Granite Mountain season is on!

It is most definitely Granite Mountain season right now and if you like to climb 5 star granite multi pitch routes but don't have time to drive to the Sierras then you got to get your butt the 2 hours down to Prescott!

Go here for some more information on climbing at Granite Mountain and check out Chris Tatum's report here on his "best training day ever" there a couple days ago.

Trip Report: Whitney Portal

Fishhook Arete, Mt Russell

Pete and I set our sights on the High Sierras for this year’s Dads’ trip. We always seem to be driving through the East Side, staring out the car windows, promising that, next year we’ll climb in the mountains. I’ve done some climbing around Tuolumne Meadows but never the high peaks. We had a short window of time, five days total, two of which would be travel. With only 3 days to climb, big goals and no permit for the Whitney area we were not sure what we would get on when we left flagstaff in the pre dawn of an August Friday morning.

We arrived at the interagency visitor center 1 mile south of lone pine at 1pm. Every day at 2pm the visitor center has a lottery for any unclaimed permits to day hike the following day in the Whitney area. A ranger calls for one member of each party present and they all draw a number from a cardboard box. The lowest number gets to step up to the computer first to claim any abandoned permits that are available. We chose Pete as team captain. He was feeling charmed after a successful plumbing fix of the camper in the parking lot. He drew number one and we got our permits for the next day. It took about 25 minutes to drive up the Portal. We got what might have been the last available campsite at the Portal for that night. The portal campground, elevation 7,800 ft, is surrounded by walls of granite with views up to Whitney and the other fourteeners. We talked to a very enthusiastic climber in the camping store/snack shop. She told us about some of the better routes in the portal area and we picked up a climbing guide. We were in.

Were woke up at 4am. The goal for the day was the east face of Whitney and the fishhook arête on Russell. We carried one 60m rope and full rack. Set of stoppers, about 16 full length runners, a set of cams from half inch to 4 inch with a couple extra hand size. The climber’s approach turns off the Whitney trail after about a mile and goes up the north fork. There are some fun 4 class ledges early in the approach, a few creek crossings and really rocky terrain. The vegetation begins to disappear between lower and upper boy scout lakes . Once past upper boy scout we were above tree line and in direct view of the monster granite peaks. We refilled our water at ice berg lake right below the east face of Whitney. There were two parties of three moving slowly up the lower east face on 3rd and 4th class terrain. The east buttress, east face and mountaineers route all share the same initial start or final approach. Thankfully both parties headed up the mountaineers route, a 3rd class route to the summit and our plan for descent. From ice berg lake we climbed 3rd class terrain over half way to the summit. Our route started behind a tower and began by traversing out onto the east face. Unfortunately I was unable to perform before leaving camp and had to use my wag bag provided for me with my permit. Pooping into a bag at 13,000ft wasn’t as cool as it sounds. Holding the warm plastic bag in my hands was a little creepy. Stuffing it into a compartment in my pack and taking it to the summit just felt wrong. Pack it in and pack it out. Pete started off and when the rope came tight I followed. The route wandered on ledges, cracks and face. Easier terrain was mixed with short sections of moderate 5th class. The weather was clear and calm. It was fun and easy climbing in a spectacular setting. Guide books list the route having at least 10 pitches. We were able to do it simul-climbing in 3 pitches. We arrived on the summit about 6 hours after starting from the trail head and were greeted by a few dozen others.


the Fresh Air Traverse on the East Face of Whitney

At almost 14,500 ft Whitney is the tallest mountain in the lower 48 and an 11 mile hikers trail to the top make it a very popular summit. We chatted with Rob, the back country ranger for the area on the summit for while, took some pics, ate some bars and went back to ice berg lake via the mountaineers route. We refilled our water and climbed over the Whitney / Russell col over to the base of the fishhook arête. We arrived at the base around 2:30pm. The route is 8 pitches and has some 5.9 climbing on it. The line is absolutely amazing. The winds were calm on top Whitney but here they were howling. We calculated 4 hours to climb the route if everything went smooth. The descent of choice is the east ridge, a long 3rd class descent that heads down valley and cuts off the upper half of the long approach hooking up with the trail between upper and lower boy scout lakes. I was thinking that I did not want to epic. I was tired and the altitude from the day had my head feeling heavy and my tummy a little upset. I also left my binky in the car. Pete was ready to bring on the epic. After stewing over whether we should go up or not for 20 minutes we packed up headed back to ice berg and continued back down the never ending trail to camp. 13hours after leaving camp we were back. Our neighbors brought us cookies and brownies!

The next morning we discovered that we went to sleep without closing a couple of doors on the suburban. We had everything in a bear box but that night we had a bear decide to crawl into the truck. The bear pulled Pete’s brand new pack out and bit through the top compartment mauling his climbing helmet too.


Bear Attacked Helmet

Our neighbors were up early to start their hike and chased him away. We slept through the entire ordeal. We enjoyed a lazy morning, lots of coffee and a big breakfast. We shouldered our packs around 10am and made the 30 minute approach to El Segundo and climbed a variation of the Becky Route, 5 pitches, 5.10. Great climb up the prow of a big granite dome. Cracks appear and disappear. Dikes break the surface for 100 ft and then submerge to leave smooth slabs. We were back at camp, in the truck and back to the visitor’s center just in time for the lottery for Monday’s permits. I got the chance to pick the number and drew 6 out of 6, bummer. When we were finally called up to the computer there were no day permits left but there was an overnight permit available for two and we took it. When we got back to camp we realized that we did not have the required bear proof containers needed to backpack in the area. Without this essential piece of equipment we decided that it would still be okay to hike in the area since we had a permit and just decided come out a day early.

The Becky Roue on El Segundo, Whitney Portal

Monday morning was a repeat of two mornings prior. Up early, same approach, past the lakes and back to the base of fishhook. Pete negotiated a pass of a party of two on pitch two by running the first two pitches together and a quick change over at the belay had me leading out on pitch 3. One of the best routes I have ever done. Steep, moderate climbing on bomber golden granite on an 8 pitch arête that dumps you right on the summit of Mt. Russell, just above 14,000ft. We climbed the route in just under 4 hours, descended the east ridge as planned then skiing down steep bowls of sand and scree to the trail. We were back in camp in a little under 11 hours after leaving that morning.

The Whitney Portal area is amazing. Around the Portal there are many climbing areas. There are sport climbing crags and 12 pitch routes. Lots of the climbing is within an hour approach and you don’t need a permit to access the ‘cragging’. All the climbing close to camp combined with the access to the high peaks makes this an incredible place to call home for a few days. Camping limit is 7 days and it would be easy to park it there and take advantage of an entire week in paradise. Watch out for the bears!

Vertical Relief now has Kettlebells!

Kettlebells are nothing new. I think of Kettlebells and the workouts done with them as almost caveman like. They aren’t a whole lot off from swinging a rock around but they can make you really strong. Do a google or youtube search on them and you will find endless workouts that can be done with them. The cool thing about Kettlebells is very few training tools can give you such a total body workout with so few exercises. As climbers, we rely on our core, arms, shoulders, legs etc. There are dozens and dozens of Kettlebell workouts that can give you fast results in all areas. I have been recovering from shoulder surgery for the last 8 months and the last few months have been a stage in my training to increase my overall fitness so I can come back to climbing feeling stronger and healthier than ever. Much of my training has been with Kettlebells. I really prefer them to free weights simply because the workouts are a lot more fun and interactive. In many cases, I would have to do several free weight exercises to feel how I feel after just one Kettlebell exercise. I also hate working out so the more fun I can make it and the shorter I can make the workout, the better! Vertical Relief now has 3 Kettlebells in 15lbs, 25lbs and 35lbs. That should be enough weight for most of us. Check them out but be careful... be aware of what is around you before you start a workout and listen to your body!

-Chris Tatum

Tickets on sale now for Reel Rock Tour!

Get your tickets now for the Reel Rock Tour 2010 at Vertical Relief Climbing Center while supplies last! I just saw the trailer and it is going to be awesome!! See ya there.



For more information on the Reel Rock Tour 2010 showing, Thursday, September 30, 8 pm at the Orpheum hosted by Vertical Relief Climbing Center go here.