As Chase and I sprung into action, digging around in the muddy storm, Curtis and Joe sat lazily in their tent.  To Joe’s credit, I did see a trekking pole stab its way out of his vestibule every once in a while, weakly pawing at the mud.  Unfortunately, like an overeager intern, his efforts led only to more work for us. After the trenches were dug, Chase and I collapsed in our tent, wet and muddy from the storm. For the next few hours, Chase and I berated Joe and Curtis for their laziness.  We all joined in on gut-blasting laughter, the type that can only be induced by sleep-deprived hysteria. The Sawtooths are incredible.  After taking a six-mile shuttle, you are dropped off deep in the Sawtooth Wilderness Area.  As you walk toward the alpine lakes, Elephants Perch becomes more and more visible.  A 1,200 foot wall of perfect granite towering over the valley lakes, Elephant’s Perch begs to be climbed.

Unfortunately for us, the weather did not cooperate.  The first day, with a storm looming, we decided we should try Astro Elephant (5.10) because we could bail after the fourth pitch if it started to rain.   We didn’t even get to the fourth pitch.  Chase and I ended up bailing on some gear after the second pitch and Curtis and Joe hopped onto our rope after the first.  Curtis, caught in the middle of the second pitch in only his t-shirt when the storm hit, was shivering uncontrollably by the time we got off the rock.  After warming up and drying off, we slept well that night. Saturday, with the forecast predicting thunderstorms, we decided we did not want to replay yesterday’s fiasco.  We skinny-dipped (when in Rome?), went fishing, and by 2:00 pm realized that the storm wasn’t coming.  We knew that the first pitches on Direct Beckey (5.11) and Fine Line (5.11) were the hardest.  We decided to climb these pitches so that we could move faster the next day.  They were excellent. Seriously some of the best climbing I have ever experienced.  Hair-raising, butt-puckering, fun climbing.

Our plans of getting an alpine start the next day were dashed as we sat around the campfire and saw the lightening get closer and closer.  That night it rained.  It rained a lot.  It rained all night and we were shut down on our last day. Overall, the trip was an amazing success.  We didn’t get to climb much but we explored a new area, had an adventure, swam naked together, and got caught in a storm.  We all have Elephant’s Perch on our brain and we WILL be returning soon.

Click to view slideshow.

Greg

REGARDING NATURE

Cowboy asked me if it was ok if he smoked in his car.

Of course, I said. It’s not my car.

He smoked.

We found ways to avoid silence, although this is only our second meeting so there were more lapses in conversation than we were comfortable with. Topics were frantic. At one point I ranted, and Cowboy agreed, that the culture of high school wrestling needs restructuring; that the pressures to drop weight, to spit yourself slim, to assemble sweaty suits of plastic—that this Sport-American ritual is beyond our comprehension.

Turns out both of our fathers wrestled in high school.

Cowboy is in the happiest relationship of his life by all accounts, and thrilled to talk about it. My heart’s in the strangest place during these conversations. Cowboy’s too. We alternate between high and low subject matter, motorcycles and women, each conversation bookended by his first and last cigarette.

When you move from a place, and then move back, I tell Cowboy, you make yourself a stranger. Every action has a reaction, it seems. To Cowboy I am mostly a stranger, regardless of the back stories we exchange.

The topography off the pavement is ancient. The slopes run east to west, not north to south. They slope downward, flatly as if to reach into the sea, to scoop its waters, to rob it of some portion of its depth, but there is no sea. Here in a mountain range that runs East to West, the Uintah range, the world moves at a Vancouver pace, glacially.

Everybody in our group is from somewhere else. I was local but now I am from somewhere else too. I used to hate these meetings: a bunch of strangers corralled together. Then John told me to act like all moments are key moments. That cliché’s what’s kept me honest.

We reach Bald Mountain Pass. I grab my skis (without skins) and move through the quartzite and pigeon milk ridges towards Murdock Peak with full moon overhead and no more than an hour left till dusk. Cowboy stays by the road to watch a feral sunset with Birdie, a German Shepherd and coyote mix, more coyote than anything.

I stand at the top of the ski line, looking down the fall line. Bad luck, are you coming for me? Before every ski descent I recite to myself: Some are born to endless night. What does it matter anyway, we are all going to Graceland.

The moonlight is coming. I know it will help me sleep tonight. It cannot illuminate yet, not when the sun persists. We ski down the high, North aspect, which cuts through the boulders like a sickle. I descend until the terrain forces me to quit, until the rocks surround me.

Back at the car Cowboy pulls out a pack of Marlboros, but he doesn’t ask me if he can smoke this time. He knows me well enough to cut that. Driving east in twilight, listening to Son House’s “Death Letter Blues.” We go on a covers tangent. He goes for a cover of “Death Letter Blues”—The White Stripes. I put on a version of “Graceland” by Casiotone for The Painfully Alone:

“Losing love. It’s like a window to your heart.                                                       Everybody sees you’re blown apart.                                                                             Everybody hears the wind blow.”

Cowboy pulls off the highway, keeping up his speed fast enough to stay ahead of the dust, to the trailers at Bear River. We will ski here the next two days. In the headlights we both recognize several people that we have both known much longer than we’ve know each other.

 - Kevin

Mick looking down from the top of Makapuu Point.

Some climbing locations become destinations because of the aesthetics of the rock, or the ultra-classic rock quality; others become so due to the environment. I recently took a trip with my family to the Aloha State, and during our stay on Oahu, we made the 45 minute trek down to Makapuu point, on the leeward side of the island.

I’ve done a little bit of coastal climbing in California, but I’ve never experienced anything quite like this. The rock wasn’t the most epic, and the climbing itself wasn’t exactly anything to write home about, but there was something epic about placing a .4 Camalot 300 feet above the crashing surf. Boasting 2 trad and 4 sport routes, Makapuu point is a location that makes it worth bringing your rope, rack and draws with you on your next vacation (or business trip) to Honolulu. In addition, every route is easily top-rope accessible, so if you’re not super confident on lead, that’s ok, you can still take advantage of this spectacular location.

Kyle Cross belaying Parker on “The Stemming Route”

Parker flashing the 5.8 “Arete”

We laced up 3 routes while at Makapuu, and spent about half the day taking turns climbing, belaying, and exploring the exposed cliff faces of the area, out toward Makapuu lighthouse. Each person in my family climbed at least 1 route, including my mom, who stemmed up a 5.7 in her running shoes like a champ, and my 11 year-old sister Elanor.

After Makapuu Point, we drove to the exact opposite side of the island to jump off the Black Rock of Waimea Bay, and boulder on the beach. Sorry, no photos of that. We suffered from dead-battery syndrome. As far as I’m concerned, if you don’t bring your climbing shoes to Oahu, you’re missing some of the best stuff on the island.

We also spent 7 days in Kauai hiking, paddling, and surfing. I’ve included a couple of those pics here in case you’re interested.

As we arrive at the local “long dong” (dragons cave) crag, I am reminded of the states. Jack Johnson can be heard from a portable stereo someone brought along. People who speak little English at all are yelling “take” and “on belay”. Some one has put up a high line…some things never change.

There are some quaint reminders of my current location however. For instance, it is common practice for climbers to bring their backpacking stoves to the crag to heat up water for their instant noodles, even though it is a 5 min approach from the cars and the nearest 7/11.

Despite its peculiarities, rock climbing in Taiwan is sick. The college I am interning at has a climbing tower and bouldering area which is free to the public. Weekly trips are made to Long Dong by the locals because it is the only summer climbing destination. Located along the North East shore of Taipei, long dong is the beach side crag we have all dreamed of.

The routes are all well graded with quality rock. I was surprised to find how many trad routes there were. Although long dong is primarily a sport climbing destination is has well over 50 aesthetic trad lines. The four which I have done were all top notch. There are some multi-pitch climbs, but they are the rare exception and are known for loose rock (they say that like it is a bad word here).

Once you have finished climbing for the day, or just want to take a break, local tide pools make for great cliff jumping, deep water soloing, high lining, or snorkeling (there really are tropical fish that swim around you!).

The video below is some cool aerial footage taken the day I went to long dong.

S.G.

These are from a family vacation we took to St. George.  I’m lucky my wife is an amazing photographer.  Just before we took these photos, Kate went insane because we saw a King Snake.  Kate’s lapse from sanity started off as you would expect – a loud shriek, some frantic movements, etc.  However, the motivation behind these were entirely different.  Kate wanted to catch the snake, name him, bring him home, and care for him.  Girls.   Luckily, I was able to talk her out of it.  P.S.  These photos were shot on film.  A lost art in this day and age.  

Maple.

I’ve spent the last couple weekends in Maple.  To be honest, I’m sick of sport climbing, especially in Maple.   The top Pic is of a route that Curtis and I spent a lot of time on.  Neither of us were able to get it that day.  However, Coitus (Curtis’s nickname – sorry buddy), came back the next weekend, sent his first 5.12c second try, flashed a 5.12b, and then in the same day, sent this route first try.  He’s my new hero for sure.  Sorry dad.  Remember, this blog is not for climbers who are doing anything cutting edge.  We relish in our meager accomplishments.  Good job Coit.

The last picture is of Jann on Manmuncher.  This name is awesomely appropriate for Jann.  In the last few years, as one of Provo’s most eligible bachelorettes, Jann has chewed-up and spit-out the best of them.  In spite of all this, Jann courageously sent this route.  Looks like quite the adventure.

Pentapitch.

Jordan, Blake, and I braved the heat and climbed Pentapitch in Little Cottonwood Canyon.  Don’t let heat excuse Jordan’s nudity.  For Jordan, climbing is simply a vehicle to tan his bod.  Whether it was 30 degrees or 100, Jordan would be shirtless.  Honestly, this climb was a bit of a departure from what we three used to do to occupy our time.  I cannot count the hours we spent at the Nicklecade (basically a huge arcade where all the games are a nickel.  Genius!).  While Blake and I would have rousing games of air hockey, Jordan developed a fierce rivalry with a lone 40-year-old over BubbleBobble.  Seeing these two simultaneously climbing behind me made me proud.  P.S. Pentapitch is a must do.  We decided to end the route by hopping on Pearls before Swine, which is a heinous slab route.  Another must do.

Ferguson.

Since this last week has been so bloody hot, I have spent a few days in Ferguson Canyon.  Ferguson is always about 20 degrees cooler than the valley.  Besides, my pup can come.  These shots are of Jordan and Amy.  It was a pleasure to have Amy climbing with us on this day.  She killed it.  Nuff said.  Also, we climbed the ultra classic Extreme Unction.

Thanks for reading.

Click to view slideshow.

Tanner and I had plans to go climbing on my birthday, you know the drill, grab some churros for breakfast and go out for a few hours of good climbing. We were tossing around some routes in little cottonwood and the plan was set, I would meet him bright and early.

So there I was Monday morning at 7 am banging on the door of Tanners trailer that he lives in to get him to go climbing. On the drive up Tanner said he had gotten a call about Arm and Hammer up Bells Canyon and that it would be the best plan for today. I immediately began to make excuses, I had hiked that long approach before and it was my after all my birthday. Tanner persisted and after some Dell Taco breakfast burritos we were in the parking lot around 9 ready to start.

We hiked up passing some weird old ladies who threatened to take off their shirts because ours were off, we hoped they were joking but weren’t sure so we hiked even faster. Eventually there we were staring up at the proud line know as arm and hammer. The plan was to swing leads with me taking the first. This went off without hitch. Tanner decided to do the friction traverse on the second pitch, after a few pendulum falls trying to go up the seam and a quick photo trying to look like the David Lee Roth album cover, Tanner quickly climbed the rest and was at the belay. My turn to follow.

I stood there with the rope taught thinking about the best way to do this friction traverse. I had lowered tanner so he could reach the bolt but I was already pretty low so going lower didn’t make much sense. Having done quite a bit of aid climbing growing up, I decided I would go for the swing and just sorta run out and pendilum across until I stopped my momentum and grabbed the sling, it was a fool proof plan and it would have worked great, except I tripped on the first step out of the gate. Tanner just heard a loud yell and saw my feet, the soles, swinging out across the void. I had slipped and scraped my back along the whole pendulum, I was over arm and hammer at this point. Tanner pushed me to continue and soon we were at the bottom of the last pitch.

Andy had told us where we needed to go to get to the anchors, we just went the other way for some reason. We even saw the anchors to rap on he was talking about. So after a phone call to Andy from the top, some repelling on some ratty old slings probably left by a Lowe brother, and a small pitch with heinous rope drag we were rapping down. Finally we were done hours after we thought we would be.

Getting to the car at 6 that evening Tanner and I were all smiles. Even though my back was cracking and bleeding for the next 2 weeks and we both felt like we left with our tail between our legs, we did it. And it felt really really good.

A group of the team hangs out on the summit of Window Rock, as seen from the parking lot.

The Utah Climbing Club is an excellent environment for aspiring and experienced climbers to hangout with like-minded folks. Operated by Jenn Moore and Darren Knezek from Mountainworks in Provo, the club is a social hub of climbing that offers a little something for everyone, as well as world-class training from some of the most knowledgable climbers ever.

We recently took a trip to City of Rocks National Reserve in Idaho, and it was my first time climbing in that area. The club went Thursday evening, and some people stayed all the way through into Sunday, but I was unable to commit for that amount of time, and instead, Taylor, Matt and I drove down late Friday evening.

The Twin Sisters Group campsite was ideal for star-gazing. There isn’t much light pollution in southern Idaho.

I had expected a bunch of people to still be awake when we rolled into the campsite at about 11:00p, and although I was right, pretty much everyone had called it quits and were in their tents. Lots of little pockets of conversation, but no centralized socializing hub, so Taylor and I pitched the tent and settled into our unicorn blanket and called it a night. Before hitting the hay, I squeezed off a few shots of the night sky, and the image shown above was my favorite of the night. A lack of light pollution is something that must be exploited, and the stars were so incredibly bright. It was about midnight, and there was still the faintest glow on the horizon from the setting sun.

The next morning was as spectacular as the night sky; we couldn’t have asked for better weather. A nearly cloudless sky, coupled with moderate temperatures and sunshine all-day made for very comfortable climbing conditions. I was wearing my Iron Maiden: Killers shirt, and as a result, several people really wanted to listen to some Maiden to get pumped up after breakfast, and I’m always down for any opportunity to listen to my favorite heavy metal band.

As the sun comes up, the incredible granite rock of the City of Rocks makes for a killer skyline.

The granite we climbed is some of the oldest rock in the United States, resulting from the uplift of the Almo pluton about 28 Billion years ago. The rest of the sediment eroded away leaving these impressive stone monoliths, bulges, and ridges, riddled with perfect cracks that take bomber gear better than any rock I’ve protected. Each placement was like a dream come true, and my belayers thought I’d won the lottery each time I popped in a new cam. The placements were just so bomber I couldn’t help but be stoked and want to share it with the world.

Grant Gilbert, placing a #1 Ultralight TCU on Juniper Jam (5.6). This was Grant’s first-ever trad lead.

The first route I put up was a 5.5 climb called The Summit Route. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure I took the wrong crack for the first move because there’s no way it goes at 5.5––more like 5.8+. Next was a 5.6 called Juniper Jam, which had some nice off-width hands at the start, with massive dishes in the crack for solid feet all the way to the last 20 feet or so, then it turned into a perfect finger crack with plenty of smearing face-holds for your feet. The last move was protected by a #1 Metolius Ultralight TCU, and it was one of the most bomber placements I’ve ever done. It’s always cool to put a really small TCU in knowing that it will definitely hold a fall. There are 8 routes under 5.9, and the west face goes all over 5.11, so there’s something for you, if you’re stoked on climbing rad granite in a beautiful location. If you hate going to awesome places, then the City isn’t your program.

If you’re a beginning trad climber, and want a crag to practice placements, I can think of no better place to get started. Next time you’re thinking of heading to a destination climbing zone, you should seriously consider City of Rocks. You won’t regret it. Ample shade, easy approaches, and excellent rock make the City a destination quite unlike any other.

Erik Peet on rappel after climbing one of the great routes.

The sun is trying to peek his head out through to beautiful maw of American Fork Canyon while I was driving to pick up Taylor.

Saturday mornings have become my last bastion of adventure. Having a grown-up job certainly accommodates smaller windows of opportunity to get out and play. That being said, I haven’t been necessarily deprived of recreation, but my complex schedule doesn’t allow for me to plan outings that are going to last for more than 4 or 5 hours––except for Saturday mornings.

Utah is the home of a lot of ultra-classic climbs, including two routes on the “50 Classic Climbs of North America” list, and as a result, a Saturday morning is almost guaranteed to draw the crowds on any of the 3+ star climbs, often including tourists out on climbing adventures. This list of 3+ star climbs in the Wasatch includes such routes as The West Slabs, Outside Corner, Crescent Crack, Arm and Hammer, Bushwack Crack, and, of course, Steorts’ Ridge.

Taylor has been climbing for a few years, but has never had a partner with whom to do any trad climbing, so I thought Steorts’ Ridge would be a really great opportunity to give her a first-time look into whether it was up her alley.

It pays to be the first person in the parking lot, even if that means waking up at 5:30.

In order to avoid crowds, I left my house at 6:00 AM and we were in the parking lot by 7. We took a few minutes at the bottom of the first pitch to go over some basics of gear placement and removal, then it was time to begin heading upward. Don’t tell Taylor this, but it was my first time leading a route that needed traditional anchors, so I was really excited to use my new cordelette and try my hand at building a really bomber anchor.

We were first, but while I was setting up our anchor, another party arrived behind us. Fortunately we were a lot faster than this group, so we didn’t result in a bottle-neck. By the time we exited, there were 4 parties on the route, either waiting to start or on one of the pitches, plus the friendly free-soloist, who spun a few laps, passing everyone a three times.

There’s a reason why it’s an ultra-classic climb in the Wasatch range; it really is a beautiful line. Not only is the view spectacular from the summit, but the climbing is just really fun. It’s a variation of slab, edges, and crack climbing, with a small roof, and even a super-run-out third pitch that you can climb out on a highly exposed aréte. If you like to climb multi-pitch routes, this should be next on your list.

What routes are on your must-climb list? What would you recommend for others to climb? Let us know in the comments.

Images by Andy and Neena Earl

Climbing appeals to an extremely large demographic. There’s a little bit of something for everyone (even acrophobics). Climbing, for me, is an opportunity to connect with nature in a really special way. Somehow I feel super-connected to the outdoors when I’m climbing and mountaineering/splitboarding. It’s not a sport that you can do on your own though.

Yeah, I know there are those crazy free-soloists and gnarly alpinists who’ve made a lifestyle of being alone in the vertical world, but the average Parker needs a partner, and a climbing community for support. Whether it’s a spotter or belayer to keep you safe, a group of like-minded friends to give you moral support, or a couple of rippers sending 13′s that push you in your goals, you and I need some sort of community to underlay our climbing experiences.

On Memorial Day I had to chance to meet up with a bunch of climbing friends in American Fork Canyon, and although the social aspect of climbing isn’t a primary appeal, it was nice to walk around the corner of the Escape Buttress and see 9 of my friends welcoming me to the crag. It was a special feeling, and I appreciated it more than I expected to.

The feeling was once again reestablished last night when I went to the climbing gym. As I was waiting for my climbing partner to arrive, I was greeted by a handful of friends that I’d met through the Utah Climbing Club. Building and activating your climbing community is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the various disciplines of climbing.

Although climbing with a large group is not my preferred environment, I recognize and appreciate the value of friendship, and how climbing can be a vehicle for developing those friendships to last a lifetime, and my hope is that you can do the same.

Do you have an active climbing community where you live? Let’s hear your stories in the comments.

Funnest day ever.  Chase and I backpacked up to the ridge between the Rectory and Castleton Tower.  We arrived at 1:30 am, slept a couple of hours, woke up before the sunrise and started climbing.  After climbing Fine Jade we went and floated the Colorado in pool toys.  This was super funny because as we floated down the river on our leisure craft, we were surrounded by kayakers and expedition rafters who were decked-out in lifejackets and helmets.  Unfortunately, Chase lost his camera in the river so we don’t have any pictures from the float.  Oh, forgot to mention, we took a nap in the park.  Best day ever!

Some info on Fine Jade:  First pitch was definitely the hardest for us.  The “crux” pitch went pretty easy.  Also, we only brought one rope, which is nice except you have to do three rappels to come down.  Also, if you are to do this climb, pass the first anchors you see and go to the second.  The second pitch is a long line of beautiful fingers!  Loved it.