Anvil Season is on! Big Sexy Video

Here is a video of Jeff Hamlin "Hamlincheese" sending the mega classic Big Sexy. Hmmm...looks like the beta has changed since that big flake broke off. The new beta looks rad. Good send Jeff!

Mom/Daughter Trip to Yosemite by George Hargis

Yosemite National park is heaven to many climbers. With its pristine beauty, endless granite, and diverse range of climbing routes, many consider it to be the mecca of the climbing world. I never thought I would be climbing there myself. It wasn’t until my mom and I started climbing together two summers ago that the idea even seemed possible. We began by climbing together in the gym as mother-daughter bonding time. Neither of us expected to climb anything more than a few plastic routes a month. But like any gateway drug, we went from just a couple hits here and there to full on addiction. It wasn’t long before we realized we needed to get out and climb on the real stuff.

We just had one problem, neither one of us could lead, and our knowledge of technical climbing was limited to knowing how to tie in with a figure-8 follow through. We knew we had a lot to learn before we could safely climb outside so we began with baby steps. We bought a rope and took the lead certification class at Vertical Relief. Through this instruction we learned how to clip efficiently, belay safely, catch falls softly, and of course, take some big whippers! As our confidence grew, so did our goals. We had been working towards climbing on our own outside without the help of rope-guns and such. As that became a reality, we realized we wanted more.

My mom had lived in Yosemite for ten years back in the 70’s and followed my dad all over the granite there. As her knowledge of climbing increased, she began to feel a visceral pull back to the High Sierra. One day, after finishing a lead in the gym my mom confidently announced that she was taking me to Tuolumne to climb because “we were ready.” Hold your wild horses Mom. Climbing in Tuolumne Meadows is 99% trad-climbing which is a far cry from clipping draws on a single 40 ft pitch in the gym. There was no talking her out of it though, and a summer trip to the high sierras was penciled into our calendars. From what I knew of Yosemite,I thought only really good climbers who have been climbing for ages go there. For this reason I assumed I was facing certain death.

In order to increase our chance of survival, I decided to take the anchor-building class from Chris Tatum through Vertical Relief. Through this class I learned how to evaluate a crack system, place active and passive gear analytically, and clean efficiently. I also learned how to quickly build a solid, redundant, equalized anchor. We went over various knots, rope management techniques, and eventually climbed a mock multi-pitch route. With my newly acquired knowledge there was only one small thing we needed for our trip...the gear! We then purchased our rack for an un-godly amount of money (thanks mom!) and took it outside to practice. With only four months to go and not a lot of free time on our hands, we climbed as much as we could to prepare for the trip. There were many things to get used to; climbing with the extra weight of the rack, having confidence in our protection, not sewing up a route too much, reducing rope drag, becoming more efficient etc. We were learning and having a blast in the meantime! It seemed like time flew by and suddenly it was time to head to the Sierras...

Day 1:

Our first climb was the Northwest Buttress on Tenaya Peak, a 1,500ft 5.5 climb that is approximately 13 pitches long. We chose this as our first climb because pitching it out on such a long easy climb would give us plenty of time to get into the groove of swinging leads. The crux moves on this climb were 5.5 friction (super fun) with an optional 5.6 finger crack that we did at the top. We ended up simul-climbing some of the pitches in order to save some time and all in all had a fabulous first day!

(me on lead)

(Mom taking the sharp end!)

The Summit! (note puffy clouds in distance....cue foreboding music..the semi-epic rainy descent just 30 minutes after this was taken)

Day 2:

After an excellent first day we drove down to the valley to dry off and check out my parents’ old hangouts...

(Posing in front of some unknown hunk of granite...)

(Mom showed me the site in Camp 4 which she called home for one entire year.)

Day 3:

Back up in Tuolumne where the weather was cooler, we set out to climb a classic; Cathedral Peak. (In the valley we had visited with my mom’s good friend John Dill who told us not to die on this because lots of people do. Um…thanks for the beta John!)

The Southeast Buttress of Cathedral is a 5.6 route that is approximately 5 pitches long. There are a lot of variations to this climb which is a good thing because of all the people who were climbing it that day.

Gorgeous surroundings!

I got pretty good at snapping photos while belaying!

(This is Eichorn’s Pinnacle as seen from the Summit of Cathedral. We were planning on climbing this but there was a wait and it was getting late in the afternoon...next time!)

Day 4:

After two multi-pitch climbs we were ready for some good food so we headed to the Whoa-Nellie Deli at the Lee Vining Mobil Mart to have some grub!

We also did some site seeing at Mono Lake. (No climbing on the Tufa!)

Then is was time for some cragging on puppy dome!

(Mom got her jam on!)

(Gotta love crack!)

Day 5:

Back into Multi-pitch mode, we decided to climb Northwest Books on Lembert Dome. This is a 3 pitch, 300ft, 5.6 route, and we had an absolute blast!

(This is the view from the summit. Cathedral Peak from Day 3 can be seen right above my head.)

Day 6:

Another all-girl team we met on Northwest Books recommended that we climb Holdless Horror on Dozier Dome. This is a 4 pitch, 400 ft, “splitter crack” and we were up for the challenge!

(Can you find the climber emerging from the "people eating" off-width on pitch 2...?)

(A view of me leading the very same pitch!)

(Mom leading Pitch 3)

(The view from the top!!)

Holdless Horror was anything but what the name implies, and ended up being my favorite climb of the trip!

Day 7:

Not ready to leave, we woke up early to squeeze in some last minute climbs at the guide cracks before we had to hit the road...

One week in Tuolumne meadows flew by and before we knew it, it was time to head home. All in all, we had a fabulous trip and accomplished all of our goals. I am so proud of the progress we made and I cannot wait to plan another mother-daughter trip. We are so grateful for the staff at Vertical Relief who gave us the professional advice and confidence we needed to make this trip a success!

Perhaps El Capitan is in our future.......?

Sweet Priest Draw Bouldering Video!

Found this over at deadpointmag.com. Great video showing some Flag locals floating some of the hard classics at the draws. Represent!

a handful from priest draw from shaddow ayala on Vimeo.

Anvil Boulders NEW ACCESS!

As reported earlier, the regular access to the Anvil boulders was closed due to the land owners (Therapy on the Rocks) posting No Trespassing signs. The dirt parking area across from Therapy on the Rocks was still o.k. to park in but the trail to the boulders was closed.

After some scoping for another access point to the boulders and talking with Therapy on the Rocks today I found that there is another access point to the boulders that is cool and is still close to the dirt parking area.

So, this is the new way to get to the Anvil Boulders along with some things to remember when visiting the area:

-DO park in the dirt pull out across from Therapy on the Rocks as before.
-DO NOT park in Therapy on the Rocks parking lot even if the dirt pull out is full.
-DO walk south along Hwy 89a, 150 yards or so, to the end of the guard rail (almost to the La Vista Motel) and then pick up a trail that cuts back north along the east side of the guard rail. Follow this trail to a couple steep scramble down spots to the creek. Cross creek at regular spot to boulders as before.
-DO NOT walk past any NO TRESPASSING signs next to Therapy on the rocks.
-DO NOT walk onto any private properties behind the La Vista Motel.
-DO keep a low profile.
-DO NOT litter or trash the place.

WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO STILL BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE BOULDERS THROUGH THIS POINT. PLEASE RESPECT PRIVATE PROPERTY AND NO TRESPASSING SIGNS AND KEEP A LOW PROFILE. Thank you.

SPREAD THE WORD!

-Jason Henrie

ACCESS ALERT! Anvil Boulders

We just got word that there are now No Trespassing signs posted at the popular access point to the the Anvil Boulders next to Therapy on the Rocks. Please respect all No Trespassing signs and access from another point (Anvils can be accessed from Schnebly Hill Road, via the Huckaby Trail, with a 30 minute hike). This is all the information we have at this time and your respect of private property may go a long way to figuring out a solution to this issue. Thank you.

We will update this post if the Therapy on the Rocks access point becomes available again or if another access point gets worked out.

Evolv Shoe Demo at VR

That’s right! There will be an Evolv Shoe Demo on Wednesday, the 17th, from 6pm to 9pm. Come on down to the gym and sample some different Evolv shoe models on the wall. Event is FREE with a day pass or membership. See you there!

Changes to Red Rock Pass in Sedona

"Pending implementation of changes to the Red Rock Pass Program, the Forest Service will not enforce recreation fees at some remote locations.

This interim action is in response to a recent court ruling, which dismissed a citation for failure to have a Red Rock Pass at a remote location. To address the court ruling in the long run, the Forest Service will work with the public and the Arizona BLM Resource Advisory Council to determine appropriate changes to the Red Rock Pass Program. During the winter, the Forest Service will be seeking public comment on the Red Rock Pass Program, which will be considered in development of a proposal to revise the program. The Forest Service anticipates submitting a proposal to the Arizona BLM Resource Advisory Council in the spring of 2011." - Coconino National Forest

More information here.

Rope cut by worn carabiner!

We all clip fixed draws and carabiners. Often times we feel we are doing 'community service' by equipping sport routes and anchors with fixed hardware, offering our fellow climbers the convenience of just clipping or lowering off... and it is! Also, if you climb a lot, your equipment won't stay new forever. It is important to remember that carabiners wear out! Aluminum is a very soft metal and wears out very fast from the sawing action caused by lowering with a rope. What I am saying is not an opinion, it is a fact. The wear can cause carabiners, especially the higher performance biners used in quickdraws, to get very sharp edges. I am in no way saying we should not clip fixed draws and carabiners but I am warning everyone to inspect them before trusting your life to them. It is worth the inconvenience of not sending your project or simply rappelling off the chains instead of lowering to not die. Also, regularly inspect your equipment, especially your belay biner that lives with your ATC or Grigri. This equipment doesn't fail too often but it certainly can and the last thing you want is to become another statistic. Check out the link below to read a report about a recent accident that happened for this exact reason.
http://www.redriverclimbing.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=13270

Climb smart and try hard!

Chris Tatum

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.

REEL ROCK TOUR is coming!!!

I can't wait!!! I get psyched for the Reel Rock Tour every year and this year proves to be one of the best. Hosted by Vertical Relief Climbing Center, the Reel Rock Tour will be showing at The Orpheum Theatre on Thursday, September 30, at 8 pm. Put it on your calendar. This will be one of the biggest climbing events in Flagstaff this year. To get more info about the Reel Rock Tour go here. See ya there!

Efficiency of Movement Clinic August 27

Hello All,
Hope you all have had an amazing summer. The crazy amount of rain we have had here in the North Land has made it extra challenging to get out and climb as much as usual. But it has made for super trail conditions (for mountain biking) as well as a wild flower extravaganza. I hope you all are loving living in Flag right now !!!!!

The women's clinics have been running the last Friday of each month though out the summer, and we will continue that same schedule into the Fall.

We have covered falling, cleaning sport anchors, and footwork techniques. The topic for the next clinic is Efficiency of Movement.

Climbing requires many things of us, physically and mentally. Because of this, it is easy to get caught up in all the gear, all the latest crags, all the numbers and grades and forget about why we climb.

Climbing when it gets down to it is moving your body over terrain. You can move in many ways, you may fling yourself from hold to hold, you may be a "static master", you may climb fast or slow, you may climb like a cat or more like a cow.
For me I climb because I love feeling my body move in space on the rock and with the rock. I enjoy breaking down problems and routes and isolating subtleties of movement with in each move, and then bringing them all back together forming a fluid unit of movement (hopefully anyway).

There keys to being able to climb fluidly and "effortlessly". They all start with efficiency of movement, learning how and when to move ----or not move.

It does not matter if you are tearing it up a 5.13 or working on V0's in the gym it all comes back to how you move your body in space on the rock.

Please come join me for this months Women's Clinic and we will explore some of the keys to climbing movement and efficiency.

Thanks
Sam

Women's Clinic
August 27th 6-8 pm

Sam Dauderman
AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor
Vertical Relief Climbing Center
Flagstaff Climbing Guides
928-556-9909
samdauderman@flagstaffclimbing.com

July Women's Clinic: Footwork

DATE: Friday, July 30, 2010

TIME: 6-8 pm

Where: Vertical Relief Climbing Center

Cost: FREE w/day pass or membership

Hello All,

If you have been climbing for any amount of time at all (like once or twice ever) chances are some one has made some reference to the use of your feet while climbing. It may

have been something like "try to use your feet more", "focus on your feet" or maybe the ever popular "Just STEP UP!" Well easy enough for them to say when they are standing on the ground and are not perched on a cliff face trying to figure out what the heck to do. But as simple and counterintuitive as it sounds learning good footwork is indeed the key to climbing. If and when you develop this skill all other aspect of your climbing will fall in to place.

Good footwork will help with endurance; it will help with climbing harder grades, with climbing movement, as well as mental confidence. If you can learn to shift more weight on to your feet as you make your way up the wall, instantly your endurance will improve. You will climb longer and farther because your arms are not doing all the work. The more you learn to use your feet the more you will be introduced to and more advanced types of climbing techniques and movement that may be required on more difficult climbs. Things like bicycling, cross flagging, arête grabs all require an understanding beyond "just stepping up". The more pressure you put on your feet the less likely they are to slip-this helps to build confidence. So your mental game can improve as well though better footwork.

On Friday July 30th I will host a Women's Clinic focusing on Footwork techniques and skills. Please join me for this.

See you there,
Sam

Women's Clinic is held the last Friday of each month 6-8 p.m.
For more info on climbing footwork check out this link.

July Women's Clinic: Footwork

Learn to use your feet! Footwork is arguably the most important part of good climbing technique and, during this FREE clinic, Sam Dauderman will cover all aspects to help you improve your footwork. More information here.

another new Priest Draw guide...

If you don't have this version you are missing out! It is the guide that all other Priest Draw guides should be judged by!!! Found it on boldering.com.

Check it out here.

Bouldering videos to get you psyched!

Here are a few recent bouldering videos with footage from Kelly and the Priest Draw, just to keep the psych going... man, we have some good bouldering in Flag-hope your out enjoying it!





Go here if the above video is cut off.

Gregory Commercial Priest Draw, Arizona. from Joey Kinder on Vimeo.

Taquitz Trip Report

Taquitz: by John Doskicz

We’ve read the stories and marveled at the accomplishments of the early climbing pioneers in the United States. Finally we get to climb at the legendary Taquitz Rock, where Royal, Yvon and then the Stonemasters pushed climbing standards to new levels. Pete and I followed our usual method of operations and left Flagstaff at 4 am on a Tuesday morning in late May to make the 7 hour approach to the base of the rock. Six hours later we were in the Idyllwild county campground. Nice campground with lots of practice climbing within it. We quickly set up camp and drove through the small mountain town up to Humber Park where the next part of the approach begins. A steep 50 minute hump up a field of granite talus led us under the North West face of Taquitz to the base of Whodunit, 5.9, 8 pitches. The base still had a small snow field but the line looked dry from the ground. I put on my wind breaker and took off up the first pitch. Marveling at the newness of the granite under my feet I focused on remembering how to climb on smooth rock with incipient cracks. We swapped leads for 6 pitches to top. We encountered fingers to chimney, fun slabs and an easy roof at the top. The Idyllwild Valley opens up to the east to a low valley. The views would have been better if not from all the smog rolling from LA. The summit is above 8,000ft. The easy approach and the alpine environment made it very special place to climb.

(Pete on Pitch 3 of Whodunit)

Day two started with the Open Book. The first climb to be rated 5.9 and the route that began the Yosemite decimal system, a more detailed system for grading the difficulty of rock climbs. The route follows three stellar pitches of 5.9 crack climbing up a giant right facing dihedral and was first climbed free by Royal Robbins in 1952 at age 17. Bring lots of big gear for this climb. From the top of the climb it was a little tricky finding the friction descent off the south side. Next we went after the Vampire which some call the best 11a in the state. Some 4^th and easy 5^th class scrambling lead to a point where a rope was needed. Two more moderate pitches took us to the Vampire Ledge. Wild place to be! The Vampire takes a line up a steep bald bulge high on the west face. Thin flakes and thinner friction climbing for 4 pitches gets you to the summit. Pete took off on the first pitch which required down climbing a hand crack for 15 ft. At the bottom of the crack a big stem and reach right deposits you in a beautiful steep hand crack in a corner that turns incipient and hard towards the end of the pitch. The weather was turning on us at this point. The clouds rolled in, the wind was more energetic and the temps dropped to snow cold. After shivering at the belay while Pete sent the pitch my motivation was waning. When I got to Pete we agreed to bail down. By the time we hit the ground the climb was obscured by clouds and we got some relief from our decision to come down.

(Pete following Pitch 1 of Open Book)

Our last morning we woke up to rain and decided to go to Jtree on our way home instead of checking out Taquitz’s neighbor, Suicide Rock. It was 69 and sunny in Jtree that day and empty too. I guess nobody would make plans to be there in the end of May. Only climbers that lived close enough could take advantage of the unseasonably cool temperatures. It felt great to be in Jtree, a place we have logged many pitches. We explored some walls that were new to us. 2 pitches on the Rock Hudson Wall and then the three Peyote Cracks. It only took two hours to get to Jtree from Idyllwild and then 4 more from 29 Palms to Flag. The detour through Jtree really did not add much time to our return trip.

If you have not been able to climb at Taquitz yet, move it up on your to do list. 6hr drive from flag, great multi-pitch trad climbing of all grades and a cool town to hang out in. I think Taquitz is a lot like Granite Mountain in Prescott. Both places have an ‘old school’ reputation of serious climbing. The routes are stout and you need a full quiver of climbing skills. We were super stoked to finally visit Taquitz and are already planning when we can get back there, and up on the Vampire again.

Petzl Nomad, 9.8mm Rope Review

I just picked up a new rope for the year. I decided to give a Petzl rope a try and got the 9.8 Nomad. One of the cool things about all Petzl ropes is they keep it pretty simple by giving all their ropes all the extras that sometimes can be confusing to sort through with other manufacturers. All Petzl lines are dry treated, have clear middle marks and are butterfly coiled in the factory for use right out of the package. I uncoiled my rope for the first time at the base of a multi-pitch climb in Taquitz, tied in and took off. Over the first two pitches the second had some slight twisting in the rope but it disappeared before we topped out on the climb. You would never be able to climb with rope like that with the standard factory machine coil. Over 3 days we logged 20 pitches with the new rope; multi-pitch, top roping and rappelling. The rope handled awesome. Felt great in the hand and the knots felt good, secure and easy to untie. The thin diameter and thick sheath allowed it to run very smoothly over the rock and through the protection. Over all I was really stoked with the way this rope handled and I highly recommend one.

-John Doskicz

June Women's Clinic: Cleaning Sport Routes

Hello All,

I hope you all are getting to enjoy these magical summer days! I know the sunshine has been making me super happy. I hope that you will find time to come and join me for the monthly Women's Clinic on the 25th of June from 6 to 8 pm. This month we will be working on Cleaning Sport Routes.

Cleaning Sport Routes: why is this important? Well, the number one reason I can think of is to get your gear!

I know that when I first started climbing routes I would just top rope. My climbing partner with all the fancy gear and know how would lead a route, un-clip all the draws on the way down, climb the route again after me, do something magical at the top of the route and walla, he had all his stuff and then we were off to the next one. That is a super sweet set up for the person who always gets to TR and never has to clean anything. Not so sweet for the rope gunner!

Climbing is a partnership. Each partner has roles and responsibilities to carry out. I always like to make sure I am doing my part and I expect the same of my climbing partner. For example, if I hike the rope in and out then they should carry all the draws, if they are getting ready to climb I will flake the rope, and if they lead a route then I am for sure going to clean it.It is a balanced system with each person doing their part to make sure it is fun and rewarding for both people. It also just makes good sense, the leader leads the second cleans.

I also feel that anything that seems like magic is worth looking into. Knowing how to clean a sport route especially the anchors is not super complicated and for sure it is not magic but you do have to untie from the rope while at the top of the route. So, you do have to know what your doing or bad things will happen.

So, in general cleaning is a good skill to have you get your gear back, share the work load and even if you are not the person doing the cleaning you should know if your partner is doing it correctly or not.

If you would like to learn to clean sport routes or if you know how and are just kind of rusty and want to practice your skills come join me for the Women's Clinic June 25th 6-8pm*.

Hope to see you there,

Sam Dauderman

*Clinic is FREE with day pass or membership and for WOMEN ONLY.

Southside construction is in full swing!

Yes, it's true. This Fall the "south side" will look like the "north side" because the City of Flagstaff has begun it's project to beautify the south side.

As I type this they are ripping apart the street in front of Vertical Relief, changing out old pipes in the ground and preparing for new sidewalks, garbage cans, trees, bike racks, lights and more.

Are we open during this mess? Of course! If 5 feet of snow didn't shut us down this winter then a little construction won't either. Our parking lot is still open too so don't be afraid to find a place to park. We are here to serve you with climbing, climbing gear sales, beta and all the other things you expect. Come on by...dropping by to see the construction is fun in itself.

North side beware...our grungy little south side streets are getting a face lift and are going to show you what's up!

For more information about the construction check out the recent article at azdailysun.com here.

The below two photos are what we have to look forward to with our streets (same design as the north side of the tracks)!

Luxury...

Here are some photos of the condition of the street and sidewalks in front of Vertical Relief before my shift this morning...