Ascents

FIRST ASCENTS

Pukaraju Juegos de los Reyes TD+ Wi4 M6 5.8 FA

     My first, first ascent and a consolation prize after weeks of fruitless work.

Illumination Rock Skylight Indirect III M5 FRA

     Maybe new, maybe not... all rad.

Illumination Rock Miracle on Snice III Wi4 M5+ 5.9 FRA

     Again, who knows if its new?  It is, however, one of the best mixed routes that I've climbed.

Mt. Endeavor Arete sans chaussures D 5.6 Ai3 FA

     In rough French it means an arete climbed without shoes... long story.

Peak 8692 Dalestrom D 5.9+ FA

     Its like a maelstrom, but with a bush pilot like Dale its a...

Colchuck Balanced Rock Scarface III 5.10+ FA

     Suprisingly clean rock on a rock scared face.

Strobach Unholy Baptism Wi6 FA

     Hands down the hardest pitch I've ever climbed.  Spent two hours on the overhanging lead.

Dome Peak Indian Summer III 5.10 FA

    Wayne and Mike found a gem when the opened this face... so good.

Colchuck Balanced Rock W Face V 5.10 A1 (approx. winter rating) FWA

     Nabbed this in one of the lowest snow January's to-date.

Dragontail Peak NE Buttress VI M6 (approx. winter rating) FWA

     Another low snow objective that we wouldn't have thought of if not for Jens.

MEMORABLE ASCENTS, FAILURES, AND FIASCOES

Mt. Shuksan North Face 2002

     Attempted this in the early spring with friends Rob and Josh.  It was my first "real" climb and in true gumby fashion I packed at least 60 lbs. of gear and quivered in the tent as  poor snow conditions started avalanches all across the mountain.

Sloan Peak Corkscrew Route 2002

     The first alpine route that I actually summited (still in gumby fashion, mind you). I labored with a full pack while everyone else went light and had a lot more fun.  Started going light or in a push and haven't looked back.

Half Dome Regular Route 2004

     Though I had only been trad climbing for a season, I thought I could send this in a long day after reading an article in Rock and Ice.  Long, long story short after fixing and firing the first two pitches we were benighted on route and then spent almost the entirety of the next day climbing without water to the top.

Artesonraju South Arete 2004

    My first big alpine route.  I was pretty proud to climb it in an 18-hour push from a low base camp, put a punctuation mark on my first trip to Peru and gave me the confidence to start climbing bigger mountains.

South Howser Tower Beckey-Chouinard 2005

     Another primer in the benefits of moving fast.  Tim and I hit the summit area just after dark and spent hours trying to find the rap station.  Additionally we brought a skinny tag line without any idea of how to use it, and spent eight hours doing six rappels.

Churup SW Face 2009

     Sneaking this in during the morning when my climbing partner left and before the afternoon when my Dad and buddies arrived, it was quite simply the most fun alpine mixed I've ever had.  

Half Dome Regular Route 2010

     The grudge match.  In the intervening six years since I first climbed this route, I learned a lot about climbing.  The knowledge produced a much different result.  We climbed it in a single day from the valley rather than the previous four days valley-to-valley.  Had we not waited behind slow aiding parties we might have even made it back for dinner.

Mt. Huntington Colton-Leech 2011

     The best and most humbling route I've climbed to date.  Though we had amazing climbing on day one, we were pummeled by a storm on day two.  On day three we lost the descent and headed down an unknown face.  This climb left us with frostbite injuries that would remind us of its cost for months to come.