Long Road

Jake and Dad nearing the Huandoy Pisco col.



First light on the Huandoy massif.



Dad and I on top. The real prize looms behind.

The guys had just four nights in Huaraz before heading for the hills. Not too bad, but given that we were pushing for near 6k, it might be a stretch.

After nearly two weeks of perfect weather, the day we left was, of course, rainy. We made decent time up to base camp, found a cave to pitch the Firstlight tent. The cave doubled as warm, non-windy, dry area for cooking and hanging out while the weather raged.

Originally we had planned to move our camp up to the morraine. However, the weather convinced us to stay put. We spent most of the day in the refugio with the guides, and later playing rummy and drinking Irish coffees. Probably not the best way to hydrate for a climb, but we weren´t sure the weather would lift.

We decided to wake up at midnight and leave if we could see stars. 0 hour came, not a cloud in the sky.

The road to the glacier was pretty gnarly. It took more than 4 hours to get there. The energy deficit set in. The climb wasn´t steep but had some sections that really push the unacclimitized. Dad and Jake dug down deep and pushed on. We reached the summit at 11 am with no wind, no clouds, nothing but 6k peaks.

Other than the blazing heat and dehydration the way down was uneventful. Cusqueña and sandwiches never tasted so good.

Deadline

Marcus left at 11h30 for Lima. Jake and my Dad were arriving at 5h30 the following day. Knowing Churup was actually getting climbed this year, it was killing me to look up at the face each day. Finally, I convinced an Australian climber, Simon, to venture out for a quick trip.

We left Zarela´s at 1h, were at base camp by 4h. Racked up and got ready to set out early.

We set the alarms for zero hour. By 1h we had left camp and worked our way up the morraine.

The warm weather had changed the deep snow I plodded through a month earlier to firm neve. Travel was quick. At the bergschrund we roped up and started pitching out the climb.

A long simul pitch brought us to the real difficulties. A short rightward traverse then a steep mixed pitch. I didn´t find any protection... but didn´t look too hard because conditions were perfect and the rock was solid.

Simon lead an extremely fun exposed traverse left. Another pitch brought us to the face. 60 degree neve all the way to the top.

The climb was never hard or scary. It was just engaging enough to keep it interesting. If the face is in condition it is an absolute must do. Funest day trip from Huaraz!



Simon on the summit. Ranrapalca, Oschalpalca and Vallunaraju to his left.



60 degree neve for a long way.



Simon on the second mixed pitch.

King Me: Juego de los Reyes

Marcus working up mixed ground. The climb never relented despite features that looked like they would offer easy travel. The ground was precarious.




The thin ice technician at work. Marcus dealing with thin, exploding ice, and runout dicey protection on the first pitch.




Marcus nearing the finish of the first M6 kingmaker pitch.




Will BD warranty these picks? 300 m of thin ice and mixed not treating our picks nice.

Pucaraju 5400m
Juego de los Reyes
TD+ 300m WI4 M6 5.8
FA: Marcus Donaldson, Nate Farr 7.26.09

On July 26 Marcus and I made an ascent of an unclimbed line on the south face of Pucaraju (5400m). The line follows a couloir immediately right of the line La Princessa au Petit Pois.

After an early morning start, and more essentially a French-press of Café Andino´s finest, we reached the bottom of the face and began climbing at 8 a.m. Reports from other parties indicated that it took around 5 hours to climb other routes on the face. We found conditions that were far less than optimal and rock that yielded little protection. These factors meant that we spent far more time digging for protection and establishing anchors than we did actually climbing.

Though the Cordillera Blanca is well known for its good weather, this season has been an anomaly. Snowy weather has been the dominant pattern and most technical routes on the big mountains have not seen successful ascents yet. We dealt with snow, low visibility, but luckily no wind throughout the entire day.

The gods of rock, paper, scissors deemed Marcus the winner and he set off on the first pitch. This pitch yielded the hardest ice climbing. Though only graded a WI4 it had very little in the way of protection. Also the ice was never more than, and usually less, than a couple inches thick. Did I mention it was rotten, and would often give way underfoot? No better incentive to climb up, than when your feet disappear beneath. Marcus established a belay at the first available spot, after a full 60m.

The next two pitches were less difficult, though consistently sustained. Both pitches were 50m long.

The end of the third pitch brought us beneath a mixed band which we had spotted from the base. Initially we expected it to be the crux of the route. Of course after the first pitch we hoped we were wrong. Unfortunately these pitches yielded sustained mixed climbing around M6 (probably M7 at times), difficult, less than optimal protection, thin ice, and rotten rock. Two 40m pitches brought us through the last of the difficulties.

A last 50m pitch up deep snow, neve, and some mixed put us on the summit ridge around 4 p.m.
Being so close to the equator, the sun sets very early in Peru. By 6:30 p.m. your headlamp will be on. Most parties seem to descend the line Adam and Eve on the far climbers´ left of Pucaraju. This line looked very snowy and we were unsure that would be able to find the raps from above. Near our final belay we saw a lonely rap station. After dealing with bad protection for the length of our couloir, we didn´t want to descend our route. We made the decision and descended one couloir climbers´ right of our route. I won´t say the rock was any better, but were able to partially use a couple of the established raps. Either the team that had previously used this descent had very long ropes, or the stations had disappeared. Marcus had to work very hard to find anchors. Sometimes he would spend up to an hour to get in two pieces that would hold more than body weight.

It started to snow very hard. After one particularly hard fought anchor, Marcus rapped into the darkness stood on the edge of a very steep cliff and looked around for a long time. At this point we weren´t sure if we were one, three, four or even more raps from the ground. His eye caught a glimmer from his headlamp, then tat… then a bolt. Someone actually packed a bolt kit and a shiny ½ inch bolt up and down Pucaraju! After dealing with several exploding rap stations, Marcus bounced hard on the bolt… it was solid. Happily, just 40m down we reached terra firma at 7:30 p.m.

Finding lemons... looking for lemonade

Enter the choss: An hour out and 15 feet up, post 1000 pound block trundling.



Our desired route is the central couloir. Nothing but choss on the bottom.



On day one putting in a boot pack. We thought we had it in the bag, less than 500 ft. to the base. Two full days later we reached the face.



The view of what we needed to bridge.

Despite many pictures from three different years all showing a continous ice and mixed line... we found no such line. Most likely it's due to the strange weather this year. People are saying it is the snowiest winter in the past 30 years. I believe them. We have seen many major avalanches and have done more post-holing than I care to admit.

We set out for the Paron with a solid two-weeks of food. We came to hunt bear and make sure we gave an honest attempt on our project. This period would also serve for our acclimitization so we wanted it done right.

We spent the first three nights at 14,500 ft. Did some hiking and eventually moved our basecamp to 16,500 ft. We spent one day completely tent bound as the storm raged.

In total it took us the better part of three days to get a book pack up to the face. The snow hit Marcus' knees so I'll only let you guess where it puts the snow level on my frame.

Despite seeing from a distance that the snow was not continous we hoped to find crack systems or terrain condusive to mixed or aid climibng. No such luck. I spent over two hour trying two different obvious features to reach a ramp that would bring us within a pitch of the ice. I cleared probably a thousand pounds of rotten rock, ran it out, and never got more than 30 feet up. Without a HILTI I'm not sure this goes. Tried or look at every conceivable option... another year maybe.

No we are back in Huaraz as the mountains storm. Bad weather this season. The south faces are avalanches waiting-to-happen. We'll head to the seldom climbed, but this season climbable, Churup next. Looking for lemonade... still finding lemons.

PDX a Huaraz

It began six months ago on the way back from a successful ice climbing trip to Lillooet. The plan was hatched, and thus far everything has fallen nicely into place. Marcus finished school a week-ago as a full fledged paramedic. I had just enough time to shift from full-time school to full-time work ensuring I could pay for the next two months.

Just a hours away from departure we're still scrambling. I'll work tonight and tomorrow. Marcus will likely work until 1-2 a.m. on July 5, then meet at the airport at 4 a.m.

The bags are packed. 200# limit between four bags, we're at 196#.



Entropy.

We received a lot of support for this trip. I'm not sure it would have been possible without the help. We're definately excited to get down there, do some climbs and come back to share it with everyone.

10,000 Box Jumps

Warm weather or heavy snowfall has continually shut down my alpine dreams this Spring. At last, I needed to break free from local cragging and put some elevation behind me. The freezing levels were high, so we needed to climb higher.



Marcus escaping the sun with the Nisqually Icefall behind. I'm not sure I could have picked a more obscure route for my first trip up Rainier.



The icefall is not without hazards, especially with the sun beating down. We chose to climb fast, and at night. Marcus cruising neve somewhere on the lower icefall. We encountered three ice steps, one rather difficult, but all short or easy enough to merit grade III.



Because the route had only three short ice steps it means, unfortunately, that there is a whole lot of slogging. At least the views were nice.

The Other Creek Crag (with splitters)

The worst part of Memorial Day Weekend is that everyone has it off. I've been spoiled by empty week-day crags, I couldn't handle visiting a crowded area on one of the busiest days of the year. I rolled the dice and headed to Trout Creek, figuring that the heat and grades would keep the crowds at bay. We saw half-a-dozen people and never waited for a climb, temps were managable, perfect...



The main wall at Trout Creek, OR.



David joining the Goldrush.



Awesome twin cracks. Called the Chinese Revolution. Technical stemming with a decent stance just when you absolutely need it.



David fighting the "Monster."



David on the very dificult opening sequence of the "Monster."

Beware. The climbs start at solid 5.10. Also, if you make tape gloves as poorly as me, you'll be resting your hands for a week following (like me). Can barely put my hands in my pockets but already excited for the next trip.

Make It Hurt

If its starting too feel easy think again...

"There was an article on the CNN website about weight loss today. The subject recognized his lack of self-discipline so knew that trying to make radical changes wouldn't last. The only way he could remain consistent would be to make small changes, to do some things that weren't too inconvenient or uncomfortable.

He is quoted as saying, "I was probably drinking 10 Cokes a day." The author concluded that by drinking water instead of soda he saved 1,400 calories a day. Then he cut back on snacking. Before making the small changes he ate a 12-ounce bag of Doritos while watching television. The article makes it sound as though this was a daily occurrence and that by eating only a handful each day he removed 1,350 calories from his daily intake.
Apparently it took the fellow "several years to lose 45 pounds doing the 'small changes approach,' but he said it's been worth the wait, because he's more likely to keep the pounds off than if he'd made big changes."

So, the protagonist cut 2750 calories per day from his diet and it took "several years" to lose 45 pounds, less than 20% of his body weight? Wow, if this is the truth then no wonder people find it so darn difficult to strip away all that hard-earned blubber. And if this is the truth then our experience (and that of others) with remaking and remodeling the human body must be make-believe.

If the penalty and remedy is as comfortable and convenient as the sloth and lack of attention that brought someone to their weight-loss epiphany it will not be effective but articles like this and countless "painless" dietary interventions promise exactly that. For fuck's sake make it hurt, make it painful, make the penalty so heinous that no snack or treat could possibly be worth it and suddenly, dieting - or simply eating and drinking in proportion to expenditure - will be easy. Whether talking about diet or fiscal responsibility, a bailout won't change human behavior."

-From Gym Jones

Storming the Castle

It's not often in the PNW that weather turns out to be better than forcasted. In fact, today was the only time I can ever remember the weather working for me. Clouds, rain and snow awaited us in Government Camp but as we worked up the winding road to Timberline stars began to appear. We left the parking lot with clear calm and cold weather... perfect.



Marcus cruising up the base of the ridge.



The long traverse.



Marcus climbing up to the ridgeline. It is worth doing this route for this one pitch alone. Cams, screws, pickets, stoppers, pick torques, ice and rock in one pitch.

Castle Crags is probably more interesting the way we did it, by turning up and climbing steeper ground to the ridge, only to rapppel off the backside back to the Zig Zag Glacier. There is so much interesting climbing on Mt. Hood even if they are less significant and not well-known routes. Even though we found probably half a dozen rappel stations on the backside of this route, it felt like we were the first ones there. Alpine climbing at its purest.

2 hr driving + 4 hr climbing + 8 hr TV

I've been on the Icefields Parkway probably a dozen times and I've never had as beautiful a day as when we climbed the Weeping Wall. We had perfect bluebird skies, warm temps and no wind. I think all of us were foaming at the mouth for some alpine that day, but the avy activity was pretty intense, 28 degree slopes were sliding!



Chad ice, no, snow, no mashed potato climbing on the Weeping Wall Left. We were pretty happy to be off this one. Note to self: south facing + warm temps + direct sun = climb somewhere else.

Chad opted for an early return after running up Louise Falls with brittle conditions. Marcus, Wesley and I stayed on for two more days of climbing. The continued avalanche hazard sent us back to the lowlands. Marble Canyon has zero avlanche hazard which seeemed just the right amount. What we found was a very unique, awesome setting and steep lines with short mixed steps to climb out of the canyon. This is just across the road from Haffner with a five minute approach. Put this on the list for low motivation days.

Getting hooked on the Tokkum Pole.

As per tradition, on our drive out we stopped at Haffner Creek to get a forearm pump before we atrophy on the long car ride home. A M-line called "Swank" had caught our eye earlier in the week and we decided to give it a go. It ended up being another classic mixed line. The crux involved steep rock, a deep right hand lock off, and a shaft torque high with the left tool... wild. Throw in a couple difficult sloppy mantles and a difficult clip and you have an engaging mixed climb.

At my personal crux the akward mantle/difficult clip.



Wesley yarding up powerful moves off the deck on Swank.

What Happens in Prague Stays in Prague

Spring had arrived in the Canadian Rockies. We were confronted with sunny skies, temperatures a little too warm for ice climbing and a pretty mean avy cycle. Despite this we were able to get good climbs in every day of the trip. In the process we discovered some gems in areas always overlooked.

Day 1: Looking for a warmup we headed to Carlsberg. Avalanche danger was considerable, but it is a protected climb from all but the biggest alpine slides. Once up pitch one we saw a powder blast from a slide down Heineken Hall... time to go. We salvaged the day with an afternoon run up Louise Falls.

Day 2: 50 degree temps predicted, we decided to skip the ice and stick to mixed. Bear Spirit crag fit the billing and we found a fun line "Spoiler" on the walls left side. Powerful moves up a steep corner crack yielded to a stem onto the ice and 20 feet of bolt protected ice hooks. A must do if you ever find yourself at Bear Spirit.



Spoiler works up the obtuse corner behind the tree trending right toward the ice.

Day 3: Whiteman Falls is typically out-of-shape by late March but recent reports indicated otherwise. 8 inches of snow fell overnight but it didn't affect this gem. A couple hours of skiing and hiking brought us up to this wild piece of ice.



Whiteman Falls

The first pitch started on the right side, traversed around to the left working through an ice chimney and through a tunnel into a protected ice cave on the left. The third pitch climbed out the ceiling of the ice cave before pulling onto a long pitch of verticle and overhanging ice. Amazing exposure, an absolute must climb.



Climbing out the ceiling of the ice cave on Whiteman Falls.

We opted for a rest day to refuel and refresh for an attempt on Curtain Call the next day. Curtain Call saw several ascents this season with reports of soft spring ice. Emboldened by our experience on Whiteman Falls we went for it. Unfortunately temperatures dropped 40 degrees over the 24 hours before our attempt. We found extremely fragile chandy ice, not soft spring ice. The lone line that had ice stable enough to be reasonable had multiple contraction fractures thorugh the pillar. In retrospect we would have been better off going a day earlier when it was more plastic. Disappointing to miss our opportunity but definately on the tick list for next year.

Curtain Call

New York State of Mind

Reports from Snoqualmie Pass had indicated that the area was in fantastic shape. Ice was formed up on routes that normally are dry. Given the three-day weekend I had just enough time to eschew my responsibilities for a few hours and try my hand at New York Gully.

This was actually my third attempt, the first two-never getting more than 10 min from the car.
1. The first attempt ended in Issaquah when my Andrew Stones Jones' car dropped its transmission and caught on fire. Thankfully we had full nalgenes and were able to avert total catastrophe.
2. The second attempt ended just minutes from the car in the face of a deep isothermic snowpack.
3. During the third attempt we had stable snow, favorable weather and GPS coordinates!



Chad following the first pitch. We climbed the first pitch in a long 110 m simul pitch to a distinct dead snag below the box gully.



Here I am leading the box gully. There were just enough tool slots and protection opportunities to make this feel pretty sane. It ended up being 65m to a solid belay stance.



Chad exiting the box gully to our third belay stance.



Chad leading dead verticle snice to the offwidth. We were able to free both the offwidth and the aid section above. In all reality it goes at akward 5.9 M4. A final simul traverse right brought us to the descent and literally 45 min to the car!

The routes on Snoqualmie Mountain are great but their proximity to Seattle has hyped them 10-fold. In all reality NYG is equivalent to I-Rock in length and quality. I want to get back for Pineapple Express but if I'm desperate and time is short I-Rock is a great option.

More than just a Lillooet

Work on New Year's Eve and school on Monday left us a short window. After considering Canmore with its 14-hour drive and -40 degree temps we headed toward BC and Lillooet. Lillooet, which is normally just a little wet, was freezing cold, -4 our second day. Of course, anticipating borderline freezing temps we brought our shells and left our puffys in Portland. The snap freeze brought birttle fragile ice, but fortunately little running water.

Finally nabbed Icy BC on our first day. It was a party though, one team in front of us from Squamish and Don Serl and Marc LeClerc behind us.



Marcus following pitch 1. Hardest grade 3 ice ever.



Marcus leading the second pitch. The top of the third pitch can be seen overhead. We climb left through two caves than straight up. It was steeper than it looked.

Me coming off the deck on Carl's Berg. It was actually a little less steep than Icy BC's final pitch but bad ice convinced me to leave it for another day. Similar conditions were found at the Sailor Bar area where I really started getting good at hanging from screws and putting in v threads.

The Black Dike

After getting skunked by warm temps this past January, we finally got on the black dike. I think this route certainly has a more fearsome reputation than it deserves... its really a quick climb. We did it in three pitches Wi3, Wi4Mnothing, Wi3. Even though its short and far easier than its rated the position is incredible and the quick mixed section adds a lot to this route.



We arrived in enough time to watch the day's first party spend 2 hours on the top half of the first pitch. Finally they bailed and we became first in line.



Here's the route's crux. The short mix step takes you to the ice which is actually vertical, brittle and thin. Only 20 feet though.



Andrew on the top out.



After an epic 6 hour drive (it wouldn't be a trip with Andrew epic jones without an epic) we opted for a quick hit just 15 min from home base. Andrew here starting up the verglas-thin first pitch at Bristol Cliff, VT.

Chasing Windmills

Gorge ice forms up so infrequently, rarely is it good for more than a short period. Days spent hiking up to nothing more than spindrift and snow. When it forms up nicely you can take your rock picks off the tools, sharpen your crampons and slay the dragon.



Beach side climbing on the lower tier of Cape Horn. Five individual lines formed up this year. The leftmost and rightmost lines formed up fat and Wi5. The center three had wild chandelier features, mushrooms, daggers and were STEEP! All lines were about 70-80m long.



Me climbing the leftmost line. Dowel pullups finally paying off...



Marcus on the rightmost line battling super-chilled water.