Link Ups are sooo hot right now

So if you are up to date on climbing news, link ups have been pretty hot.  Tommy and Honnold did the Triple in Yosemite.  And then some link up in Zion.  Alix, Drew, Mark, and I linked up some moderates in Index.  And then Mark and Drew did Way Grand- the link up of Freeway and the Grand Wall on the Chief.  Link ups are hot, so to stay hip, we have been trying to link up a lot of stuff.

The point of this is to talk about Mark and Drew linking Freeway and the Grand Wall.  Mark is going to write up about this since I took yesterday to link up the coffee shop, a massage, and then the grocery store.

I won't say more about "the" linkup, but I will catch you up on what is happening in Squamish.  Noteworthy ascents include: me leading a 10b and 10a on gear, and Mark onsighting 12a on gear!

Mark and I were planning to do a climb called Sunset Strip, a longer, newer, 5.10 route on the Chief, but due to some aggressive weekend traffic, we bailed.  The weekend crowd has way more of an agenda than the midweek folk.  But it all worked out because the first pitch we did climb was an awesome 10c, and then we climbed Arrowroot, a single pitch 10b finger crack not too far from the base of Sunset Strip.  I have been a little tentative to lead on gear but I felt that this would be good for me: straightforward, splitter, finger crack.  It was a very positive experience all around!  Definitely one of the best 10b's I have ever climbed.

Later in the day we went to Murrin Park and Mark onsighted Sentry Box, an awesome 12a finger crack!!!!  The first part is a 10a crack system, to a cool move around a small roof, to the business.  The crux is really thin but Mark cruised it!  Onsighting 5.12 on gear was one of his goals this trip so both of us were really psyched.

The next day we went to the Petrifying Wall at Murrin Park for some sport climbing.  Greg, Mark, and I got pretty worked, and super psyched.  I particularly liked a climb called Blackwater (12a).  Maybe another project?  I have done all the moves but the pump factor is high and I am not sure if I want to put more time into projecting a route when I came up to Squamish really wanting to get a lot of mileage leading on gear.  But who knows, it is a gem.

Mark on Blackwater 12a

Greg on Burning Down the Couch 11d

On Monday we spent some time getting internet and exploring a new area of Squamish.  We got to watch some kite surfers and hike around the estuary.  Kite surfing is wild!  I can't say I have much desire to try it, but I plan on going back to watch.

Looking at the Chief from the estuary trails

Some estuary birds.  Canadian geese I think? In Canada!

Kite surfers with Shannon Falls in the background

Mt. Garibaldi in the background

He hit the water pretty hard

It was so windy! At least 30 mph winds.  Thanks to Greg for snapping this pic.

Well, I don't have much more to add.  Mark is going to write something up about the link-up so be looking for that.  The next couple of weeks are pretty exciting: Mark and I have a handful of climbs we are psyched to get on, Doug arrives, and Mark's Dad and sister will be up here visiting!

I know this post was pretty heavy on climbing lingo so I wanted to explain a few terms I threw out there.  A link up is when climbers link two or more climbs (usually in a day).  For example, Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold linked up the Nose on El Cap, the Regular NW Face on Half Dome, and some route on Mt. Watkins in a day.  The crux is the hardest part of the climb, and a splitter crack is a parallel sided crack.  Hopefully that helps a little!

xoxo LMo and MK