Lurking Fear

Pete and I started our odyssey on El Cap with Joel helping us get established on the wall. We climbed Lurking Fear (VI 5.10 C2) over four days sleeping on the portaledge at night. The first half of the route is steep and exposed with sustained thin cracks and two great traverses, the second part of the route takes on a different character, mostly free climbing with a solitary alpine feel. We lucked out and saw no other people...hard work and an incredible experience!

Day 1, Pitch 3

Pete makes a pendy with Joel belaying

D2, P7

Pete traverses high over The Valley

D2 P5

Pete leads an amazing splitter crack!

D3, P10

Sending a tricky roof

D4, P18

Nearing the top of the climb

D4 Summit

1st Cap route for Pete and Neil!

Thoroughly addicted...

You've got to go down!

Still heavy...

Yosemite Valley

Valley sunset
The Capitan
Joel leading P3 New Diversions
Joel following P4 New Diversions

Whitney Portal and Incredible Hulk

Whitney, Keeler Needle, Day Needle
Cardiovascular Seizure follows the obvious right facing corner to chimney. At 14,000ft., the crux is garanteed to raise your BP.
Star Trekking, Mount Russel...
The Incredible Hulk sunset.

High Sierra Sendfest!

The weather remains awesome here in Cali and there's plenty of alpine rock to keep Joel, Tyler Jones, and Mark Allen occupied. We started off big, real big, doing Dark Star in a push, car to car, dusk til dawn...THIS is the longest technical rock climb (33 pitches) in California!!!

Temple Crag with Dark Star's first tower centered.
Nearing the summit!
Mark below the second tower

Tyler's psyched!
Me on the smokey summit
Not done yet, looking toward the top
Joel climbing above the first tower

Joel and Mark below the first tower

Town Crier

Sept. 9, Tyler, Jake, and I sent Town Crier (5hrs.) on the Upper Town Wall, Index, WA.

Then Washington pass.

The last two weeks have been full of Adventure. First a four day Bugaboo rock trip.

Complete North Ridge Mount Stuart

On Aug. 3, 2008 Tyler Jones, Andres Marin, and I climbed the Complete North Ridge (IV 5.9), Mount Stuart in 14 hours 30 min.

back in the teton range

ty posting again....matt johnson and i returned to the tetons last week. this time we would be sending on rock and not snow....we aspired to do the whole exum, but pussed out in cold morning temps and 30 mph winds and opted for the sunny upper exum ridge. great climb! here is matt leading the open book pitch...later, ty

Rapping Liberty Bell

Liberty Bell Summit Video

07/24/08 Northwest Face of Liberty Bell

Vasiliki Ridge from Liberty Bell, WA Pass 07/24/08

Index Upper Town Wall

A couple weeks ago, Chad Peele and I climbed Davis-Holland to Lovin' Arms on the Upper Town Wall, Index, WA

Bear Creek Spire (13,720)

No shortage of peaks to bag here, Bear Creek Spire dominates the head of Little Lakes Valley. The Northeast Ridge (left of the sun/shade N Buttress) is spectacular 4th class ending on the unforgettable summit block!

-Neil

Laurel Mountain 11,812

A great day for a morning climb up this amazing face, the northeast gully takes the center of the face, through the prominant red band and to the red saddle left of the summit. Class 4 scrambling on this odd but solid, colorful schist rock gains you 4200ft of elevation and a panoramic summit. This route was first climbed in 1930!

-Neil

ty here, posting about our weekend teton trip. here'e mike mcclure skiing the ellingwood couloir off the middle teton. rock on kaufmans. see you soon!

Thinking of the Creek

Indian Creek is home away from home.  Not much has changed since the Anasazi used the cracks in the sandstone to gain access to the mesas where they cultivated corn.  A hand-jam a day keeps the doctor away.

JK