This is granite. We don't have many climbing spots made of this where we are from. In case you haven't ever felt granite, it feels like 60 grit sandpaper and it rips your hands to shreds in just a few minutes. This is the type of rock that is in Boulder Canyon. This picture was taken 1000ft above the canyon on a sheer face overlooking some 14ers. The view was priceless and something that few people get to see. Leading up to this particular adventure, however, was a week of searching and preparing for the right moment to climb something big.
We were directed to Boulder Canyon by a woman at REI who said it was one of the best sport climbing spots in the area. We drove in and found a national forest campground and decided to give the canyon a shot. After scoping out the area we found this waterfall and decided that this was a good place. We began climbing in the canyon and soon found out that it was stretching our limits of technique. After a few afternoons we felt like we were adapting to the walls. This boosted our confidence as well as our ambitions.
It always amazes me how bold people can be. Taryn and I placed our lives in the trust of these small metal and nylon pieces of gear called quickdraws. The most difficult part about climbing is trust. You have to trust your partner and your gear. This makes most of it a mental game played only by the people who can ignore their survival instincts. That being said, the thought of climbing large wall only drew us in. We found our large wall.
In a conversation with a few other climbers in The Sport Park, we heard about a moderate multipitch route not far from where we were (Multipitch basically means a high route that requires more gear than an average 40-60ft route). We decided to climb it late afternoon when the sun was not as strong. This photo was taken about 300ft up the wall and about 900ft from the road and creek. At this height there is no room for error. We had to be focused and relaxed. The climb wasn't extremely difficult but it wasn't simply a scramble like Long's was. For those of you who know anything about climbing, this route was designated a 5.9+ but for us short people it felt like it had a few 5.10a sections. By the end of the wall, our hands were starting to bleed and the sun was going down. This was not a good combo.
We thankfully made it to the top without any big falls. This view is just below the top as the sun was going down. It put things into perspective one more time. In Bear Grylls' autobiography, he talks about his reasons for climbing. He mentions that "technology can put a man on the moon but only the human spirit can put a man on the summit of Everest." Technology kept us safe on the wall, but the thing that got us there was our will and strength. I'm not trying to glorify human beings but I guess it was nice to be somewhere where we were free from modern thoughts. We are small, and hanging 400ft up by a 9.7mm rope reminds me of that.
We did the four rappels in the dark. Talk about trust.
Looks and sounds incredible, you two. I started reading Bear Grylls' autobiography the same week you set off. I'll pretend, while reading it, that I'm on a grand adventure as well. Stay safe!
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