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
Wow. What a beautiful place! And Hecklers Rock. Gotta love it...mountain biking meets OTL.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the photo's! Looks and sounds like the fun factor is still "climbing"! Get it? A double entendre!
ReplyDeleteDamn, I crack myself up sometimes! Hugs for both of you!
Uncle Pep.