Gimme gimmie gimmie, give me some more
Gimme gimmie gimmie, don’t ask what for.
– Black Flag
The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity: bouldering, sport climbing, trad climbing, ice climbing, and ski touring. Ah, the Front Range with its mild climate, sunny crags, Cabernet powder (?), and dripping ice… Oh yeah, sometimes it just all comes together for a brief fleeting momement of multi-sport bliss. But anyways, today it’s bitter cold (though sunny), and that Wyoming wind is rolling through town, rattling windows. I’m hunkered down in a cozy coffee shop, sipping an Americano, savoring a blackberry muffin, and studying up for first quarter exams which are quickly approaching. My thoughts drift to wind, spindrift, and plastic ice. The Park is calling. I haven’t been climbing enough ice… The relatively warm sunny weather was a nice dream of the coming spring, but looking outside I realize it’s early February and that we’re still in the midst of winter.
Ryan Malarky scoping out the crux on the RMNP classic Jaws Falls. Unfortunately thin conditions, warm temps, and running ice had us back off this South-facing line.
This has been my first season climbing water-ice. I was introduced to alpine ice this past summer in the French Alps and was amazed by the dynamic nature of that terrain. My amazement was magnified this winter with water-ice. Ice in general is a very brittle medium that is constantly changing. Observing ice and climbing it, I’ve realized just how little I know, and how far I have yet to travel. It’s an incredible pursuit and I’m thouroughly hooked.
Daniel Yager powering through the opening moves on an amazing V7ish boulder problem at Iceland. This is frozen-river bouldering at it's finest in a spectacular setting and on beautiful river polished rock.
I usually don’t get too excited about bouldering and sport climbing, and that’s a bad thing. I’m going to destroy that “I’d rather climb a multi-pitch 5.4 gear route than clip bolts or go bouldering” mindset. It really is a defeatist attitude and one I’ve harbored for too long. If I want to step it up in the alpine I need to suck it up down here and start climbing harder, start pushing grades, start working problems… So much of climbing is mental and it’s easy to sell yourself short and limit your growth because you (I) lack the patience and discipline required to progress towards a goal.
Cameron Pass is... to quote one of my homeboys: "knee deep and blower, bra".
The ski-touring has gotten a lot better lately. I’m still saving my ski-stoke for the Spring though… something about facet wallowing on my skinny touring skis for months on end kind of burned me out. I think I’d be a lot more excited about skiing if I got to wear a harness with ice screws dangling from it, ski lots of straight forward vert, descend powder covered glaciers, wear tight stretchy rando clothing, and not have to worry that every 30+ degree slope is scheming to slide and kill me.
If you haven’t done so yet, check out the impressive (and free) Poudre Canyon Route Climbing Guide just released by the Northern Colorado Climbers Coalition.
Spring Break is rolling up though, so I’m tossing around various ideas: Fisher Towers? Black Canyon of Gunnison? Hmm… car camping, juniper fires, cold beer, BO, miles and miles of open road, not to mention I might actually end up climbing something!
Psyched on The Palace. I've been spending some long cold days up there clipping bolts and trying to get strong. Here my buddy Pat is warming up on the classic 10b Monstrosity.
