planetclimbing.org - entries tagged with category:rock-climbing

The Cleanest Line - Sketchy Kelly Finds His Yellow Belly

2010-09-09T01:33:10Z

[Ed Note: Kelly lets us write the title, so of course we're going to take a chance to tease him. And it goes without saying, but we'll say it anyways for all those bone-heads out there who are too-cool for school: there's nothing yella-bellied about protecting your skull. Wearing a helmet is more than a fine idea, it should be regular practice.Yes, people wearing climbing helmets can still get their pictures into catalogs and magazines. So don't be too cool for your own good, or you might end up looking like this guy.]

Who says you can’t reinvent yourself? Just because I used to be known as “Sketchy Kelly,” and just because I recently made the safest form of climbing as dangerous as possible, when I flipped upside down on an overhanging sport climb and used my head and face as a battering ram, that doesn’t mean I can’t become “Safety Kelly.” Never mind the black eye with a scar above, the five-inch scab on my scalp, sliced finger, surgical scar in my spine plus four more in my leg, and the tequila-induced banter about Disaster Style. Appearances can be misleading.

After my faceplant, Tommy had left me a funny phone message, reminding me that I’m definitely bad at falling, and we need to have some “falling classes.” Sounded good to me. Obviously I need it. So soon after, Tommy, my friend Craig and I returned to the crag. On the approach I tried to explain to how it happened, and Tommy did the same as a couple of other friends who sport climb a bunch: He got this confused look, said he didn’t really understand, shook his head, and said there’s no way that could ever happen again. Still, scaredy Safety Kelly now wears his helmet every time, even sport climbing, even on top rope. (At least for now.) A little overboard, sure, but maybe it’ll help balance things out. Hell, the way I’ve been going, maybe I should wear it walking to the mailbox, to the grocery store, to the liquor store (not a bad idea)…. Safety Kelly, baby.

We unpacked our packs and warmed-up. I led a moderate slab first, then we pulled the rope and Craig re-led. Tommy waited patiently, declining a lap. Fair enough, much in the way I probably wouldn’t bother warming-up on 5.4. He’d probably warm-up on the .12a in the wickedly overhung alcove area.

“Do you guys wanna do that one?” he asked of the .12a. We shrugged. “’Cause if not, if you don’t mind maybe I’ll warm-up on the .13a.”

Now this is just ridiculous in my world. Who the hell warms-up on .13a? (Lots of people, I guess, from pre-teens these days to the kid serving your coffee down in Boulder, to Tommy and his ilk – but some of us live in different universes.)

[The new and improved Safety Kelly, ready for some serious top-roping action. Photo: Craig Scariot]

It’s so cool how different people do amazing things while maintaining humility and perspective. Tommy has the greatest attitude and approach of anybody I’ve ever known. For all anybody can tell, the new climber doing her first 5.6 outdoors feels the same awesome feeling that Tommy does when he frees a new line on El Capitan, or that every one of us gets at our own level. It’s probably the single coolest thing about climbing, at least in my book. Ultimately, I suppose that’s the thing – it’s supposed to be fun. Of course fun comes in different forms, from Type I fun (fun while it’s happening, otherwise known as fun), to the rewarding Type II fun (fun only in retrospect), and occasionally Type III fun (not fun at all). But it’s still fun.

Anyway, midway through our day, after Craig and I flailed and Tommy made progress on a crazy hard route (he’d been on it like once or twice before…), the skies unleashed. Rain pounded earthward, thunder and lightning racked the region, and waterfalls flooded corners down the slabs. In the overhanging alcove, sheltered from the raging storm, Tommy tied-in for one final attempt, smiled, fought hard and sent the .14a. The guy tries harder than anybody I’ve ever known. Not everybody realizes that not everything is easy for the guy – same deal as for the rest of us. Again, he tries harder than anybody I’ve ever known. Craig and I just grinned and laughed, inspired as always. Enough so that when the lightning passed, I figured I should have one more go at my project – the hard part remained dry, the spot that’d been giving me trouble, the place I feared after my fall and faceplant ten days earlier. Besides, I needed to get back on the falling horse. Tommy gave me a belay, and right at the spot where I fell and busted my face I pitched-off again, falling cleanly, softly, into space. Rain from the now-fading storm pitter-pattered outside the alcove. Still inspired to try, I tried again, and again I fell. But I tried.

I lowered, we packed-up for the boulder-hopping hike out, and the boys looked at me funny: I still had my helmet on. That rain-soaked lichen can be mighty sketchy. Safety Kelly.

“I’m keeping it on,” I said, “I can’t afford to get any uglier.”

“Yeah, you probably should,” Craig and Tommy said in unison. Right then the Colorado sunshine broke through the clouds and we meandered our way back to the trailhead. I kept my helmet on the whole way, and tried hard not to slip on the sketchy lichen.

[Above, left - Tommy Caldwell, fighting hard for the send, midway through a raging thunderstorm. Right - Craig Scariot and Tommy Caldwell looking out for that sketchy lichen after the rain. Photos: Kelly Cordes]

The Cleanest Line - American Alpine Journal Gems from 2010

2010-08-24T17:44:26Z

Climbing reports come in all forms. Some basic, simply giving the key details of a climb. Some tell a story, sometimes understated and sometimes overstated, sometimes hilarious and outrageous. And occasionally we stumble upon absolutely beautiful stories.

I’m mostly talking about reports we receive for the American Alpine Journal, which is a yearly tome reporting the big new routes worldwide. It’s been published annually since 1929, and, for the last 10 years, I’ve been one of the editors. We strive for first-hand accounts from the climbers themselves, which generally makes for honest and authentic reporting.

Again, it’s almost all big new routes – you won’t find reports from cragging or from tourists getting dragged up Everest. The reports range from major climbs that everyone knows about, to the less-technical but way remote and exploratory, to plenty of super badass climbs that went otherwise unreported (side note: in case you didn’t already know, there are a ton of low-key, under-the-radar, hard-men and -women out there).

I’ve read thousands of reports in the last 10 years, and every year I make mental notes of my favorites. We on the editorial staff (all two-to-four of us, depending on the year…) call these “AAJ Gems.” They’re some of the best reports anywhere, I think, some of the best storytelling and best writing, often written by people you’ve never heard of.

My vote for Gem of the year in the AAJ 2010 (which just came out and was recently mailed to AAC members and contributors) goes to someone many of us already know from the film 180 South: Jeff Johnson.

[Top right: The 2010 AAJ. Photo: Kelly Cordes. Right: Jeff Johnson, courtesy Woodshed Films]

He works for Patagonia, but that has nothing to do with my informal nomination (no corruption, I’m not running for governor of Illinois…). He writes beautifully about a first ascent in remote Chilean Patagonia, with a couple of great climbing partners.

Enjoy.

--

Cerro Kristine, first ascent. For ten years Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins had been eyeing what they called “Cerro Geezer”—an unnamed, unclimbed ca 7,500' mountain a few kilometers west of Cerro Jeinimeni. The peak is the highest in a small range on the northern margin of Chilean Patagonia’s Chacabuco Valley, a crucial habitat area that Kristine Tompkins’ (Doug’s wife’s) Conservacion Patagonica purchased as the centerpiece of the future Patagonia National Park.

Yvon and Doug decided to give it a go the year before, but they were immediately thwarted by technical difficulties. Ten steps into the long approach Yvon’s 30-year-old mountain boots shattered. Maybe this year, Yvon said, Cerro Geezer will finally give way to a geriatric ascent. I was honored by their invitation to tag along. Yvon was 69 and Doug 65. I realized this could be their last first together.

It took a day to get to high camp. We drove from Maillin Grande, on the north side of the Jeinemeni Reserve, up the Rio Furioso road to the abandoned mine, entered Conservacion Patagonica land near the top of the road, unlocked the gate, and continued into the reserve. We then walked east across the tops of a small range of low peaks. Our planned route rose in the distance, up the west ridge and trending north as it twisted toward the summit. On a wide, slightly sloping ridge next to a glacier at 3,000', tucked under a windbreak we made from rocks, we traded stories over dinner. I asked Yvon what he wanted to call the route if we got up it.

“Nothing,” he said, “Just climb it…and walk away.”

The next morning we arrived at the upper reaches of the glacier just as the sun glanced around the northern flanks. The last section had near-vertical ice, above the glacier, and brought us to the base of some technical rock. I had brought a rope and a small rack, and asked Yvon if we should rope up.

“Every man for himself!” he said with a hearty laugh and took off up the rock.

Doug was already up there, free-soloing an exposed slab that led to the upper ridgeline. I followed.

Early afternoon we reached the shoulder that led to the summit. Just below the summit blocks Doug stopped and stepped aside. In his typical gentlemanly fashion, he gestured for me to pass.

“Here you go,” he said, knowing that I’d never made a first ascent. “It’s all yours.”

I stopped, Yvon standing behind me.

“Go ahead,” said Yvon. “Go for it.”

I looked up at the virgin peak, the clear blue sky, and the vast wilderness of mountains and glaciers and rivers that surrounded it. We were three insignificant souls on the precipice of wonder.

Doug and Yvon have been friends for over 40 years. They had eyed this mountain for ten years, and they had already failed once. There was no way I was going to do this. With due respect I said, “It’s yours Doug. You go.”

The three of us stood on the summit in the afternoon of March 7, 2008. It was dead quiet while we took in the panorama. Wondering if they were serious about “Cerro Geezer,” I turned to Doug and asked what he wanted to name it.

Doug looked out over the world and trailed off a bit in thought. Then he said quietly, “Cerro Kristine. Cerro Kristine. I think she would like that.”

A few days later the three of us sat near Rio Chacabuco, sipping maté beneath the shade of poplar trees.

“How do you two do it?” I asked Doug and Yvon. “Most people when they get older tend to get more conservative in their political ideals, as if all that radical stuff was just a phase they went through as young adults. And most people your age aren’t climbing mountains.”

There was a long pause, as with all questions I had asked them. Then Doug said, “Don’t hang out with old people.”

The two of them began to laugh. Then Yvon, slapping his knee chimed in, “Always make sure you are the oldest person in the room.”

Far in the distance, below a mass of cotton-ball clouds stood Cerro Kristine, resplendent in the setting sun.

- Jeff Johnson

[Top: Cerro Kristine, near Chilean Patagonia’s wild Chacabuco Valley. Photo: Jeff Johnson. Above, right: Doug Tompkins and Yvon Chouinard starting up the route. Photo: Jeff Johnson]

The Cleanest Line - American Alpine Journal Gems from 2010

2010-08-24T17:44:26Z

Climbing reports come in all forms. Some basic, simply giving the key details of a climb. Some tell a story, sometimes understated and sometimes overstated, sometimes hilarious and outrageous. And occasionally we stumble upon absolutely beautiful stories.

I’m mostly talking about reports we receive for the American Alpine Journal , which is a yearly tome reporting the big new routes worldwide. It’s been published annually since 1929, and, for the last 10 years, I’ve been one of the editors. We strive for first-hand accounts from the climbers themselves, which generally makes for honest and authentic reporting.

Again, it’s almost all big new routes – you won’t find reports from cragging or from tourists getting dragged up Everest. The reports range from major climbs that everyone knows about, to the less-technical but way remote and exploratory, to plenty of super badass climbs that went otherwise unreported (side note: in case you didn’t already know, there are a ton of low-key, under-the-radar, hard-men and -women out there).

I’ve read thousands of reports in the last 10 years, and every year I make mental notes of my favorites. We on the editorial staff (all two-to-four of us, depending on the year…) call these “AAJ Gems.” They’re some of the best reports anywhere, I think, some of the best storytelling and best writing, often written by people you’ve never heard of.

My vote for Gem of the year in the AAJ 2010 (which just came out and was recently mailed to AAC members and contributors) goes to someone many of us already know from the film 180 South : Jeff Johnson.

[Top right: The 2010 AAJ. Photo: Kelly Cordes. Right: Jeff Johnson, courtesy Woodshed Films ]

He works for Patagonia, but that has nothing to do with my informal nomination (no corruption, I’m not running for governor of Illinois …). He writes beautifully about a first ascent in remote Chilean Patagonia, with a couple of great climbing partners.

Enjoy.

--

Cerro Kristine, first ascent. For ten years Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins had been eyeing what they called “Cerro Geezer”—an unnamed, unclimbed ca 7,500' mountain a few kilometers west of Cerro Jeinimeni. The peak is the highest in a small range on the northern margin of Chilean Patagonia’s Chacabuco Valley, a crucial habitat area that Kristine Tompkins’ (Doug’s wife’s) Conservacion Patagonica purchased as the centerpiece of the future Patagonia National Park.

Yvon and Doug decided to give it a go the year before, but they were immediately thwarted by technical difficulties. Ten steps into the long approach Yvon’s 30-year-old mountain boots shattered. Maybe this year, Yvon said, Cerro Geezer will finally give way to a geriatric ascent. I was honored by their invitation to tag along. Yvon was 69 and Doug 65. I realized this could be their last first together.

It took a day to get to high camp. We drove from Maillin Grande, on the north side of the Jeinemeni Reserve, up the Rio Furioso road to the abandoned mine, entered Conservacion Patagonica land near the top of the road, unlocked the gate, and continued into the reserve. We then walked east across the tops of a small range of low peaks. Our planned route rose in the distance, up the west ridge and trending north as it twisted toward the summit. On a wide, slightly sloping ridge next to a glacier at 3,000', tucked under a windbreak we made from rocks, we traded stories over dinner. I asked Yvon what he wanted to call the route if we got up it.

“Nothing,” he said, “Just climb it…and walk away.”

The next morning we arrived at the upper reaches of the glacier just as the sun glanced around the northern flanks. The last section had near-vertical ice, above the glacier, and brought us to the base of some technical rock. I had brought a rope and a small rack, and asked Yvon if we should rope up.

“Every man for himself!” he said with a hearty laugh and took off up the rock.

Doug was already up there, free-soloing an exposed slab that led to the upper ridgeline. I followed.

Early afternoon we reached the shoulder that led to the summit. Just below the summit blocks Doug stopped and stepped aside. In his typical gentlemanly fashion, he gestured for me to pass.

“Here you go,” he said, knowing that I’d never made a first ascent. “It’s all yours.”

I stopped, Yvon standing behind me.

“Go ahead,” said Yvon. “Go for it.”

I looked up at the virgin peak, the clear blue sky, and the vast wilderness of mountains and glaciers and rivers that surrounded it. We were three insignificant souls on the precipice of wonder.

Doug and Yvon have been friends for over 40 years. They had eyed this mountain for ten years, and they had already failed once. There was no way I was going to do this. With due respect I said, “It’s yours Doug. You go.”

The three of us stood on the summit in the afternoon of March 7, 2008. It was dead quiet while we took in the panorama. Wondering if they were serious about “Cerro Geezer,” I turned to Doug and asked what he wanted to name it.

Doug looked out over the world and trailed off a bit in thought. Then he said quietly, “Cerro Kristine. Cerro Kristine. I think she would like that.”

A few days later the three of us sat near Rio Chacabuco, sipping maté beneath the shade of poplar trees.

“How do you two do it?” I asked Doug and Yvon. “Most people when they get older tend to get more conservative in their political ideals, as if all that radical stuff was just a phase they went through as young adults. And most people your age aren’t climbing mountains.”

There was a long pause, as with all questions I had asked them. Then Doug said, “Don’t hang out with old people.”

The two of them began to laugh. Then Yvon, slapping his knee chimed in, “Always make sure you are the oldest person in the room.”

Far in the distance, below a mass of cotton-ball clouds stood Cerro Kristine, resplendent in the setting sun.

- Jeff Johnson

[Top: Cerro Kristine, near Chilean Patagonia’s wild Chacabuco Valley. Photo: Jeff Johnson. Above, right: Doug Tompkins and Yvon Chouinard starting up the route. Photo: Jeff Johnson]

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

2010-08-04T22:09:17Z

“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.

Update 7/30: The boys posted some more photos from the climb this morning. Enjoy.

“Go climb that wall! And don’t come back unless you do!” Reverend Bob shouted up at us as we stepped straight off the boat on to the wall. Captain reverend Bob’s commitment to our efforts was full on. Putting his boat on the line on more than one occasion. May we remind you that he is the owner of two boats in Greenland… one he keeps anchored secretly below the surface… The first few cracks were fit for a lawn mower, unfortunately we didn’t have that on our rack so an ice axe had to do the job. To keep the adventurous spirit of the climb we tried to leave in as much as we could.

[Bob not hesitating to put his boat on the line for the ascent. Ben and Sean at the first belay. Also an important note is to mention that we started the climb at low tide which add an extra boulder problem! Photo: Xpedition.be]

[Ben Ditto on the first pitch from the boat. After this pitch our captain declared that this was the first time a garden was planted on a boat.... some of the grass held, some of it didn't... Photo: Xpedition.be]

[The grass kept the cracks in supreme condition. Photo: Xpedition.be]

[Bob keeping an eye on us, coming to make sure we're making steady progress. Photo: Xpedition.be]

Update 8/2: The Black Hole

One of the main question marks of the line we wanted to climb was a big mysterious overhanging black hole. The closer we got to it to scarier and more intimidating it seemed. After our second day on the wall it started to rain hard… very hard. First day we were happy because it gave us some time to play music and enjoy being there. The second day everything slowly started getting wet and things seemed a little more interesting… The third day the rain stopped but strangely the water didn’t stop falling down on us… it seemed we had placed our portaledges in a waterfall, which apparently originated from the black hole. The advantage being that we had running water at our portaledge flavoured with bird droppings which lead to awkward repercussions on the ultimate pitch. We would rather not describe this to you here in too much details…. However, the black hole became even more obscure…

[The only way out is through the infamous black hole!! Photo: Xpedition.be]

[Ben Ditto leading us up to the start of the back hole.... this was only the beginning of the madness! Photo: Xpedition.be]

[Sean vanishing into the mean wet black hole. Obviously one of his most memorable leads ever! Photo: Xpedition.be]

Update 8/4: Heaven

Climbing this wall was like climbing in heaven. The feeling of climbing straight above the sea was incredible with its colour changing all day long from dark to light blue sometime even black when the storm came in. Our daily spectacle included the movements of huge icebergs floating by and braking apart and the clouds that went from above us to in us, to finish below us replacing the water by a sea of clouds

We are now slowly sailing south exploring fjords. Hopefully we will find more big walls to enjoy more adventures before sailing back across the Atlantic.

[Nico, loving the view. Photo: Nico Favresse]

[Ben passes the grass. Photo: Ben Ditto]

[Stay tuned... Photo: Xpedition.be]

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

2010-08-04T22:09:17Z

“ 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.

[(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]

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

[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.

Update 7/30: The boys posted some more photos from the climb this morning. Enjoy.

[The grass kept the cracks in supreme condition. Photo: Xpedition.be]

[Bob keeping an eye on us, coming to make sure we're making steady progress. Photo: Xpedition.be]

Update 8/2: The Black Hole

[The only way out is through the infamous black hole!! Photo: Xpedition.be]

[Ben Ditto leading us up to the start of the back hole.... this was only the beginning of the madness! Photo: Xpedition.be]

[Sean vanishing into the mean wet black hole. Obviously one of his most memorable leads ever! Photo: Xpedition.be]

[Nico, loving the view. Photo: Nico Favresse]

[Ben passes the grass. Photo: Ben Ditto]

[Stay tuned... Photo: Xpedition.be]

The Cleanest Line - Greenland Vertical Sailing: Big Wall Island

2010-07-14T17:43:02Z

Earlier we told you about Patagonia ambassadors Nicolas Favresse and Sean Villanueva, and their current climbing trip: Greenland Vertical Sailing 2010. Nico and Sean, along with Olivier Favresse and Ben Ditto have stowed aboard Captain Bob Shepton's boat to sail the west coast of Greenland looking for virgin big walls to explore. We thought their last trip to Baffin Island was wild (check out the DVD) but this one is already off the hook. So far it seems like part Liz Clark Voyage and part 180° South, with plenty of boat hijinks and surprises along the way. Let's get you caught up on their trip. [Ben Ditto getting started out of the boat on "Seagulls Garden." Photo: Nico Favresse]

June 26 - Bob & Dodo’s Delight
We finally met our reverend captain Bob! He’s the perfect man for the job: he seems even less organized than us. He’s 75 years old, not 65 like we communicated earlier, and in great form. In all his years of experience he only sank one boat! He used to be a fanatic rock climber before he was sailor.

The boat is floating ... barely. With 600 kg of food and rock climbing gear, and 400L of water, we never thought everything would fit in. However, with some stuffing we managed to push everything into the boat and there is just about enough space left for four and a half humans.

The boat has a few technical issues we are trying to solve before we launch into the wild.

[The band plays the first gig of their Greenland tour with a guest piano player in the Sisak Teknik boat yard on Greenland Day. Photo: Ben Ditto]

[Bird's eye view of the Dodo Delight as we prepare her for the sea. Photo: Ben Ditto]

[Reverend Captain Bob Shepton aboard the Dodo Delight in Aasiaat, Greenland. Photo: Ben Ditto]

July 1 – Sailing Time
We unleashed the boat from the harbor deck of Asiaat and set off to our first target: the Impossible Wall. But first we had to sail 300 miles. Just to make things more interesting Bob threw a wrench into the motor breaking it instantly, forcing us to travel by fair means and continue our voyage by sail alone. This made for some interesting situations sailing against the wind and gave us plenty of time to practice our musical skills to the rhythm of the rocking boat.

This passage was Sean and Ben’s first baptism under sail. Needless to say it was a full experience and some of our delicious dinners were wasted over the side. Long periods of no wind turned the three days of expected sailing time into five, but fortunately we were well prepared for it with all the training tools to sharpen our body for the Impossible. The sailing atmosphere across an iceberg-littered ocean felt like steering a spaceship trough a field of meteoroids. Here we are now very close to the big walls in a small Inuit village called Upernavik. As soon as the motor is fixed we’ll finally be getting into business.

[Nico Favresse, Olivier Favresse, Reverend Captain Bob Shepton, Sean Villanueva-O'Driscoll, Ben Ditto]

[Sean tries his luck pushing the boat along during a time with low winds and a motor that won't start. Photo: Ben Ditto]

[The team all getting sea sick together on a nice sunny morning heading into Upernavik. Photo: Ben Ditto]

[Reverend Captain Bob takes the wheel for five minutes in five days.]

[Training hard. Got to keep them fingers strong! It is the Impossible Wall.]

[At the look out for pirate ships.]

[Land ahoy!!!!]

[Some big walls at last!]

[The Reverend says, "Go climb that rock!!!!"]

July 6 – The little paradise of the black hole fjord
With the motor half fixed, Bob brought us on a committing tour through the labyrinth of iceberg-filled fjords. We finally reached our main target: the little paradise of the black hole fjord, with all its spectacular big walls. We were able to analyze the Impossible Wall from really close. Really close, “Ahem, that’s close enough Bob.” He almost sank a second boat in the Greenlandic fjords.

We then decided to go for a warm up on the seagull-filled red wall. We hoped it was red rock and not lichen that gave it this color ... it was thick lichen. This in addition to the grass-filled cracks, the bird shit, and the laughing birds made for some pretty adventurous climbing. We split up into two teams: Ben and Nico, and Oli and Sean. Starting the climb was one of the most incredible beginnings we’ve ever done! Bob brought Dodo’s Delight right up against the base of the wall where we had to jump on to the rock, with the intimidating black abyss of the deep sea below us. About 20 hours of climbing later we walked down the other side where Bob was waiting for us anchored next to a Bahamas-like beach. The two new routes, about 400m long, are called Seagull’s Garden and Red Chili Cracker. Now we are back in Upernavik trying to fix the second half of the motor. Hopefully soon enough we will get back to the fjords for some more adventures.

[The ummm, interesting start of Seagull's Garden. Photo: Olivier Favresse]

[Sean and Oli heading up the start of their new route, Red Chili Cream Cracker. Photo: Nico Favresse]

[Ben Ditto gettin' into the mean cracks of Seagull's Garden. Photo: Nico Favresse]

[Reverend Captain Bob, worried about his crew.]

[Ben Ditto enjoying one of the finest pitches of the Seagull's Garden. Photo: Nico Favresse]

[Olivier cleaning the last pitch of Red Chili Cream Cracker. Photo: Sean Villanueva]

[After a long day/night, getting back to the Dodo Delight. Photo: Nico Favresse]

[The Red Wall's new routes: Red Chili Cream Cracker on the left and Seagull's Garden to the right.]

July 12 – Big Wall Island
The motor problems kept coming so we got our hands dirty to attempt repairing it. We were desperate and ready to try about anything to resolve this failure. We came to the final resolution that our last hope was in the hand of a good mechanic. Instead of waiting several days in Upernavik, we asked Bob to drop us off on a wild island for a few days. The main attraction was a beautiful 400m virgin rock face and the challenge to put all our survival skills to the test. Five days later we were happy to see Bob with Dodo’s engine purring smoothly, plus we bagged an amazing new route – Brown Balls – and a bunch of fat cod fish. We are living it up!

As usual, the climbing here doesn’t cease to amaze us: adventurous climbing on super quality lines. Perhaps the best way to describe it is to say it’s like climbing Yosemite classic cracks but with vegetable picking along the way. We love it!

As we are about to launch on a main course kind of climb that could take us a while, you may not hear from us very soon. Let's see!

[Ben Ditto in the midst of some dirty mechanical action on the Dodo Delight.]

[The boys doing some fundraising for motor repair on the dark streets of Upernavik. They will do anything for a few coins.]

[The last we saw of Reverend Captain Bob and the Dodo Delight for five days while we lived on our island paradise like wild animals.]

[Nico leads into the Brown Balls' splitter corner cracks.]

[The crux of the Brown Balls route: a chicken wing dyno to a fist full of grass.]

[The Brown Balls Wall, scene of our latest all night party ascent.]

[Ben showing off his big cod.]

[Which would you rather wake up to?]

[Sean trying a new experimental fishing technique.]

[Olivier testing the emergency exit system.]

[By the time you see this photo we will be on this wall!]

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And finally, a tune the boys cut before leaving, presented in conjunction with the pretty mug of first-mate Favresse – 'tis not for the faint of heart.

Listen to "Drunken Sailor" (MP3 - for mature ears only)

Sean Villanueva - vocals & tin whistle, Olivier Favresse - accordion, Nico Favresse - mandolin

[All photos courtesy of Xpedition.be]

The Cleanest Line - Greenland Vertical Sailing: Big Wall Island

2010-07-14T17:43:02Z

Earlier we told you about Patagonia ambassadors Nicolas Favresse and Sean Villanueva , and their current climbing trip: Greenland Vertical Sailing 2010. Nico and Sean, along with Olivier Favresse and Ben Ditto have stowed aboard Captain Bob Shepton's boat to sail the west coast of Greenland looking for virgin big walls to explore. We thought their last trip to Baffin Island was wild ( check out the DVD ) but this one is already off the hook. So far it seems like part Liz Clark Voyage and part 180° South , with plenty of boat hijinks and surprises along the way. Let's get you caught up on their trip. [Ben Ditto getting started out of the boat on "Seagulls Garden." Photo: Nico Favresse]

The boat has a few technical issues we are trying to solve before we launch into the wild.

[The band plays the first gig of their Greenland tour with a guest piano player in the Sisak Teknik boat yard on Greenland Day. Photo: Ben Ditto ]

[Bird's eye view of the Dodo Delight as we prepare her for the sea. Photo: Ben Ditto]

[Reverend Captain Bob Shepton aboard the Dodo Delight in Aasiaat, Greenland. Photo: Ben Ditto]

[Nico Favresse, Olivier Favresse, Reverend Captain Bob Shepton, Sean Villanueva-O'Driscoll, Ben Ditto]

[Sean tries his luck pushing the boat along during a time with low winds and a motor that won't start. Photo: Ben Ditto]

[The team all getting sea sick together on a nice sunny morning heading into Upernavik. Photo: Ben Ditto]

[Reverend Captain Bob takes the wheel for five minutes in five days.]

[Training hard. Got to keep them fingers strong! It is the Impossible Wall.]

[At the look out for pirate ships.]

[Land ahoy!!!!]

[Some big walls at last!]

[The Reverend says, "Go climb that rock!!!!"]

[The ummm, interesting start of Seagull's Garden. Photo: Olivier Favresse]

[Sean and Oli heading up the start of their new route, Red Chili Cream Cracker. Photo: Nico Favresse]

[Ben Ditto gettin' into the mean cracks of Seagull's Garden. Photo: Nico Favresse]

[Reverend Captain Bob, worried about his crew.]

[Ben Ditto enjoying one of the finest pitches of the Seagull's Garden. Photo: Nico Favresse]

[Olivier cleaning the last pitch of Red Chili Cream Cracker. Photo: Sean Villanueva]

[After a long day/night, getting back to the Dodo Delight . Photo: Nico Favresse]

[The Red Wall's new routes: Red Chili Cream Cracker on the left and Seagull's Garden to the right.]

As we are about to launch on a main course kind of climb that could take us a while, you may not hear from us very soon. Let's see!

[Ben Ditto in the midst of some dirty mechanical action on the Dodo Delight .]

[The boys doing some fundraising for motor repair on the dark streets of Upernavik. They will do anything for a few coins.]

[The last we saw of Reverend Captain Bob and the Dodo Delight for five days while we lived on our island paradise like wild animals.]

[Nico leads into the Brown Balls' splitter corner cracks.]

[The crux of the Brown Balls route: a chicken wing dyno to a fist full of grass.]

[The Brown Balls Wall, scene of our latest all night party ascent.]

[Ben showing off his big cod.]

[Which would you rather wake up to?]

[Sean trying a new experimental fishing technique.]

[Olivier testing the emergency exit system.]

[By the time you see this photo we will be on this wall!]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And finally, a tune the boys cut before leaving, presented in conjunction with the pretty mug of first-mate Favresse – 'tis not for the faint of heart.

Listen to "Drunken Sailor" (MP3 - for mature ears only)

Sean Villanueva - vocals & tin whistle, Olivier Favresse - accordion, Nico Favresse - mandolin

[All photos courtesy of Xpedition.be ]

The Cleanest Line - The Princess Cruise - Kate Rutherford and Madaleine Sorkin Free El Cap's Freerider

2010-07-09T00:35:52Z

I have approximately 30 bruises, I tried to count them but some blend together, and five gobbles (cuts or abrasions from the rock): one on the ankle, one on each shoulder, a small one on my hand, and a tiny one on my wrist. I feel like I fared pretty well on that huge physical endeavor called Free Rider.

Editor's note: Patagonia ambassador Kate Rutherford and Madaleine Sorkin recently spent five days climbing The Freerider (VI 5.12+), a 3,000ft. route on the Southwest face of El Capitan. Kate shares her take on the climb here with photographs by haul bag maestro, Mikey Schaefer.

Five years ago, I thought freeing El Cap was an impossible goal. The huge scale, logistics, and physicality of freeing a big wall seemed beyond me. Over the years climbing started feeling easier, I spent more time on big routes, and Madaleine and I built up our endurance together on long routes like Moonlight and the Northwest Face of Half Dome. Alpine climbing in Patagonia helped me understand huge objectives, and I learned to break down my intimidation by just focusing on one pitch at a time, just doing the task at hand.

We started up the Free Blast early on a Monday morning, planning to spend the five-day work week on the Captain. That's a long time, but even though we had rapped in from the top to figure out the harder pitches we knew we would need time to rest our bodies and use the shady parts of the day. The first day's Free Blast went pretty smooth, the slabs a bit slow, but soon we were down-climbing and then it was up the Hollow Flake and home for the night on Hollow Flake ledge.

Waking up on day 2 we were stiff already. We crawled into the Monster Crack, successfully wiggling our bodies up the seven-inch fissure (take two #6's for this one). Photographer Mikey Schaefer met us at the Alcove and helped haul our bags to El Cap Spire for a beautiful bivi.

Day three was exciting, I fell off the boulder problem twice before a last minute change in my sequence to send it the third try in the hot sun. Madaleine followed and then I struggled my way up the muddy jungle of the sewer. All my clothes were wet and I shivered belaying Mad up the sloppy chimney.

We set up camp on the Block and planned to stay two nights, this sloping bivi for two turned out deluxe since Nick and Cody had left a double portaledge stashed for their send of the Salathé. Mikey broke out the whiskey and told us we had to finish the bottle. A few sips put us straight to sleep.

Morning came with high clouds, and the day was perfectly cool for the three 5.12 pitches on the agenda. I had a minor meltdown when I thought my fore arms were going to explode on the first corner. I fell off. I was furious, my arms hurt so bad by day three. I pulled the rope, and was fine the next go. Turns out it helps to warm up a bit.

Pitch 28 was wet . . . it is a distinct crux of the route, the last pitch under the roof of the Salathé head wall. Madaleine tagged up my cotton shirt (the only one I had on) and shoved it in the key finger locks, eventually soaking up all the water. Now that my shirt was wet, and the holds were dry, she cruised up the knee baring, lay backing enduro corner. Thrilled, I followed.

The Free Rider route then traverses left on wild pinches. One of the most exposed and beautiful pitches, number 29, has no feet and huge hand holds. Unfortunately, Madaleine broke a crimp all the way at the end, fell, and had to back-aid to come back to the anchor. I was freezing (wet cotton shirt) and so warmed back up by traversing out left, sending one of my nemesis pitches. I sat in the golden evening sun, as Madaleine followed (perhaps more scary than the lead) -- we were sending!

In order to lighten our load and haul less, we decided to spend two nights on the Block. We fixed our lines back to our bivi, drank a touch more whiskey, smiled a lot, and watched the clouds light up pink. The next morning is where I got most of my bruises. The 31st pitch (of 35) is rated 10d, but it is wide and steep. I think I tried harder on that pitch than any other -- it was a 5.12 effort for sure. I walked my #6 for half an hour, and when I finally got to a hand jam I felt like we were done.

Some of the things I learned on what we are calling the 'Princess Cruise' up Free Rider are worth sharing:

#1 have your friends leave all the food and water at the first bivi (So sorry they got snowed off, but thanks Katie, Hayden and Ben)

#2 leave your unfinished whiskey as rent payment to your portaledge friends

#3 only bring a photographer who is willing to help you haul. Thanks Mikey

#4 even the world's most popular climbs can be empty: make way for the Princesses!

#5 don't get intimidated. there is a lot of climbing up there, take it one pitch at a time, or looking up will make you want to puke

#6 try really hard………. duh

#7 have fun

--Kate Rutherford

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For more posts from Kate, plus links to her artwork and beautiful suspended stone jewelry, visit KateRutherford.com. Mikey has more photos from the climb at Mikey Schaefer Photography and you can read Madaleine's side of the story over at her blog Mad's Adventures. Cheers to Kate and Madaleine for a great climb.

The Cleanest Line - The Princess Cruise - Kate Rutherford and Madaleine Sorkin Free El Cap's Freerider

2010-07-09T00:35:52Z

Some of the things I learned on what we are calling the 'Princess Cruise' up Free Rider are worth sharing:

#1 have your friends leave all the food and water at the first bivi (So sorry they got snowed off, but thanks Katie, Hayden and Ben)

#2 leave your unfinished whiskey as rent payment to your portaledge friends

#3 only bring a photographer who is willing to help you haul. Thanks Mikey

#4 even the world's most popular climbs can be empty: make way for the Princesses!

#5 don't get intimidated. there is a lot of climbing up there, take it one pitch at a time, or looking up will make you want to puke

#6 try really hard………. duh

#7 have fun

--Kate Rutherford

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more posts from Kate, plus links to her artwork and beautiful suspended stone jewelry , visit KateRutherford.com . Mikey has more photos from the climb at Mikey Schaefer Photography and you can read Madaleine 's side of the story over at her blog Mad's Adventures . Cheers to Kate and Madaleine for a great climb.

The Cleanest Line - Vikings of the Vertical Set Sail for Greenland's Big Walls

2010-07-02T00:45:08Z

Patagonia Rock Climbing Ambassadors Nico Favresse and Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll, together with Nico's brother Olivier, photographer Ben Ditto, and Bob Shepton (their esteemed sailboat captain) set off on their big summer expedition just over a week ago. You can find regular updates on their partner site Xpedition.be. For those not yet familiar with their unique trip logistics - or their penchant for bringing musical instruments along on their climbs - here's Nico's first post from the voyage (below). Stay tuned for more updates, including special musical jams beamed to us from the big walls:

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That’s it! We are super psyched to be going to Greenland in a few days. No long walk-in approaches this time (last expedition in Baffin Island we walked almost 600km in total) We’re going to be approaching some remote virgin big walls located on the west coast of Greenland by sailboat (basically straight across from Baffin Island).

According to our sources there should be a huge amount of unclimbed walls in this area. The sailboat will be our base camp/music studio and means of travel and exploration. Our adventure will not only include the climbing but also the sailing since we will have to sail trough the icebergs and all the way back across the Atlantic to Europe afterwards.

The spirit of adventure and our motivation to embark on an expedition with a smaller ecological impact and more by fair means, lead us to the idea to combine a climbing expedition with a sail boat for transportation. With a bit of research, Greenland seemed the perfect destination for this adventure.

[The impossible wall - a virgin big wall. Photo: Bob Shepton]

After a few e-mails we were quickly introduced to Bob Shepton, a retired 75 year-old priest. Bob has sailed all over the world (11 Atlantic crossings!) and has brought many climbing expeditions on his sailboat to explore virgin areas in the Arctic. He knows the west coast of Greenland and all its fjords as good as his pocket. He was awarded trophies for his exploration with his boat including recently the Tilman medal.

Due to stormy weather, his boat had to be left in Greenland last season and this year he was looking for people to bring his boat back to Europe. As soon as we contacted him, he sent us some pictures of world-class virgin big walls that rise straight up from the ocean and he offered to bring us there with his sailboat. Even though originally we had other plans for this summer, his proposal was way too good to refuse and a unique opportunity we couldn’t resist.

Due to the limited size of Dodo Delight (a 10 m Westerley boat) and our large amount of music instruments only a team of 4 can join Bob on his boat. As usual Sean Villanueva and my brother Olivier will be part of the expedition. Also Ben Ditto, a very talented climber and pro photographer will join us. He climbed with us in Patagonia last year when we did the first free ascent of the South African route in Torres del Paine. The duration of the expedition will be of approximately 3 months depending on where the winds will bring us.

[Above, right - the kind of Greenland big walls a sailboat is well-suited to access. Above, left - The craft that will carry them there, Bob Shepton's Dodo Delight. Photo: Bob Shepton]

The Cleanest Line - Vikings of the Vertical Set Sail for Greenland's Big Walls

2010-07-02T00:45:08Z

Patagonia Rock Climbing Ambassadors Nico Favresse and Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll , together with Nico's brother Olivier, photographer Ben Ditto , and Bob Shepton (their esteemed sailboat captain) set off on their big summer expedition just over a week ago. You can find regular updates on their partner site Xpedition.be . For those not yet familiar with their unique trip logistics - or their penchant for bringing musical instruments along on their climbs - here's Nico's first post from the voyage (below). Stay tuned for more updates, including special musical jams beamed to us from the big walls:

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