Breakin' the Law!

About a week ago…

I had one goal in mind for our time in St George: A short and bouldery climb at the Black and Tan cliff called Breakin’ the Law. I don’t know what exactly drew me to this climb in particular, but it was all that was on my mind when we discussed our time in southern Utah.

I had tried this climb last year and had been unable to link the first crux sequence, hadn’t done a single move in the second crux, and was struggling to consistently link the ‘easy’ slab crux near the top.

My old beta in the first crux. Photo credit: Yannick Neufeld-Cumming

Exploding off of the first crux. Photo credit: Yannick Neufeld-Cumming

This year, with the help of Jared’s excellent beta, I started to consistently do the first crux. Shortly after that, I figured out a sequence that worked for me for the second crux and slowly began to get that part consistently as well. The slab crux wasn’t proving to be a problem either.

New crux sequence using toe hook beta that Jared found

Perfect, I thought, this should go quickly! This has not been the case. The difficulty for me revolves around getting perched on a glassy smear with my body in just the right spot to take enough weight off my left hand to move it to a good crimp – what I feel is the last hard move in the second crux. In my mind, if I stick this, I should send.

Trying really really really hard on the smear

However, each attempt seems to go as follows:

Climb through the first crux, grab the two holds at the start of the second crux, tell myself ‘I know I can do this’, grab a small undercling, get my right foot on the glassy smear, rock over the foot….and be unable to find the perfect body position. Thrutch for the crimp, miss, fall, rage. Pull back on at the start of the second crux and climb all the way to the top. Rinse; repeat.

Grabbing that last hold in the second crux

I have done this over a dozen times now…one move away from completing the final crux. Each time I feel like I learn something, which is definitely positive. Still, it is hard to stay psyched as I ask myself how much more I need to learn before I can make the move feel like it does in isolation.

Almost every day we have been in St George (about 4 weeks) at least one of my friends has sent a project of theirs. In that same time, I have completed a grand total of 5 new climbs; all of them were used as warm ups. When we got here, I had decided that I wanted to climb this one route, which would be my hardest ever, instead of doing more climbs of lesser difficulty. Completing this climb, of course, would be a huge step forward in my climbing and would complete my goal I had for this year: climb five 5.14s, one of which is 5.14b. 

What I didn’t expect was the frustration and sadness (for lack of better word) that I would feel seeing everyone else successfully redpointing their projects and having done none of my own. Instead of thriving off the psych of everyone else’s successes, I am constantly asking myself ‘why can’t I send as well?’ I find myself wanting to walk away from Breakin’ the Law and climb something else just so I can have that feeling of success. Is that the right decision? Or is that just the selfish thought of me wanting to show my friends ‘hey I can send something too!’?

Would those little successes of climbing something well below my limit equate to the same feeling as sending my hardest climb ever? Unlikely. I need to remember that the relationship I have been forming with this climb is like any other relationship – it takes work. I need to keep focused and devoted during those low times in order to have the high times. I know I can climb this and I know I am getting close. It will just be a matter of time…

April 13 update…

Three days after pouring my thoughts onto this page I had my best go on Breakin’ the Law. I snagged the final hold of the crux, the decent left hand crimp, only to have my right foot pop off the smear resulting in yet another fall. I hit my knee hard on the lip of the roof on the fall and tore off a massive scab I had healing there, resulting in a bloody mess and some anxiety about repeating the same thing over again.

Ouch...

Another three days after that attempt I successfully redpointed Breakin’ the Law (5.14b), my hardest climb to date.

Sending! Pulling the first crux

Sending! Pulling the first crux

The head wall slab

Southern Utah Sandstone

After hanging off the limestone cliffs of south western Utah for a couple weeks we felt the calling of high desert sandstone. In need of a break for our bodies and minds, we set off to tour the National Parks and watch the sun set over the red-orange towers and cliffs of the Moab area. 

The first park on our list was Zion, which we visited with my parents at the end of March. The weather was a bit dodgy but it made for beautiful skies, and we did a couple short hikes to enjoy the views. 

Short hike to the Emerald Pools

Then, in early April, we set off to Bryce Canyon for the first time. We arrived in the evening and hiked through the hoodoos in the last light of the day. The air was cool and there was snow on the hills, which was added to the following morning. 

Evening sunlight on the hoodoos

Sunshine and snow

Wildlife along the Queens/Navajo Combination Loop

Hmmmmmmmmm

We awoke to morning snow! For camping tips: https://freecampsites.net/

Next up was Arches National Park just outside of Moab, in southeastern Utah. One of the things we really wanted to do while in the Moab area was climb some desert towers, so we decided that climbing is how we would experience the park. As we had never climbed a desert tower before, and we hadn’t climbed on gear in sandstone in over three years, we picked an entry-level tower as our first. The one-pitch 5.8 crack on the west side of Owl Rock was perfect. 

Graham getting set to lead

Summit selfie :D

Owl Rock: Our first desert tower <3

One of Arches' arches

While pondering what to do next our friend Michael Pang invited us out to join his campsite in Indian Creek. We hadn’t planned on driving down to the Creek but in the end we changed our minds. We are so glad we did. 

Sun rising in Creek Pasture campground, Indian Creek

The following morning we climbed the South Face (5.6) of the South Six Shooter – a big step up from Owl Rock in terms of adventure and a much more impressive feature. The North and South Six Shooters are just outside of Canyonlands National Park. They are huge, stand-alone towers in the middle of an expansive landscape. The one hour hike to the base of the climb was one of the most beautiful approaches we have ever done. The climbing itself on the South Face was mediocre at best, but the position and summit were amazing. We also took the opportunity to swap leads on the route, making it the first time we teamed up together for a multipitch on gear. 

The South (left) and North (right) Six Shooter towers

Views along the approach. You can JUST see our tiny van

We're gonna climb that thing!!!!!!!

Summit selfies again

In the afternoon we hiked up to meet Michael, Nina, and some of their friends at Cat Wall. We didn’t bring our rack, rather opting for the opportunity to spectate and be inspired. It worked – we are inspired, and can’t wait to come back and learn. 

Washing dishes instead of climbing.... Cat Wall in the background

Is Michael Pang teaching us to ring lock or showing us how to make shadow puppets?

Nina Caprez on her onsight of Cattle Call (5.12-)

hehehe

Finally, we wrapped up our sandstone tour with a drive and small walk through the southeast corner of Canyonlands. 

Quick jaunt around Canyonlands NP

Now we are back in St George to continue to pull down on those tiny limestone edges with renewed psyche for our projects. 

Just before sunset in Indian Creek

Bishop 2017

We love this place. Bishop, California: land of snow-peaked Sierra mountains, rich-smelling desert sage, local donuts, baked breads, cheesy bagels and frozen yogurt. And beautiful, beautiful boulders.
 

We drove four long days from Mexico to California, to spend the first 10 days of March in Bishop. We were rushing to make it in time for the 2^nd Annual Flash Foxy Women’s Climbing Festival. We met Shelma Jun, founder of Flash Foxy, last season. After volunteering in the successful, inaugural year we knew we had to make it back for round two. The event this year was a blast yet again, with more than two hundred women descending upon the small mountain town. Thinking you may want to attend next year? Click here for a quick recap that captures the vibe of the festival.

▴STΛTIC owner @tayylor_j @kimstagraham.mcg & @melsolvesproblems volunteering at the2nd @heyflashfoxy Festival #happyclimbing #heyflashfoxy

A post shared by ▴STΛTIC (@staticclimbing) on Mar 3, 2017 at 8:02pm PST

THANK YOU to all the beautiful ladies who came out to #bishop this weekend for the 2nd #womensclimbingfestival! Your energy and psych was so incredibly inspriring! Excited to also announce that we raised over $2000 for the @accessfund through our raffle and over 100 ladies at our stewardship projects yesterday. Look for more photos in the coming weeks! 📸 @etteloc #flashfoxy #climblikeagirl #outdoorwomen

A post shared by Flash Foxy << badass girlcrew (@heyflashfoxy) on Mar 6, 2017 at 3:16pm PST

We traveled to Bishop with Chris, and met up with several friends including Paul and Janelle, Lea and Katie, and Rich and Senja, in addition to many new and old friends in town.

Lea and Katie - girls trip!

Some goofballs we hang out with :p

In climbing, we immediately felt the burn in our bodies that comes from a lack of power when one returns to bouldering following a hiatus, but that burn was a welcome change. 

Hard moves are harrrrrrrrd

By the end of our seven climbing days we were putting down classics and wishlist items. It was a fantastic short stint, and we (as always) can’t wait for our next visit.

Kim cranking over the bulge on Erotic Terrorist (V6)

Graham finessing his way up Hands-Off Slab (V0)

Graham = captain of the toe hooks on Captain Hook (V5)

Katie cranking moves over a sea of pads on Mr Happy (V5)

Kim tests some precarious heel hook beta on The Clapper (V6)

Graham climbing up from the depths on his send of Los Locos (V7)

Photo shoot of a photo shoot? Making moves on Paper Crane (V8)

Now we are off to Utah for the next two and a half months for a mixture of sport climbing, bouldering, trad climbing, and desert towers!

Escalada Mexico: El Salto

Love tufa-pinching? Empanadas filled with dulce de leche? Chickens in the back yard? Sunrises on massive, limestone canyon walls? Delicious street food fried up in front of you? Local veggie trucks? Seemingly unlimited rock climbing potential? Puppies??? 

Mexico. 

We cruised the Millenium FalcVan across the continent for days until we arrived in the tiny mountain town of Cienega de Gonzalez, nestled in the mountains of Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey. For five weeks we lived in the big grassy yard at Dona Kika’s, in a small van commune with Dan and Nicole, Kirsten and Yannick, Chris, and Jared, and climbed at the crags of El Salto. 

Panorama of our commune. Photo credit: Emrys Prussin

The town had everything we needed while we were here. Once we parked our vehicles we didn’t move them throughout our stay, so there was never a need to fuel up. Kika’s store had all the essential groceries, many treats, and a hefty supply of beer and tequila. Several days a week a propane tank rolled into town, and every Saturday two different veggie trucks wove through the streets selling to locals. Every weekend we ate dinner at Chuy’s local restaurant, and plenty of places sold street food and elotes on Saturdays and Sundays too. 

Dona Kika's store

Saturday shopping at the veggie truck

Dona Kika herself <3. Photo credit: Chris Schwartz

Serving up elotes (steamed corn on the cob with various toppings)

Kika's cook shelter, bathrooms, shower and sink

Chuy's restaurant - serving up the epic Hamburguesa Doble

It is pretty quiet during the week in Cienega de Gonzalez, but on the weekends the town comes to life. Locals from Santiago and Monterrey come up the mountain on Saturdays and Sundays and rent cuatrimotos to ride through the canyons. The people also love to stay up late and listen to music – it is not uncommon to see huge sound systems with flashing lights strapped to the front of quads, or come across several cars parked on the side of the street blasting their music with all the car doors open. If you’re planning to climb on Sunday or Monday mornings, earplugs are a good idea for the nights before. 

Cobble streets in Cienega de Gonzalez

 

Rent cuatrimotos here

***

Prior to heading out on the trip, we did two months of strength and power training to prepare, and then took a week and a half off of climbing before arriving. Due to our very wet west coast fall this year, neither of us had climbed outside for several months, so we kept our expectations for El Salto fairly open.

Turns out we were feeling very good, and the climbing went very very well. 

There are currently four main developed crags in El Salto, with several other smaller walls that are continuously seeing new routes go up: Las Animas (the souls), Cueva de Tecalote (gym roof cave), La Boca (the mouth), and Cumbia Cave. You can find online topos and some route information here and here, but new routes are constantly being developed.

Las Animas

Las Animas is a massive, breath-taking wall, steeper than vertical and boasting phenomenal lines ranging from 5.11+ to 5.14-. The wall is stunning to look at with huge vertical streaks of alternating blue and orange limestone littered with multiple tufa features. We learned that the wall earned its name because in bright moonlight the tufas cast ghostly shadows across the wall. 

Hike to Las Animas

Jared climbing amidst the orange and grey-blue streaks

Ancient petroglyphs in the center of the wall have led to a few routes being closed to climbers, but all remaining lines are currently open. 

Petroglyphs

A popular quadding trail runs alongside the wall, so weekend afternoons can be loud and unpleasant for climbing at Las Animas, but it is manageable. Perhaps more difficult is the long “siesta time” in the middle of the day. The wall begins to receive sun on the left side at 11am and by the end of February we weren’t climbing again until nearly 4pm. Apparently this season has been unusually hot, making it near impossible to climb in the sun. 

Memorizing beta in siesta time

Mona and Shep a snoozin'

Jared and his new babe <3

Graham climbed 32 of the 48 routes at Las Animas wall, including Dante’s Inferno Extension (5.14a; his first of the grade), Strict Machine (5.13d; second ascent), and Murder Weapon (5.14a; third ascent). Kim climbed Strict Machine as her first 5.13d, as well as Dante’s Inferno (5.13d). 

Graham on his send of Dante's Inferno Extension (5.14a)

Chris cranking in the first crux of Purgatory (5.13a/b)

Kim putting down Strict Machine (5.13d)

Kirsten on her send of Body Groovin' (5.12b)

Dan starting up on Dante's Inferno (5.13d)

Kim on her send of the full Camino de Chino (5.13b)

La Boca

La Boca crag is much more technical and closer to vertical, but it is not exempt from funky tufa features. There are more moderates available at La Boca, with route difficulties ranging from sub 5.10 to 5.14-. The wall is tall and orange, and many of the routes have beautiful, thin extensions through an otherwise nearly blank face. It is a great place to go on weekends to avoid the whir of the cuadrimotos and is often busy with psyched climbers. Plus, at only a 10 minute walk from Kika’s, it is easy to return to camp for the hours of siesta. 

At La Boca, Kim climbed the classic routes Lounge Puppy (5.13a) and Hijo de Puta (5.12b/c) among several others, and Graham finished off Fantastic Voyage Extension (5.13c), Honey Bear Extension (5.13d/5.14a) and Sound of the Second Season (5.13c). He also completed his first First Ascent, of a mega techy route called Slabbergast (5.12d/5.13a). 

Graham entering the crux on Fantastic Voyage Extension (5.13c). Photo credit: Dan Beland

Kim snagging a rest on Honey Bear (5.12a). Photo credit: Dan Beland

Dan climbing the stellar line Hijo de Puta (5.12c)

Cueva de Tecalote

The Tecalote Cave is about a 25 minute walk past Las Animas and the crag itself is made up of three small caves. In the furthest right cave is Culo de Merlin (5.10d), one of the coolest climbs either of us has ever done! Steep jug climbing leads to stemming off a huge hanging tufa that leads to climbing through a five foot long hole and then finishes with cave-like adventuring into the abyss of the cave.

Graham’s biggest wish list climb, H-Bomb (5.14a), is located at the Tecalote Cave. After a couple sessions to work on the boulder problem, he quickly dispatched the route during the fourth week of our stay. 

Jared mid-crux on H-Bomb (5.14a)

Cave life

***

On top of all the incredible climbing we met loads of great, unforgettable people (and fur friends!) We spent a lot of time with Andres and Juan Pablo from Guadalajara who were great helps in teaching us Spanish and translating for us when we were stuck. Some of the climbing terms we learned include…

Que machina!                        What a machine!

Eso!                                      That’s it!

Que mamado(a)!                    So strong!

Buen pege!                            Nice try!

Venga!                                  Common!

Venga guey!                          Common dude!

Chido!                                  Cool!

Como te fue?                         How did it go?

A muerte!                             To the death!

Our patient teachers, Juan Pablo and Andres

Two of the free range Chihuahuas living at Kika’s, Donny and Milli, recently had a litter of four puppies, so we watched them grow over our stay. Rita, another young pup, had a litter of five just over a week before we left. And then of course there was Fleabag (the kitten we wished was ours!) and Mona (adopted by Jared). 

Donny

Milli

Puppies of Donny and Milli

Fleabag

Rita and babes

Roscoe and Mona

And that’s about it! We would love to come back to Mexico to revisit El Salto and check out many of the other climbing destinations as well…. Potrero Chico, La Huesteca, Guadalcasar, Chanta, Hilo Tepec and more. 

Some coverage of our stay, courtesy of Gripped and Squamish Climbing Mag:

http://squamishclimbingmagazine.ca/recent-news-graham-mcgrenere-sends-extension-dantes-inferno-5-14a-first-5-14a/

http://gripped.com/news/canadians-send-hard-routes-in-mexico-to-start-2017/

 

http://squamishclimbingmagazine.ca/recent-news-kim-mcgrenere-completes-first-5-13d-strict-machine-mexico/

http://gripped.com/news/kim-mcgrenere-mexico-sends-first-5-13d/

 

Finally, many thanks to Scarpa for putting the shoes on our feet that carried us up all those climbs, and to Dometic for the cooling box that kept our beer and food chilled in the scorching heat. :)