Spring in Splitterville- Photo TR

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List

This thread has been locked

Messages 1 - 20 of total 42 in this topic

<< First | < Previous | Show All | Next > | Last >>

snowhazed

Trad climber

Oaksterdam, CA

Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 30, 2009 - 11:37pm PT

The troops assembled from Colorado and California, converging upon our hallowed desert climbing locale. Sixteen hours of driving filled with dreams of sandy slots and parallel fissures without end. We descended into Indian Creek under a bloodlit moon, awaking the next day to our beautiful playground.

After shuddering off the caged feeling and cobwebs from the drive at Donnelly Canyon and Battle of the Bulge on day one, day two brought us to Broken Tooth. This cliff was new for even the most seasoned creek veterans in our crew. I couldn't resist and set off straight away on a brilliant climb Rock Lobster 5.11, figuring the first half of the climb would be my warmup.

We moved on to Pussy Wuss Crack 10+. Here is Henry contemplating how to chickenwing over a roof with piss feet. Liz was able to get her knee in, but declined the title of "Wide Ropegun Girl".

We took some toprope runs on Inflictor 5.12-, a sick fingers and tips line, before Chris sacked up for the lead. Henry jugged the Rock Lobster line and nabbed some great images.

Cruxin above a purple tcu.

For a rest day we hit up our first tower- Easter Island a super fun 2 pitch 5.10 on the Bridger Jacks.

After the mandatory night time vacillations, our goal for day four was made concrete. Bryan's last day would be spent in search of adventure on Rimshot 5.11-, a 5 pitch route that would prove to be stellar. Bryan was in need of a lead and started off on a thin hands splitter, as the unique 5.10 stembox and burly crux corner loomed on high up and left.

A view up the stembox- what a feature and just plain fun to climb!

Henry and I made it to the top first as a party of two, and also having accidentally bypassed the traditional start by way of hard ow and then through my first triangular shaped chimney. We had killer perspective of Liz and Bryan following Chris up the crux corner.

Negotiating the kitty litter (thank you Chris for apt terminology) took us all to the awesome summit of Bridger Jack with the Six Shooters off in the distance.

We said our goodbyes to Bryan, his first time in the Creek cut short by the real world. With Henry as chauffeur and Liz in Moab, Chris and I (mostly Chris) went back to retrieve our stuck rappel ropes. Once retrieved Chris took a run at the pumpy, sustained, and aesthetic Egg Drop Soup 5.12. From there we linked up with Hoopdancer 5.11 taking us to the top of Hummingbird Spire. Some sketchy rappels ended day five.

The sixth day would find us at Scarface Wall, my first time there. Warmed up on the wall's 5.11 namesake.

With a reason in my mind not found in the realm of the rational, I racked the big gear as my first 5.11- offwidth would be on lead. Big Guy! (that's the name of this gorgeous 120 foot splitter)

I struggled mightily on the 15 or so feet of #4 camelots as my big snowboarder knees would not fit, but once it got to 4.5 and 5 I was able to hand and fist stack to victory. What a line!

Day 7 was our next rest day, nabbing both summits of the South Six Shooter 5.8 with our new arrival Clara.

We returned to Moab only to be civilization shocked by the 4000 person Canyonlands marathon. First shower and some thai food were worth it. The 4:40 am alarm put me into a sore disgruntled state, but soon we would be slinking down steep dirt switchbacks in the pitch black. Our truck moved on, abreast of the Green River but unable to even know it was there as no light penetrated down to Canyonlands NP. I began to make out the depthless black cliff lines, as the morning intruded into the sky. Then, our target was before us, and my whole being filled with awe.

Moses, Zeus, Aphrodite, and the Thoracian Mares stood silently waiting for us. The sun filled the canyon and warmed us as we prepared for Primrose Dihedrals 5.11+, seven pitches of sustained, clean, cracks to be climbed on Moses the largest of the towers. Zeus keeps watch for now.

Henry passes the 11+ boulder problem gatekeeper, and then links the first two sustained pitches. Fingers, rings, stems, and hands. Here is getting all rockstar to surmount the 10+ jams around a roof.

I went next, yanking on an RP to pass the devious start.

Chris cast off on the only bad rock of the route and snapped a shot of Henry and I dangling in space. Meanwhile Clara shot a crazy perspective of the same scene from the ground.

Chris made tidy work of linking pitches 3 and 4, a fingers roof and overhanging big hands. This left me taking lead on the last of the business- linking pitch 5 to pitch 6- the infamous ear of Moses. Tricky pro but fun climbing, all the while the ear loomed on high.

A fun 9+ face move to lb, and then I was wrestling Moses' earlobe with 5.11 ow moves.

I whipped out eventually, switched it to a lieback and made headway before another fall. Blood flowing freely out of a torn cuticle I summoned everything for the last hard climbing of the trip and made it to the belay. From here was surreal as we chimneyed and tunneled into Moses' brain, emerging to the summit out the top of his head.

Feet free of my shoes, I spent one last moment of pure being and joy dangling in space on rappel. Primrose lived up to its hype and more, the perfect end to a perfect week.

hoipolloi

climber

A friends backyard with the neighbors wifi

Mar 30, 2009 - 11:44pm PT

rad!

GOclimb

Trad climber

Boston, MA

Mar 31, 2009 - 12:05am PT

Wow! Awesome!!!

GO

BrassNuts

Trad climber

Boulder Colorado

Mar 31, 2009 - 12:13am PT

Bump for great pictures and tales of adventure from the land of sand... and a cool dinosaur Bridger Jack summit photo!

Jaybro

Social climber

wuz real!

Mar 31, 2009 - 12:31am PT

I'd climb there...

drljefe

climber

Old Pueblo, AZ

Mar 31, 2009 - 12:36am PT

Hot damn!

murcy

climber

San Fran Cisco

Mar 31, 2009 - 12:40am PT

Amazing pictures, and some awesome-looking stuff that isn't the usual pure splitter cracks. Need some.

kubok!3

climber

Austin, TX

Mar 31, 2009 - 12:55am PT

Great stuff!

Hoots

climber

Tacoma, Toyota

Mar 31, 2009 - 01:14am PT

nice tr bro.

labrat

Trad climber

Nevada

Mar 31, 2009 - 01:29am PT

cool tr!!
Thanks

adam d

climber

Mar 31, 2009 - 01:39am PT

nicely done!

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

sorry, just posting out loud.

Mar 31, 2009 - 01:55am PT

Snow Hazed, were you climbing with Chriz from SLC the flyboy?

snowhazed

Trad climber

Oaksterdam, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Mar 31, 2009 - 02:31am PT

nah- the Chris in the pics is a cali kid now in the front range

survival

Big Wall climber

A Token of My Extreme

Mar 31, 2009 - 07:10am PT

What, nothing about politics? How do you expect to stay on the front page? Damn!!

HA! Good job and great pix! Thanks for sharing.

Mav

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Mar 31, 2009 - 09:08am PT

Awesome!

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Mar 31, 2009 - 09:28am PT

Jaybro, let me know when you want to come out to the Creek. It's my backyard, i'd love to show you around. Great photos!!!

climber

Mar 31, 2009 - 10:16am PT

Nice write up Mr. Hazed. Awesome trip that was!

Rimshot is really good with a truly unique and fun pitch 3, I recommend to all. Primrose was as good as hoped, been waiting a loooonng time to climb that one.

Best line of the trip? Big Guy, no doubt!

Inflictor was cool too. This photo demonstrates more accurately how hard I was working...

The author, looking back one last time.