Rock climbing has again become my obsession. Rock climbing means vacation. Guiding rock climbing even feels like vacation.
Rock rescue course in Anchorage with Elliot Gaddy!
Mike Balco on the classic Entreves Traverse on the border of France and Italy.
Ashley Russell climbing the Frison-Rouche, a six-pitch 5.10a on the Brevent above Chamonix.
Looking back at the popular, but false summit of the Gran Paradiso, the highest summit in Italy. Stephen Humes and I went on to climb the Mont Blanc a couple days later.
Elena Todorova on one of many 4,000-meter summits we tagged during our six-day Spaghetti Traverse of the Monte Rosa Massif.
Sunset from the Margherita hut, the highest hut in the Alps at 14,941 feet.
Colorado-based IFMGA Mountain Guide Jayson Simons-Jones guiding the Perrons de Vallorcine near Chamonix. This is an all-day traverse of a rocky ridgeline, including a bunch of rappels, pitched climbing, and easier scambling. It took us about 10 hours. I tagged along to take photos, hang with Jayson, and to finally see this route.
Cathy belaying me, and Dylan Taylor belaying his girlfriend Marine Bepoix on Papageno, a 400-meter 5.10a on the Mirior d’Argentine near Martigny, Switzerland.
Cathy and I spent October sport climbing in San Vito Lo Capo in Sicily. Dylan and Marine joined us for the first two weeks.
Dylan grew up climbing in Boulder, Colorado, mentored by the elite. He can still hang on and make it look easy. Here are some tips I learned from Dylan:
Reduce the mental struggle on old-school, runout sport climbs by extending bolts with slings for easy clipping on the redpoint.
When the climbing becomes difficult, slow down and breath. Fall off looking calm.
Rest when possible.
Use belay gloves for smooth rope feeding with sweaty hands.
Pre-rig a Petzl Connect to clean the anchor. Less steps equals less accidents.
Marine and Cathy chat over breakfast in San Vito Lo Capo.
Fresh sardines on the grill; our favorite home-cooked meal in Sicily along with a bottle of Nero d’Avola, the wine of Sicily.
Cathy lowering down from her final send, a tufa-tugging and finger-ripping 5.12c that overhung for miles.
Cathy on Otto’s Route on Independence Monument near Grand Junction, Colorado. A famous five-pitch 5.8 that Otto chopped and equipped for his woman in the 1930’s.
Me leading thin pockets on a smooth, blue wall at Lime Kiln, Nevada. Perhaps the best limestone pitches of my life. Or maybe it was just the culmination of two months of climbing. I was finally climbing at my limit, without the panic of the air tugging at my heels. These are fleeting moments of flow while sport climbing. I want more. Photo by IFMGA Mountain Guide Pete Keane.
Cathy climbing Dost Mitra a 5.11a/b on the Namaste Wall in Zion National Park. We also climbed the ladder-like 5.12a Namaste to the right. The wall starts at about 120 degrees, and tilts back to 100 near the top, pumping your forearms to the size of balloons.
Joe climbing on the Namaste Wall.
Cathy climbing The Headache, a three-pitch 5.10 in Zion. This was the only real trad route we did all summer. Funny how it was also the most memorable.
Bro-in-law Chad firing up the three wheelers in Buena Vista, Colorado.