For Sale - 5.10 Anasazi Lace-Up Size 10

I found these shoes at the crag and have been unable to locate the rightful owner. I'm asking $70 obo - they retail for $135 and look almost brand new. I'll ship anywhere in the lower 48 at my cost. Time for a new cam!

More info here.

Contact me for more details.

Index Climbing - Green Dragon Attempt

Guy and I headed up to Index to harvest some fall granite before the weather turn to sh*t on the west side. We wanted to get on something a little longer with more exposure as personal schedules kept us from the alpine. My aid climbing experience consists of bumbling through several bolt ladders on longer routes in order to reach the free climbing beyond, so I thought Green Dragon, IV 5.9 C2/3, would be a good intro aid suffer fest. Here's a link to a pretty good topo that we didn't use.

We climbed the first pitch of Davis Holland and then set up on the ledge for the start of the aiding. Guy led the first pitch, which goes at C2/3.

From Index - Green Dragon - September 7, 2008

From Index - Green Dragon - September 7, 2008

He's getting into the business in this picture - just below where he had to equalize a pecker and a brassie to move through the thin crux at the top.

From Index - Green Dragon - September 7, 2008

Relaxing at the belay after a strong lead.

From Index - Green Dragon - September 7, 2008

Jugging up just past the crux.

From Index - Green Dragon - September 7, 2008

Racking up for the next lead.

So my first aid lead I find myself on C2 ground looking at flaring blue tipped out aliens and micro nuts leading up to a flexing rusted out pin that's been tied off since who knows when to another flaring blue alien placement finally to a solid looking bolt below the anchors. Yeah, its probably not that hard, but I was kinda wondering whether this crap was gonna hold.

From Index - Green Dragon - September 7, 2008

Learning to Aid.

From Index - Green Dragon - September 7, 2008

From Index - Green Dragon - September 7, 2008

From Index - Green Dragon - September 7, 2008

Guy jugging up to the belay.

From Index - Green Dragon - September 7, 2008

Party on Davis Holland.

After the 3rd pitch, we bailed. We could've topped out, but it was getting on around 2 or so and we had to both be back in town and at work on Monday. We decided against the 1-2 am return trip to Portland and rapped off before finishing the route. Ugghh .. bailing sux, but it was the right call.

We carried a double set of cams to #4, two sets of wired nuts with small brass, two peckers and hook for the funk, and we hauled a small bag. Small cams and hooks are required. Up till the top of p3, we used just about all of it.

Awesome route with a fantastic position. I'd love to go back and finish it some day. Lessons I learned about aid: 1) its slow, 2) its scary, and 3) its fun as hell. Index rocks!

Squamish Climbing - Labor Day 2008

"Blink" - its been another month since I've posted anything!! This blog just drives home how fast life moves. Before I know it, several more weeks have passed without any updates. Well, we've been climbing. Since the last post on Leavenworth, I've gotten out to Darrington, Index, Beacon and finally last weekend a long weekend at Squamish.

A couple of weeks ago, Pete, Drew and I planned a weekend in Washington. A trip to the mountains got changed at the last minute to a trip to the crags, but we still had a great time. Unfortunately, I left my camera on the top of my car at Drew's and couldn't take any pics the whole weekend. Luckily, someone actually rode by on their bike the next week, knocked on the door, and returned it!! My faith in humanity is restored - but I still didn't get any pics from the weekend. We spent one day sending cracks on the Lower Town Wall and then I snuck the Prius up the rode to 3 O'Clock Rock and we climbed Cool Runnings - good times.

This past weekend, Kristin and I headed out to Squamish. A mediocre weather forecast had us questioning the decision, but Kristin wanted to get in some crack mileage, and she had two previous Squish trips canceled earlier this summer. We decided to make a run for the border despite the iffy weather - jonesing for jams - gettin the shakes for granite - addicted to cracks. Expectations were high.

We pulled in on Saturday morning, and it was wet - real wet. Apparently it had been dumping rain for a few days, and everything was soaked. We set up the tent and decided to hike the chief to get in some cardio and check out the views.

From Squamish - Labor Day '08

Day 2-4 saw us cycling through some of the best moderate crack pitches in Squish!

From Squamish - Labor Day '08

Climb and Punishment, 5.10c

From Squamish - Labor Day '08

Exasperator, 5.10c

From Squamish - Labor Day '08

Crime of the Century, 5.11c
(I got royally spanked on this one)

From Squamish - Labor Day '08

Kangaroo Corner, 5.11a
(Shorty but goody)

From Squamish - Labor Day '08

Mosquito, 5.8

From Squamish - Labor Day '08

Seasoned in the Sun, 5.10b

We also had some nice views of the Grand, bringing back some good memories from earlier in the summer.

From Squamish - Labor Day '08

We were really roughing it - dirtbagging at its finest. We decided to rough it one last night - in Vancouver - at Joe Fortes - for seafood. Man the things we sacrifice for our climbing bum lifestyle.

From Squamish - Labor Day '08

From Squamish - Labor Day '08

From Squamish - Labor Day '08

Feeding the crack addiction - seafood - Canada. Labor Day 2008!

Times are tough for climbers here in Portland. With trips like this, I really need a vacation. Luckily, we're headed to Montana!! Check back in a couple of weeks for the update.