Birthday Bash: Moab

Anthony Riske and Co. hosted their annual rock climbing Birthday Bash in Moab, UT over Easter weekend.  It was a great weekend of camping and climbing in the desert with some old friends and a lot of new ones.  Anthony knows a lot of great people and I was blessed to meet a lot of them over the weekend.  Since my brother, Matthew's birthday was on March 29th.  He flew out for the birthday festivities as well. 

About half of us met at the Gold Bar Campground on Potash Road just out side of Moab late Thursday night. The rest of the crew (20 something in total?) trickled in throughout the day on Good Friday. 

The climbing highlight of the trip was Fine Jade (5.11) on the Rectory.  5 of us, Anthony, Zach, Jean, Matthew, and myself, drove to the Castleton Valley Friday morning.  We charged up the approach trail with extreme levels of stoke about our climbing objective.  It was also Matthew's birthday and I don't think there was anything else he would have rather been doing for his B-Day.

The climbing was exquisite.  It was lazer-cut desert splitters of varying size for 5 pitches (we did it in 3), and it was very well sustained in the 5.10-5.11 range.  It was great to be in a party of 5 too.  It makes for a nice social outing, and everyone was a strong climber, allowing us to be relatively fast and efficient. 

Hiking past Castleton Tower, STOKED!

Fine Jade climbs the sunny face on the Rectory

Anthony in the physical crux of the climb.

Jean chilling on a belay ledge enjoying the view of the La Sal Mts. 

Matt belaying us on the direct 5.11 face finish

Summit Panorama

That evening we had a great time around camp hanging out with friends and celebrating Matt's birthday.

The next day we headed to Wall Street to party crag.  It was a lot of fun, but I was pretty tired from fine Jade the day before and I was getting over a bit of a head cold and it was also very hot.  Thankfully we had enough strong leaders that I could be a top-rope tough-guy in the afternoon heat. 

Unfortunately I had to be back in Boulder for Easter Sunday to help out with the service.  Matthew and I also needed to be back for work Sunday night, so we left Saturday Afternoon after a quick dip in the Colorado River.  We were sad to leave so soon, but Easter was really special and it was good to be back for the grain market open. 

Earn Your Turns!

Lucas and I went up to Rocky Mountain National Park this Saturday to earn some turns in the fresh snow. They had gotten about 6 overnight on top of a few smaller snow events during the week and it continued snowing all day. We parked at Bear Lake and started with a warmup lap in the terrain park. It turned out to be a burly skin and then a pretty hairy line. We cliffed-out multiple times and I triggered an inconsequentially small slab on a 50 degree rollover. Overall the snow was good and the line was steep and fun.

We continued our day by skinning over to the East Face of Flat Top. The face was a popular afternoon destination for backcountry skiers. Coverage was more sparse than I was expecting, but there was enough to make turns on most of the slope without concern. We decided the East Face was worthy of another lap, and afterwards traversed out to the car.

Oh My Golly Ned, Fam Ski Trip!

Last weekend was the annual "Fam" Ski Trip. My brother Matt has a very tight-knit group of friends from his undergrad days at Northwestern University. It is an incredibly special group primarily because they all really love each other, more than most other friend groups. AND, it is incredibly contagious. Ebenezer Scrooge couldn't hang out around this group and not feel loved and have a good time. Because of this, the have aptly been named "The Fam."

On top of their love for one another, they are all a bunch of bright type A go-getters, who get after it whether they are skiing, climbing, cycling, hiking, running, partying, or hot tubbing. They all seem to share a common love for adventure and for these reasons I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of the "extended Fam." In fact, most of my best backcountry skiing and climbing buddies are in this group, most of whom don't even live in mountain states! Part of the fun on Ski Trip is the "Fam" invites the extended members including siblings and parents. Roughly 18 of us (the total fluctuated over the course of the weekend) crashed in a 4 bedroom house in West Vail.

The best surprise of the whole trip was Andrew Wien. Andrew has been living in Chile for the last few months, and I visited him while climbing in Patagonia. No one thought he was going to fly up all the way from the Southern Hemisphere for "Fam" Ski Trip, but his dad surprised him 30hrs beforehand and flew him up as a surprise for the Fam! It was spectacular.

The highlight of the weekend was certainly the time together as friends and family, but it was also the best weekend of the year for skiing. We awoke Friday morning to a foot or more of "cold smoke." I don't think I have ever skied snow so light an fluffy. We skied hard all morning in-bounds, hitting all our favorite lines. Then we finished the day with 2 laps in East Vail, which were probably the best runs of my life.

Jimmy

Andrew

Matthew

 On Saturday, the sun came out and we enjoyed soft snow under the blue-bird skies in the resort and managed to snag a few more laps in East Vail, although the "cold smoke" had settled considerably. 

 Then on Sunday some of us took the day off to go ice climbing and wait for the next storm that hit Sunday night.  The ice climbing was great, although we were a bit under prepared. Matt did a great job leading for us!

Sunday night it dumped another 5 inches in-bounds and 8+ in East Vail.  We rounded out the trip with a few more laps in EV and then headed home, narrowly missing the 50 car pile-up on I-70.

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR A GREAT TRIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

East Vail With the Lady

Dropped East Vail today with Laura after my best day in-bounds so far this season. It was a great day. Vail pulled its typical under reporting stunt. They reported 6 but it seemed more like 8-9. Looks like everything will be a bit crusty tomorrow at the resorts after today's warm temps and strong sun. Even the bottom of East Vail had gotten a bit sun-baked by the end of the day. But, I'm looking forward to another lap tomorrow and they're calling for more snow tomorrow night.

Cochamo Pictures and Videos

Cochamo was a spectacular place.  As I mentioned in my 1/1/13 post, we didn't get a chance to climb what we wanted, but still got a fair amount in given the uncooperative weather.

The Refugio was really special.  It is a 4 hour hike from the nearest civilization down a muddy path through the temperate rainforest.  It is stocked via horseback, and guests can order dinner, wine, and beer.  It also has hot showers and flush toilets.  The bunk room upstairs was comfortable, and the staff was very nice.  It is run by an American climber named Daniel who put up a lot of the routes in the valley. Staying here instead of camping in the rain was a real treat!

Matthew and Andrew looking over topos in the Refugio

The Refugio has a lot of hand drawn topos of the climbs in the valley.  Those, combined with Daniel's beta were very helpful. 


Since we didn't have the weather window we needed to climb Bienvenidos a Mi Insomnio, a 22 pitch 5.11 on Cerro Trinidad, we decided to try No Hay Hoyes a 6 pitch 5.11 a little further up the Trinidad valley.  The following video documents our 2 day, 1 night bid for No Hay Hoyes.  It was a long approach with heavy packs over rough terrain.  We dumped our stuff at the "Bivy Boulder" and tried to climb that same afternoon.

After getting rained off No Hay Hoyes, we retreated to the comfort of the Refugio.  On most climbing trips bad weather means sitting in a little tent until it clears, but not in the Valle de Cochamo!  Staying out of the rain in the Refugio was amazing, especially because it rained for the next two days.  Space to dry wet gear, a dry bunk, and room to stretch the legs felt like staying at the Ritz compared to a wet tent (and they give an AAC discount!). Additionally there was an overhanging rock wall that stayed dry in the rain, the Pared Seca, so we got to do some climbing even when it was pouring.

Two additional highlights of our time around the Refugio were the people and a natural watersilde.  We got to meet a lot of interesting individuals.  There were two incredibly fun couples from Australia, and unsurprisingly, another Boulderite, Nate  Mankovich.  Reid and Logan were a couple from Reno and Alaska, respectively, on a South American road trip similar to that of Mountain of Storms or 180 Degrees South.  They have a cool blog detailing their trip at americanrecess.com. There were also parties from other locations across North America, South America, and Europe traveling through.

The waterslide was pure fun.  Thankfully the sun came out for a bit on our last day so we could enjoy it with warmer temps and sunlight.  This video shows the fun of the natural waterslide, but also the great vibe of the people we met.  I apologize in advance for the Aussie's speedos and language.

On New Years Eve, we hiked out of Cochamo.  We were a bit disappointed to miss the Refugio NYE party, but we had to hit the road for Torres del Paine.  In the small town of Cochamo, we stayed with a woman named Gladys.  She was widowed at a very young age and now runs an hospedaje and a supermercado out of her relatively large house.  She has a wonderful disposition and is well liked by everyone in the village.  Gladys is also an amazing cook.  For NYE she made us a delectable diner of local salmon and excellent side dishes.  She sat with us all evening eating, drinking, and telling stories about her life in rural Chile, and at mid-night she popped open a bottle of champagne for us!  It was a very memorable NYE and a highlight of the entire trip!  (If traveling to Cochamo, you can look her up here http://www.cochamo.com/town/.)

Cerro Trinidad breaking through the clouds

It amazes me how pictures never do giant walls justice.  Cerro Trinidad is nearly as big as El Cap!

The Trinidad Valley

The water in every stream is safe to drink!

Setting up camp at the Bivy Boulder with Reid, Hamish,and Katherine

Loveland Pass

Laura and I did some early morning laps in Loveland Pass. I always love getting out with my wife. The snow was pretty good in the trees, but everything was pretty wind-stripped up high. We hitched from the lower lot at "Riders Bend" and dropped in from the top of the pass for our warm-up lap. Once we were in the gully we put on our skins and headed up the west side of the bowl where the better snow was. After a 20 min skin we dropped through a steep glade for some fun skiing in good snow. From there it was over the pass to Keystone to ski the rest of the day with friends.

East Vail

Got out to East Vail yesterday with Matt Patrick to enjoy the 30" of new snow that fell in the last week. There were more people than I have ever seen out there. I was a bit nervous about the avy conditions with the new load on the snow pack, high winds Friday night, and some surface hoar I had seen the week before, so we skied Water Tower to be safe. However, people were dropping just about everything with no slides, so the new snow must have bonded pretty well. I even saw some guys hucking the cliffs on the West Wall, making big bomb holes on well known slide paths with no consequences.

It was definitely the best it has been out there this season. We were hootin' and hollerin' the whole way down. I'm looking forward to getting back out there.

Patagonia Gear Review

I'm finally back in Boulder and getting settled into the rhythm of life, which means I finally have time to write about my trip!  It was an incredible trip jam-packed with excitement, adventure, and incredible beauty.  I won't be able to capture the whole trip in one blog post, so I'm going to take my time and try to do it over the course of several posts.

An interesting place to start is a review of the gear I took on the trip.  I used and abused a lot of great products in some very harsh and unforgiving places, and overall, I was very happy with my selection of equipment.

Patagonia Hi-Loft Down Sweater Hoody

This is basically 1 step up from the regular Patagonia Down Sweater, but with larger baffles and more down, but still lightweight (about 1 lb.).  I had the old down sweater since the first year Patagonia started making it.  My old down was getting pretty beat up and ratty so I decided to replace it before heading to South America.  The old model, was great as a mid-layer in cold temps or outer layer in mildly cold temps, but it often left me wishing it were slightly warmer.  I'm glad I went with the warmer Hi-Loft as it is best suited as a lightweight outer layer for cold temps or a mid layer in frigid temps.  The Hi-Loft Hoody was a treat to wear on several occasions in Patagonia.  Most commonly, I wore in Patagonia it as an outer layer around camp and used it as a pillow at night (stuff it into a fleece mid-layer and you'll sleep like a rock).  I also used it as a mid-layer while climbing the Monzino route on Torre Norte in Torres del Paine.  It was cold, windy, and snowy but the Hi-Loft kept me plenty warm and dry underneath my Gore-Tex Pro Shell. 

My only complaint is that the cut of this jacket is a little strange.  You can almost tell by the picture above that the arms are cut a bit slim and the body has a lot of room.  So if you have tiny arms and a belly (not Patagonia's usual customer) it's tailored for you.  As a result, I had to bump up to a size XL to accommodate for my broad shoulders and guns.  At first, it felt like I had too much room in the body, but I've found that it fits well over a bunch of layers this way.

Other than climbing in Patagonia, I have found the Hi-Loft to be a great belay jacket.  I used it on the Naked Edge in December.  It is also a great layer to stuff into a backpack for backcountry skiing.  If I'm taking a break between backcountry laps, or stopping for a lunch break on a tour, I'll throw it on and stay toasty. 

Patagonia Super Alpine

 

 This is probably the the best shell I have ever owned.  It is lightweight and the 3 layer  Gore-Tex Pro Shell is breathable but bomb-proof.  From the cold, harsh, wind-swept ridge on Torre Norte to the pouring rain in the temperate rainforest of Cochamo, the Super Alpine continually impressed me.  This waterproof shell kept me warmer and dryer than any other shell I have owned.  When hiking hard in the rain, this jacket condensated less (better breathablility) and it also did a great job of keeping the rain out (something that has actually been a problem for me in the past).  I also fell in love with the cut of the jacket.  It is roomy where I needed it and slim where I didn't. The sleeves were long which is great for someone like me with long arms, especially when climbing and reaching high overhead.  The hood was nice too.  It cinched around the head wonderfully, which was great for wind, precipitation, and cold, and it fit OK over a climbing helmet.  I thought the rubber gaskets around the cuffs were a little gimmicky at first but I really liked them in practice.  They kept water out in more situations than just wet ice climbing.  The pleated pockets were nice too.  As the name suggests this technical shell was amazing for alpine conditions and ice climbing.  I've also used it for skiing and I think it would be good for winter camping.   The only real downside is the cost.  It retails for $600, which is steep.  I got mine at one of the semi-annual Patagonia sales for 60% off.  So, if you can't shell out the cash for full price, shop around and let the market come to you!  This jacket could work as a summer-time rain shell (backpackers), however, there are other lighter and more packable jackets than this (e.g. GoLite Trinity).

Arc'Teryx Theta SV Bibs

These bibs were great.  They are made of the same material as the Patagonia Super Alpine (Gore-Tex Pro Shell), and perform just as well.  The bibs were nice for a little added warmth and weather protection, especially when swimming through snow high on the Monzino route.  I commonly use these for backcountry skiing and winter camping in addition to alpine climbing and ice climbing. 

Black Diamond Hooped Bivy Sack

I love this bivy sack, because it is exactly what a bivy should be: Light, waterproof, green and not condensate.  (If you don't know, a bivy sack is a waterproof shell for your sleeping bag and pad.)  I didn't take a tent to Patagonia, just this little bivy sack, which was great for weight restrictions when flying (especially when flying domestically down there, as they are strict and will ding you with overweight fees).  More than that, it was great for traveling light and fast, which is usually the case when climbing. The last thing a climber wants is to haul extra gear around.  This bivy is also very waterproof, however, I normally try to find at least some kind of natural shelter to sleep under.  It can be a real pain getting in and out of this in the rain, and it also feels like a body-bag if too much waking time is spent in it. For this reason I will commonly bring a lightweight tarp with me if I am backpacking (or bring a tent instead).  However, when climbing in well traveled areas, there are commonly manicured bivy sites. In Cochamo, we never had to camp in the rain as we pitched our bivys under a massive leaning boulder known as "the bivy boulder."  Similarly, in Torres del Paine, there was the "bivy cave" at the base of the towers.  The cave helped tremendously with the howling Patagonian wind and the snow, but it dripped a lot when it rained! I woke up one night to water streaming off the roof above me.  The bivy kept me perfectly dry though.  

A few nights later I really put the bivy to the test.  We hiked out of Torres del Paine in the pouring rain and set up camp at a campground near the trailhead.  Thankfully my friend Andrew had a small 2 man tent, but there were 3 of us, so I spent the night in my bivy with my head in the vestibule of the tent.  It continued to pour all night and I was convinced I would be soaked by morning.  I could see water pooling everywhere on the top of the bivy, and to make matters worse, I had a down sleeping bag.  By morning, I was still bone dry!  I didn't even have that much condensation on the inside despite having the bivy zipped shut all night.  Black Diamond's Todd-Tex fabric is pretty cool.  Lastly, I love that this bivy is green, as it helps with the occasional illegal bivy.  Climb long enough and the illegal bivy becomes inevitable (especially in Yosemite).  A blaze orange bivy would be a bummer.

Arc'Teryx Bora 80

  What a great pack.  It's comfortable, well designed, and water resistant.  This pack is well suited for multi-day climbing trips and extended backpacking trips. I hiked for miles in the Valle de Cochamo and Torres del Paine and this pack allowed me to carry heavy loads of climbing and camping equipment comfortably and efficiently.  So when it was time to climb, I wasn't worn out from wrestling with a bad pack or sore.  If using this pack in a lot of rain, I would recommend a pack cover or dry-sacks, as it is only partially water resistant. 

Other Honorable Mentions:

•  Black Diamond
• C4 Camelots
• C3 Camelots
• Spot Headlamp
• Chaos Harness
•  Patagonia
• R1 Hoody
• Nano Puff Hoody
• Silkweight Boxers
• Smartwool
• Hiking Socks
• Merino T-Shirts
• Merino Boxer-briefs