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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 10, 2012 - 03:24am PT
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So Luke, tell us, how was PB's handy work? What was that story you were telling me at the brew pub about calling your mom while sitting on four crappy pitons??? Were you just going for G.N.A.R. points?
http://unofficialnetworks.com/gnar/
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Captain...or Skully
climber
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Jun 10, 2012 - 03:58am PT
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The tcu /hook thing has me perplexed, TKC.
Not either or?
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 10, 2012 - 04:04am PT
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Think traverse. Notice the wireguards?
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sac
Trad climber
Sun Coast B.C.
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Jun 10, 2012 - 06:48pm PT
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Sorry for the thread drift... but.. I am hoping some folks that follow this thread, might be able to help.
I am looking for any info, climbing related, for the UPPER DANIELS RIVER area "near"
Powell River. Perhaps more specifically, any activity on the walls in there . I've scanned CAJ looking for info, and other than J.C.'s mountain trips, not alot. Have heard from several people that climbers have ventured up there...hoping to find out what's been done (attempted?).
Aaaanyway... any info would be appreciated.
Feel free to PM me, so's to not drift this thread too far north.
Cheers.
Andy Durie
Powell River B.C.
Here's a little smpn' to stoke the fire
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sac
Trad climber
Sun Coast B.C.
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Jun 11, 2012 - 07:02pm PT
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Wow... guess not, eh?
Nevermind... back OT...
hey KC... where is this?
Looks cool
Is that U-Wall upper right?
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thekidcormier
Gym climber
squamish, b.c.
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Jun 11, 2012 - 07:14pm PT
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I believe its the 2nd pitch of rutabaga..
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TheSoloClimber
Trad climber
Vancouver
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Jun 11, 2012 - 10:39pm PT
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Time to try and breathe some life back into this thread.....
I went up on Sunday with Relic and Luke and Aislinn to give White Lightning a burn.
I got a ride with Fishboy who was going for Dream Symphony I believe, with another friend, and met everyone else in the Apron parking lot. At ~0900, there were a lot of people there despite the somewhat bleak looking forecast. Diedre was already stacked.
Our original plan was to run up Rambles, but because there was a crowd there, we opted for Bottom Line. Neither Ais or Relic had been on it before, and it made for a good warmup for the rest of our slabfest. We all simuled the majority of the route, with Relic and I changing places once due to rope drag.
By the time we got up TBL, Luke and Aislinn were already at the first belay for Diedre (where White Lightning starts from) so the two of us essentially soloed up to them, with my taking an alternate route from some old school slab route once I was on belay.
I hadn't know that this was the plan, but it seems that I was the designated leader for the runout 5.9 pitch. I had been a little worried about this one, as the entire day I had been picturing that picture back from post 81 in this thread..... I was hoping I wouldn't have to lead it. Oh well. My lead..... off I went. I slung a long piece at the end of the traverse where you start going up, and stopped.
I was looking for the bolt, or a bolt, any bolt, and couldn't see any. I yelled up to the climber at the belay above me on Diedre to ask him if he could see any..... he said yeah, just across from him. Booourns. The worst part about it was knowing that once I started, downclimbing slab is rather difficult, so I was pretty much committed.
Once I mentally prepared myself, I started upwards. My strategy was three moves or so until I hit a decent spot for my foot, stop, and plan out my next couple moves. It must not have been traveled much so far this season, as it was quite gritty, and rather unnerving every time I put my foot down to hear that crunching sound. I made the belay without incident, and a couple whoops! once I hit the anchor.
At some point, I can't remember if it was while I was climbing or after I got to the belay (no bolts that entire pitch..... huuuuge runout) Luke yells up to me, "Nate! I'm thinking of retreating!"
I yelled back that if he backed off, I'd be kicking his ass once I got down. He ended up tying into the middle of the rope I led up on, and I belayed him up (he did it without any problems) and then I belayed Relic and he brought Aislinn up. She ran right up without an issue..... crazy girl.
Relic took the next lead, fairly sustained .10b with a super cool mantle up an overlap near the start of the pitch. It went up a bit after the overlap, then traversed to the right. He slipped once or twice on the glacier polish, but caught himself each time and finished clean. I had a fun waltz up there, and Luke did it quite quick as well.
Now my turn..... the crux .10c pitch. This one went up a bit to a bolt, traversed back left 12 feet or so to another bolt, then up and slightly right through a sort of groove without any visible protection or holds.
I clipped the first bolt, then stood there for a bit, psyching myself up for the second one. The hands were thin, the feet were thinner, and I ended up using what I guess are 'hand holds' for my feet. Just below the second bolt, there was a decent cup that would have been a perfect place to stand, but it seemed too redundant and hard to climb down, just to climb right back up.
Despite that bolt being another four feet or so over, and at the same height as my ankles, I was able to make a looooooong reach and clip a draw onto it (pausing for a moment as I contemplated cowboy clipping it, then deciding against it) and then another slightly less reachy clip with the rope.
With my newfound confidence bestowed upon me by having my pro just around my feet, I started upwards again. As I said, there were no visible holds, save for a little divot in the middle of the groove, and something that looked decent way up to the right; part of a dyke or something.
I managed to make my way to the divot, which was just big enough for me to fit the end of my finger onto, then slowly, slowly crept upwards whilst crimping on my one finger. Footwork! I then was able to somehow swap out my finger for my toe on my left foot, and pushed upwards reaching for the dykey thing.
With my right hand crawling towards the block, my salvation was within grasp, literally. I was inches from it, when I felt my toe pop out of the divot, and managed to just grab the hold before taking a slider that would make White Castle jealous. I was so stoked on that one, I let out another whoop! and continued up.
The next bolt was still a ways away, but along easy ground. I clipped it, and didn't see an anchor, so figured it must still be up some more. The next 20 meters were interesting climbing along an arete. The bolts were still fairly sparse (well bolted my ass!) considering the ledge fall potential if you were to blow it along there.
By the time I mantled back up onto the slab, I was encountering significant rope drag; enough that I was pulling up slack and carrying some extra in my hand in case I encountered a tricky section I didn't want to get stuck in the middle of.
I finally hit the anchor, and brought Relic up. He told me that I did actually skip the anchor down below which was just after the crux groove, but hidden. Apparently Luke made short work of the crux as well.
The last pitch was uneventful.... Relic and I both just ran up the slab to exit out of Deidre. Luke was a short ways behind us, and broke out right towards the top of Banana Peel. Humourous moment was Aislinn behind Luke yelling at him that she hated simul climbing, and Luke yelling back that they weren't simuling, despite the fact that they obviously were.
I didn't feel physically spent afterwards, but I didn't appreciate how mentally draining that route was until I tried to get on something else. I was quite exhausted.
Anyways, that's my hardest slab climb/onsight yet, and it was amazing. Great day with The Posse, and look forward to going for something else hard with them again.
Word.
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TheSoloClimber
Trad climber
Vancouver
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Jun 11, 2012 - 11:52pm PT
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Lol, means truth or summit like that.
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thekidcormier
Gym climber
squamish, b.c.
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Jun 11, 2012 - 11:56pm PT
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Nice story Nate, but the thread title suggests that you should include some photos with your stories.
-if that works it a celly pic of Nate Rope Gunning up the 5.9R
Later that day Aislinn, Nate and I went to Genesis and met SuperTopo hommie Ryan D., he snapped this photo of me onsighting Genesis the self titled crack;
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After that we met Lurker Kyle A.K.A. Scooter the Commuter at Nightmare Rock where he got the stoners' onsight on Perspective;
...In HARDMAN news I caught wind today that Mr. 'Way Honed' Will Stanhope recently scrambled the Zombie roof, perhaps the FSA - First Solo Ascent...
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TheSoloClimber
Trad climber
Vancouver
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Jun 12, 2012 - 12:02am PT
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It'd be nice if we had some pictures wouldn't it! I tried to paint as pretty a picture as I could though.
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Fish Boy
Trad climber
Vancouver
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Jun 12, 2012 - 12:37am PT
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I headed up Dream Symphony with my bud Chris, who I first met outside my tent in the Grampians, Australia. He was pulling on a bong, and I knew this friendship would last, despite the fact that he is English. We are both Canadians now, so I will continue to like him. Unlike most people from England, he doesn't care about bolts, style or cider, three things which are close to my heart.
After several back country ski trips this year in which we tried to kill each other numerous times by letting avalanches off onto each other, we teamed up to climb our first slabs together, which we both dislike....not 'cos we are scared of them, but 'cos they ain't cracks. Sure. It was all a success, maybe the odd slip on the last pitch working it out though...
Chris starting up the first 10d corner of Unfinished Symphony. We climbed Dream On to get here, finding it pretty stout. Do people really 2nd that mantel on the traverse? Wow.
Chris totally sewing it up.
The 2nd last pitch for us, just before the crux slab.
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Relic
Social climber
Vancouver, BC
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Jun 12, 2012 - 12:43am PT
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Luc, Ais, and Nate climbed so well on our little slab trip. It was fun to be the crotchedy slow old guy with them. Too bad that pic came out all dark and gloomy of Nate. That pitch is such a mind bender. I'm glad it ended well, with plenty of woops yelled out to spare.
Hamish, I bought the bike right after we got down from White Lightning. Got it nice and muddy too!
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thekidcormier
Gym climber
squamish, b.c.
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Jun 12, 2012 - 12:52am PT
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Relic; my name has a friggin K in it.
Fishboy; sick pics eh!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 12, 2012 - 12:53am PT
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It sounds like you guys did the third pitch of WL - the one where you start not far below the Sickle tree ledge, and go diagonally up and left, then back right - and combined it with the 'direct' fourth pitch. After the third bolt on the third pitch, you're supposed to step right into Sickle, and belay there, maybe at a tree. The direct fourth pitch goes up the arete, and eventually up a slab as the angle eases, and into Diedre.
Diedre Direct is a good first pitch to start White Lightning, and get ready for the second pitch. 5.9 or so, only one bolt, get you past the hordes and warmed up.
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Relic
Social climber
Vancouver, BC
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Jun 12, 2012 - 01:10am PT
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Ok thanks lurker from the wall Luke. Haha. Where's your hammock? Retired to hammock heaven?
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Fish Boy
Trad climber
Vancouver
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Jun 12, 2012 - 01:16am PT
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Luc and I have a nemesis, here are some pictures of it...
It's so cute how Luc rips out this sh#t eating grin everything someone points a camera at him.
The route follows the right trending dyke, hits that flake, hits another dyke, then swings back left into those corners. 3 pitches from Bellygood to the top.
10 meters or more of hooking off the deck to the first bolt.
Nearing the 3rd bolt
Several hours later...
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Relic
Social climber
Vancouver, BC
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Jun 12, 2012 - 01:16am PT
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That's the way we went Anders. The anchor at the end of the 3rd pitch of WL is 2 bolts hidden on the other side of the arête after you traverse over from the 3rd bolt. Nathan missed that anchor and kept going up the bolted arête, in one long pitch.
There was a nice sized wet streak going down Diedre Direct. So that option didn't look too hot.
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LeeBow
Trad climber
Victoria BC
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Jun 12, 2012 - 01:17am PT
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Just a quick giggle for MH.
In '86 I first did White Lightning with this fellow named Jay from Ontario. Old bent bolts and fractured hangers abounded. Jay responded to each bit of horror show by chiming out "scary bits!" It became our mantra. Being the fools we are we even decided to do the last unprotected pitch. Scary bits, indeed.
When we got to the top I showed him A Question of Balance (he was keen to do more run outs). He took one look at it and announced he could walk up it backwards..."As a matter of fact I'm going to do it while eating this apple"
He then went about doing exactly that. Right before the station he wobbled and his bum touched the rock for a second, but all in all it was quite memorable. Must be some kind of a first.
CHEERS.
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Relic
Social climber
Vancouver, BC
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Jun 12, 2012 - 01:22am PT
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So is the bolted arête a variation of the real White lightning? I'm confused. I never did understand what you guys always talk about as the last unbolted pitch. I always thought it easily joined into the end of Diedre.
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