Oh SO close!

My project on the Cemetery Face is spanking me! Movement through the bottom is fine but by the time I set up for the dyno I don't feel fresh anymore. I clip the bolt above my head, which protects the move. Left hand on secure edge, right middle finger hugs a one finger scoop on top of a sloper. Right foot is solid then bring my left foot up to a small edge, breath...GO. Then the recurring nightmare kicks in. I can reach the hold, almost grasp it and then...FALLING. Damn it! One day soon.

Manuels Face

Bob and I have cleared a path to the base of the face. To get there, drive on CBS highway (No 2) towards Manuels. Take the exit for Minerals Road and turn right. Then turn left onto country path road and follow it under the highway where it turns to a dirt road. Follow this for another 1/2 KM until it ends at a 'turn around' beside a house.

A trail continues from the end of the road. From here it is about a 15 minute hike. Follow the trail as it follows the valley flanked by the faces on the left.

After 7 to 10 minutes, look for a path forking off the main trial on the left. It is marked with 2 green trail tapes and is below the main face. Follow this trail as it meanders toward the base. It is well marked but the shrubs are thick in some places. The marking tapes are all green with two demarking a significant change in direction. There are also blue and orange tapes marking the path.

The path ends at the bottom of the face and the base of the climbs are left. The base of Noobie Squeeze is characterized by crescent shaped crack. At the top of the crack (over the lip) is the first bolt. Climb left to the obvious corner/chimney there is a second bolt on the right side toward the top of the corner. Once the top of the corner has been made, the anchors can be seen.

Ankle Biter starts on a slanting ridge about 20 feet right of NS. Follow the ridge up to the treed ledge (about 25 feet). Start climbing on the vertical face immediately above the exit of the ridge. The face eases off about 15 feet above the ridge when the climb begins to go leftward. There is a large bulging feature (don't laugh) between NS and AB that Biter follows the right flank of. Once at the height of the bulge, the top anchors can be seen.

Both routes can be easily top roped. The top can be accessed by a long scramble. Once the base has been reached via the path, follow the base to the right until you come to an over hanging wall. Scramble up the slope under the over hang. Be careful,it is always wet. Towards the top you have to do some careful 5.3 climbing on a wet face for about 15 feet to gain a treed slope. Stay left, I believe Bob has some tapes in the trees. Once thru the tree, you are at the top of the face. The tops are about 30 to 50 feet away from the tree line. Look for four bolts that are about 5 to 10 feet back from the edge. These bolts are just above the climbs. The top anchors can be reached from the edge.

Click the following link to view a road map to gain the head of the trail.http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=&ie=UTF8&ll=47.499344,-52.970324&spn=0.020701,0.031114&z=15&om=1

Ankle Biter 5.6

Congratulations to Bob!!! Today he sent is 2 year project 'Ankle Biter'. He has had a certain single mindedness about this project all summer. Last May he tried a first ascent of this climb and fell. He broke his ankle and was out for most of the season last year.
The first thing Bob wanted to develop this year was the line that broke his ankle. It took Bob a lot more that just cleaning the line and finding placements, that was the easy stuff. As anyone knows, after a bad fall or injury, it is really hard to get you confidence back. Many leave the sport after a bad fall... not Bob.
Bob fought to get his lead head back. He honed his trad skills and climbed the line enough to approach it with confidence. He earned this one and his smile showed it.
Ankle Biter (5.6) is about 90 feet long, starting on an arete with shallow crack up to a treed ledge (the site of the dreaded fall) 20 feet up. The it follows a well featured head wall to the anchors. There is plenty of pro eating placement though one or two spots where cams less than 1.5cm come in handy. The top has a rap anchor (3/8 rap ring ties two).

Noobie Squeeze 5.7 Trad

Just awesome! Bob, myself and Kim went out to Manuels today and I finally sent the trad line I started in the spring.

Kim was concerned that she was a 'noobie' but we were thrilled to have her out. This climb was meant for her, or someone just like her. She has plenty of gym experience and needs some good moderate ground to get her feet wet.

Noobie Squeeze follows a nice arcing crack for the first 30 feet. Just above that is a bolt prior to getting into a wide corner.

Once in the corner, the stemming is solid but at the top are a couple of hollow sounding blocks which I don't trust to pro so I placed a second bolt at the top of the corner just prior to a small roof. This is the squeeze and the crux.

Easy climbing to the top belay bolts.

This climb is well protected with plenty of gear opportunities.

Most the route is 5.5 climbing except the corner and the squeeze which is solid 5.7. It is about 90 feet (about 28 meters).

Kim loved the route and she had a blast on Bobs project which he will send soon.

Ohh Boy!!

We were out on Tuesdays morning and I tried the next route on Cemetery Face. It is a little bit harder than I thought...OK a lot harder, but it is really fun. It will go hard 10 or 5.11a. The crux is a neat move where you either use a two finger under cling or a mono-pocket to reach over about 3 feet of featureless rock. Then it moves on to some balancy side pulls thru to the top. I figure about 4 bolts plus anchors.

The next line follows an over hanging bulge. It looks well featured but who knows. I haven't been on it yet but I am psyched!!!!

Tomorrow we are going out to the face we are working in CBS. Another line shoulld go down. We will see.