I do a mantle on ice and realize our purgatory like position.
Mike jugs up, balancing between Snow and Sun.
As mike flies up the next bolt ladder
I tune my ears to the constant rock fall around us. AS the walls warm and the ice melts. At times the towers would resonate with the crash of boulders.
I jug up to Mike and pitch off around the corner, lucky to be there, lucky to get both of the good pitches, the great exposure, lucky to be alive and experience this.
AT the large ledge before the last free pitch the sun begins to set and the fellas start to speed jug. I promise them if they hurry they will get to feel the last fingers of sunlight on the ledge.
Jesse Takes off on the last pitch and fixes it
WE get a few more moments in the sun.
WE go to rap and Jesse Forgot his Belay device. WE have to fixe every pitch for him to rap with a Gri-Gri. WE follow by unfixing and rapping.
From the Ledge before the summit we had to chisel the rap anchors from the snow
and ooze off the edge into the fading light. We rap quickly and silently.
Wanting to be on the ground, but also in remorse to another adventures end
The last rap down the chimney in the dark might as well have been down a cave. I bounced off the sides getting wedged.
On the ground we sit and pound a 24oz mickeys and having only one head lamp, and only one power bar all day stumble to the car.
Its Bob Dylan's Forever Young as we bounce away from the Fishers.
I called Mike up this weekend, "How About the titan?"
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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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Jan 15, 2008 - 11:15am PT
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Cool -
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho
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Jan 15, 2008 - 11:15am PT
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Top-tier TR! You guys got bank!
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paganmonkeyboy
climber
mars...it's near nevada...
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Jan 15, 2008 - 11:25am PT
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that's so sweet - looks even sketchier in the snow, if that's possible ;-)
nice work !
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hoipolloi
climber
A friends backyard with the neighbors wifi
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Jan 15, 2008 - 11:27am PT
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great TR. looks really beautiful with the snow.
Looks like headlamps and powerbars will definately be in the pocket the next time, eh? haha. I hate the dark, im skurr'd
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TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
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Jan 15, 2008 - 11:31am PT
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WOW!
thank you for this...what a great day starter!
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FeelioBabar
climber
Sneaking up behind you...
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Jan 15, 2008 - 11:33am PT
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Proud work. Love the sun side/cold side photo.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Jan 15, 2008 - 11:35am PT
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Much cooler than the average TR.
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piquaclimber
Trad climber
Durango
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Jan 15, 2008 - 11:36am PT
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An excellent TR guys! Beautiful photos.
You guys are burl!
Brad
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handsome B
Gym climber
SL,UT
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Jan 15, 2008 - 12:47pm PT
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I just have to ask: WHY?
It's all about the friends and adventure!
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survival
Big Wall climber
arlington, va
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Jan 15, 2008 - 12:53pm PT
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Well done fellows! Nice pictures too.
Bruce
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scuffy b
climber
Stump with a backrest
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Jan 15, 2008 - 12:54pm PT
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rapped with a gri gri?
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Jan 15, 2008 - 01:41pm PT
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Nice pictures and story. Brave to be climbing there at all with that much snow.
Brrrrrrrrrr. Man that's a lot of snow for the Fishers. In midwinter, the place seems to go back a few decades; no people, no noise, a spooky atmosphere. The wind seems to have given up, the animals have disappeared, even the plants all seem to be hunkered down for the season, but the rocks come to life--those random rockfalls always make my insides curl up a bit.
Here's a view of an unknown climber (hard to see, on the skyline) on the route.
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crøtch
climber
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Jan 15, 2008 - 02:09pm PT
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kickass. great sun/shade arete photo.
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BadInfluence
Mountain climber
Dak side
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Jan 15, 2008 - 03:25pm PT
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sweet
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Big Kahuna
Ice climber
Hell Hardest climb I did was getting out of bed.
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Jan 15, 2008 - 08:34pm PT
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Nice! Great pic thx for the TR
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Jan 15, 2008 - 08:49pm PT
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You guys are Ku-ray-z.
Nice one!
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jan 15, 2008 - 09:40pm PT
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Man, that was cool!
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Fluoride
Trad climber
Hollywood, CA
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Jan 15, 2008 - 10:13pm PT
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Burly doesn't even begin to describe that.
Excellent TR and congrats on the send. Fishers in the winter covered in snow. GAH!!!!
You guys rock.
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