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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 13, 2014 - 10:19pm PT
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Tooth, that chopper is a sightseeing chopper out of van who likes to buzz climbers on the chief and sometimes land illegally up there. He buzzed us twice.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 14, 2014 - 02:25am PT
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Well they didn't see the moon today. I think that would be very difficult in a body harness at a hanging belay... Lol
I made sure to wave a certain finger at em!!
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Apr 14, 2014 - 01:17pm PT
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Two full moons made an appearance on the Camel many years ago that scared the Grouse copter into shutting down completely for four hours.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Apr 14, 2014 - 01:20pm PT
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A brand new bit, three holes, new 10+ route, sunny Fraser Valley granite, what's not to like?
I have a broken rib is what's not to like. So after scrubbing and working the moves on this line pre-break, I ended up handing it over, gift wrapped, yesterday to a good friend of mine for the send. Despite having seven kids and consequently getting to climb about twice per year, he sent. Good times.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Apr 14, 2014 - 01:52pm PT
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Somebody's gotta work to pay for the baby boomers' retirements right?
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Apr 14, 2014 - 10:26pm PT
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Sorry for the OT dude!
And dudette!!
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Hey Mike dude I went to check u out around the magic hour(615) last night to take a photo but the wall was clear.
How was the wall???!!?!!!!!!!??!??!111111!!!!!!!!??!?!!!1111
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Sanskara
climber
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Apr 14, 2014 - 10:37pm PT
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Mike might be the only climber on ST that actually climbs.
Good on you bro with all you have been through..
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Apr 14, 2014 - 11:08pm PT
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Mike might be the only climber on ST that actually climbs.
You have been paying attention Sanskara!
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Apr 14, 2014 - 11:50pm PT
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Mike might be the only climber on ST that actually climbs.
I don't know about that. He said he'd done some climbing yesterday, but all we saw him do was eat food and drink beer.
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scaredycat
Trad climber
Berkeley,CA
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Apr 15, 2014 - 12:00am PT
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So, if you were coming up from, oh say, Seattle to climb in Squamish, would you:
1) plead to say with a pretty distant friend in Vancouver (no worries, y'all are safe)
2) stay at Klahanie Campground
3) drive logging roads until you found a nice site moderately close to to the climbing
x) plan 9
?
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Apr 15, 2014 - 12:11am PT
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Klahanie campground is a cool spot I think.
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Sanskara
climber
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Apr 15, 2014 - 12:15am PT
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I thought drinking beer and eating was climbing....
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Apr 15, 2014 - 12:47am PT
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The provincial campground is a cool spot I think.
It's good when there is toilet paper there.
So anyhow, just to change the tune for a minute here I just got off the phone with a friend who will remain unnamed but had a harrowing tale that i'll share here:
On top of the roman chimneys there is some ledges with a cave with a few steep sport routes called the shelter. On the sides & base of the cave there is some real steep, powerful bouldering possibilities. Anyways he was up there by himself bouldering when he ripped off a 5' long by 2' wide by a foot thick slab of granite causing him to assrocket & have the slab land on his lap, pinning him down. With help from endorphins he was able to flip the rock off and some how stand up. He soon realized he shouldn't/couldn't stand up and had to lie back down. He tried to crawl/drag himself to the backside trail but after only a few meters he had to make the call. Apparently he got plucked by John H on a long line becoming possibly the first bouldering heli-vac in Squamish history?
Anyways, turned out he was real lucky & only ended up with a fractured pelvis. An inch or two in any direction & the doc said it woulda squished something he would have needed or wanted in the future.
Watch out for choss there everyone.....
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thekidcormier
Gym climber
squamish, b.c.
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Apr 15, 2014 - 01:30am PT
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Holy Cow.
Edit
Big chunks of granite exfoliating near or onto climbers has got to be my biggest fear. It fricken terrifies me. And the more I pay attention to the idea of lurking death blocks the more I realize they're every where just waitng to be motivated.
Here hopin for a full recovery to our fallen compadre hopefully he's got some friends or family to help him through the recovery.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 15, 2014 - 01:45am PT
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Lol. Classic tale about Dave Lane Bruce. Thanks.
Very cool pictures of the chimney Andy! I gotta get up there!
Everyone wants wall pics and i'm gonna get there but i have a few other tales to tell first.
Ryan that is such a gnarly story!!!
I was so glad to have an intact pelvis.
Last week was pretty darn decent for climbing. Sunday was sunny and warm but it had rained the day before so there were definitely some wet spots. Sandra had the day off miraculously, so we finally got her out cragging for her first day of the season.
She wanted to lead Davey Jones's Locker but it was soaked, so she settled for Pixie Corner after a little encouragement. (I told her i'd lead it if she didn't!)
She did well and almost got the redpoint despite the moistness of the cracks.
Then we went to burgers and I lead wisecrack, and we left early because the wind was rather brisk.
Edit oh ya! She asked me to take pics of her bad gear for her:
Funny thing is this was the crux piece and i've never seen her place a crappier piece in her climbing career! Lol
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 15, 2014 - 02:02am PT
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Sanskara: I'm not the only guy that climbs around here. Just the one of the only who enjoys sharing about my climbing adventures.
I'll admit that i have an ulterior motive however, and that is to spark memories of the past, in the hopes that they will be shared and Squamish climbing history/mythology will be further enhanced by doing so. I love hearing fa tales from the pioneers. The things they did with the gear they had constantly amaze me.
The boldness of the average climber back then seemed to be at a much higher par.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 15, 2014 - 03:05am PT
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It rained the first couple days of the week, but the sun popped out again late on Tuesday making Wednesday somewhat dry again.
I got out with Toby who had a couple gigs for me to look at.
We parked at his place in the bluffs and headed up to Penny Lane.
We warmed up on Quarryman and I led it for the first time in over a year. It was a bit wet at the crux, which was scary, but I got through it and it felt good.
Then Toby hit up Clandestine Affair 5.9
I managed to follow cleanly despite some sloppy footwork on the traverse.
After we headed over to Penny Lane and I turned down the lead. I'm just not ready for a crux like that right off the ground quite yet.
Here is Toby well above the crux.
I fell at the start after i got established on the crack, and after i took down the gear anchor then soloed over to the power windows anchor, Marc Andre appeared on penny and i offered him a ride on our rope.
Notice the excellent duffer style. Marc is headed to the valley. Hopefully we'll see him down there!!
Later that night i called Toby and we schemed up some big plans for the next day.
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thekidcormier
Gym climber
squamish, b.c.
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Apr 15, 2014 - 03:12pm PT
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Great pictures Mikey ma boy, well except the one of micromarc duffersittin' in a tank top... Ouch
I would take the Satan Slit descent over that any day.
I had an awesome day on Sunday, after an acupuncture visit with Melissa Wheaton, Aislinn and I cruised to The Chief where I promtly sent the Stewamus LAyback, of the couch, first try with no pre-placed gear or any bouldering pads....
It was "heads up" to say the least.
Watched two teams on the take on The Grandwall: the first team had one leader leading every pitch AND carrying the pack. He styled through the sword crux and was looking solid up the final stretch, but couldn't hang on to the chains and took the ride, not once but twice.
The second party; a guy and gal with the guy leading everything except the Pillar. What I miss the most is that nice belay break between leading the Pillar and following the Sword, especially when there weather is as good as it was Sunday...
I have a couple pictures but the keep flipping sideways when I try to Upload them. Shoot.
...........................................................................
Mike the suspense is killing me, What happened the next day?
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 15, 2014 - 05:13pm PT
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What happened next? Only the biggest climbing day i've forced this incomplete paraplegic body to complete so far! Lol
After I got home from climbing on Wednesday I had a workout at the gym with my personal trainer who's been helping me train for my el cap ascent.
My left quad seized up on me halfway through the workout thanks to my limited intake of water.
I spent a couple hours in the pool and tub after to try and work it out. Knowing the hell i was planning to exert on it the next day.
Toby and I made plans to meet up for a Rambles/Banana Peel/Buttress/Face ascent at 9am.
In the morning he seemed dubious as to whether it would be dry enough to pull off this early season feat.
I assured him from the road that we would find a way. :)
We decided to pitch out Rambles into two pitches for a warm up. The weather was greybird as I cast off on the wet opening moves, but it looked as if it wanted to clear at some point.
I gained first pitch anchor fairly easily and decided to clip it with a shoulder length sling before heading up the diagonal.
Toby tried to warn me off, and i should have listened, but i assured him it would be fine. The diagonal was good until I got to the transfer point and had to step up onto the slab out of a mucky puddle.
I cleaned my shoes on my pant legs and put my right foot in the slot. It stuck, and i pulled up easily and danced around the runoff to the belay.
Toby followed quickly and dispatched the next pitch with ease and setup belay at the base of Banana Peel.
I followed the pitch quickly, especially after watching toby climb the crux, which i'd never had good beta on.
Toby had assumed that i would lead Banana Peel since i would be more likely to pull him off, but my lead head felt weird and i felt he could make better time.
I reasoned with him that i had more route experience therefore i was less likely to come off.
So he cast off on the first pitch, and when he reached the end of our shortened rope, I followed.
It was pretty cruisey until i got to the diagonal. I made the stiff moves near the bolt with ease and made my way right across the groove.
As i stepped up out of the groove, I unweighted my left foot a little too much and it started to skid. I stomped it back into the slab and stepped up onto my trusty right foot to get the heck out of there.
After that the focus was on and i was unstoppable. I gave toby a hip belay for the crux and he returned the favour.
I pretty much cruised the rest of it, but Toby told me later he'd had a little slip getting onto the slab after the notch.
We made good time to the top of the apron and decided that we would be able to continue on to the top and still make it down to pick up toby's kid on time from school.
Sorry no photos, just a whirlwind of climbing.
After a break for some water and a snack at the base of the buttress Toby linked the first two pitches and got us to here.
Toby at the second pitch belay on the Squamish Buttress
The view from the same belay
I led the next two pitches to the boulder and stacked the rope for a flip just in case Toby wanted to try the Buttress crux pitch. He declined, and we flipped the rope anyways so i could establish us at the base of the 10a buttface crux.
Everything went smooth till i unclipped the second bolt before i completed the move and botched the left foot, sending me for a rope stretcher into the gully. I was fine except for the scrapes on my arm and a couple cuts on my index finger.
When i got back up to the move, I had to clip into the bolt so i could rest before i had enough energy to pull the move. Lol
I was pretty happy though because this was really the only pitch i had any issue on the whole route.
The view from the base of the buttface chimney.
Toby was kind enough to take a few photos of me when we topped out.
Your's truly at the buttress summit.
Toby Foord Kelsey photo
I told him we had to summit first peak to consider it a Chief "Send" so we hoofed it up the slab and did a few unprotected slab moves off a tree to get to the summit.
Toby enjoying the summit views before we had to go rescue his son from school.
1st peak pano!
Big Mike on his first incomplete paraplegic Chief summit.
Toby Foord Kelsey photo
My quad that I mentioned earlier had been bugging me ever since we started the buttress, and it didn't get any better on the way down. Thankfully i was smart enough to bring lots of water this time as i still had some left.
After we rescued Toby's son, we went to campfire grill and enjoyed some tasty bbq!
When i got home, my left leg seized up on me, and my right leg decided to play along too.
Friday was a total write off. Lol
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Apr 15, 2014 - 05:33pm PT
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Well dude, A lot of us subsidized your education Drew and still toil to make our tax deadlines and dream of a retirement. It regards time passing and the rewards of capitalizing VS, being an employee ...
Jim - I was referring to the fact that my buddy has the seven kids. That's the generation whose work is gonna get taxed to pay for your nursing home!
I just wonder what wages they will make to herd robots all day long.
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