Shirts Off on the Rock!

Despite an iffy forecast, Doug, Rosie, Connell, and myself headed to the Apron last Monday hoping to do Calculus Crack and Ultimate Everything.  Due to other parties occupying Calculus Crack we ended up doing Rock On to Squamish Buttress and I think it worked out in our favor.  Rock On had been on my to do list for a while so I was psyched to get on it.  The climbing was much steeper than most of the other routes I had been on, and I would highly recommend it!  After walking over to Ultimate Everything and seeing a party just starting up, and not looking like they were going to be moving all that fast, we decided to do Squamish Buttress.  Earlier in the trip Mark and I did Butt Face, a variation to the last couple of pitches on Squamish Buttress that avoids the crux 10c pitch on Squamish Buttress.  After doing both, I think I like Butt Face better. 

Rosie coming up the long 10a pitch on Rock On

Mark didn’t join us on Rock On because he was resting up to climb University Wall the next day.  The climb is burly, with two pitches of 5.12 and the other six pitches no easier than 10d.  Unfortunately, Mark hurt his shoulder five pitches up so he and his partner Jim rapped down instead of continuing on.  Mark has had shoulder problems in the past so we decided to make a trip back stateside to see a doctor and get an x-ray to check for any trip-ending injuries.  The trip to Bellingham was extremely successful- an optimistic prognosis for Mark’s shoulder (shoulder sublexation), some calls back home, and a trip to Trader Joe’s!  And we were able to watch a couple episodes of Downton Abbey while we waited to cross the border.  All in all, a worthwhile trip.

A few days later we went to Crankworx, a mountain biking event that spans a week or so up in Whistler.  Mark and I were pretty psyched to check it out and we were not disappointed.  The mountain biking was awesome, but I think the most memorable part was the scene at Heckler’s Rock. Heckler’s Rock is exactly what it sounds like, a big rock overrun with rowdy hecklers.    The further we walked up the course, the closer we got to the shirtless hecklers.  I always thought that the climbing scene was pretty male dominated but it seems like mountain biking is even more so.  And the guys seemed a little more rough around the edges to put it nicely.  As we were walking up, some older men commented to Rosie and I that he hoped we had bras on.  At the time we didn’t fully understand that you can’t wear a shirt on Heckler’s Rock, so we were a little taken aback by their comment.  But once we got closer, we realized that their intentions were good natured; any time someone got near the rock, the hecklers would chant “Shirts off on the rock! Shirts off on the rock!” We stayed clear of the rock itself but got a front row view to a pretty hilarious scene. Not only do they heckle the riders racing, but they heckle everyone who goes by on the chair lift and their more sober fellow spectators.  Some of those people on the chairlift do a variety of things to get a reaction out of the hecklers, most notably stripping down naked.  Some of the racers even stop by the rock and drink a beer with them real fast then keep riding down.  It was colorful experience, but I was happy to witness it and not necessarily be a part of it.  Aside from Heckler’s Rock, the racing was really awesome.  I am not sure I will be charging downhill anytime soon, but it definitely got Mark and I psyched on the idea of mountain biking someday.

Looking up at Heckler's Rock

The past couple of days we have done a bit of slab climbing at Seal Cove and on the Apron.  Seal Cove is in a very unique location and can be a bit exciting depending on the tides.  I took a bunch of pictures because I couldn’t get enough of this place!  The pictures are a little out of order but you get the point.  Mark and I also had a ton of fun climbing there with Rosie and Connell, two of our friends from back home.  We crossed paths a number of times up at Tahquitz over the past year but for some reason haven’t climbed outside with them until this trip. Which is unfortunate only because we have a blast with them. 

Rosie ventures off over the water

I love the different colors with the rock and the water

Connell traverses over to the base of Swept Away (5.9)

Connell negotiating the down climb to the foot traverse.

Connell on Swept Away

What a cool belay!

Traversing over to the base of Sole Mate (10b)

Connell cruises up the slab

Quite possibly the most scenic top rope I have ever done

Mark hasn’t been climbing since he hurt his shoulder so to ease back in, he picked out a slab climb called Over the Rainbow on the Apron.  Slab climbing is low angle and generally requires much less “pulling” than steeper climbing.  This is perfect for Mark as he starts climbing again and doesn’t want to stress his shoulder that much. The climb itself was surprisingly fun with some high quality friction slab, some “thank god” edges thrown in, and an exciting bulge surmounted by mantling a crystal of granite.  I tried to get some pictures that show how few holds there are on a slab climb. Slab climbing is a unique in that half the fun is the fact that you are still sticking on the rock despite really not holding onto anything. Also, slab climbing is surprisingly challenging-  you have to be delicate but bold, and not hesitate.  As our friend Drew so appropriately puts it, “sneak past the move before it notices you.” 

Mark on the last pitch of Over the Rainbow

xoxo

Mark and Lauren