Zeke and his buddy Lupin are a rowdy bunch
Thankfully, the weather has mostly been cooperating - giving me the opportunity to put down my project at Little Si. As I described in my previous post, this humongous pitch extends an old Erik Kubiak test-piece called 'Whore of Babylon' 14b, which has seen only a couple repeats itself. After climbing the majority of WOB, including it's v10 crux, you continue into the meat of 'Lost Horizons' 14a, ending some 45+ meters above the deck. I finished the route this past Tuesday, it was my third day on the route, and my fifth try total. I finished off the day by doing 'Lost Horizons' for reference. Originally I presumed that the route could be 9a, but after finishing the climb so quickly I've settled with solid 14c. I'm calling the route 'New World Order'. An amazing climb and an endurance test-piece to rival most anything at the Red... come and get it!!!!
Andy Mann Image, circa 09.. one of many cruxes on New World Order
On Wednesday we returned to Little Si in some unfortunate rain. I decided to try the shorter (and slightly different) version of a route that I did last year - Extended Evil's little brother 'Dr Evil' 14a. With humidity at a staggering high, I was psyched to manage my way up this brutally crimpy route.
Yesterday I finally got to revisit Equinox, a crag I only got to spend one day at two years ago. I focused on a very cool open project the adds some intense difficulty to the top of 'Black Magic' 13a. I was psyched to find tiny grips the whole way up this 40 foot headwall - with very little opportunity to open your hands or catch any rest. After a few promising burns, we called it a day.... VERY excited to head back after some rest.
Homeboy Andy Mann arrives tomorrow to take stills and capture some video... stay tuned for some sports action! In the meantime have a look at an image gallery from my Vegas trip that just went live on the Climbing Magazine website.
Lastly, get your tickets now for the year's best climbing festival - the International Climbers Festival in Lander, Wy!!! I'll proudly be keynote speaker at this year's ICF - teaching two days of clinics and showing off some killer photos and video from the Red, Smith Rock, Vegas and of course the Northwest! July 6-10, BE THERE.
hey intested in your progress on the Black Magic extension. did you figure out beta for the direct at the second to third bolt of extension? i recall going right to a decent gaston hold, circumventing the direct thin-ness.... also, how'd it feel at the quite-blank section above that? did you figure out beta?
ReplyDeletesiked to see effort going into this set-up.
Kimmo
Kimmo! thanks for the note, and of course thanks for bolting such a rad line! I did figure out beta for the direct - there is a small RH gaston above the two small crimps, from here it's an explosive move up and left to a good flat hold (kinda sharp) prob single move v7/8... but then Bret came along and went right like you were describing.. which adds ~ 8 moves but is easier (5.12/+). The section above is the best climbing on the wall! from a slopey clipping rail match you grab a sloping edge w/RH, LH to a pocket/sharp crimp, RH aggressive gaston, LH sharp crimpy undercling, RH bad sloper, LH dynamic to a jug - then 5.11 to the top. At the end of the day I linked from the anchor of Black Magic to the summit... psyched to get back!
ReplyDeleteinteresting. on lower crux, bret did what i did, you did what i visualized.
ReplyDeleteon upper part, same beta all the way to RH gaston, then never saw undercling for LH. I tried using a sloping side-pull: definitely felt like the crux of the whole route.
nice link and nice work. sounds like a send-day next time you are out there. 14b?
way to tear it up! olympics 2020!
Equinox could have access issues with to much traffic. please keep pics of the crag to yourself. take pics of si.
ReplyDeletelocal.
Anon 8:18,
ReplyDeleteEquinox is too difficult of climbing for the vast majority of area climbers. I really can't see over-crowding becoming an issue there.
Washington sport climbing gets hardly any publicity, I think it's great that J-star has taken such a shine to the area.
Your FA is a historic, bad ass achievement! Much respect and thanks for recognizing the Northwest Jonathan!
ReplyDeleteNick
Proud work, it was awesome to see you climb it! I'll send the video your way soon.
ReplyDeleteEquinox is too difficult of climbing for the vast majority of area climbers. I really can't see over-crowding becoming an issue there.
ReplyDeleteWashington sport climbing gets hardly any publicity, I think it's great that J-star has taken such a shine to the area.
there have actually been days with 20 peeps out there; while i personally like a crowd (well, not little si style!), this does create potential conflicts: on the logging road approach, there have been near-collisions with logging trucks and a sheriff blocking climbers' access; with the hike approach, the land-owner has been a bit concerned (imagine 10 cars driving through your property, some without much regard to common-sense etiquette).
please do not advertise the location of this crag; with its development and name recognition, it could without a doubt dramatically increase in popularity, risking access to all.
dearly y'alls,
kimmo
Thanks for all the psych everyone!
ReplyDeleteIn regards to access - I would never, and have never, published access information to a local crag such as Equinox (not to mention I couldn't remember how to get there even if I tried!). It's always best to leave access information in the hands and at the discretion of the local climbing community - and I definitely intend to do so.
Cheers!
thanks jonathan, and have fun up there.
ReplyDelete