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The Cleanest Line - Greenland Vertical Sailing: The Devil’s Brew

2010-07-29T17:08:52Z

“Impossible mais possible après tout.” (Impossible but possible after all.)

“I’ve been looking at that wall for twelve years, but I’ve never found any team good enough” –Bob Shepton winner of the 2009 Tilman Medal.

Editor's note: When last we left the crew of Dodo's Delight, they teased the start of a new multi-day climb, on yet another virgin big wall in the fjords of Greenland. Today we're happy to report congratulations are in order as Nico Favresse, Sean Villanueva, Ben Ditto and Olivier Favresse successfully free climbed the Impossible Wall.

On July 12 we committed to “the impossible wall.” After eight days we found ourselves on the summit, on July 22. So how is it possible that we passed 11 days in only eight you might be asking yourself? The answer my friend lies in the burning midnight sun and 30-hour days or nights or whatever you want to call it. Our efforts on the wall and on our musical instruments yielded probably the most adventurous route we have ever done.

[(Above) The team on the summit! Bob Shepton was also an undeniable team member and we shared this moment with him through the radio. Photo: Ben Ditto]

[The Devil's Brew route on the Impossible Wall. Photo: Ben Ditto]

[Sean Villanueva enjoys some amazing splitter cracks on beautiful granite. Photo: Ben Ditto]

It has everything: grassy cracks, spongy mossy cracks, licheny faces, kitty litter offwidths and an inbuilt shower. We got rained on, we got shat on and we got vomited on. We now understand better why the locals call it “Seagull Wall.” Every pitch of the 850m wall offered incredible, beautiful sustained climbing, always challenging, on superb quality granite. We are very happy to have free-climbed the whole thing (if grabbing grass is accepted as free). We decided to name this new line The Devil’s Brew after a little present we offered Bob when we first met him which he calls the Devil’s Brew. Also, it remarkably resembles the water running from a black hole which we collected on the wall, both in colour and taste.

[Bob's highly recommended beverage: "The Devil's Brew." Photo: Xpedition.be]

We are particularly proud that we left nothing behind: no bolts, no pitons, no cordelette. The only things repeaters may find are a few more brown falcons on the wall, but we suspect they have already left.

We topped out on the summit with all our gear and portaledges and hiked down to the coast and celebrated our adventure with champagne and freshly caught fish. Later that night we awoke to a raging storm that lasted for a few days so we were very fortunate not to have experienced that while still on the wall.

[Olivier Favresse opens the celebration champagne on Dodo's Delight. Photo: Xpedition.be]

[A jacuzzi in paradise after having climbed the wall. Photo: Nico Favresse]

[Who's the uglier one? We are now eating lots of fish to recover from our adventure. Photo: Xpedition.be]

Tune in to the team's blog, Xpedition.be, to see all the posts from this trip. There, you'll also find the DVD from their last expedition to Baffin Island, Asgard Jamming -- highly recommended entertainment, and a great gift, for climbers and non-climbers alike. Check out the description:

Asgard Jamming follows Nico, Sean, Oli, Steph and Silvia on a rock climbing expedition in Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic. Mentored by Freyr, the viking god of weather and fertility, these warriors ventured on a quest to enter the fortress of the gods (Asgard) without the use of magical rainbow bridge and were confronted with rock hard climbing on divine vertical granite. This is serious business!

Stay tuned for more updates from the Greenland Vertical Sailing expedition.

Life in the Vertical - Crag Clean up and BBQ at Peanmean Head

2010-07-29T12:31:53Z

There is a crag clean up tonight at Peanmean Head, aka the 70 degrees crag in Colwyn Bay. The clean up starts at 5pm and the BBQ courtsey of the BMC will be served up at some point in the evening, there will also be the opportnity to climb some of the great routes here. As well as a few copies of the great new mini guide to the A55 sport climbing venues.

Unfortunately I am working until 9pm at Pen Y Pass, so I don’t expect to see any of you up here!

If you are local, and climb at this crag then this is a perfect opportunity to put something back into the areas development.

Tielma Productions - To say or not to say...

2010-07-29T06:30:01Z

"Next time, don't clip the daisy chain into the lower piece when trying to clean your pro mid route. No sense breaking your back if you fall." Penny Lane is a trade route and sees a lot of traffic and probably some it shouldn't. So what do you do when you see someone climbing do something really stupid? Like risking a factor two fall on a daisy chain? Climbing recently published an article on just this topic; I figure it's better to say something than just observe. Maybe, something is learned or at least you can walk away with a clear conscience.

A bit of perspective on what Kevin McLane describes as "The classic Smoke Bluff crack"; an unknown climber cruising the 35 meter Penny Lane 5.9, Smoke Bluffs, Squamish.

Life in the Vertical - Burning the Candle at both ends….

2010-07-29T01:17:33Z

…and roasting it in the middle.

Probably best describes my life this week. I have just handed in, well emailed the final few tweaks (1.30am). It will be finalised on friday, when I have to go into the office and sign off the final proof. This will ensure that it makes its 1st September deadline. On top of this I have been at the cafe a for a few days this week.

Not to mention my first bit of instructing work for about two months. Maybe there are some people out there with money enough to pay for coaching. Anyway, we managed to climb three routes at Tremadog. I lead them up Oberon to get a feel for there ability and check them out, before one of the group lead another two routes. First Boo Boo and then Rio.

I think they had a great day out. They seemed to get a lot out of the day. They can rest assured that the money earnt has already been spent of a gri-gri and jumars ready for the states. Which this even we booked our flights out there, don’t know where I found the time to do that.

Anyway, I think bed is in order, as I have to work at 2pm tomorrow, and I think I am getting a wake up call from a TV company tomorrow morning, about the psychology of climbing. Which might well be interesting to hear what they have to say. Nothing will probably come from it but I do like the odd calls I get from researchers looking into climbing, its hard to remember that all they know about the sport is what they have found on google.

entreansias - Aprovechemos el bajón de temperaturas!!!

2010-07-28T22:26:42Z

Despues de localizar 20 páginas de meteorología por fin vimos una que solo daba 35 grados en la Pedriza hoy...

El caso es quedar, tomar una birra en cantoco y dejar que la tarde nos depare las sorpresas...asi es el verano manzanito, o lo asumes o te burlas la siesta del carnero y hasta mañana.
La sorpresa es que hoy nos juntamos unos cuantos y decidimos partir hacia la foca, residuo veraniego entre tangas y mamporreros.
El fresco del bosque saca lo mejor del Lomo, energía a raudales...

Un poco más arriba, subiendo a la cumbre de la foca, limpiamos unos bloques que nos depararon risas y sustos...
El de la derecha "El Sopla-Nucas", entrada sit con pie-mano bestial de salida...

Sandrito gestionadose la entrada...

El chulo estuvo a punto de salir, sacando esa casta que siempre le acompaña alla donde vaya...

La sopresa vino al probar otra linea pegada a la derecha. En la salida, tras lanzar a un romo en la salida, aparecio una vibora entre matojos que a más de uno le quitó las ganas de seguir probándolo..este se queda logicamente como "El viborilla".
Entrando igual que "El Sopla-Nucas" pero saliendo por todo el filo de la izquierda limpiamos "El muerde-Almuhadas".. Salida bonita de mantle donde Carles pasó gratos momentos...
Ambos bloques se quedán como 6cs de luchar, lo mismo un poco más.

Tras las bajas de Perfil y Markitos, nos animamos a subir a la foca y acabar la jornada en un espectacualar bloke que limpio y subio Diegote.."Mecánica Celeste".
Las fotos hablan por si solas....

De pie es uno de los 6bs más bónitos de la Pedriza, y la entrada sit te obliga a tirar de campus en regletas pequeñas para dynar al canto desde donde sale de pie. El grado está entre el 7a+/b...hacerlo y opinar...

Estos calores traen problemas cuando la tensión está baja...cuidadinnnnnnnn

Las cervezas en cantocochino nos devuelven a la realidad ya de noche, cuando empieza a refrescar.....

climbingpics - Let´s go bowling 7B, Kullavik

2010-07-29T06:55:14Z

Bummel får för sig att smeka sloper i sommarhettan.

Andy Mann Photography - The Haps.

2010-07-28T20:22:14Z

I'm re-surfacing from my longest blog hiatus since 2006. Pretty fair run I had there for a while... Anyway, since releasing the film Rocky Mountain Highball last month, I've been traveling a good bit, climbing, and shooting lots of photos. I've spent most of the summer developing boulders and shooting at Mount Evan's Lincoln Lake, sport climbing in Ten Sleep, WY, and I just returned from a two week trip to Squamish, BC. Life is grand. Here's a photo from Squamish.

I was invited by Arc'Teryx to compete in the 2010 Squamish Mountain Festival Steep Shot Photo Competition. Six pro climbing shooters competed in the event. The rules were simple: Give a 5 minute slide show presentation, set to music, no words. In an effort to try to gain a creative edge on my talented competition, and combine my artistic passions, I wrote and performed a funky instrumental piece on the guitar to my show. It was the first time I've performed live (solo) to a sold out crowd (i know, i know, they weren't there to see me play my guitar, and it was only for one song, but, it happened, and it took some balls.)

I was so psyched for the opportunity, and although I ended up placing third in the event, I was a crowd favorite for sure and received many compliments that evening and in the days following. Congrats to Paul Bride and Andrew Burr on taking a well deserved first and second place! It was one of the most fun evenings I've had in a while and by far the most fun slide show I have given this year. Thanks to Arc'Teryx for bringing me up and letting me loose, and to Scott Milton and Sandra Studer for the place to crash, gear, and food!

I stayed an extra week following the festival to focus on a few climbing goals of my own. Of most importance, climbing "The Grand Wall" (10 pitches, 5.11, A0) on the iconic Chief. Sheyna and I did just that, and although I have climbed several bigger walls in the last few years, nothing compared to the exposure and difficulty of this climb. We topped out early evening and watched the sun set over Howe Sound. Pretty amazing experience and not so bad for an off-the-couch photog!

Other than that, photography work is going stronger than ever. I've been promoted within the Climbing Magazine/Urban Climber Magazine family when the company was sold to Active Interest Media (AIM). I work now as Senior Contributing Photographer for Climbing as well as for Urban Climber Magazine. I'm stoked to have shimmied my way up a little higher within the industry and thankful to still be able to do what I truly love for a living. More posts to come...

Below are some pictures of the "Steep Shot Comp" from the Mountain Festival courtesy of Arc'Teryx. Cheers!

Rock Climber Girl - blogging by Sara, a pacific northwest woman who rock climbs - Accident on Mount Rainier, Emmons Route, 7/27/2010

2010-07-28T18:03:40Z

Early reports are coming in of an accident on the Emmons Route on Rainier yesterday. Here’s word so far, from King 5.

My thoughts go out to the team involved, the climbers’ families, and the other parties on the mountain. Take care out there. Will update if there’s anything to be learned from the accident, when there’s more information available.

About.com Climbing - Rockfall Kills Climber on El Diente Peak

2010-07-28T17:07:49Z

This summer has been deadly in the Rocky Mountains, with fatal accidents occurring on Longs Peak, Little Bear Peak, and El Diente Peak in Colorado and at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

The latest accident occurred about 11:00 in the morning on Monday, July 26, on the jagged ridge between 14,159-foot El Diente Peak and 14,246-foot Mount Wilson, a couple of Colorado's 54 Fourteeners, in Colorado's San Miguel Range. A party of five climbers was traversing the mile-and-a-half-long ridge, which is notorious for its loose and fractured rock. Most climbers take three hours to make the Class 4 traverse with its route-finding difficulties and sections of rock scrambling.

After leaving El Diente's summit, the group worked their way east along the tottering ridge. They reached a sharply cut notch on the ridge near 14,000 feet and were climbing up a steep rocky gully to the next ridge point when a climber above dislodged some loose rock. The resulting rockfall cascaded down, hitting three of the climbers below. Peter Topp, a 59-year-old retired colonel and experienced mountain climber, was hit hardest, sustaining severe head and torso injuries, while 60-year-old Charlie Zimmerman and 31-year-old Kathy Donnely were less seriously injured.

Zimmerman told the Colorado Springs Gazette newspaper, "He and I were climbing on a face, some other climbers were above us. The next thing I knew, I was on the rocks 40 feet below and Peter was on the rock right above me, unconscious but breathing. I tried to revive him but I never could."

Autumn Thorpe, a friend of the family, reported to me that Mr. Topp, who was wearing a helmet, was hit directly on the head by a large falling rock. He survived for three hours but never regained consciousness and died of his injuries at about 2 p.m.

Details are sketchy right now as to who caused the rockfall. It's possible that a party ahead of the group of five triggered the initial rockfall or it might have been a member of Peter Topp's group. Christina Topp, a climber and daughter of Mr. Topp, says, "My mom especially doesn't want any other climbers to feel responsible, it was an accident. There were hikers above them, but we don't know for sure if they caused the slide." Another factor is all the rain that has fallen in the area in the past couple weeks, possibly loosening the rock more than usual.

The San Miguel County Search and Rescue responders received an emergency call just after the accident. By the time rescuers were on the mountain, the weather, which had previously been sunny, became stormy. Two helicopters responded, including a U.S. Army Blackhawk, ferrying a team into Kilpacker Basin south of the ridge. The rescuers climbed 800 feet up to the injured climbers and began medical treatment and created a landing zone for evacuation.

During the afternoon, however, severe storm cells with lightning, heavy rain, and hail pounded the mountain, grounding the helicopters. Using brief windows between storms, the helicopters swooped in and slowly evacuated the climbers and rescuers, with the last flight at dusk. The two injured climbers were flown to the Telluride airport, transported to Telluride Medical Center, and then air-lifted to a hospital in Grand Junction.

Thanks to all the competent and dedicated search and rescue volunteers and the helicopter pilots with Colorado National Guard and Olathe Spray Service for putting themselves at risk to save lives. These men and women are always unsung heroes. My condolences to Peter Topp's family, his wife Regina, son Eric, and daughter Christina for their loss. The death of every climber diminishes the rest of us.

Photographs above: (Top) Peter Topp poses for a summit photo atop El Diente Peak last Monday morning. Photograph courtesy Eric Topp. (Bottom) Looking across the shattered ridge from Mount Wilson to El Diente Peak. Photograph courtesy Doug Hatfield.

Learn more about loose rock:
15 Tips to Avoid Loose Rock
Loose Rock Tip #1: Always Wear a Climbing Helmet
Loose Rock Tip #3: Don't Climb Below Other Parties
Loose Rock Tip #6: Always Test Suspect Holds

Sicky Gnar Gnar - Calm Before The Storm

2010-07-28T15:03:32Z

What an interesting spring season. That's about all I can say about it. I feel like we had a good early season and kind of a weak late season.

Dobbe started things off right in Monolith land by cleaning up his last remaining project in Perfect Medium. Then Ryan came into town and cleaned up Venus Rising at the lake and Highly Executed out at Dodge. Soon after, he fell off the face of the earth and Dobbe fell prey to the mighty frisbee disc.

Remo had a great early season and cleaned off his major project up at Monolith in his new problem, Sex and Chocolate With a Cherry on Top. It was a huge goal for him and he was beyond psyched about it. I was very happy to see if finally go down as I'd noticed the line years ago and wondered why no one had done it. He also sadly fell prey to the mighty frisbee disc and soon after busted up his ankle doing so. We had to put him down and send him to the glue factory...I mean he went to a farm. A nice big farm.

The Wisconsin Bouldering Legend himself graced us with his presence a couple times this spring and left us with a couple of new problems. First was "The Lamest Show On Earth", the left exit on that boulder. Second was "Tunder Tighs" up on the West Bluff. He's vowed to come back and climb every damn climb on the Greatest Show boulder. Should be fun to watch.

Beautiful Soup got it's lone ascent this spring when Travis Melin satched it up rather quickly. He also cleaned up Jenga in a couple tries and put some serious work in on the Falling Pieces project.

RV had a nice spring as well, even if he doesn't think so. He finished up Sex and Chocolate and quickly called it one of the worst problems he's done. Then later in the summer he finished his long time goal of climbing Moj in the heat of summer. It was a VERY impressive send and he did it twice that day! Very happy for him on that one.

Alpine Club also got a surprise send when Kyle from Milwaukee came up and did it with the bump method. Paul also got impressively close before the heat shut him down. It'll be interesting to see how that problem progresses as time goes on. The "move" had been done by three people in the previous 6 years I believe. In the last 6 months 3 people have done it with the bump beta.

In a last stand sort of way Jeremy did Venus Rising to start off his year. It's always nice to see projects go down so late in the season!

Now. Onto my predictions. Hmmm. We got some work to do this fall guys. That said, I do think it's going to be a great fall. This summer has been the worst in recent memory and I for one can't wait for it to be over.

1 - Beautiful Soup - 1/7 - This problem needs to get done. A lot. It's good, classic and has perfect rock. Get on it!!!

2 - Alpine Club - 1/3 - I may have under guessed this one...

3 - Keymaker - 0/2 - I'm confident this one will get done.

4 - Moj - 1/3 - I think this one will get done one or two more times this year.

5 - Black Sheep - 0/2 - We really need to get back to this. God damn. It's actually a decent problem.

6 - Sandstone Violence - 0/3 - Confident in this one.

7 - Sex and Chocolate - DONE!! NICE WORK REMO!!!!!

8 - New Hotspots - Massive Vertigo Area, East Bluff, Steinke - So much more exploring to be done people!!!! Get out there!!!

9 - 7 New problems V6 or harder will be established - 2/7 - I still think that'll hold true. So much to develop!

10 - One double digit problem will be put up - 0/1 - There are a couple of candidates for this. It'll happen. Give it time and temps.

If you want to check out the original predictions link go here.

Let me know if I left anyone else out!!!!!!!

The Cleanest Line - Dirtbag Diaries: Go West

2010-07-28T14:13:55Z

You see, in this world there are two kinds of people, my friend. Those who've never heard of the Dirtbag Diaries, and those who listen. You listen. Here's Fitz Cahall to tell you about the good, the bad and the ugly in today's podcast:

"There aren't so many real cowboys left in America, just a lot of folks who dress like them," writes Brendan Leonard. Maybe the cowboy is gone, but the tradition of going West to reinvent oneself has remained a part of our culture. Where does that desire come from? Is it a part of the American Psyche? In Brendan's case, it came from his father's passion for the West. In small-town Iowa, the only way Brendan and his dad, Joe, could foster the dream of red rock and sage was by watching westerns. Lots of westerns. Today, Brendan presents a story about mountain people and the dreams parents instill in their children. Go West.

Listen to "Go West"
(mp3 - right-click to download - contains some expletives)

For more on this podcast, visit the Dirtbag Diaries. You can subscribe to the show via iTunes and RSS, or connect with like-minded listeners on Facebook and Twitter.

Fitz and his partner Brian are also helping us with a new video series, Tracing the Edge, which profiles three Patagonia ambassadors: Gerry Lopez, Krissy Moehl and Colin Haley. To see the trailer and the first three episodes, step into the Tin Shed.