St George Project Mode 2017

It’s almost overwhelming how much climbing the St George area in southwest Utah has to offer.

When we first checked out St George last spring we visited several of the different crags and sampled tons of spectacular routes. We got SO psyched on all the amazing lines and immediately planned a return visit to the awesome limestone crags for this year.

The Canadian van congregation back for more!

The approach we took this year was different than last. We each set our sights on a couple routes that we’d tried in the past but were too hard for us at the time. It is difficult to project on a road trip because time is always a limiting factor. The pressure is so much higher than projecting at your home crag… and there is the looming reality that you just might not send. You have to be ok with that. 

Another challenge with projecting on the road is that you are almost never sending or climbing on new routes. In the one month we spent in St George we both climbed only about a dozen new lines each.

So what did we put our time into instead? Climbing the same warm-ups at the same crags and giving the same attempts on the same projects over and over and over again. 

Graham sunk his energy into one main route: Breakin’ The Law (5.14b) at the Black and Tan crag. He also worked on two “side projects”, All Dressed Up (5.13d) and Super Loaded (5.13c) at the Cathedral in Welcome Springs. 

Graham climbing through the long arch on Super Loaded (5.13c)

I split my time between two routes I had touched last season, Pucker (5.13c) at the Wailing Wall in Welcome Springs, and Sniffing Glue (5.13c) at Black and Tan. 

Working the crux on Sniffing Glue (5.13c). Photo credit: Yannick Neufeld-Cumming

We both had our own unique experiences working these routes. After making quick progress with sorting out the crux sequences on Breakin’ The Law, Graham proceeded to match his high point in the second crux around a dozen times (spread over multiple sessions). Body worn down and sore after several weeks of repeated bearing down on the route, he took 5 days of rest from hard climbing and we went to Moab. A few days after returning he made the decision to forego Super Loaded for another trip, and then proceeded to send All Dressed Up AND Breakin’ The Law on back-to-back climbing days right before we were scheduled to leave! 

Graham moving into the crux on All Dressed Up (5.13d)

Graham on the send of his big project, Breakin' The Law (5.14b)

I surprised myself with a fairly quick send of Pucker on my tenth attempt, less than two weeks after our arrival. I thought I could capitalize on my psych to fuel attempts on Sniffing Glue, but this route put up MUCH more of a fight for me. Then, just three days after finishing Pucker I accidentally hit one of the crux holds on Sniffing Glue as a mono with my left middle finger and proceeded to pull off it anyways. I immediately felt a twang of pain through my finger, hand, and into my wrist. 

I injured a pulley a couple years ago, but this was my first tendon injury. Fortunately it was fairly minor. I took a week off climbing, and then slowly eased back into it. I was basically feeling good to go after two weeks as long as I didn’t use that finger in isolation. 

On our second to last day, I managed to link all 15 moves of the ridiculously hard opening boulder problem on Sniffing Glue and send the route!!! Psyched! It took me nearly three times as many tries as Pucker. 

SUPER psyched to finish off Sniffing Glue (5.13c) before we left!!

It was rad to spend our time in St George with a bunch of our friends who were crushing their projects as well. In photos, a few of these sick ascents…

Nicole busting out the try hard for her send of Bastard Stepchild (5.12d)

Chris looking casual on Infidels (5.13a)

Kye taking down Talking Smack (5.13b)

Dan crushing Solid Gold (5.14c)

Jakob on the send of his first 5.13a, Space Shuttle to Kolob

Kirsten making the most of climbing despite a pulley injury :(

Yannick sent a ton of stuff this trip and we have no photos... but here he is looking cute with Mona!

It was great to hang out with Tim and Kim for a bit too!! Kim on her send of Raising Cain (5.12b)

Jared had to jet back to Canada in late March, but here he is working the moves on Breakin' The Law before leaving

Four weeks go by…

We’ve been desert hopping our way through Arizona, Nevada and California, and have just rolled back on in to Las Vegas.

Desert toes

We left Arizona on January 17^th and headed north west to Red Rocks just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. Over two and a half weeks we had quite a few rain days – and rain on sandstone means no climbing for 48 hours. Fortunately, we had met back up with Sam and Steph (our friends from Bishop) and met some awesome new friends as well: Ruth, Chris, Jared, and Rosco! We established a small climbing commune on some BLM land and had plenty of fun together, climbing and otherwise…

Our climbing commune

Our climbing community

I hardly climbed in Red Rocks as my finger was still feeling pretty bad, but I eyed up some lines to add to my wish list when we return. Graham snagged a few awesome sends and spent some time working his wish list item, Monster Skank (5.13b). Unfortunately though, my slowly healing finger was too good to be true for us, as Graham injured his pinky finger A2 pulley on our third day there. He’s been on the road to recovery for nearly 4 weeks now…

Graham flashes New Wave Hookers (5.12c)

Finishing up the final moves on Monster Skank (5.13b) - hoping for a send next time!!

On February 4^th we headed back to Bishop, California. We spent a day in Death Valley National Park on the way through…

Graham tests his balance on the salt crystals in Badwater Basin (282 feet below sea level)

Mmmmmmmm tasty

Dune Master #1!

Dune Master #2!

We reunited with Steph, Sam, Ruth, Chris, and Jared in Bishop, and many other new and old friends. We were also so lucky to get to spend time with Yannick, Emrys, Alison and Cory as well as a bunch of other crushers from Victoria and Vancouver!

The injured fingers turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we used them as an opportunity to climb many three-starred problems and explore areas more thoroughly without focusing on projects. On Sam’s birthday we all hiked up to the Druid Stones – a heinously steep approach to a stunningly beautiful area. 

The Druid Stones

Graham and I did a “big day” in the Happies one day, where we cumulatively climbed 101 problems in a single session. WOW this is exhausting, even at V0 and V1!

Despite the finger injuries, we also both finished our 10 days in Bishop with new personal bests. Graham sent Return Jedi (V10) in just two goes – his quickest send at that grade yet! I also sent my first ever V6, The French Connection – a beautiful, balancy climb that doesn’t require a left ring finger crimp! Woohooo!

Graham sends Return Jedi (V10)

Kim sends The French Connection (V6)

And of course another highlight has been … PUPPY CUDDLES TIME!

Desert Bird Oasis

Time flies. Happy New Year! We have now been in Joshua Tree for two weeks. We hung out and climbed with some lovely people (Lennie and Sam) from Montreal, spent a wonderful Christmas with Graham’s parents, and just before New Years became reunited with our Aussie friends from Bishop, Jordan and Ali. 

J Tree family Christmas

I have been completely thrilled with Joshua Tree from a desert ecology perspective. While I believe this would have been the case regardless, I am fairly certain it is aided along by my inability to climb. I have spent a lot of days doing cold-weather-puffy-marshmallow-desert-yoga and finger putty exercises…

Meanwhile, Graham has been getting into the J Tree groove, and climbing some very awesome-looking problems.

False Hueco Traverse (V2)

The Love Machine (V10)

Attempting "the move" on Nicole Overhang (V10)

But what I really want to talk about in this post are the new desert bird species we have seen. These are mostly common winter birds down here, but to me each new species has spiked an I-can-hardly-handle-it level of excitement. Even as I get to know and recognize the birds the thrill doesn't dissipated. Graham has captured most of the bird photos we have (and even admits that he likes it!) Kudos to him, as these guys RARELY sit still. 

Acorn Woodpecker

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

Black-throated Sparrow

Cactus Wren

Greater Roadrunner

Say's Phoebe

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Oak Titmouse

Verdin

The other thing I am quite excited about are the cacti. So many kinds! And they are all out to get us, each in their unique, spiny beauty. Here are a few of the common suspects we tend to come across.

Beaver Tail Cactus

Barrel Cactus

Jumping Cholla

Hedgehog Cactus

Finally, in the visitor centre the other day I saw the “Field Guide to Desert Holes”… my intrigue was piqued at the idea that one could write an entire field guide on holes in the desert floor, so I flipped through it a bit. MY am I ever tempted…. We shall see if I can resist. In the meantime, here are a couple creatures who use those desert holes. 

A rattlesnake! In January! Photo credit: Ali Roush

All for now. More updates on more climbing-related things coming soon :)