Viagra Classic III

I have been thinking about having a Viagra Classic in the near future, but with a spin. Instead of having a prize for the strongest boulder, I going to have a prize for the best route setter!

Route setters break their balls (or labia's) trying to put up challenging routes in the gym for all of us. It takes a lot of work to be innovative and they change them up quite frequently. These are the same people asking me when I going to have the next classic because they can't wait to come over and route set. They are nuts!

My proposal is simple. I have 3 main sections; 15-30-45 degree overhangs (see pic), each about 7 feet wide. Each route setter gets a specific pattern tape. They set 3 routes, a V0 to V2, a V3 to V4, and a V5 or over. They can only put one route per section. On the night of the Classic, the climbers score each problem and the overall highest score wins.

Well what do they win? I'm thinking that I charge a small entrance fee per climber as a fund raiser; 50% to the junior climbing team and 50% to the winner of the Classic.

Thoughts and feedback please.

Open Project

I beat myself out today. My plan was to send Distorted Perception and then bolt the two line to the left of DP. John had placed a bolt on the left project last week so I only needed to put in two more bolts. I was able to lever against a tree so it went fairly smooth.

The project on the right was a different story. I had never really climbed it, just the bottom bit. I put in a directional above the meat of the climb so I would go flying into a tree. It was a strenuous climb for me and I had to figure out where to put the bolts. I fell up it several times until I was happy about clipping positions and bolt placements.

Bolting this thing was another story. I had to use aid hooks to keep myself into the wall so I could drill and stuff. I used a lot of energy getting those bloody bolts in. Your pulling yourself in with one hand while pushing yourself out with the drill. Regardless, I got the bolts in.

I figured that I had enough time to send the left project and play on the right. My first time up the right, I got to the move below the bolts but couldn't pull it through. I had to sit back. I lowered off and rested a bit. The next time I couldn't even clip the second bolt. My arms were absolutely dead. Crap!

I have had several people out on this little face and they have climbed this left project on TR. The general consensus is that the route is a 5.10. I can usually flash a 5.10a fairly consistently, I have flashed a 5.11a in the gym but it usually takes some effort. This route has taken me some effort and I think it will probably go at 5.10b but some may contest that.

The right project is definitely harder, 5.10d or maybe a 5.11a. I had intended on leaving the right as a project after sending the left but that didn't happen. I have flagged the left project with red tape so I can get the FA. I can't realistically see myself sending the right before the end of the year. So I open the project to you!

Post a comment to this blog with the time and date of your ascent, what you would rate it and your proposed name for the route.

Distorted Perception 5.9

I sent the route that I had bolted last week. It is kind of a neat series of shelves on an overhanging face. You have to be a little careful of the fall potential. I figured it was about a 5.8. After I sent it, Kim and Bob gave it a go. Both found it challenging enough that it shouldn't be a 5.8, so 5.9it is.

Looking at it from above, it reminded me of one of those impossible optical illusions created by Escher. Distorted Perception seemed to be a fitting name.

Please don't snag my FA.

John Bennett and I were out at Noobie Squeeze today. At little chilly first thing but stellar otherwise. I showed John the lay of the land and then put a couple of new top bolts above a line I liked. We then set up 2 ropes over 2 different lines. We decided to bolt the two lines.

The new line I bolted has several large ledges or steps the overhanging face. It was awkward to keep into the face for drilling and hammering. It took longer than I expected. Unfortunately that didn't leave much time for John to do any bolting. I took all the gear/rope off the line I had bolted and got John started on the other line. He only had enough time to get one bolt in before we had to take off.

I left my line bolted but with no FA. I didn't have any red tape to flag the lowest bolt. I figure the only people who know where the overhanging face read this blog. Please don't climb the right most (only) bolt line. I will post it as soon as I do send it. It is not hard, probably 5.8ish.

Aside for not having enough time, it was a good day. John liked the area and has already has a couple lines he is scoping out.

Just a few pics.

I was farting around with some software. I decided to put together a compilation of various rock faces out in Manuels. I went out earlier this summer and took a bunch of picture to scope out other areas. All of these areas have not been looked at. They could be crap or they could be stellar. I won't know until I get to the foot of them.

DFO Climbing Area

I have heard through the grape vine that Justin has been developing a sea cliff behind the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). He has all the details of how to get there, access and grades on rockclimbing.com. I got to hand it to Justin, he finds a line and he goes after it. He has put up some bold lines on some really cool features. He has no problem lowering in over water. The man has nads!

DFO has 10 lines directly over water ranging from 5.9 to 5.11. It requires a 60 meter fixed line to lower into and to ascend out of the area. The feedback I have heard is that it is pretty cool climbing. I hope to check it out sometime but I seem to have a lot on my plate.

I don't tend to push my comfort zone, especially when developing. I am always looking for good approach, easy access to the top and escape from the bottom. I know that limits the rock faces I work on. It is great to know that there is someone out there putting up lines to challenge the heartier climbers.

Just too much.

Kim and I were at Noobie Squeeze today. We got above the new over hanging face. I wanted to put in a set of rappel bolts so it would be safe to lower into the wall. Before I slung a tree but I don't want to have to rely on webbing, long term, for a rap anchor. I went up through a few tree to the base of another crag that is about 30-40 feet high. It might pan out something?

We lowered off and set up a TR over the right sided bolts. Again, I grunted up this overhanging face and could not get it clean. Four attempts over two days and I can't send it clean. I am thinking the grade has to be more than 5.9. I have not flailed that bad on a 5.9 in years.

I then tried the line going up the left line that Kaleb thought was a harder 5.10. It has some really fun moves but I didn't get too high. I was worried about a pendulum into a tree. We were also looking at 2 more lines that should be fun and overhung as well.

As we were leaving, I had a look back at where we got above the overhanging face. Not only were below a small face but we were above another one. So much terrain to check out.

In the picture, The three black lines are Noobie Squeeze, Nice Bulge and Ankle Biter. The red solid line is the access above the overhanging face, the dotted line is the intended rap direction. The pink line represents the lip of the overhanging face.

Rumours of Phil

I was talking to Terry the other day. He had mentioned that Phil was bored on a raining day so he went for a hike. He started hiking in towards the climbing area out in Manuels. He kept on the main path instead of diverting up the climbing area. Apparently about 15 minutes further in he came to a wall that was "like another Main Face". I was pretty sure I knew which wall he was talking about. I have looked at it from a distance. It looked a little slabby but certainly could fit the description.

I think this picture is of the face Phil saw. The mature trees at the bottom are probably 30 feet in height making the wall about 100 feet, a little higher that German Face. The width looks to be about 500 feet. It still looks kinda slabby to me but it also has nice continuous. There are not a lot of ledges or breaks in the face. This could have potential. Unfortunately I have many other priorities before I would get to this wall.

Currently I am all excited about getting the little over hanging face bolted, work on Noobie Squeeze and finish a couple things on the Upper Face.

SO much work to be done and the summers seem so short.