Rock Canyon - The WIld - Gazelle 5.5

Mountain Project Route Description

Thunderstorms last night made the trail a bit damp, but it wasn't too bad on the rock. Got there about 11:00 and checked out the route for a good bottom pro placement. One of the keys of a safe Lead Rope Solo route is a bomber multi-directional bottom anchor.

When I was in Alaska with the Alaska Mountaineering School Advanced Mountaineering Course (a civilian version of the Guide Course) one of the instructors shared my love of Tri-Cams and helped me work on using them as part of a bomber anchor. So of course, I did use one.



I tested it and it held multi-directionally, though a tri-cam usually looks sketchy to the uninitiated. I also used a couple of SLCD's - a 1.5 and a 2.0, and used some webbing to equalize them. In the pic it looks sloppy because it's hanging down. I rarely use a directional piece above it to hold it "up" until I climb - dunno if that's style or technique.




I tied the rope off and piled the rest of it in my backpack at the base. I hooked in my Eddy (suitable with reservations), got a couple of draws, a couple of single-length extended draws, and headed for the top. I got to the first hanger, clipped it, then downclimbed to lock the Eddy and bounce-test the anchor. Great - held nicely. So up I went.



It's only about 25' and three draws before the chains, and as you hit the top you can go around the left side of the pillar and do the anchor there. I clipped in a daisy, but didn't really need to - it's pretty solid up there. Then I threaded the anchors, hooked in my Reverso3, and dropped the rope. I rapped down, and cleaned, then brought the rope down, piled it into my pack, reorganized my stuff (getting better at that) and made my "I survived" phone call to DW. I then talked a bit with the family working "Call of the Wild" 5.6 around the arete. A mom, dad, and handful of kids. Was really fun talking to them.

When they had arrived (just before I built my bottom anchor) they first asked "what do you use to belay yourself" I said "I could tell you but then I'd have to shoot you." Later when I talked to them, their 10 yr-old asked me to explain it again. I said "I could tell you in about 3 minutes, but it's something that takes a long time to learn. And if you don't do it right and go die, I'd feel really bad" and the dad said "Hence 'shoot you' - but only indirectly."

Pretty good day overall. My first lead solo of the year.

Summer is in the Air

Rope Solo time of year is here.

Just got back from Alaska, which has been dominating my mind for the past two months. Getting ready, getting in shape, all that good stuff.

I had a ton of fun, took the Alaska Mountaineering School 12 day Advanced Mountaineering Course, which because all 6 of us averaged more on the "rock jock" side of things, ended up focused on Rock Climbing, rescue, self-rescue, anchor building in an Alpine environment, etc. In addition to a great ascent of North Troll via the South Fork of the North Couloir. Steep snow, up to 75 degrees crappy, mixed with rock. Slush pits in the late morning/afternoon. Tons of fun. While they were doing rock rescue I experimented with some self-belay and self-lowering scenarios, which the one instructor totally dug.

Anyway, I get home and the first thing I want to do is go outside and climb rock but first I have to get all my stuff together. Getting ready for Alaska I did the whole "two pile" thing - one pile for Alaska, the other one huge leaver pile. So now I have to put the Alaska stuff away, and sort the horrible mess of the leaver pile. So I found my car in the garage to make room for the in-law's car while I was gone, which is cool, no biggie, but it made the perfect "shelf" to sort my gear on the hood. So I had biners and draws and slings and pro all over on it, then nice and neat into boxes and almost into the pack.

Heading to the gym tonight for a bit of a workout, but I'll try to get outside in Utah sometime this week. I'll probably be in Colorado for the big holiday weekend, so I may get to do some toprope solo at the Swan Mountain crag like last time. There are a few routes there, but I think they're all toprope, which is cool enough solo - just simple rope management.

I'll see which one I get done first and get back to this blog with some pics and news. TTYL