Monday, August 25, 2008

Squamish 2008: Part III

Thursday August 21st

Courtney Hemphill on This Monkey's Gone to Heaven [v7]

Things were still drying out from the rain, so we started out in the Apron yet again. There was some unfinished business with This Monkey's Gone to Heaven, which was quickly wrapped up by Tim Medina who nailed the crux move first try after being so close on the first day of the trip. The ladies came up with some crazy beta that worked for Courtney, Thomasina and Lyn.

We went down the road to try Jim Carey and while we all worked out good beta for both tall and short people, nobody could put it all together. The temps were better but the key left arete was a little damp...

The apple of Patti's eye, Tim's Sloper Problem, was next on the agenda, but that too, was a tad damp... We went out for Sushi that night with the hope of good wind in the forest.


Friday August 22nd

Lyn Verinsky on Sesame Street [v9]

We had a quick warm up session at the Titanic boulder where Patti used Anne Murray's beta to do the classic Titanic, v3. The good time was dampened by the fact that Courtney had to leave for Portland to meet a friend. You know when people start leaving that the end is near. Maybe sensing this, the ladies came through with some fourth quarter heroics! Patti went down and crushed Tim's Sloper Problem - so fast I couldn't get the camera ready. Lyn sent Sesame Street while having to dry the holds with a towel between attempts because some holds were still dripping. (See topout in video) Last, but not least, Siemay went down to the Superfly boulder and sent Baba Hari Dass, fighting tooth and nail for the top.


Cedar climbs another boulder, get that girl some sticky rubber!

I couldn't resist putting another video of Cedar climbing. She is constantly cruising around and climbing things. In her world, bouldering is just something everybody does - like eating or sleeping.


Thomasina Pidgeon on Anubis [v7]


Ben "The Claw" Eastman on Anubis [v7]

We then stuck the crew on a fun, steep arete called Anubis. Tall folks can climb it with big moves but the shorter folks have to do some crazy matches under the roof. While Ben and Thomasina are in almost the same position above, she had to do about twice the moves to get there and on incredibly small, sharp crimps!


Dave Gurman on Fixing the Car [v8]

Another cool problem, Fixing the Car, starts on a dead horizontal roof and the crux is surmounting the lip. You really do feel like you get out from under a car. It was good to see my old friend Dave Gurman in Squamish, now that he is not completely absorbed in grad school...


Our last night at camp

Saturday August 23rd

Lyn on the classic Young and Furious [v3]

Our last day! We warmed up at the Black Dyke area and it was feeling a bit mungy. We had fun finishing off our warm up on the fun, featured slab Young and Furious.


Cameron absorbed in a book while we climb

Back to Jim Carey with revenge on the mind but Mother Nature had a different idea. Walking out of the forest was like being hit by a sauna. The sun and humidity combined in a way that made you feel like your brain was frying. I crawled and rested in a low spot next to the boulder to try to cool down, but my skin wouldn't stay dry enough, long enough. Thomasina was able to resist the bad conditions and delivered a smooth performance for the only send of the problem.


Lyn Verinsky on El Camino [v7]

After cheering on Patti as she battled one of the hardest v4s in the forest, Timeless, we decided to hop on one last thing before the long drive home. El Camino was a problem nobody had done so we went there for our final hurrah. Lyn and I sent to cap off our trip nicely and Lyn even did all the moves on Fixing the Car, but alas, she was just too tired. We caravaned back to Berkeley, stopping to bivy south of Seattle.

Sunday August 24th

Morning eats & coffee @ Stumptown Coffee in Portland

We meet up with Courtney in Portland for the morning recharge before blasting home. Maybe I'm getting soft, but it was sure nice to have air conditioning when we were heading through the 103ยบ inferno that is known as Redding.

-Raza

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Squamish 2008: Part II

Sunday August 17th

Lyn Verinsky on Heather Graham, v8

Two words that I don't like to hear in the same sentence: alpine start. To try and beat the hot temperatures we got up at 6am and were bouldering by 7am. Sadly enough, the temperatures were not that much better! After warming up, we headed down to try Heather Graham, a burly v8 with a wicked top out. The temps were a little better but the humidity was still high enough to thwart our efforts.


Lyn Verinsky on No Excuse for Porn Hair, v4

Something about that alpine start that must have made us a little crazy in the head. On the recommendation of Tim Clifford, we went down the way to hop on the a classic called No Excuse for Porn Hair, which in itself wasn't crazy but it was in the beating sun! Defeating the entire purpose of the alpine start, we threw caution to the wind and gave it a try.


Monday August 18th
A rainy rest day in Squamish with the usual activities: sleeping in, lounging, surfing the internet, more lounging, dinner out, and most importantly: even more lounging.

Tuesday August 19th
The forecast was for cloudy weather and great temperatures so expectations were high. We warmed up in a light drizzle and once we went down the hill to try Nick's Traverse the sky opened up.


Climbing/waiting out the rain @ Nick's Traverse

Nick's Traverse was dry enough to try. Well, I should clarify, the crux was dry but the finish rail was resembling a waterfall or, at the very least, a water sculpture. Tim, Courtney and Lyn all sent with the sports action finish.

Amazingly, the rain let up and once we headed into the forest, it was surprisingly dry. We had the best conditions of the trip and the ladies all took advantage of them. Siemay sent her nemesis, Goldenboy, v7 first try! She then went on to dispatch another old project, Mind Bender, v7. Courtney did Mind Bender Low, v9, with ease and looked mighty close to sticking the crux move on King Swing - a very height dependent problem not kind to smaller folk. Lyn was on fire, sending The Weasel, v8 (hard), Goldenboy, v7, Mind Bender Low, all in addition to Nick's Traverse.


Patti Phillips on Tim's Sloper Problem, v5

By the end of the day the rain started up again and thwarted Patti's near send of Tim's Sloper Problem. But considering how it started out, not a bad day at all.

Wednesday August 20th

Our rainy campsite

So the rain started for real and our elaborate tarp setup at the campsite paid off after a night of torrential rains. In Squamish, rain means rest.

-Raza

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Squamish 2008: Part I

Saturday August 9th

Somewhere on I-5

Road Trip! This time heading to Squamish. Usually I'm lucky to have Lyn's great companionship on these long drives, but this time I was meeting her in Seattle so I had to drive the quick 12 hour jaunt solo. Thank god for podcasts; I downloaded about 14 hours worth before I left and I'm darn glad I did. Tim Medina was driving up as well but was on the ball and left pretty early in the morning. We met up with Steve Temple at a friend's house and crashed out.


Sunday August 10th

Picking up Lyn & Patti at the Seattle airport



Since it was raining we took our time on the drive to Seattle, stopping in Ambleside (in West Vancouver) to get some breakfast and check out the Farmers Market and Artisan's Fair.


Patti on Cutting Edge, v4

Once we got into Squamish, we headed to the driest boulders we could find. We warmed up @ the Apron Boulders and Patti got the sending going by doing the ever-so-classic Cutting Edge, v4.


Tim Medina on This Monkey's Gone to Heaven, v7

We headed up the hill to try another classic, This Monkey's Gone to Heaven, that is often compared to 'Snatch' at Indian Rock. Some say it's easier, some say harder - you be the judge...


Tim Medina on Tatonka, v8

Another Apron classic is Tatonka. Interesting moves on pretty good holds. Tim's send capped off a good first day.

Monday August 11th

Squamish Adventure Centre

As with most of our vacations, securing easy and free internet access is our top priority (other than bouldering, of course). The new Adventure Centre (information center) provides free WiFi and great views. Built recently for the upcoming Winter Olympics.


Hey Scott, this is just for you!

The rock stack that looks like a man is the mascot or symbol of the upcoming 2010 olympics in Vancouver.


Lyn Verinsky on Squealing Pork, v7

After our Adventure Centre session, we headed out to an area in the North Walls called the Farm. Classic problems in a shady, enchanted forest.

Tuesday August 12th

Andrew on Phat Slab, v5

Lyn had the good sense to take a rest day, but since I was feeling pretty spry, I went out with Andrew and gave him a tour of the classic v4's and v5's. Of course I had to stick him on the only problem with no holds!


Our Campsite

After a few nights at Cat Lake, we finally got settled into the Chief campground.

Wednesday August 13th

Lyn Verinsky on ATD, v7

Now on my fourth day on, we headed out for another day! Patti sent Superfly, v4 and Lyn sent Baba Hari Dass, v7 and I was doing everything just to keep it together. Not feeling so spry anymore!

Thursday August 14th

WiFi @ the Adventure Centre


Hello Cameron!

Today was a rest day and the day that Cam arrives. Picking him up turned out to be more epic than anticipated since the airport security didn't know what to do with a 12-year-old boy without a note! Just like Junior High!


Daiso store in Vancouver - a cornucopia of cheap


Where else could you buy a square monkey??


Relaxing at Kitsilano Beach, Vancouver




Menu and aftermath of our fantastic dinner at Rangoli


Figuring out what to order at the dessert cafe Death By Chocolate

Friday August 15th

Lyn Verinsky on Phat Slab, v5


Siemay on unnamed v6

The weather is getting hotter. Easy problems are feeling like Sharma-beaters. But even on this hottest of days, Thomasina daughter Cedar did her first boudler problem ever - at 21 months!


Cedar on her first boulder problem!