THE FUN ISSUE!
HOW TO PLAN, PACK & AFFORD THE
BIGGEST TRIP OF YOU YOUR R LI LIF FE
121
EPIC ROUTES, BUDGET TIPS & GEAR PICKS
UNBELAYVABLE! SCARY TRUE TALES FROM A CRAG NEAR YOU
> BEACH CRAGGING > HERO ROUTES > VIRGIN ROCK
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CONTENTS T HE
ISSUE 330
6
BIG TRIP ISSUE
FLASH THE APPROACH
13
Editor’s Note
14
Virtual Discussion
15
Overheard
18
Unbelayvable!
Scary (and true) tales from a crag near you.
The all-Honnold edition. 15
Archives
80
TH E FLOW FLOW
A tribute to Lycra.
20 LEAD NOW
Thirty-five flights to nine countries. More than 68,000 photos and countless hours of video. $20,000 raised for charity. Seven 5.14 sends. Paige Claassen had one of the biggest years of travel in climbing history.
32 CHILE
South Patagonia’s Torres Torres del Paine National Park holds the world’s southernmost rock climbing outside of Antarctica. It’s infamous for harsh weather and stout climbing, but Andrew Bascue found plenty of routes for the everyman.
42 SARDINIA
With super-sized helpings of moderate sport climbs, pristine beaches, and the unrivaled Mediterranean sun, you won’t suffer one bit on this island paradise and climber haven. By Dougald MacDonald
CLIMBING.COM
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e g n a R n i a t n u o M s e d n A n é s y A , i p a u h u y u P
If you love adrenaline sports, come to Chile. If not... come to Chile.
www.chil www.c hile.t e.trave rave l
CONTENTS
ISSUE 330
THE DON’T FORGET
BIG TRIP
TAILOR YOUR PACKING LIST WITH THIS HARDWON ADVICE FROM THIS ISSUE’S INTREPID CONTRIBUTORS
ISSUE 48 UTAH
Tennis ball. Massage tired, sore, and cramped muscles with something that takes up almost no space and adds negligible weight. —Paige Claassen
Machete. Moab. Just saying the word should give you go osebumps. Teaming up with our friends at mountainproject.com, we bring you this primer on America’s rock climbing epicenter. By J.P. Whitehead
A requirement for any jungle adven ture. —Mason Earle
Lighweight sleeping bag or bag liner.
54 VENEZUELA
Even if you’re not camping, you might sleep in an airport or a hotel where you don’t want to touch the sheets. —Paige Claassen
UNU Protective Battery Case. When the pursuit of virgin rock led seven climbers to southern Venezuela, they found what they came for—first ascents and a lifetime of untouched boulders—but they also learned lessons that they’ll never forget.
62 BULGARIA
When traveling, there is nothing more frustrating then being left high and dry, lost or confused— and then your cell phone battery dies. —Jon Glassberg
Satellite phone. In Torres del Paine it’s the only way to stay in touch for a weather forecast or emergency. —Andrew Bascue
Why Bulgaria? Tucked away in Eastern Europe, this Tennessee-size country has escaped the imagination of the global climbing community. Until today. Heidi Wirtz gives us nine reasons to go there now.
68 FRENCH POLYNESIA
French press. Waking up after a night in the jungle and seeing that gigantic press gave me hope for the day. —Gary Sorcher [Ed. note: We like GSI’s Personal Java Press or the MSR French press adapter for the Reactor stove.]
Garmin Nuvi GPS.
Four bold climbers came for new routes, beaches, and fresh fish. They got rain, poison ivy, and moss instead. But they didn’t let that put a stop to their tropical climbing adventure. By Mason Earle
3 | NOVEMBER 2014
Unmarked streets are common everywhere, as are confusing roads and signs, so this literally keeps you on track. —Jon Glassberg
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FLASH Andrea Batt
Unnammed Moonstone Beach, Humboldt County, California In Northern California’s Humboldt County, isolated outcroppings of rock dot the region’s 50 miles of coastline. At 100 miles south of the Oregon state line, the area is more reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest’s foggy, craggy shores than the sunny beaches one might picture when thinking of the California coast. Matching the shrouded environment, the climbing itself is a bit mysterious. There are few names, grades, or guidebooks for most of the northern coast, and one must be willing to explore without any sort of tick list or agenda. While some rudimentary documentation exists online, much of the allure lies in the ambiguous nature of bouldering here. Moonstone Beach is perhaps the most well-known sector, warranting a solid entry on Mountain Project and a few
pages in Northern California Bouldering , by Chris Summit, but you’ll still need to befriend a resident to find the goods. Local and photographer Dean Fleming says, “To climb here, you must have an intimate relationship with the area’s coastline. Rising and falling sand levels can drastically change the problems, and certain climbs are only accessible with specific tides and swells.” Within an hour’s drive of this particular block, one can find polished schist and quartzite crimpfests at Goat Rock State Park, as well as limestone and sandstone pocket-pulling at Salt Point. Don’t forget to stay alert and vigilant: Locals have seen many a black bear and mountain lion in the region, making this a true adventure climber’s destination. DEAN FLEMING
FLASH
Gil Tenne Cochise (6b/5.10c)
Valle dell’Orco, Italy Some have described Italy’s sprawling trad climbing mecca Valle dell’Orco as “little Yosemite” (the area even has its own El Capitan and Sentinel with Caporal and Sergent—corporal and sergeant, respectively), but this moniker downplays the grandeur of the area. Situated in Gran Paradiso National Park in Northern Italy, bordering France to the west, the valley hosts more than a hundred routes spread across numerous granite crags. Lines here climb through blocky edges, zigzagging hand cracks, and sharp quartz crystal deposits. Although the rock and style may resemble its California counterpart, the scene is entirely unique. Winding roads take visitors past ancient villages of lichen-covered masonry houses nestled under the impressive granite cliffs that make up the walls of the valley. Some unknowing visitors might be dissuaded by the “No Trespassing” signs on the roadside, but locals will encourage you to “just ignore them.” Very unlike its American cousin, you won’t find crowds in this valley, only quiet solitude. While it’s famous for gear-protected multi-pitch routes, smaller crags have recently experienced a surge of development thanks to new enthusiasm in the local climbing community. Pictured here, the Dado wall is one of these renaissance cliffs. Cochise is a welcome addition, with wandering crack climbing and a bit of dicey face climbing in a neat two-pitch package. ANDREW BURR
FLASH
John Price Central Pillar (WI4+)
Johnston Canyon, Alberta, Canada Cryophilia is defined as an unnatural affinity for the cold . It describes those who thrive in subzero temps and derive pleasure from numb extremities and chattering teeth. (Many ice climbers might be described as suffering from t his affl iction.) Cryophilia is also the name and inspiration for alpine photographer Paul Zizka’s series of night ice climbing photographs shot in the Canadian Rockies. Zizka began shooting these unique perspectives last winter in order to bridge his two passions: alpine experiences and astrophotography. “I have always liked shots that convey a sense of vulnerability,” he says. “Adding the night element takes that even further.” With Canadian climber John Price and a few other friends, Zizka spent months chasing clear skies and the aurora borealis at three different ice formations in Banff and Kootenay national parks, just west of Calgary on the border of British Columbia. Due to the large amount of precipitation this area receives each winter and the below-zero temps, the Canadian Rockies offer extensive ice and mixed routes of exceptional quality. Trip opportunities range from the easily accessible waterfalls within the town of Banff to more remote challenges higher up in the parks. It’s no surprise that this photographic process proved difficult at times, and long exposures were necessary. Zizka says, “Retaining sharpness in the climber was diffi cult, since John had to hold completely still on that very wet and very cold route for long periods of time.” PAUL ZIZKA
scarpa.com/phantom-guide
You only get 26,320 days, more or less. How will you spend them?
T H E
A P P R O A C H CONTRIBUTORS
ANDREW BASCUE This New Jerseyite cut his teeth climbing at the Gunks, worked and climbed his way around the U.S., and then lived for four years in Chile. He’s now based in Boulder, Colorado, “for what looks like the long haul,” and he’s working on the first-ever guidebook for Torres del Paine, Chile. “Climbing has taken me everywhere I was supposed to go in life, whether I planned it or not!” Check out a sneak peek of his guidebook on page 32.
“Glory” on the summit o the Matterhorn
PAIGE CLAASSEN Claassen has an impressive tick list, including Grand Ol’ Opry (5.14b/c), which she completed while earning her marketing degree at the University of Colorado, the first ascent of Digital Warfare (5.14a) in South Africa, and most recently Just Do It , America’s first 5.14c. Perhaps even more impressive is how she spent her past year—on a worldwide climbing trip raising $20,000 for nonprofits. She details the highlights on page 20.
EDITOR’S NOTE
RE: Out of Office BY SHANNON DAVIS
) 2 ( R R U B W E R D N A ; ) 2 ( Y S E T R U O C ; S I V A D N O N N A H S : T F E L P O T M O R F E S I W K C O L C
The work/play balance has been way out of whack at the Climbing office in the past month—in a very good way. We’ve climbed in Wyoming’s Tetons and Wind River Range, Arizona’s Mount Lemmon, and Utah’s Moab area. We’ve also summited a couple iconic European peaks: the 9,718-foot Zugspitze (Germany’s highest point) and Switzerland’s 14,692-foot Matterhorn. It’s a minor miracle we got this issue out the door. But, as I told my boss while grinning ear to ear, our absenteeism was actually fitting preparation for this issue—one stuffed with once-in-a-lifetime trips to some of the world’s most fun, interesting, and far-flung climbing destinations. Big-ticket travel isn’t easy, but payoffs return in unquantifiable ways. On the summit of the Matterhorn after a particularly cold, windy, and fast ascent, I looked up to see my own shadow inside a circular rainbow (see above). I later learned that to Buddhists this rare alpine phenomenon, called “Brocken spectre” or simply “glory,” signifies the observer’s personal enlightenment. I’m not Buddhist, but I’ll take that any day. High-fiving my partner inside this optical illusion on top of one of the world’s greatest summits is something I’ll never forget. I can’t promise glory, but I can promise that creating lifelong climbing memories on a big trip is entirely possible. Schedule an automatic $40 deposit per paycheck into a new account. By this time next year, you’ll have a grand for a plane ticket. Solicit a partner and tell everyone about your plans so you’re accountable. Then take it one tiny step at a time.
Finding bargains S T E Y H H E T N G I L M R H O U R O G I F J H
Travelling ain’t cheap, so we asked our correspondents to highlight ways to live rugally afer you pony up or that plane ticket. Look or this symbol throughout or budget advice.
MASON EARLE Born in Concord, Massachusetts, Earle started climbing at the age of 10, barefoot, with a sling tied around his waist. “I moved West as soon as I was legally able to do so,” he says, choosing Salt Lake City as a home base and now, as a professional climber, using much better equipment. He travels incessantly in search of first ascents. Read his dispatch from French Polynesia on page 68.
Exploring local cuisine
Reliving Washer Woman
Jamming
Food and drink might be the second (or first?) thing on a climber’s mind at all times. In this issue, our contributors noshed boere- wors (a sausage), plate-size mushrooms, vodka, borscht, fish pie, sashimi, cabbage, mate, steamed buns, mango, grilled lamb, goat ribs, red wine, and more. Yum!
In Search of Suds (p. 48) is
I cringe when I hear about “my inner child” or “why we climb,” but the trio o climbers covering untapped Venezuelan boulders in “Into the Devil’s House” (p. 54), eclipsed cliché in their descriptions o getting in sync with the rock, the environment, and each other. Also known as “jamming.”
such a cool route!
CLIMBING.COM
| 13
THE APPROACH VIRTUAL DISCUSSION
Since his first art icle, our advice columnist, Answer Man, has stirred up controversy. Some think he provides fun, snark y answers to common climber questions. Others just think he’s a jerk. Here’s a sampling of opinions from both sides. Browse the Answer Man archives and w eigh in yourself at climbing.com/answermanarchives. COMMENTS Is
this supposed to be funny and farcical? Is it supposed to advise and educate? Climbing advice is not an appropriate subject to mix these things. These questions deserve real, forthright answers, and the author’s “humor” is not very funny in my opinion.
fully agree with Crater. In addition to hunched backs, climbers suffer from an inability to discern between sarcasm and a springloaded camming device. Don’t confuse us with your highfalutin word-wrangling. We want straigh t talk, ya hear?
Crater - 09/10/2014 3:08:29
Jaren Watson - 09/10/2014 4:48:06
I thought it was funny! Maybe because I think dry ropes and gear
I
marking are as obvious as the author? I don’t think mixing advice and humor is a bad idea. It’s not like he’s prompting some poor soul who doesn’t understand sarcasm to get himself killed by saying, “Screw the dry rope. Go with bungee cords and dental floss.”
Rick - 09/10/2014 4:52:43
I
brought my sense of humor and enjoyed the article. I learned something about why I should keep buying dry-treated ropes and how to deal with tiny crashpads (kids) in the gym. Love it. Please keep the good stuff coming.
Kristin - 09/10/2014 3:38:42 It’s a great format; I learned a couple things, and then I had a couple
I
can’t tell if he’s trying (and failing) to be funny, or really is just an asshole.
laughs. It’s a simple matter of taste I suppose, but I give it a thumbs-up.
Alex Brady – 09/10/2014 5:43
Emily - 09/10/2014 4:22:04 I
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liked this article, and I found that it did answer the questions asked. For the complainers, if you can’t read through the sarcasm and you get your panties in a bunch because of it, I do believe you may need to seek medical assistance to forcefully remove your head from your own ass. Dave - 09/10/2014 6:01:19
OBVIOUS LINES
What’s your climbing goal this year? What’s your top climbing destination worldwide?
Have fun and stay injury-free Break into the next grade level Acquire or refine skills (example: start leading trad) Climb a major big wall or alpine route Send my project Other 0 2
0 4
0 6
0 8
0 0 1
0 2 1
Other Yosemite Red River Gorge Patagonia Mallorca Himalaya Dolomites Fontainebleau Kalymnos El Potrero Chico Grampians South Africa Hueco Tanks
0 0 0 0 2 6 OTHER 4 8 Thailand, Alaska, Chile, Wind River Range, Vietnam, Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, Peak District, Smith Rock, Acadia, Red Rock, Leavenworth, Tetons, Tahoe, Moab, Rockies, Joshua Tree, New River Gorge, Peru, Eldorado Canyon, Alps, Lander, Gunks, Squamish, etc.
35 *Source: Climbing reader survey. Join at climbing.com/readerpanel. 14 | NOVEMBER 2014
OVERHEARD
Special All-Honnold Edit ion! On August 19, Alex Honnold stopped by the Boul der Theater in Boulder, Colorado, fo r a live Q&A. For those of you that missed it, we’ve highlighted his best quips here. To watch the full event, visit climbing.com/relativityofrisk.
“Basically, no. I mean, I’m from suburban California. I don’t do cold.” —Honnold, dismissing any potential o moving on to alpinism or big Himalayan exepeditions.
“In the beginning, I over-emphasized the reward. I thought, ‘If I do this, I’m going to get laid.’ And I still haven’t.” —Honnold, on the thankless endeavor o ree-soloing.
“It’s not that shocking, but it turns out that lawyers and free-soloing don’t mix. Whoda thunk?” —Honnold’s answer to those wondering what happened with his planned climb o the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan.
“Every once in a while, I will watch a bunch of movies and eat a bunch of cookies.” —Honnold, on losing motivation.
“You must know what you’re doing!” —Honnold’s mom, afer seeing him on TV and the covers o magazines.
ARCHIVES
A Tribute to Lycra Climbers of today can be a fashion-forward bunch, with button-down plaid shirts and tight jeans present at crags across the country. It wasn’t always this way. In the late 1980s, Lycra tights took our sport by storm. Climbers appreciated the stretchy material for the unrestricted movement it provided, and they loved the loud, colorful patterns because, well, it was the ’80s. The trend was at its peak when we released our April 1987 issue, in which nearly every climber pictured dons these “performance” leggings. Here’s a small sampling.
This ad for One Sport climbing shoes demonstrates the pure flexibility of these second-skin “pants.”
Ray Ringle looks surprisingly badass in bottoms that resemble a coloring book on Heat Wave (5.12).
Brad Smith on Golden Beaver Right (5.12c) in tights that were once a tablecloth from a mafiarun Italian restaurant.
Corrine LaBrune climbs in full ’80s style, complete with oversized sweater, on Latest Rage (5.12b).
Jean-Baptiste Tribout complements climber tights (patterned with biners, nuts, and chalkbags) with a pinkcheckered harness.
Paul Van Betten looks undeniably rad on Desert Reality (5.11c) in this ad for Rad Designs tights, available in seven patterns.
COVER PHOTO Jim Waugh fights through the roof of Ma’adim (5.11b) in his yellow, gridded power leggings.
CLIMBING.COM
| 15
THE APPROACH OFF THE WALL
A Wedding Challenge BY KEVIN CORRIGAN
WELL, THIS IS ADORABLE. Brian and Mandy Fabel threw out the usual wedding-day worries (food, flowers, DJ) and replaced them with a long hike and hand jams by giving themselves a challenge. The approach to their sacred union would involve leaving their home in Lander, Wyoming, climbing the Northeast Face (5.8+) of Pingora in the neighboring Wind River Range, having a small ceremony on the summit, and then returning home. All under their own power. That’s a 10-mile bike ride. A 25-mile hike. Nine pitches of climbing. And then the whole thing again in reverse. Perhaps they missed out on seeing some distant relative drink too much and perform the chicken dance with gusto, but we suspect their memories more than make up for it. How did this idea come about?
Brian: On our second or third date, we went backcountry skiing with a friend of ours and came up with this idea that it would be fun to bike from Lander to climb something in the Wind River Range. We thought the idea of a human-powered ascent was really cool, but we always came up with an excuse not to do it. Then we went to a friend’s wedding and thought, “We like some aspects of weddings, and others we don’t. We should just totally do it our way—by finally doing that human-powered Pingora ascent we’d dreamed about.” It was this cool metaphor with a long adventure that tested us mentally and physically to romp to the top of a peak in the mountains that are near and dear to us. And we invited our friend who had the original idea with us, Jamie O’Donnell, to officiate. So were you already engaged when you decided to do this?
Brian: No. We didn’t do that the traditional way either. What kind of planning went into it?
Mandy: Step one: Our friend Jamie got ordained on the Internet. Step two: Logistics. We had a four-day window at the end of August where we were waiting to see about the weather. We went on three training days in the Winds. We needed to do a lot of hiking to get in shape to walk that far. We previewed the route two weekends prior so we’d be able to climb it in the dark or if it was wet. We called that our pre-marital counseling. Then the week of, we watched the weather and dialed in our final itinerary, adding videographer and photographer friends to record the ceremony. Did you dress up for the ceremony?
Mandy: I didn’t want people to see the photos and think that we happened to climb Pingora and then said, “Oh! Maybe we should get married!” So I had a wedding dress that I had gotten the week before at a thrift store for $8.
another long day ahead of us. Two, we wanted to beat the thunderstorms. And three, we didn’t want to end up behind other parties. We actually had the whole climb to ourselves the whole day, which was really lovely. We got to the top smoothly. The only hiccup was that I dropped a No. 3 Camalot, which was a bummer, but we decided we can just ask for one in our wedding registry. Yes, we have a registry. We’re not totally nuts. What was the ceremony like?
Mandy: We exchanged rings, and we said vows. Brian was actually still writing his vows on the climb up. And Jamie did a great job officiating. Brian: I was like, “Gosh, I didn’t know we were doing vows!” Mandy: So we had the ceremony, and then drank some champagne. Not very much because none of us had eaten enough to consume alcohol. And then we descended. Three raps and then walk off the rest of the way. We got back to camp about 2:00 p.m., sat and ate food, drank more champagne, and geared up for our respective hikes. Our plan was to hike until we got tired, or until dark, and then camp another night and finish in the morning. So we set off. Brian: I was very tired at that point. I would’ve been fine if we just had the party and then retired for the evening and had a nice morning of sleeping in with fresh coffee. Mandy: But then it would have rained on us. And we did not take a stove, so we couldn’t have actually had coffee. We ended up powering through and made it home, getting into bed at exactly 3:00 a.m. We really made the most of our wedding day—24 hours. Then we slept. We planned to sleep for a long time, but we both woke up ravenous a few hours later. Were your families disappointed they couldn’t be there?
So tell us about the big day(s).
Mandy: We left the house on bicycles at 6:00 a.m. with all of our gear. It was about 10 miles up Sinks Canyon, with a couple thousand feet of elevation gain. It took us about an hour and a half. Then we stashed our bikes in the trees and started walking at 8:30 a.m. We were hiking for 25 miles, and we would be doing it again the next day, so we kept a nice leisurely pace. It was a “just keep hiking” sort of day. We arrived at the base of Pingora at 7:00 p.m., ate food, and got to bed around 8:00. We got up at 3:00 a.m. to do the approach and start the climb. One, we had
16 | NOVEMBER 2014
Brian: They would say, “Oh, wish we could have been there, but I don’t want to do that trip.” Are you going to have any kind of get-together for everyone else, or was that it?
Mandy: We’re gonna do a big party next summer on the Fourth of July in Lander. Everyone’s invited; you can put it in the article! Since no one was invited to our first wedding, we’re going for the other extreme and saying that everyone’s invited to our party.
. R J R E N T H G I L M A S
TESTED
Adventure Travel Gear 5 must-have products tested on 6 continents BY JULIE ELLISON
POWER UP ANYWHERE
Goal Zero Sherpa 50 Solar Kit “Not many people can say this, but I literally put my life in the hands of this solar setup,” Jeremy Thomley said, after using the Sherpa 50 to power his nebulizer for daily breathing treatments in the backcountry. (Turn to p. 54 for the rest of Jeremy’s story.) From country-hopping in South America to charging camera batteries and iPhones in the Venezuelan jungle every day for three weeks, the Sherpa 50 was an excellent solution for portable power in a lightweight and compact package. “The one thing every country has in common is the sun,” another tester said, “to know you can have power anywhere you visit is reassuring, whether you’re headed to the backcountry or not.” The kit, which includes the Sherpa 50 battery pack and the midsize Nomad 13 solar panels, weighs in at just under three pounds, charges in full sun in about eight hours (or from the wall in three), and houses enough power to charge a full-size laptop once or a smartphone seven times. $360; goalzero.com LIGHTWEIGHT, COMPACT PHONE LENSES
Olloclip 4-in-1 Lenses
The best camera for traveling climbers is already in your pocket, and with these tiny lenses, your phone just got even better. This lens kit is simple: You get one adapter that slides onto your phone, and four lenses that quickly screw on to the adapter. Transitioning between lenses is seamless, and the adapter goes off and on easily—without any permanent attachment pieces or adhesive. The included lenses are fisheye, wide angle, and two macros—10x and 15x. “ This setup almost makes me feel silly for having a big ol’ expensive DSLR,” one tester said. “The quality of the images rivals really nice point-and-shoots, and it’s less than a fraction of the weight, so for travel, I carry this all the time and leave the DSLR behind.” Available for iPhone, iPad, and Samsung Galaxy. $70; olloclip.com
QUIVER-OF-ONE SHOE
Five Ten Guide Tennie Canvas “A solid pair of approach shoes is essential,” Dougald MacDonald said of his weeks in Sardinia, Nepal, and the backcountry of Wyoming. “Something comfortable enough to walk in all day on city streets but can perform on approaches and scrambles when you go off trail, meaning sticky rubber and enough support to protect your feet and ankles in talus. Plus, they should be light enough that you can carry them up a multi-pitch.” The Guide Tennie has long been a testers’ favorite for technical approaches and easier alpine climbs, and the canvas version is more breathable for summer and shoulder seasons. “From town to trail to talus, these kicks are my go-to quiver of one for traveling,” another tester said. $120; fiveten.com
BOTTOMS
Swift. $100 (women’s), $150 (men’s); icebreaker.com
Icebreaker Escape Pant
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Versatility is the name of the game when packing for international travel. Wool is ideal because it’s breathable, soft next to skin, dries quickly, and has excellent anti-stink properties. These pants up the ante with a touch of Lycra that gives them enough stretch for climbing. “Twelve hours on planes and in airports followed by a quick bouldering session to shake off the jet-lag, which then turned into an evening out having dinner and drinks late into the night—Euro-style,” one tester said. “These pants were perfect for all of it!” Two weeks and zero washes later, the pants were still in prime shape when the tester wore them on the way home, too. “Not to mention they feel more comfortable than my coziest yoga pants and look almost as good as my nice slacks.” Men’s is the Escape; women’s is the
Marmot Long Hauler Duffle (Large) Every traveling climber needs at least one indestructible duffel that can hold all your climbing and camping gear and withstand dragging and dropping and the occasional ride on a mule or a yak. With mega-haulers, we also like wheels to get us through the airport chaos quicker. Enter the Long Hauler, which wasn’t scathed by a roundthe-world trip: 35 flights through nine countries. “I watched baggage handlers from across the globe throw this thing around and beat the hell out of it over the course of a year,” one tester said, “and it’s ready for round two!” That’s thanks to the 1680-denier ballistic nylon and 1000-denier TPE laminate outer material, as well as sturdy stitching and construction. It will hold everything you need for a month or more of travel: “It seems like a never-ending chasm that will always fit one more jacket or pair of climbing shoes.” $139; marmot.com
CLIMBING.COM |
17
THE APPROACH UNBELAYVABLE!
Scary (and true) tales from a crag near you I saw a climber lose his nerve on a trad route and bail. Which is fine. But he swung over to a nearby sport route, clipped a bolt, and proceeded as follows: Swing to the original route, clean gear, swing back, lower to the next bolt, clip it, yard back up to the current bolt, clean the draw, fall on the lower bolt, and repeat. —Submitted by Albert Kim, via email LESSON: Falls like this wear on your
rope and gear, and expose you to unnecessary risk. And i the rope runs sideways to your pro, it could create a dangerous angle. The easiest way to bail rom a trad route is by building an anchor out o nuts (the cheapest to leave) and bail biners (one locker, two opposite and opposite non-lockers, or one non-locker with the gate taped shut) then clean gear as you descend or retrieve it later on rappel i
you can access the top. Another option is
and simplest way to rappel is to center
LESSON: Clipping the belayer’s side o
to aid past the crux and finish the climb.
the rope in the anchor at the midpoint,
the rope while lowering helps you stay
Check out climbing.com/aid101 or tips.
then perorm a basic, extended rappel
close to the wall, but unclipping the last
with a riction-hitch backup. See a video
draw (especially under a roo) adds slack
tutorial at climbing.com/extendrappel .
and a big swing is hard to avoid. It’s es-
I saw a couple bail on a multipitch. Instead of rappelling normally—one by one down both I saw a climber lowering and cleaning a sport route that started strands of the rope—they set up a curious simul-rap. He descended under a long roof. He was clipped one strand while she braced herto the belayer’s side of the rope to self at the top as a meat anchor, stay close to the wall. When he unholding the brake line tight to clipped the final draw, it suddenly keep the rope in place. He made introduced slack into the system, it down, and then she descended sending him into a wild swing. He her strand while he meat-an- was still clipped to the belayer’s chored her from the ground. side of the rope, and it whipped his —Submitted by Hailey Hosken, belayer 40 feet across the ground. via email The belayer earned a nice gash in his head when he hit a rock. They LESSON: Simul-rapping is an advanced had to go to the hospital. skill with a low margin o error. Simple —Submitted by Johnathan Sliski, mistakes can be catastrophic. The saest via email
sential to go into the bolt directly, unclip the belay side, and have the belayer take in slack beore cleaning the last draw. This will keep your belayer stationary, but make sure your line o swing is clear and that you’re high enough that you won’t deck. Have your belayer keep you tight, take the swing, and finish lowering. I the swing isn’t sae, you can finish lowering with the first bolt clipped and then retrieve it afer, but first make sure there is plenty o rope to allow you to reach the ground, and do NOT unclip rom the belay-side rope until you’re on the ground.
See something unbelayvable? Email
[email protected].
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Photography: John Glassberg I Athlete: Paige Claassen I Location: Ultimate Power, 5.12d Waterval Boven, South Africa I marmot.com
The Women’s Essential Tank Check out the Marmot Momentum Collection at marmot.com/momentum
THE
BIG TRIP ISSUE
Going Global Apply the passion and dedication it takes to climb 5.14 to doing good around the world, and you get one of the climbing world’s greatest years of travel—ever. Here is the story of Marmot’s Lead Now Tour.
By Paige Claassen Photos by Jon Glassberg
“D
o you think you could climb one 5.14 a month for a whole year?” filmmaker Jon Glassberg asked me two years ago as we sat around a classic summer campfire after a great day of climbing. I had graduated from college a few months earlier with no concrete plans—other than more climbing and more campfires—and a vague idea of starting the marketing career college had groomed me for. My answer to Jon’s question was simple—uh, hell yes!—but the very thought sparked a larger idea that would eventually take me around the world, offering me the chance to work and play in some of the world’s most beautiful settings. We decided we would tackle a different climbing objective each month (most commonly a 5.14 sport route), with the caveat that each route needed to be in a different country. We aimed for smaller crags, obscure objectives, and countries that don’t necessarily top the list of must-visit climbing destinations. I would spend my time tackling climbs at my limit, and Jon would document the whole experience. We saw it as an opportunity to challenge ourselves not only physically through hard climbing, but also mentally and emotionally through difficult and sometimes unknown travel. But I wanted to do more than just climb. Our itinerary included impoverished areas of the world, where children don’t have the opportunities that I was blessed with growing up. We decided that we would also produce video marketing content to promote and support local nonprofit organizations in each country we visited, helping these groups reach a larger audience and raise money in the process. We could tell a story of travel, culture, and nonprofit work in addition to the traditional hard-send media. And thanks to the help of Marmot, our title sponsor, we pulled it off! The Lead Now Tour involved 35 flights to nine countries, shooting more than 68,000 photos, raising more than $20,000 for charities, seven 5.14 sends—and only five bouts of food poisoning. These are the highlights—and some hard-won advice.
20 | NOVEMBER 2014
Paige Claassen makes the first female ascent of India’s hardest sport route Ganesh (5.14a), Badami.
Y S E T R U O C
Y S E T R U O C
CLIMBING.COM
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BIG TRIP ISSUE
TIP SHEET General
Check the baggage allowance for each flight ahead of time, and then understand that what you encounter at the airport may be different from the rules listed online. We had to leave a large duffel full of climbing ropes, brand-new shoes, clothes, etc., because Qatar Airways wouldn’t let us check the bag for less than $1,700. ››
Airport security in each country (and even at different airports within a country) varies greatly. Avoid trying to carry on ropes, quickdraws, and chalk, which will often be confiscated. Also avoid carrying on mace, particularly in China. I forgot I had it in my bag and was questioned for an hour in the back room about how I got through five countries with it. ››
Waterval Boven, South Africa, offers hundreds of diverse sandstone routes, including this 5.12d Unlimited Power .
SOUTH AFRICA “It could be the world’s best rock climb!”
This message about a newly bolted, unclimbed project on a remote buttress far from everything was the latest addition to my inbox from South African developer Andrew Pedley. So we made Africa stop number one. After 40 hours of travel from the U.S. and five hours of droopy-eyed driving on the opposite side of the road, we’re swapping drivers every 10 minutes. We can’t stay awake. When we arrive at the home of local developer Roger Nattrass, we’re ready to cr ash. I don’t even want food, which is saying something, but fate (and Roger) demands we experience a safari. Like now. A short Jeep ride into the backyard, and we’re face to face with the giraffes that will watch us muscle up the sandstone walls of Umgeni over the coming days. We arrive late on our first day at the crag. A herd of zebras had blocked the rough dirt road leading to Wow Prow. Imagine a perfect wall of rock—dream holds, a perfect angle and style— flawless. African sandstone reigns supreme. Set in the boundless plains of South Africa’s
22 | NOVEMBER 2014
If your cell phone contract is nearly up, consider unlocking your smartphone and purchasing local SIM cards in each country. We found this was much cheaper than purchasing an international plan with our home carriers.
Free State, Wow Prow puts everything I have ever known about climbing aesthetics to shame. “Here’s your projie,” Andrew says, pointing to the line he bolted a few months ago. This delicately painted canvas of seemingly featureless orange and gray patterns is the reason I’m here. Digital Warfare (5.14a) is just that—a fingertip battle. I climb it twice a day, every other day, before my tips eventually split from crimping the lips of sharp pockets, which are blocked by pebbles lodged inside. We take misery burns on the 5.12d “warm-up” before redpoint attempts as Pedley and his army of strong, young locals set to work bolting new lines. The number of available routes at Wow Prow triples over the course of 10 days. These guys are relentless, and when we return home each evening, they devour an absurd amount of meat (usually boerewors , a type of sausage with beef, lamb, and pork) in true South African style. Just as our time at Wow Prow is coming to a close and my skin is opening beyond repair, the battle ends: After seven days of effort, I finally snag the two dynamic, finger-biting pocket cruxes of Digital Warfare , before the frigid winter winds move in over the Free State. Clipping the chains on this virgin stone sparks my interest to bolt a line of my own. Pedley offers up one of his gems, but I later learn it is just one prize in his quiver. I’ve never met someone with such a keen eye for stunning lines, and I hope to return next year and study as his bolting apprentice. During our month in the country, I was also able to claim the first female ascent of the powerful and long (115 feet!) Rodan (5.14a), also put up by Pedley at Waterval Boven.
Beta Drive 3.5 hours south of Johannesburg to the small settlement of Clocolan. STAY Camp at the Ben Nevis Cherry Farm (ben-nevis.co.za ). Daily expenses are cheap after breaking the bank on plane tickets. SEASON Find ideal conditions in September/October and April/May. MORE For topos and more travel information, visit climbing.co.za/2013/07/wow-prow-topo . GET THERE
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If you’re planning an around-the-world trip, look into AirTreks for flights (airtreks.com ), a travel agency that will help you plan complex multi-stop international itineraries, without the restrictions of a typical “around the world” ticket. AirTreks requires that you make at least three stops internationally in at least two countries, not including your start and end cities, but it has no limitations on direction of travel or duration of each stop. Pretty much, AirTreks was the make-it-or››
Classen assists the next generation of crushers in South Africa
RUSSIA TIP SHEET
“Bikini! Bikini! Bikini!”
It’s midnight on Friday, and a dozen children run around screaming this phrase. Empty bottles of vodka line the table, but the party seems to be just starting. After a long period of confusion, we reluctantly put on our bathing suits, and a gaggle of giggling Russians leads us outside into a wooden hut. Zan, our new Russian father, pours boiling water over hot rocks and dried birch branches, creating a suffocating air so thick and hot that I can’t breath. Without warning, he slaps scaldinghot birch branches on my back. Ten minutes of whipping later, I’m feeling dizzy and raw. Before I can get my bearings, a bucket of icy rainwater is upon me. I stagger outside to hysterical laughter. Welcome to Russia, enjoy your “relaxing” experience in the banya !
break-it of our budget on Marmot’s Lead Now Tour, allowing us to purchase a total of 35 flights to 10 countries all around the world for $8,000 per person. SOUTH AFRICA
Don’t turn down an invite to a braai , the South African version of a barbeque, but much more involved. A multi-hour event means friends are guzzling wine while many, many types of meat cook over an open fire. Delicious, and you’re sure to take part in fabulously entertaining conversations and learn about the best lines in the area. ››
If you’re already visiting the world-renowned bouldering area of Rocklands, toss your sport gear into your suitcase and make a stop at Waterval Boven on the eastern side of the country: easy access, routes of all grades, stunning scenery, and baboons. ››
RUSSIA
A local Russian climber, who goes by the nickname Emilio Del Toro, climbs the granite masterpiece Parquet (V5) at Triangular Lake.
Consider a visit to Triangular Lake during the “white nights” of June and July when the sun never sets, and you can ››
Just that morning, our rental car bum bled down a rough dir t road, deep in one of the Svetogorsk forests. Despite Russia’s grandeur, climbable rock is scarce, and climbers from Moscow frequently make the 12+ hour trek to Triangular Lake, just for the weekend. A few local climbers we met just a few hour s ago have arr ange d for us to stay in the only structure within miles of the area—the home of a local family. All we know is they spea k no Engl ish, there ’s no electricity or running water, and they’ve offered to house us for three weeks. Amazing! As we pull up to the oversized cabin, a flood of 20 people rush from all doors and balc onies , welc omi ng us wit h big grins and bear hugs. Through most ly hand gest ures, we lear n that Zan, Olga, and Babushka (grandmother) live a quiet life during the week , tend ing to the garden, coll ect ing berr ies and mushr ooms in the fore st, and tinkering with the house. On the weekends, friends from the city drive in with new stocks of food and vodka for two glorious days of debauchery. Each climbing day begins with pickles for breakfa st and a heaping plate of fried potatoes. We don’t leave the picnic table until Ba bushka is satisfied that we’ve e aten enough. She thinks my arms are too skinny and my cheeks need to fill out. I, on the other hand, am struggling more and more every day to get off the ground. Fried noodles, cabbagetopped fish pie, borscht with mayonnaise, buttery Karelia pies, and always more fried potatoes await us at each meal. We ca ll Triangula r Lake “the land of V9” because it seems to be the entry-level grade among the small community of climbers who make the long drive here. Among the vast granite playground hidden deep in the pine forest, you won’t find many developed problems harder than V9, but you also won’t find much to warm up on. Plenty of boulders await discovery, just be prepared to dig thr ough the forest, as the moss, mushrooms, and pines cover everything.
Beta The only way for foreigners to reach Triangular Lake is with help from locals; you’ll need detailed driving beta for the complex dirt roads, plus a permit to get past security checkpoints near the border. I used Facebook to find locals and ask about everything. I suggest the community Facebook page “Bouldermania LietLahti.” It’s the gateway for proactive climbers and travelers to access this crazy, remote area. MORE The Russian climbing crew has recently developed an app for Triangular Lake climbing. It’s free in the iTunes store (search for “Triangular Lake”), but it’s all in Russian. GET THERE
CLIMBING.COM
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BIG TRIP ISSUE
Paige Claassen scans the next pitch on Val di Mello’s 700-meter Qualido Wall in the Italian Alps.
Beta TIP SHEET project literally all day long. For cooler, crisper sending temps, target September. Travelers and locals alike must show a permit at two security checkpoints to reach the climbing area of Triangular Lake. Our Russian friends taught us to say “hi” (privet ), which I cheerfully said upon handing our permits over to the stern border guard. A bout of laughter later, I learned privet is a very casual “Hey, what’s up?”—not the best greeting for a Russian border guard. Instead, try ZDRAHStvooy-tyeh—yep, that’s why I chose privet .
Fly into Milan and drive north on highway SS36 then east on SS38, until Via del Molini takes you nor th to Val di Mello. STAY Plan to camp at Sasso Remenno (campingsassoremenno.com ) or Campeggio Ground Jack (groundjack.it ), or rent a room in town, which is wa lking distance from the climbing. SEASON September and October are typically dependable months, although we hit unusually rainy conditions during the September of our visit. GET THERE
››
ITALY “It’s usually not like this.” Fog. Mist. Humidity. Still air. Day after day the gray skies of the Italian Alps dampen our spirits. I’m in Italy visiting the CAMP headquarters and working on a new ultra-light women’s harness with the design team. My climbing objective for the month is up in the air because of the weather, until I stumble across Art Attack (5.14b), and the blank-looking slab sucks me in. We see it from the car as we drive on the country road to Val di Mello, a green and granite valley with big walls and boulders alike. Since Simone Pedeferri opened the 5.14b line in 2004, it hasn’t seen a repeat. We begin scraping lichen off the forgotten face. Climbing wet granite isn’t friendly on the skin or confidence. Projecting a 5.14b slab in the mist is even worse. The already-nonexistent feet feel like slick clay, and my moist skin won’t stick to the rock. I don’t believe in myself or a change in the weather. But I keep trying, because at the end of the month I don’t want to have any excuses. I tie in and make my way up the slab. Through the 5.12d section, into the smears, moving toward the crux. After about 40 attempts, I still haven’t climbed into the crux, but suddenly I’m sticking the iron-cross move, the down-campus, and the thumbdercling exit moves. I top out the slab, which ascends what is supposedly “Europe’s Largest Boulder” (it’s a huge freestanding stone, not part of a bigger cliff), and the second ascent of Art Attack is done.
24 | NOVEMBER 2014
ITALY
Pack for all styles of climbing, as Val di Mello hosts many great options for bouldering, sport, and multi-pitch climbing. If you’re up for a side trip, change of scenery, or you’re getting weathered out, it’s also a convenient central location for other crags in the region. The Lecco Valley is one hour south and boasts end››
A typhoon rolls in over the Pacific coast, creating big waves and an exciting warm-up at Jogasaki, Japan.
JAPAN “Arigatou gozaimasu!” The voice blares over the loudspeaker for the thousandth time. We sit at the neighborhood conveyor-belt sushi restaurant, the one with the animated eggplant logo. Fresh sushi is the most economical thing we can eat here, at $10 for two people. Alternatively, we could pay $5 for one apple at the market or $20 for a small bag of rice. We spend hours mulling over the oddities in the grocery store. Brightly colored packages with giggling cartoon logos hide the contents inside. The crag snacks are grim. Tiny dried fish. Processed crab products disguised as pastries. Fermented soy beans. In the cookie and candy aisle, everything is green tea flavored—that I can live with. Navigating the culinary curiosities is one thing, but finding dry rock to climb is an entirely different obstacle. Typhoon after typhoon sweeps away our dreams of projects. A glori ous bed of river-smoothed boulders in the peaceful Shosenkyo Gorge, two hours due west of Tokyo, taunts us. The swelling river swallowed my short-lived bouldering project, so we set to work salvaging Jon’s. A partially drowned landing and ominous rapid underneath the topout make for an exciting adventure once we finally reach the boulders. In the end, Jon comes away with the first ascent of Candy Crush, a remarkable V13 compression problem amidst the fiery autumn leaves. Japan’s climbers are strong and focused. In climbing, as in other walks of life, their approach is simple: Through self-discipline, strive for mastery. The results are obvious, as even beginner climbers seem to climb around the V8 level, quickly advancing to harder grades. Off the rock, we notice a similar ideal of perfection: spotless handrails on
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BIG TRIP ISSUE a busy staircase in Tokyo, beautifully manicured medians on the highway, pastries that shame even French croissants. When the Japanese choose to do something, they do it well—really well. Unfortunately, my month in Japan saw very little climbing, as typhoons drenched nearly all the country’s rock. I succumbed to projecting pushups and squeezing in a few training sessions in the Kofu City climbing gym.
Beta Claassen tries an open project near Qingdao, China, as smog adds a unique shade to the sunset.
Fly into Tokyo and drive 1.5 hours west to Kofu City, the nearest town to Shosenkyo Gorge, Ogawayama, and Mizugaki.STAY Japan is no cheap endeavor, but a monthly apartment rental in Kofu City, 30 minutes from Shosenkyo, brought our cost down significantly. Try contacting one of Tokyo’s climbing gyms, like Caramba (caramba.jp ), as a starting point. Onsen , a Japanese spa, also offers beds for rent in private rooms. EAT You could spend a fortune on fresh fruits and vegetables, but sushi on a budget is no problem (think: $10 total for two people). GET THERE
CHINA “We don’t go to that sea c liff. You must drive two hours through expensive tolls and hike two hours through a military camp. It’s not good for foreigners. They have dogs.” The sea cliff was the whole inspiration for our trip to eastern China—horizontal shelves of sandstone with waves crashing into the base below. But we can’t get there. After three consecutive months of rain in Russia, Italy, and Japan, we need to climb. My fingers feel weak, and I’ve lost my snap. I dream of hard routes, long lines, powerful moves, and endurance testpieces. But we need dry, accessible rock to climb. With friends Ben Spannuth, Rich Crowder, and my brother, Sam, visiting from home, we make the executive decision to pull the plug on climbing in Qingdao after a week of driving and hiking around without finding any special objective. We book tickets to Yangshuo, the mecca of limestone stalactites in southeast China’s Guangxi province, which has grown significantly in climbing popularity over the past 10 years. Yangshuo’s trendiness didn’t match up with the “off the beaten path” theme of our trip, but if I couldn’t rebuild fitness, I couldn’t climb well, and this entire round-the-world trip relied on me climbing my very best. Our first week in Yangshuo, I took myself out of project mode and into training mode. I tried to climb everything in sight, regardless of grade. I flailed my way up routes I would have considered warm-ups in the past. I wasn’t picky
26 | NOVEMBER 2014
TIP SHEET less sport and multipitch options in a warmer setting. Consider crossing the Swiss border an hour north, or drive a few hours east to the Dolomites. Beware of pizzocari , buckwheat pasta smothered in cheese and then more cheese. Best after a serious day in the mountains, not just a meager day of sport climbing. ››
Milan is no different from other busy cities. Plan your drive to and from the airport at lowtraffic hours, or prepare to be stuck in your car when you could be drinking affogatos (vanilla gelato topped with a shot ››
about conditions, reminding myself that just one more lap would pay off next week after my skin recovered. I destroyed myself, but it was some of the most fun climbing I’ve ever done. My fitness returned quickly, so I added projects back into my routine. After finishing China Climb (5.14b), I decided to aim for a style opposite to the slab project in Italy, and the Moon Hill arch presented the steepest, most physical challenge I could imagine. After hanging the draws on Sea of Tranquility (5.14a), which climbs the steepest part of the arch, I swore never to get back on the painful, dead-horizontal roof. But alas, the discomfort quickly slipped my mind, and I was back to suss beta within the hour. On a miracle burn the next day, I wrestled pythons—ahem, I mean tufas and stalactites—all the way to the chains, receiving beta from Ben on the exit moves that had resisted my efforts the day before. I was back!
Beta Fly to Hong Kong, then take a cab to the town of Yangshuo. STAY The Rockabond Inn (no website but check tripadvisor.com for info and reviews), owned by local powerhouse climber Abond, is the place to stay for visiting climbers—impeccably clean and conveniently located downtown but off the noisy main road. Abond and his partner Ting help climbers organize everything from taxis to the cliff to new routes to explore and dining options after climbing. EAT Yangshuo is as westernized as China gets. Expect eggs, toast, orange juice, and banana bread for breakfast, or keep it traditional with steamed buns and greens. Either way, you won’t be roughing it. GET THERE
P a i g e C l a a s s e n o n a r a r e f e m a l e a s c e n t o f t h e A m e r i c a ’ s f i r s t 5 .1 4 , T o B o l t o r N o t t o B e , a t S m i t h R o c k , O R P h o t o : R i c h C r o w d e r
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undercling
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SUPERNOVA
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A harness designed by a woman for women. The Supernova is the brainchild of athlete Paige Claassen who worked with CAMP R&D for two years to merge the elements of fit and features for elite female climbers. In the end, the Supernova is packed with exclusive features like a specially contoured waist belt that cups to the female form, modified edge-load construction to perfectly distribute the load, and our patented No-Twist belay loop and Flat Link elastic connecting the waist belt and leg loops.
Available at specialty outdoor retailers nationwide. camp-usa.com
BIG TRIP ISSUE
INDIA TIP SHEET “It doesn’t matter if you do something big or small, but you have to do it as if it matters.”
of hot espresso) instead. ECUADOR
A local Badami woman washes her family’s clothes in the village pond, which is covered in green algae.
A road trip through Ecuador is a simple way to explore the diverse landscape. Tick the beach, jungle, alpine tundra, volcanoes, plains, and plenty of rock off your checklist in a single day by renting a car and tackling the narrow but easily navigable roads. Just beware that local drivers have no fear and no rules when passing, especially on windy mountain roads! ››
Ruchira Gupta, Emmy Award winner and founder of Apne Aap Women’s Worldwide, explains the approach her Indian NGO takes to pull girls out of the sex-trade industry. Gupta is a symbol of tenacity in a world where hope and a future are treasured gi fts. I’m speaking with Gupta in her backyard in Delhi, moments before she hops on a flight to attend a conference in Nepal. She explains how the women she helps give her strength each day—strength to fight for the rights of women in India, to live courageously, even to battle breast cancer. Speaking with Gupta was perhaps the most powerful experience of our whole trip. Her message is simple. Find a way to brighten the lives of those around you, and pursue it with all your heart. As we wander thr ough the streets of Badami, the small village where we’re climbing, I feel eyes from every direction. Curious eyes, wondering why a girl wearing pants but not wrist bangles is walking down the main dirt road. Tourists arrive on buses, snap photos within the gated temple, and leave. Jon and I walk through the village at 4 a.m. each morning to climb for an h our before the sun comes up. Locals Tuhin Satarkar, 18, and Sandeep Maity, 20, have fingers of steel and the psych of a thousand Indian monkeys. They act as our guides, spouting proverbs of wisdom: Find drinking water here. Buy a scarf to cover up your shoulders; you can’t walk through town in your climbing clothes. You won’t get sick from the lassis (spiced yogurt drinks) here, but over there is bad. The monkeys will steal all your food and gear. I ignore one crucial piece of advice. During an evening walk to the temple, I just have to get a photo of the monkey with an oozing shoulder wound, the one you really wouldn’t want to touch you. I snap my photo, turn my back, and fall onto the brick floor, dropping my camera with a shriek. Before I can think, the monkey has leapt onto my back, grabbed trash out of my pack, and scampered away. Tuhin and Sandeep laugh, “Not so cute anymore, are they?” These cunning critters can also run thousands of laps on your project. Ganesh (5.14a) was the original inspiration
Choose Ecuador if you’re looking for a country to practice Spanish. Most Ecuadorians speak very clear Spanish and are patient with learners. ››
Ecuador is a prime February destination, a rarity for good sport climbing conditions. ››
Don’t stress about converting your cash: Ecuador uses the U.S. dollar, and prices are significantly cheaper. ››
INDIA
Food poisoning in India is tough to avoid. Take plenty of antibiotics with you, but as a climber, be careful which you choose. Commonly used Cipro can weaken tendons. Azithromycin is a good alternative, or simply charcoal pills (just don’t be alarmed when you poop black). ››
Be respectful of the local culture by sticking to conservative attire— women should avoid shorts and cover up shoulders with a jacket or scarf after a day of
for our trip because I had seen a video of Gerome Pouvreau climbing the immaculate sandstone bulges of India’s hardest sport climb while trip planning. I knew I had to do this route. Yet sitting on the plane between China and India, I began to question my objective. What was I thinking, comparing myself to Gerome, one of the most accomplished sport climbers in the world? We’d compared wingspans in a Facebook thread, and he told me my +5 ape index would technically be long enough for the opening span of Ganesh. But was I strong enough to generate momentum with my foot matched next to my hands? For six days, I rehearse the first move, over and over and over. I can’t latch the half-pad edge that rests 5’ 10” above my last hold. I tell myself it’s possible—I have one inch to spare, for goodness’ sake! We traveled to India for this one route, and I can’t even do the first move. Finally, my fingers stick. It is possible. After 50+ attempts, creeping closer and closer each time, my body has finally committed the move to muscle memory. The next day, I latch the first move and don’t let go until I sit on a ledge full of monkeys at the top. A few days later, Tuhin follows suit, becoming the first Indian to climb Ganesh. Witnessing this impressive mark in Indian sport climbing history from the little ledge below, looking out over the horizon that was about to welcome the sun, I know that we took on the challenge as if it mattered, just as Gupta instructed.
Beta
››
Book a resort or hotel in Badami, and then fly into the regional airport in Hubli, where your Badami accommodation will come pick you up. Badami is about 1.5 hours from Hubli, and it’s a small village with very few options for travelers. The Heritage Resort (theheritage.co.in ) is a bit pricey, but by far the cleanest choice, with private huts and a spotless restaurant. No need to rent a car, as the climbing is all within walking distance, or pay $1 for a rickshaw ride. GET THER E/STAY
How to cheer for your climbing buddies around the world: ITALY:
JAPAN:
RUSSIA:
SOUTH AFRICA:
CHINA:
INDIA:
ECUADOR:
Alé duro!
Gamba!
Davai, davai, davai! [pronounced dah-vie]
Lekker bru, that send was hectic!
Jia You! [pronounced chai-yo!]
Chalo chalo!
¡Fuerte!
28 | NOVEMBER 2014
TIP SHEET climbing, even if the heat is sweltering. The village of Badami in southern India offers a lifetime of rock. If you can stand the heat (it’s always hot), it’s worth the trip to sport climb, boulder, and place gear. The Heritage Resort is a comfortable accommodation option, with one of the few clean restaurants in town (though we still got sick). ››
Claassen had to work Ganesh (5.14a) before 8 a.m. every day to avoid India’s stifling heat.
TURKEY
Stock up on tasty and inexpensive oranges, pomegranate juice, and dried herbs at the weekend markets on the road ››
one of the world’s most picturesque yet vacant crags. I can’t believe no one else is here to take in the delicate, albeit razor-sharp crimps of this stunning sea crag in perfectly pleasant conditions. Only the crash of waves interrupts the still air as I top out Gangster (5.14a) in the Cennet sector. With bloodied tips, we trek back to an evening of cabbage salad and bitter Turkish tea. I also managed an ascent of Sarpedon (5.14a) in Geyikbayiri, but I miss my mom’s Christmas cinnamon rolls.
Beta Fly into Antalya, where you can rent a car or request a shuttle from your accommodation. STAY Kadir’s Tree Houses (kadirstreehouses.com ) offer a unique experience at Olympos, with actual tree house bungalows for rent with break fast, dinner, and Turkish tea provided each day. No car is necessary, just walk 10 minutes to any crag or the be ach. After a relaxing stay at Olympos, venture one hour north to Geyikbayiri, where you’ll find the main climbing scene with nearly 1,000 sport routes of every gra de. GET THERE
TURKEY “What are we supposed to do, lie here naked?” I’m slowly learning to expect strange bathing experiences in different countries, but this one tops the charts. Heather and Chris Weidner, our friends and fellow climbers from back home in Boulder, Colorado, have joined us for a month of climbing in Turkey. Heather has taken quickly to the steep limestone climbing, but her opinion of the Turkish bathhouse is yet to be determined. The Turkish bath, similar to ancient Greek and Roman bathing practices, became popular during the Victorian era, with a focus on relaxation and cleansing. I’m here for the historical experience in the 21st century, but I don’t dare inhale, for I will certainly suffocate from soap suds. I struggle to relax, but I’ve never had a giant woman in a black two-piece scrub me down—and so vigorously! I’m trying not to laugh, but 50+ naked women freely waddle around the ceramic dome room. This is normal, this is how people bathe here, I’m learning to adapt to different cultures, yet I’m trapped with a middle schooler’s mind: This scenario is comically absurd. These are the same women who wear headscarves and giant floral pants out on the street. In fact, Heather and I purchase a pair of our own flower pants, available in one size fits all, which are sure to garner snickers from the elderly women selling oranges in the market. I feel as though I’ve fallen back in time here, to a place where the simple things in life deserve more time and attention to detail than the hustle and bustle of the modern world. We step out of the bathhouse and onto the busy streets of Antalya before driving out to the countr yside, where we are once again pulled back in time. Ancient ruins surround us, and it looks like we’re in a time machine that can’t make up its mind on the decade. My mind drifts to what I might have been doing 3,000 years ago had I lived in the grand city of Aspendos. I imagine peering down on a theater performance from the hill above, or selling oil and salt in the market as many modern residents still do today, but certainly not climbing on seaside cliffs. It’s Christmas Day and normally I would be with my family, playing in the snow outside. Instead, Jon and I head to our projects at Olympos,
Claassen attempts Herejía (5.14a), a steep conglomerate sport route in Las Chilcas, Chile.
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BIG TRIP ISSUE
TIP SHEET between Antalya and Geyikbayiri. ›› Rent a car and an
apartment in Antalya if you want to have tons of climbing options and save a bit of money (but do a good bit of driving), or go for the mo re expensive climbers’ cottages in Geyikbayiri if you’ll be sticking around that area. JAPAN
The first ascent of Middle Earth , a 30-meter 5.13+ at 13,000 feet in Cajas National Park, Ecuador.
›› Fresh fruits and vege-
tables are practically unaffordable—we saw cantaloupe for $40! But fresh sashimi is basically a budget meal. ›› Respect is important
ECUADOR “Oh no, we never climb at Acantilado; it’s much too cold.” The locals warn us against the frigid conditions at 13,000 feet. I pessimistically expected tropical climbing and short volcanic rock in the equatorial jungle, but the Ecuadorian climbers I messaged with online were so enthusiastic about the higher crags that I couldn’t contain my curiosity. When local climber Christian Medina offers to take us to sport climbs in the cold alpine valleys at well over two miles above sea level, I don’t care what anyone says. I’m going. El Acantilado is a valley of vibrant green pastures. Llamas and alpacas graze on the steeply farmed hillsides, and Ecuador’s highest mountain, the inactive Chimborazo volcano, sits as the valley mantelpiece. Yet despite the fairy tale setting, our group of three enjoys the lengthy volcanic walls all to ourselves. I log Cinco Ocho as the best 5.13b I’ve ever climbed, but lockoffs on perfectly carved edges for 30 meters at 13,000 feet don’t come without a struggle. It’s hard just to breathe. We venture south toward the city of Cuenca, with Christian as our road trip guide. He explains the diversity of his small country, which is roughly the size of Colorado. Different accents mark each region, tiny lambs, or ovejitas, skip across the dirt roads, and gas station snacks trump the buffet at your local Whole Foods. From the sapphire-blue coastlines and craggy lagoons to the snow-dusted peaks of the highlands and family-run farms
30 | NOVEMBER 2014
in the Japanese culture. Easily express gratitude in any scenario—from the toll gates to grocery store checkout—with a slight bow and a smile. Arigatou! ›› Fall is typically ideal
for climbing, but plan for rain. On bad weather days, visit local shrines, temples, cemeteries, restaurants—even the barber. They’re all important pieces of Japanese culture. My favorites included small udon soup houses (I learned slurping is the appropriate way to cool down your noodles) and the Zenkoji temple in Kofu City. CHINA
›› Don’t worry about “ac-
cidentally” eating dog in China, as dog is a specialty meat served at a higher price than other offerings. Beef is a more common and inexpensive offering. ›› Eggplant dishes are
divine, and sour fishhead soup is well, interesting. Use caution at the $1.20 stir-fry stands, which are rumored to reuse the oil disposed from other restaurants.
scattered in between, I’m falling in love with a country I knew nothing about just a few days prior. And the best is yet to come. Daniel Duran, who owns the local C Tres climbing gym in Cuenca, tells us of an open project bolted by local developer Mickey Verduga in the alpine tundra of Cajas National Park, where condors and giant hummingbirds (the world’s largest, in fact) make their homes among jagged cliffs, glacier-fed waterfalls, and plentiful straw grass at 13,000 feet. As we drive farther into the mountains, the clouds sink lower and lower, weaving between the hills and towering rock formations. T he air grows colder with each turn. We park and walk up a short hill, and I look back frequently, expecting either the Lorax or Gandalf to pop out from around a shrub. Giant plumes of grass cover the floor beneath a white wall littered with orange lichen. I immediately rope up and start cleaning. Underneath the lichen and layers of volcanic dust are holds of every shape and size—a climber’s absolute dream. Over the following week, this mystical alpine tundra becomes our playground. We clean, climb, and try to bring our heart rates down to a manageable level. Before our time in Ecuador ends, we are able to add Middle Earth (5.13+) to the Cajas climbing scene.
Beta Fly into Quito for the cheapest tickets, Cuenca to be closer to the climbing. Road-tripping is a great way to see the small country of Ecuador, from the coast to the big mountains, rainforest, cities, and countryside. Car rentals are relatively expensive ($50/day and up), but gas is ch eap, as is the local cuisine— ceviche, tropical fruits, and empanadas are delicious and everywhere. Stay Use Airbnb to find an apartment rental in Cuenca. MORE Don’t miss climbing at El Acantilado, one of the most scenic and serene areas I’ve visited, with marvelous volcanic sport lines. Learn more and reach out to locals for specific advice on the “Climbers of Ecuador” Facebook page. GET THERE
CHILE “Did you feel the tremors last night?” Each morning begins by assessing the previous night’s earthquake. At first I thought we would be swallowed into giant openings that appeared in the city, but I quickly realize that part of a good night’s sleep in Santiago involves a swaying building. Even though it’s a bustling metropolis of 6 million people, it’s not hard to get out, and fellow pro climber Matias Meyerholz carts us around to his favorite climbing spots. From conglomerate sport climbing at Las Chilcas to thoughtprovoking slab wrestling at El Arrayán, small pockets of climbing en velop the city. But Cajon del Maipo trumps them all, a narrow canyon filled with mountain streams, huasos (Chilean horseman), and cotton candy sunsets. Although we don’t have much time to spend in Cajon del Maipo, I immediately notice the diversity of climbing this valley has to offer. Technical, smeary sport climbs, multi-pitch gear routes ascending orange and turquoise volcanic rock, and an enormous field of boulders just below El Volcán. The valley is truly a playground for rock climbers, and gale-force winds whipping through branching corridors provide essential friction. We learn quickly to bring a warm jacket despite the balmy conditions in Santiago. But my favorite climbing experience in Chile actually occurs in the gym. Nonprofit VE Global supports children at social risk in Santiago by planting volunteers who serve as mentors, educators, and advocates of social justice. The children in VE-supported (Voluntarios de la Esperanza, or Volunteers of Hope) residential homes have suffered abuse, neglect, and abandonment, but VE provides alternate activities and role models for a more positive future. Climbing played a huge
role in my life as a kid, building self esteem and a strong work ethic, so I was excited to take a few of VE’s girls to the climbing gym in Santiago—and even more excited when I watched them smile and laugh as they crushed. Chile was best experienced by scopi ng out as many crags as possible, rather than projecting at just one. We climbed a ton, but the first female ascents of Geko (5.13c/d) and Por Belenos (5.13c/d), both at El Arrayán, were two of my favorite ascents.
Beta
TIP SHEET
GET THERE/S TAY Fly
“Fishing pills,” or charcoal, can help ease diarrhea in a pinch and are available at local pharmacies; just clutch at your stomach and this will be the first thing you’ll be handed. ››
Taxis and rickshaws are the most convenient and relatively cheap ways to get around; forget about driving a car in the insanely busy streets. ››
CHILE
The Chilean dialect is very different, so try to learn the differences before visiting. Beer is chela not cerveza , and don’t mention taco when you’re hungry— you’ll get a traffic jam. ››
Local restaurants offer onces , or afternoon tea, between 5 and 8 p.m., with tea, coffee, pastries, and sandwiches. Only 30 percent of Chileans do dinner, but restaurants offer it from 8 to 12 at night. ››
The La Mina sector in Cajon del Maipo, Chile, offers techy sport climbing, airy trad routes, and phenomenal bouldering.
Nonprofits
and supporting their families. crowdrise.com/ leadnowtourrussia
SOUTH AFRICA:
Room to Read increases students’ access to reading material in their native language—a crucial goal in a country where 80 percent of students don’t have a library nearby. Rural schools suffer from overcrowding and poor infrastructure. crowdrise. com/southafrica-roomtoread
RUSSIA:
Women’s World Banking assists low-income women in getting access to microloans that allow them to create sustainable businesses. Customers use loans differently, but all have the goal of making a decent living
ITALY:
Save the Children works to end malnutrition by providing home, school, and community programs that change eating practices, provide nutrientrich food, and promote healthier choices by influencing policy change. crowdrise.com/ leadnowtouritaly JAPAN:
When flash floods devastated Colorado’s Front Range, where many of our friends, family, and favorite crags are, we switched things up and devoted October and November to flood relief. The American Red Cross supports
immediate rescue operations by providing food, shelter, rescue supplies, care, and comfort to stranded flood victims. crowdrise.com/ leadnowtourcolorado
CHINA:
Foothills United Way is committed to longterm floodrelief efforts as a result of the September 2013 floods in Colorado’s Front Range. Funds raised go to support health and human services in Boulder and Broomfield counties in the years of flood recovery ahead. crowdrise.com/ leadnowtourcoloradoflood
INDIA:
Apne Aap is a grassroots organization based in India
into Santiago and use Airbnb to find an affordable apartment rental. Camping in Cajon del Maipo is permitted, or stay in a refugio like Lo Valdes (refugiolovaldes.com ) for convenient access to climbing. A car is essential, but we found navigation particularly difficult in Santiago compared to other cities. Bring a GPS.
BACK HOME That day in the Chilean gym brought back memories of my first time climbing, and how I’ve felt every day since. We get to the top of the wall and feel relief, accomplishment, and pride. Whether we have climbing walls, soccer balls, or a library full of books, each of us has that inner child who longs to live out his or her dream. By sharing motivation and encouragement, we can support one another in our ambitions at home, on the road, in the climbing gym, or at school or work. This is what climbing teaches me, what my trip affirmed, and what I’m grateful for every day. Friends from home warned that after so much travel, I would find it difficult to feel content at home. In reality, exposure to so many incredible sites around the world—from climbing to exotic animals to strange customs to new friends—forced me to soak in all the details. I’m now much more observant and appreciative of the subtleties that make my Colorado home just another world-class destination.
that helps women and girls get out of the sex-trafficking industry. Founded by 22 women in prostitution, this group helps females work together to know what their rights are and how to fight for them. crowdrise.com/ leadnowtourindia
TURKEY:
CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere) is an international humanitarian agency that focuses on getting women and children out of poverty by tackling the underlying causes through community-based efforts. These efforts include improving basic education, finding quality healthcare, and increasing economic opportunity so people can
become self-sufficient. crowdrise.com/ leadnowturkey ECUADOR:
Heifer International works with communities, rural organizations, and small farmers to end hunger and poverty and take care of the planet. Through Heifer’s “passing on the gift” mantra, families who receive livestock, seeds, or training can pass it on to other families in need. crowdrise. com/leadnowtourecuador
CHILE:
VE Global recruits, trains, and organizes international volunteers to work with Chilean at-risk youth. Learn more at crowdrise.com/ leadnowtourchile .
A classic view from Lake Pehoe of Cuernos del Paine in Torres del Paine National Park, in South Patagonia, Chile.
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THE
BIG TRIP ISSUE
Everyday Paine By Andrew Bascue
Uncovering South Patagonia’s secret moderates
T
I K S N I Z Y D S A E L T H R T U I O E C K
he wind was a phantom, raking across the Central Tower and curling into the grooves of the heavily textured orange granite, haunting every move and chilling us to the bone. It ripped back on itself, building speed through the gap between the North and Central towers. As the sun began to rise, rays etched an outline of the Central Tower on the enormous east face of Cerro Escudo far across the valley. I could imagine my position way down on the edge of the shadow. Little hairs on my neck stood on end as I contemplated the vertical distance to the summit. I belayed André Labarca up the third pitch of the Central Tower’s über-classic Bonington-Whillans (V 5.10, A1, 800m), wondering if we could climb 15 more pitches in this wind and survive the trip back to the ground again. I mean, we’re just everyday climbers.
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BIG TRIP ISSUE CHILE
Tucked into a corner of Chilean Patagonia, sandwiched between the border with Argentina and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, Torres del Paine National Park is the definition of isolation. Paine [pie-nay] is on the 51° south parallel, making it the world’s southernmost climbing area outside of Antarctica. The massif is a quiver of granite spires, hemmed in by milky turquoise lakes fed by rivers so clean you can drink righ t from them. The trio of Paine towers was “discovered” about 150 years ago, but word spread slowly. Alps-trained Europeans started putting up lines in the late 1950s, and the towers have had climbers licking their chops ever since. The 3,000- to 4,000-foot walls are so big and steep that most of the routes were climbed with siege tactics and aid climbing over weeks or months during short spurts of climbable weather. First ascent parties tagged their routes with names like Alfombra Majica (Magic Carpet Ride, VI 5.10, A3+, 800m), La Ballena de los Vientos (The Whale of the Winds, VI 5.10b, A3, 900m), and Riders on the Storm (VI 5.12d, A3, 1,100m) to help us understand what they went through. When you hear about Paine, chances are you’ll hear h ow hard-as-nails Belgium climbers freed 30-pitch 5.12 routes or madmen climbed A4+ big walls for a month in winterlike conditions. What most people don’t know is that you don’t have to be a world-class alpinist to put Paine on your bucket list. You don’t even have to be a high-altitude climber because the summits top out at 10,000 feet. Beta trickles out slowly, and it seems like no one talks about the host of shorter and easier routes that can be done by moderately strong climbers with decent mountain sense. I was just such a climber when I arrived in Puerto Natales, the jumping-off point for Paine, with nothing but a backpack and a dream to live abroad. I scored a job pretty quickly when Baguales Brewpub hired me to manage their restaurant—the best beer and burger joint in town (if I do say so myself ). I made a bunch of friends through my buddy Chino Parada and moved into a house with some other dudes in town. Local climber André Labarca and I became regular partners, and soon I was helping him with his project to develop routes on the nearby smaller conglomerate crags. Of course, I dreamed of climbing in Paine but always doubted I could. I had climbed big walls in Yosemite and Zion but had never done long alpine-style free climbs. André had been making ascents in Paine for more than a decade, and he thought I’d make a great partner for some big routes. By the beginning of
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PATAGONIA TICK LIST THE BEST MODERATES IN TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK
West Face, Aleta de Tiburon/Shark’s Fin (III 5.8), 1,000’, standard rack La Aleta is a gem. From the very center of Valle Frances it offers quality rock and choose-yourown-adventure climbing that never gets harder than 5.8. It is the easiest and most straightforward pure rock climb in Paine. Combine that with the serene seclusion high in the French Valley and you will find a truly classic alpine climb. Approach from the trail to Campamento Brittanico and cross several rivers to gain an elevated, wooded plateau. Set up basecamp on flat ground under a canopy of lenga trees. Hike toward the west face and rope up at the highest point of moraine against the wall. The face has various routes—pick your line and start climbing.
Southeast Ridge, El Gemelo Este/The East Twin (III 5.10-), 1,300’, standard rack One of the last formations to be climbed in Paine, the twin peaks sit at the very back of Valle Frances and are only seen by climbers who venture high into the valley. El Gemelo Este is the higher of the two peaks, and the Southeast Ridge offers great climbing with short cruxes. Gain the ridge by three pitches of low-angle climbing on the right side of the face, and then scramble for three pitches to the business of four vertical pitches to the summit.
Torres del Paine National Park Puerto Natales
Punta Arenas
the next climbing season he had me convinced, and we came up with a plan. At the end of one winter, we made a frigid approach to the base of towers high in Valle Silencio where we cached a haulbag worth of gear: rope, rack, sleeping bags, stove, fuel, etc. We lived right in town, so we could go about our lives while we waited for the cherry weather to come. The plan was to wait for an opening in the forecast, drive up to the park, do the eight-hour approach, bivy at the base, blast up the next morning, and then return home on day three to be back at work after a “three-day weekend” and an enormous climb. In early January 2010 we spotted a 72-hour period of dry but windy weather coming in on the forecast. Our moment had arrived.
We drove in from across the windswept pampas, and the sight of the towers was terrifying. The sheer walls, the singular granite summits, the wind, the last month of partying instead of training… I kept my mouth shut, but my stomach dropped. The next day at sunrise, part way up the Central Tower, I was struggling to believe our plan was going to work. I was still ti red from the approach, and the haunting wind hissed threats about the enormity of pitches left to climb and descend. Looking back, I don’t remember the details of the first few pitches aside from a funky traverse, bad rope drag, and a lost cam. The wind and I squatted together on the ledge for half an hour, giving slack and fighting the urge to pull down and yell to André that he should lower
Terrain of Paine MODERATE ROUTES ARE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE DIFFERENT VALLEYS OF THE PAINE MASSIF. SEE “TICK LIST” FOR SELECTED ROUTE DETAILS.
André Labarca simulclimbing near the summit of Central Tower with a little help from the Patagonian wind.
E U C S A B W E R D N A
BIG TRIP ISSUE CHILE
Climbers in the Red Dihedral pitches of the Bonington- Whillans route on Central Tower. The original wooden wedges are barely visible in the crack above the climber in green.
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A D E J O L U C E S S A L O C I N
and we should bail. Nothing made sense in my mind, and I struggled to pull away from the sticky gloom in my head. A sickly feeling swelled in my throat. The wind was right: I was wrong to be here. I felt weak. The rope came tight; I cleaned up the belay and started moving. When I arrived at the next anchor, André mentioned that I had f ollowed the pitch muy rapido. I had no sense of time and hadn’t noticed. I looked up and for the first time could see the route sweeping up the wall above us. A big slab led to a roof that was topped by a sexy redorange corner. The wind was demonic, but the chill had been cut by the morning sunlight. André’s comment about climbing fast was like an enormous eraser, wiping clean the chalkboard of my mind where I had been scrawling self-defamations in overdramatic scri bbles. Maybe I could do this. I took the rack and ran out the delicate slab above (images of a tiny cam and a rusty pin still stick with me). Before I knew it, I was clipping fixed pins in the roof and then pulling into the red-orange corner above. The rope came tight, and I had climbed 60 meters out of mental darkness and self-doubt. The first ascent of Central Tower had been more than 50 years ago in January 1963. Chris Bonington, British mountaineering superstar, was in his early 20s when he and Don Whillans, who would go on to design the first modern sit harness, tagged the summit after months of battling wind and snow. It was a time when climbers wore woolen knickers and hobnailed boots, an era when twisted nylon ropes were state of the art. In the Red Dihedral pitches above the roof, I placed perfect gold Camalots next to Bonington’s two-inch wooden “pitons” that still adorn the line. One pitch higher, we stopped to refuel on a sunny ledge with a view of vertical miles of orange granite and miles of glimmering glaciers. We checked the topo, noting the difficulty of each coming pitch. There were many remaining, but we kept telling each other, “ Facil, es todo facil.” (It’s all easy from here.) Recharged, we swung leads from the ledge to reach the shoulder of the tower by early afternoon. In 1973, the same year Yosemite Valley rats were putting up sunny lines like Mescalito and Tangerine Trip, a team of South Africans attacked the 4,000-foot virgin east face of Central Tower. At the time, it was the largest pure r ock route e ver climbed. It took them months of effort and thousands of feet of fixed rope to arrive at the shoulder of the tower. Whillans had advised them, “Don’t be deceived; when you think you have gotten to the summit, you still have a few more hours to go.” From the shoulder, we simul-climbed through icy sections and long runout slabs. We climbed up to the first summit and were destroyed to see another higher point to the west. The wind hissed Whillans’ words
The Bonington Cave is the closest cave bivy to the west faces of the towers.
PATAGONIA TICK LIST Rap to the west into the col between the twins; you should find anchors every 30 meters. Approach as for Aleta de Tiburon but stay in the valley floor, working over dry glaciers and moraine for another hour to the base of the route.
Regular Route, Cuerno Principal/ Main Horn (III 5.8), 1,500’, standard rack You will see Cuerno Principal in almost every photo of the park (see p. 32); the iconic black horn towers over azure lakes across the valley from the glaciated east face of Paine Grande. Though the climbing is easy, the circuitous route took decades to be unlocked and repelled some of the best climbing suitors to visit Paine in the early years. Approach to Campamento Italiano and hike directly uphill. At treeline find a low-angle couloir on the right side of the southwest flank. Ascend this to where the granite meets the dark shale band and traverse left on fourth class terrain to the north/northeast aspect. Here, find your way up somewhat loose mid– to low–fifth class terrain for 800 feet to the summit. Rappel or downclimb the route.
Monzino Route, Torre Norte/North Tower (IV 5.10-), 1,200’, standard rack
Y S E T R U O C
The Monzino was the first ascent line on the North Tower. Climbed in 1958, it is perhaps the most traveled route in all of Paine. Three pitches of technical climbing are separated by lots of fourth class
in our ears. Simul-climbing with the wind wringing tears from our eyes, we followed historic footprints past a second false summit and then to the true top. Somehow this average climber had managed to top out one of the greatest rock climbing objectives in the world. I’d been digging deep to shed layers of looming self-doubt, and the wind was filling its place with something soul-nourishing. For André it was a special moment. He h ad completed the trifecta. Fifteen years earlier, at 20, he’d climbed both the North and South towers in a single season. On top of Central Tower, he had become one of the few to cli mb all three spires. André often told me his favorite quote: “Don’t go to the mountain with intentions to conquer her; allow her to conquer you.” Conquer but not destroy you, I say. The wind was picking up, and we could see low-pressure clouds moving in from the west. We needed to go down. An hour into the descent, we got the ropes stuck before we reached the shoulder. I climbed back up twice to free them while André collected a liter of water from melting snow—huge bonus. Two raps later, we pulled a rock down and badly damaged the tag line. Stars twinkled overhead. The ropes flapped like sails in a gale as we fought our way down. While on the slab pitch, still hundreds of feet from the ground, the wind dragged the climbing rope off into the night when we pulled it. Forced to make short rappels with shreds of the tag line, we fixed many intermediate anchors to the base. We reached our bivy after 26 hours in the wind with the gray pall of a fresh storm obscuring the starry sunrise, tired but content.
Climbing the Bonington-Whillans taught me a lot about reading the forecast. We had nailed the window perfectly. After crashing at our bivy for a few hours, we woke to light snow and a very low cloud ceiling. Our opportunity had been very precise. We had approached in fine warm weather after a short period of bad weather. If we had climbed a day earlier, it’s likely that the snow from the previous storm would have been melting and sloughing off loose rocks and ice on us. If we had been any later we would have gotten shut down c ompletely. The wind was fierce on the climb, but we knew it would be from the forecast. What I didn’t know was how deeply the wind would erode my psyche with its constant nagging buffets and nay-saying whispers in my ears. I should have visualized that before the climb to have a better experience. We also should
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PATAGONIA TICK LIST terrain. The granite is impeccable. Approach to Campamento Japonese and set up basecamp. Hike into Valle Silencio via the climbers’ trail. When directly below Col Bich (the saddle between the North and Central towers), scramble up the talus to the left of the snowy couloir, steering clear of the smooth slabs. Continue uphill to the base of the North Tower and traverse right 200 yards to an abrupt ridge. Climb to the top of this ridge and continue along its crest until you are forced into the couloir, then continue uphill to the col between the North and Central towers. Here, follow fixed pins for two short pitches (5.8 and 5.10-) to the loose shoulder. Work uphill, staying to the left of the main ridge and ascending a few short 5.6 corners. At the summit block, climb runout 5.8 for 40 feet to old pins and then to the top. Rap the route, glissade the snow couloir (also a debris funnel), or reverse the talus approach.
Beta GET THERE
Fly to Punta Arenas, Chile. Make a reservation online for a transfer from the airport to Puerto Natales (go to bussur.cl for rates and schedule). Failing that, you’ll need to pay for a taxi ride to downtown Punta Arenas and catch
Lush lenga forests line the bottom of Paine’s deeply carved valleys. Approaches are long but beautiful.
a bus from there. Spend a night in Puerto Natales, and then catch a bus to Torres del Paine National Park. Tip: Hire a van for the flexibility to go to headquarters for your permit and back to the trailhead; this could save you a day. Contact Hernan Jofre at Antares Patagonia to arrange ($280, antarespatago- nia.com ).
SEASON
The U.S. winter is Chile’s summer. December through February are the best times to climb. The days are long, with as many as 18 hours of daylight. March through May are wet but slightly less windy. RED TAPE
You need a permit to climb in Paine (free and
easy to obtain). Before you travel, request permission from the Chilean Foreign Ministry at difrol.cl . You’ll get a response in two weeks via email. Once you enter the park, go to headquarters, or adminis- tración , for a permit. You need a copy of your DIFROL permission, passports, and proof of rescue insurance for
each climber. Become a member of the American Alpine Club (AAC) and get automatic insurance; your AAC card is proof enough. Beware that if you do need a rescue, the AAC insurance will only cover you if you call them first. Consider bringing a sat phone for this reason. STAY
While you’re in the park,
you’ll be camping at your basecamp. Some paid campsites, however, offer hot showers, warm meals, staple foods, and beer. In Puerto Natales there are more than 100 hostels. Prices range from as low as $7 per night and up. Reserve a night at Erratic Rock (errati- crock.com ), the sister hostel Base Camp, the
E U C S A B W E R D N A
D E E R A R A T
have known to make shorter rappels in the wind. When we lost the rope, we not only lost the use of it, but we also left a piece of trash high on an alpine wall—it still bothers me. Over the next year living in Puerto Natales, I became close friends with another local, Tomás Marucic. Tomás’ dad Pepe was a local horseman who had worked closely with two decades of climbing expeditions in Paine. Tomás literally grew up in Torres del Paine National Park in the shadow of the towers—Pepe homeschooled him in a tent at basecamp. Tomás met most of the world-class climbers of the 1980s and ’90s, and his training reflects their style. The barn behind his house has a wickedly steep wooden bouldering cave wi th large granite blocks for free weights, and old tapes of Russian heavy metal blare from an ancient stereo. A year after climbing Central Tower, André and I teamed up with Tomás to climb the Aste Route (VI 5.10 A1) on South Tower. We bivied in a tight little nook known as the Bonington Cave about three hours from the base of the route. The week before the climb, Tomás had left his gear in his garage, and a tomcat had pissed all over his sleeping bag. The cramped cave was suffocating with the stench, but we laughed and joked and fell asleep with burning eyes. At 2 a.m. we woke up and set out, picking our way through the moraine by the light of the moon. We wer e on the route just as the first orange rays began to light the summits around us. As a team of three, we shared the loads and passed the time at belays chatting and joking. The air moved around us gently, like a kind hand giving us right-of-way to the top. We reached the shoulder before noon and stripped down to base layers under a blazing sun, laughing and gagging as little whiffs of cat piss came off Tomás’ clothes. The upper pitches were beautifully clean orange cracks and steep, super-textured slabs. Exposure, teamwork, weather—all perfec t. At the top, Tomás led us up the yellow-orange summit block. The view was amazing. The late afternoon sunlight glistened off the icefields to the west, and Fitz Roy was clearly visible 100 miles to the north. Tomás had climbed his first tower—a powerful moment after growing up in the shadow of the mountain. André relived the summit he’d visited 15 years earlier, and I’d just climbed all three towers in two years—not too shabby for a guy who grew up in New Jersey doing 5.10s for most of his climbing career. It was a long moment of pure happiness for all of us. We rappelled in the dark, dozing for 20-second spells with a hand on the rappel line, waiting for a partner to unweight the rope. At dawn, four pitches from the ground, we snagged a rope in a chossy chimney and were left with just one. For the next rappel I made a garbage
Tin House Patagonia (tinhousepatagonia. com ), Lili Patagonicos (lilipatagonicos.com ) or Spacio Kau (kaulodge. com ). Spacio Kau is a Climbing mag favorite; it’s above a coffee shop/ gear shop/restaurant/ tour service. Each place can help arrange your transport to the park and will hold a bag while you’re off climbing.
FOOD
Stock up in Puerto Natales before you head to the national park. You’ll find supermarkets, pharmacies, fruit stands, and butchers. Many stores sell gas canisters and white gas (bencina blanca ). For replacement gear and freeze-dried meals, go to Alfgal. On the main plaza (Plaza de Armas),
get a microbrew beer and a burger at Baguales Brewpub (cer- vezabaguales.cl ), a killer pizza at Mesita Grande (mesitagrande.cl ), or delicious sandwiches at Masay. Base Camp has great slow-cooked food every evening. Visit Spacio Kau for real coffee (not Nescafe). GEAR
On the route you could
PATAGONIA TICK LIST
Mate, a traditional South American tea, is a basecamp staple.
Taller del Sol, North Tower (IV 5.10c), 1,200’, doubles to #4, one #5, two 60m ropes A direct, sustained crack and chimney system splits the north face and deposits you at the base of the summit block. It’s the best free climb I’ve ever done. Bring a few large cams and kiss your guns for good luck at the base. Excellent protection throughout and bolted anchors make for a straightforward rappel. Approach as for Monzino until you reach the base of the North Tower. Locate the wide crack on pitch four and begin at the base of this system. Beware that Ultima Esperanza (5.10+ A2) follows a line just to the left, and it’s easy to get off route into this harder terrain.
Regular Route, Almirante Nieto (III 5.7), 2,500’, nuts, small cams, 60m rope This was the first technical climb done in Paine way back in 1937. It is a mountain route with lots of scrambling and a 100-foot pitch of 5.7 midway. You only
be in short sleeves at 1 p.m. then rappel in a blizzard at 1 a.m.—plan your layers accordingly. Opt for layers that block the wind as much as possible. Don’t leave the ground without a pair of Windstopper gloves. Wear socks under your climbing shoes or shoes with integrated gaiters. For approaches, bring shorts or zip-off pants,
intermediate anchor in blown-out flakes that somehow held all three of us long enough to re-thread the rope and get to a ledge below. We touched down at the base in full daylight, happy to change out of damp climbing shoes. Finally at 8 a.m., we rolled back into the cave, greeted by the lingering stench of Tomás’ sleeping bag. A week later, Tomás held an asado at his house. We drank white wine from a honey dew melon and feasted on lamb roasted on a spit over an open fire. A real Patagonian celebration. At the party, André showed us the original report by Italian Armando Aste, who in 1963 had made the first ascent of South Tower by the route that bears his name. The story mentions a hanging bivy at the top of pitch five where he and his partners shared a can of beer. All three of us recalled having seen the rusted beer can stuffed into the back of
a hat, and sunblock. For climbs listed here, bring a single set of cams from #0 to #3, nuts, multiple slings, a 60-meter rope, and webbing or cordage to replace older rappel anchors. If you’re climbing routes not listed here, consider cams from #00 to #6 with doubles in the #0.3 to #3 range, a double set of nuts—
expect to lose a few to beef up rappel stations—and extra slings, webbing, or cordage for anchors. For ropes, include at least two 60-meter ropes, 9.8mm or fatter, with a burly sheath. Don’t pack a worn rope, the granite will tear it to pieces. Trekking poles are clutch for crossing snow-dusted moraine.
BIG TRIP ISSUE CHILE
a crack. On the descent, I had plucked a soft iron piton from a crack and snagged a steel carabiner from another pin. Photos of the expedition show Aste wearing a bandolier o f the same pins and biners. I was in awe. Having those old pieces of iron in my home in Puerto Natales kindled an interest to learn about those that had passed before me.
PATAGONIA TICK LIST
Paine, but I found it scattered across the world in thousands of pages i n journals and magazines. Over the years I began to assemble a catalog of the routes. Turns out that the majority of routes have never seen a second or third ascent. Topos are scribbled in the margins of the climbers’ log at Torres del Paine National Park headquarters. There are topos without descriptions and descriptions without a topo. Threads of stories dead-end. I started to track down the leads, digitize the topos, and assemble the timeline to paint a full picture of the place I love so much. When I started collecting beta, I found the well-documented routes were mostly enormous aid climbs. Very little was documented on routes that could be done free in a day. Maps were printed for hikers. They didn’t show the climbers’ trails, bivies, or route locations. Details on permits, where to stay, how to get around, and what gear is best weren’t easy to find. So I decided to create a guide. I’ve been researching it for years and will publish Climb Paine: Routes, History, Potential in early 2015. It’s part love letter, part history, part guide for the everyman climber, and it’s loaded with beta, maps, and topos. Whether you’re a hardman or just a normal guy like me, I hope it inspires you to go experience it for yourself.
need a light mountain rack, and the reward is the best view o the massi you can get. Fun, un, un! Approach to Campamento Torres and hike up the trail toward the Mirador Base de Las Torres or 20 to 30 minutes. Find a climbers’ trail on the let where the path crosses a aint s tream. Follow vague but discernible paths through low bushes or ive or so minutes to a sandy gully. Hike up the slope to the let and aim toward the wide couloir on the northeast aspect o the mountain. Ascend this couloir to a ridge and move right uphill. Rope up at the base o a low-angle wall and ollow the path o least resistance to an anchor just above a short right-acing corner (sometimes there is a ixed rope here). Hike arther to a short scramble in a narrow couloir and continue to the top, inding your way over short rock steps and open snowields. Descend the route the same way you came up.
tinue.’ On the next page in the row or ‘Meteorogram,’ select ‘GFS Model (0-192h, 3hrly, Global, pressure)’ and then click ‘Go.’ On the ollowing page, just click ‘Next.’ On the next page click ‘Deault with winds’ and ‘Speed and direction,’ leaving everything else as-is. At the bottom o the page, type in the access code
and click ‘Get Meteorogram.’ Reading the orecast: Along the bottom o the page is a time scale or the hours rom present time and days o the week. First look at the bottom graph or pressure; you are generally looking or pressure o 1010 hPa or higher or more than 24 hours consecutively. Have a look at the top graph to
There is a rich history of climbing in
FORECASTING
How to nail the ickle weather windows The most powerul tool is NOAA’s Global Forecast System. Go toready.arl.noaa.gov and click on ‘Meteorological Tools.’ On the n ext page, enter latitude and longitude coordinates -51° and -73.5°, respectively, and then click ‘Con-
The South Tower’s Aste Route takes the ridge lef o center. The blank north ace is wide open or potential, but it’s blasted by the wind.
see i precipitation is possible. Then look at wind speed and direction. The best wind scenario is single-digit wind speed coming rom the southwest or south. Combined with orecast graphs, orecast maps are also useul in understanding the weather that is on its way. You can get maps at http:// tinyurl.com/n3c4hvx .
Click on any o the green dots, then on the next page click ‘Loop’ next to ‘Precip/SLP’ to see the orecast played out. This map gives you pressure and precipitation as it is orecast to come your way. Regardless o the best orecasting tool, you will experience wind and weather in Paine. Augment any orecasts with
common sense. Ater a storm you might have to burn a day o nice weather waiting or ice and snow to slough o the walls beore starting up. In 1992’s American Alpine Journal, Mikel Piola wrote, “To succeed in Patagonia, whether one uses ixed ropes or not, one needs moral strength and the will to climb in bad weather.”
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A Perfect Mediterranean Feast With super-sized helpings of moderate sport climbs, pristine beaches, and blissful coastal sunlight, you won’t go hungry in Sardinia.
42 | NOVEMBER 2014
By Dougald MacDonald
THE
BIG TRIP ISSUE
A
t the parking area above a quarter-moon cove, near the seaside resort and climbing hub of Cala Gonone, beachgoers unloaded coolers and um brellas from their cars. A tour guide ordered his charges to line up for the stairs down to the beach. White limestone buttresses lined the coast and the canyon heading inland from the sea. But where were those oliveskinned Italian gods and goddesses I’d seen in photos of Sardinian climbing, stretching between pockets on massive overhangs? The few climbers in sight dangled from vertical 5.8 and 5.9 routes by the sea. Sardinia was the first of the Mediterranean “sun rock” destinations, where va cationing Eur opeans heade d south to escape rainy nor thern cities. Climbing here date s back more than 70 years, and the first sport routes appeared in the 1990s. But these days many climbers flock to newer Mediterranean hot spots like Kalymnos in Greece, Mallorca in Spain, and Sicily in Italy. It’s not that Sardinia lacks impressive climbing. Friends were quick to recommend the 470-foot Aguglia di Goloritzé spire, the five-pitch sea cliffs by Cala Gonone’s Millennium Cave, and the roofs and overhangs of Isili. The famous Hotel Supramonte, a 10-pitch 5.13d that’s one of Italy’s hardest long routes, rises up just a few miles from Cala Gonone. But even though we arrived in mid-May during perfect climbing weather, sunbathers far outnumbered craggers. Sardinia’s casual, uncrowded vibe suited our team of five just fine. For this group of old friends, eating, drinking, and relaxing in a semiexotic spot were at least as important as sending, and as we beelined toward those easy sport climbs by the beach, I knew we’d come to the right place. With its varied crags and easily accessible boating and hiking, a trip to Sardinia is like a traditional Italian dinner, with many courses at the same setting. And as I was about to learn, you can still stuff yourself with many small helpings.
ANTIPASTO
O T O H P I C C U T I T A P
With dozens of sunbathers below, a climber gets high above the Mediterranean on the Aguglia di Goloritzé, Sardinia.
Swaying blooms of yellow ginestra bushes lined the road as we drove 90 minutes from the airport at Olbia to Cala Gonone. A modern highway traverses Sardinia, an island the size of New Hampshire, but the smaller roads twist through the mountainous terrain like a Coney Island roller coaster. We hadn’t seen the sea for an hour when a signpost for Cala Gonone pointed through a tunnel in a mountain. On the far side, we emerged into a vast bowl of limestone-studded hills, the ocean stretching across the horizon from rim to rim. A narrow road stair-stepped down tornanti hairpins toward the orange tile roofs of the village. Nearby Cala Fuili was the perfect climbing appetizer. A shore road led a couple of miles from town to a long set of stairs down to a cobbled beach. On the far side rose a 60-foot prow of limestone with 5.8 to 5.10 routes, the best of which was Spigolo Fuili (5.9), where plates of firm but polished limestone and shallow cracks led up the left side of an arête. Facing the rock, it was easy to forget where you were. But then you’d glance over your shoulder and be startled by the sea, less than 50 yards away, shining the dazzling blue of dreams and Disney cartoons.
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BIG TRIP ISSUE SARDINIA
Rahel Schelb on Captain Shakespeare (6c+/5.11c), in the Biddiriscottai cave.
At lunchtime we hiked up the twisting stony bed of the Codula Fuili, the canyon leading inland from the sea. Hot sun bounced off the white rock, but in early af ternoon, a cooling sea breeze began flowing up the canyon. The calls of unfamiliar songbirds echoed from cliff to cliff, and brilliantly colored lizards scurried over rocks. The walls of Codula Fuili are incised with caves that hold some of Cala Gonone’s hardest sport climbs, but we aimed for a short vertical wall tucked in the bushes, where the footholds w ere sharper and grippier than they ha d been by the beach. “Now this is the kind of rock I like,” Robin said after sending a tricky 5.10a face. “The kind that bites into your shoes like it has teeth.” On the way back through town, we stopped at a small deli and stocked up on fresh Castelvetrano olives and marinated polpo (octopus) for antipasti. We set up a table on the patio outside the three bedroom apartment we had rented and sipped cocktails, watching the fading sunlight play over the sea. Appetite whetted? Sì!
PRIMO PIATTO We woke to the sound of patio furniture crashing outside the house. A cold wind, the maestrale, had arrived overnight. A woman in town told us it would last one, three, or six days. We wondered if we would find a place warm enough to climb. We found the answer at Biddiriscottai, a seaside cave that promised
44 | NOVEMBER 2014
shelter from the wind and a mix of easy and testy routes. From a deadend road just north of the port, a path led along tidal shelves where sheets of salt had encrusted potholes in the rock. Painted boulders warned “Nudi” and “Natur isti,” but when we climbed up a broad sand dune to the cave, we found only a lone bearded Sardinian who had camped there overnight—he looked on curiously as we geared up and then moved on. Biddiriscottai’s centerpiece is a broad, flat-ceiling cave about 50 feet high. A line of very fun 5.8 to 5.11 routes ascends the near-vertical wall in back, linking giant pockets and curving flowstone and tufas. Much harder routes lead out the ceiling—some of these require downclimbing the slanting roof to reach the lip. Belayers stand in deep, orange sand. It’s like a giant playground. It was easy to find the most popular routes—they were the ones with slippery, polished limestone and shiny, newer bolts. Rebolting is a constant chore on the seaside climbs of Sardinia, where the salty, humid sea air corrodes fixed protection. Often, however, climbers choose to develop new routes or entire new crags rather than fix up the old ones—our guidebook showed at least three entire crags developed in the past three years. Less popular routes exhibited rusty relics of bolts and pitons or tattered slings threaded through holes, like an A4 pitch on El Cap. Dave’s second route of the day ascended a well-worn wall of slippery flowstone on the right side of the cave. The climbing wasn’t difficult, but the finish required surmounting a short overhang on jugs
A I L G I V O O I Z I R U A M
to reach a little cave. To clip the anchors, you had to reach back behind you to t he outer wall. The cave was much too small for standing up, and as Dave contorted into various squats and tried to make the clip without topp ling out of the cave, his cur ses rained dow n to the beac h. I showed the guidebook to Karen, his wife, who was belaying. “Dave!” Fuck..” she laughed. “The route is Fuck “You don’t have to tell me!” The steeper walls of the cave held 5.10s to 5.12s, including a route called Paolino called (5.10c) that had the biggest holds you’ ll ever find on a Paolino (5.10c) 5.10+. Farther up the coast are many new routes, including the enormous Millennium Cave with multi-pitch lines and routes up to 5.14c. But we were ready for some cold Ichnusa beers. (Ichnusa, an old name for Sardinia, is derived from the Greek word for “foot”—the island is supposed to resemble the shape of a footprint.) On the menu that night was pizza, the staple of cost-conscious tra velers tra velers i n Italy—a 12-inch thin-crust pizza costs about half as much as a single main course in Cala Gonone’s restaurants. I ordered a pie topped with bottarga,, an ingredient I’d never heard of. This turned out to be dried, targa ground mullet roe—a fact I was happy to learn after I’d I’d wolfed down the delicious pie.
CONTORNO Half days and rest days factored largely in our team’s plans. It was a vacation afterall. One day we visited Ispignoli, a stunning climbing vacation cave that you enter at the top, then wind downward along steep staircases around a 125-foot stalagmite, the second tallest in the world. I nearly fell off the stairs scoping the column for climbing lines. At Tíscali we hiked about an hour through a cedar forest and limestone gorge to reach prehistoric ruins that line the sides of a huge collapsed cave, like an upside-down bowl of limestone. Another cool hike goes into the narrow Gola di Gorrupu gorge, home of Hotel Supramonte and other multi-pitch testpieces—some of the best limestone in the area. Yellow and orange euphorbia bushes filled the hillsides, giving the landscape
D L A N O D C A M D L A G U O D
Robin McBeth climbing through an herb garden on Felicita (5c/5.9) (5c/5.9) at S’Atta Ruja, above the town of Dorgali.
the feeling of autumn, even though it was still spring. Outside of Cala Gonone, the locals spoke English haltingly, if at all, and food and church replaced fashion and fun at the center of village life. We saw no Americans during our eight-day trip, and the owner of the Lemon House, a climber’s guesthouse farther south in Sardinia, said North Americans make up only six percent of his clientele. We’d just spent a week in Rome unable to avoid American accents, but the Sards couldn’t recognize our origin—they pegged us as British or even French. Like the contorni contorni,, or side dishes, that accompany an Italian dinner’s main course, rest days added welcome variety and flavor. But the Cala Gonone guidebook lists 25 separate climbing areas, most with mult iple cliff s and sec sectors tors,, with in abou aboutt a 15-m inut e driv drivee of our apartment, and I craved more. One morning I walked up to La Poltrona, the most prominent cliff in Cala Gonone and one of the most popular. This 500-foot amphitheater of slabs, visible from anywhere in town, holds more than 80 routes, maestrale had up to six pitches high. But the maestrale had passed, and I wasn’t attracted to slabbing in hot sun. Instead we drove toward Bonacòa, a fin of limestone high over the sea, where the access road was so narrow and exposed that one passenger preferred to walk. All day the bells of sheep and goats browsing on nearby shrubs mingled with the jangle of our carabiners. Late one afternoon I drove with Robin and Chris, my wife, back through the tunnel to Dorgali, the nearest large town, and we found our way to the scruffy S’Atta Ruja crag. The area felt pleasantly untraveled, untraveled, with crisp holds. Wildflowers and rosemary protruded from pockets. A step into the bushes bus hes yield yielded ed the the aroma aroma of crush crushed ed fenne fennel. l. Each new clim climb b made made us hungry for more.
SECONDO PIATTO We were ready for the main course: the famous Cala Luna beachside crags, about two miles south of Cala Fuili along the coast. You can walk to the beach by a rugged trail (1.5 hours), but our crew included four longtime sailors, and there was no doubt that we’d be going by boat. After a short round of negotiation by the docks—we skipped the guy with the sailor cap who shouted “God bless America!” and whistled “Yankee Doodle” when I walked by—we piled our gear into a small boat with an out board motor and cast off across the Gulf of Orosei. Robin took the wheel as we sped over small waves along the coast. Orange and gray cliffs, mostly unclimbed, plunged hundreds of feet into the sea. The Sardinian coastline is protected from new home or resort construction, and this area is traversed only by the Selvaggio Blu, a half-hiking/halfmountaineering coastal route that takes up to a week to travel. After 45 minutes we turned toward Cala Goloritzé, said to be one of Europe’s most beautiful beaches. Boats are only allowed to land at certain spots, so we hovered offshore to gape at the Agug-
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BIG TRIP ISSUE SARDINIA
Cecilia Marchi, one of the first female climbers in Sardinia, cranks on the limestone at Buchi Arta, Cala Gonone.
Beta SEASON
Summer is hot and crowded. Winter can be rainy. Spring and fall are perfetto . GETTING THERE
Fly direct from various European countries and rent a car or take a car ferry to Olbia in the north or Cagliari in the
lia di Goloritzé, Sardinia’s most famous landmark—about 10 three- to five-pitch routes, from 5.10 to 5.12, ascend the needle. Our group had neither the time nor the motivation for these challenges, and I stared wistfully back at the spire as Robin wheeled the boat around around and headed back up the coast toward Cala Luna. A steel pier lets you unload gear at the south end o f the bea ch, but the rules require you to leave boats offshore. Dave took the helm, anchored the boat a few hundred yards away, and dove in for a frigid swim—the water here isn’t warm enough for comfortable swimming until midsummer. Cala Luna’s best easy routes are left of the beach: face climbs with small, incut holds, starting from a little perch about 200 feet above the sea. We ticked them all as fishing and tourist boats cruised by and seabirds wheeled in the breeze. You could easily imagine 50 shades of blue as the sun and shadow played over the sea. Most of the team decided it was now beach time, but Chris and I were still keen to climb, so we headed to th e row of shallow caves that line the north end of the beach, like the arched galleries of a fortress. I chose a well-chalked route on the nearest cliff, said to be 5.11. As in many areas, the easiest routes here aren’t necessarily the best. (The routes in this sector are mostly 5.12 and 5.13.) The first bolt wiggled in its hole, and it was backing up a relic so rusted I could barely fit a biner into the ha nger. The initial footho lds were so polished and slippery that I greased off the pedestal at the base before grabbing the firs t handhold and tumbled backward into the sand, next to a blanket full of sunbathers. Where was that cold maestrale wind when y ou needed it? Chris braced my legs so I could clip both the derelict bolts and start the route, and then I struggled up the 50-foot cliff, zigzagging to clip bolts along three different routes and creating a sea anchor of rope drag. An old woman shouted into her cell phone as I climbed. I wondered if she was na rrating the fiasco in front of her. I belayed Chris up the route—“slippery but fun!”—and then we headed back toward the dock past a semi-wild pig aggressively begging for snacks from tourists. We had one more stop before returning the boat to Cala Gonone. Halfway back to town, the mouths of two caves faced the sea. Nosing our boat carefully inside the left cave, we found a series of pi ers—it looked like the villa in’s secret lair in a James Bond film. This was Bue Marino, a cave system that extends far into the coastal limestone. In late afternoon a guide opened a steel gate, and we followed her along a catwalk for more than a kilometer, passing Neolithic petroglyphs and the water-filled Hall of Mirrors to reach Seal Beach, where the endangered Mediterranean monk seal used to come to raise pups. (Bue Marino is derived from the Sard words for “sea ox.”) You also can hike to Bue Marino from Cala Fuili, following a rugged path and ladders for about 45 minutes. That night we had reservations at the Agriturismo Nuraghe Man-
south. Olbia is closer to Cala Gonone; Cagliari has more flights and sits closer to the island’s other climbing spots.
kets). There is also pleasant free camping in the woods along the road to Buchi Arta.
LODGING
Find several supermarkets in the town center; beware the midday closure, usually 1 to 3 p.m. A small deli on Via della Pineta has delicious precooked dishes and is open during lunch.
FOOD
Cala Gonone has many hotels, but try an apartment finder like airbnb.com to find a place where you can cook at home instead of eating out (save (s ave money and exploit exploit mar-
GUIDEBOOKS
Maurizio Oviglia’s fifth edition of Pietra di Luna (€50, (€50, 2011,, English edition) is the 2011 comprehensive guidebook for Sardinia, by its most prolific new-router. If you’re only climbing around Cala Gonone, Arrampicare a Cala Go- none (€20, (€20, 2013, with English beta) is cheaper and slightly more up-to-date, but
it lacks the helpful star ratings of the Oviglia guide. Find both at climb-europe.com . BOATS
Many outfits by the port rent boats (fit 5 to 6 adults). The author’s cost was €60 to €70 plus gas (about €30 for a full day). Boat shuttles to Cala Luna are about €25 per person, round-trip.
A I L G I V O O I Z I R U A M
GETTING SECONDS GOT MORE THAN A WEEK TO CLIMB IN SARDINIA? LUCKY YOU. BELOW ARE SOME OF SARDINIA’S OTHER POPULAR AREAS. NONE IS MORE THAN ABOUT THREE HOURS’ DRIVE FROM CALA GANONE.
Olbia
Supramonte
Cala Gonone Baunei
Isili
Iglesias Liv Sansoz on Biddiriscottai’s Il Mio Migliore Amico (7a/5.11d), which means “my best friend.”
nu, a farm-to-table establishment along a single-track road that tra verses the hillside below Bonacòa, near the ruins of structures built by prehistoric Nuragic people as much as 3,500 years ago. The secondo piatto was piatto was goat ribs in a dark, savory sauce. We tried not to think of the little guys we’d heard at the nearby crag as we washed down the meat with Cannonau, the local red wine.
DIGESTIVO
D L A N O D C A M D L A G U O D ) T F E L ( , A I L G I V O O I Z I R U A M
Chris and I wanted to sneak in a few pitches before heading to the airport, so we drove twisting gravel roads to Buchi Arta, a recently developed cliff band stacked with 5.10 and 5.11 routes—one guidebook said it was among Italy’s best new cliffs. But a construction crew had blocked the road, sending us back the way we came. It felt like we were leaving before we’d really g otten started. We never saw some of Cala Gonone’s best crags for moderate climbers, including Il Budinetto and Margheddie, let alone Goloritzé and the other harder or longer climbs. There was just too much to do. Yet my fingers throbbed and my limbs felt limp, and secretly I was glad we couldn’t climb that morning. Somehow, despite climbing all week in moderation, I felt completely sated, if not a bit stuffed. As we packed up to leave, the apartment owners came by and offered us each a shot of homemade mirto,, a traditional Sardinian digestivo made from blueberry-like bermirto ries soaked in vodka and honey for 40 days. They spoke no English, and none of us spoke much Italian, but the meaning of their toast was viaggio—and come back soon. crystal-clear: buon viaggio—and
Cagliari
Supramonte: Supramo nte: The mountains west and south of Cala Gonone are home to cliffs up to 1,000 feet high, including Monte Oddeu, Súrtana, and Gola di Gorrupu, and new routes are established every year. Depending on the route, a trad rack may be useful or essential.
area, Jerzu, is high in the mountains—a good destination in warmer months. The Lemon House in Lotzorai is a good central basecamp; the British expat owners, Peter and Anne Herold, have a wealth of information on local climbing and mountain biking (peteranne.it (peteranne.it ). ).
Baunei/Ogliastra: South of Cala Gonone, accessed by a winding mountain road or a roundabout trip on the highway. In addition to offering hiking access to the Goloritzè spire, this area holds the wild seaside mini-wall of Punta Giradili (routes up to 12 pitches). Nearby Villagio Gallico is an excellent crag within day-trip distance from Cala Gonone. The main cragging
Isili: One One of the big centers of Sardinian sport climbing, these crags in south central Sardinia are famous for juggy, pocketed overhangs. Best for climbs 5.11 and up. Iglesias: Closest major climbing center to Cagliari in the south of the island. The main area, Domusnovas, has more than 500 bolted routes at all angles.
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America’s Epicenter By J.P. Whitehead
Get thee to Moab, the ultimate climbing road trip destination.
WEST NEPHI BOULDERS
23 problems
MARJUM CANYON
23 routes
HOUSE RANGE
7 routes
IBEX
89 routes
G
oing to Moab is mandatory. That’s all there is to it. List this little town of 5,0 00 right alongside Washington, D.C., Disney World, and the Grand Can yon. But for climber s, of course, Moab trumps all. As the desert opens up and spired cathedrals of red rock sprout from the sand, your mouth will naturally fall open—stunned by the awesome alien landscape and an immediate sense that you have arrived somewhere you were always meant to be. It’s an almost-holy playground. You can find climbs ranging from single-pitch sport at Potash Road to hauntingly beautiful tower climbs on Moses and Zeus in Taylor Canyon to big adventures on the Tit an (at 900 feet it’s the largest freestanding tower in the country). Bring your rack, your friends’ racks, and your friends’ friends’ racks for the endless sinker splitters at Indian Creek, and don’t forget a pad or two for small stones throughout the area: Big Bend has enough bouldering to keep you busy for a few days, but recent development has opened boulderers’ eyes to new possibilities in and around Moab. The options may seem boggling, but one thing’s for sure—you will leave Moab with some of the best climbing memories of your life and a burning desire to return.
THE CAPE FISHLAKE NATIONAL FOREST
9 routes
8 routes
70
PAROWAN
19 routes SHINOBE
10 routes CEDAR CITY
232 routes
Cedar City
15
ZION NATIONAL PARK
227 routes
St. George
ST. GEORGE
Mesquite Moab
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633 routes
THE
BIG TRIP ISSUE
SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK 3 routes
Price
MAPLE CANYON 444 routes
15
DESOLATION CANYON 2 routes
PRICE CANYON 14 routes
Mt Pleasant TRIASSIC 56 problems
JOE’S VALLEY 345 problems LEFT FORK 101 problems
SAN RAFAEL SWELL 374 routes
WESTWATER AREA 10 routes
Grand Junction
70
Manti-La Sal National Forest
GRAND JUNCTION AREA 1,537 routes
Richfield GREEN RIVER 5 routes
Arches National Park UNAWEEP CANYON 978 routes
Moab CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK 125 routes
MOAB AREA 1,874 routes
ESCALANTE CANYON 70 routes
ISLAND IN THE SKY 29 routes
Canyonlands National Park JUNGLE, ON THE AQUARIUS PLATEAU 125 routes
HART’S DRAW 30 routes
NATURITA AND PARADOX VALLEY 52 routes
INDIAN CREEK 936 routes
BURR TRAIL / LONG CANYON 125 routes
DELORES CANYON 2 routes GRAND STAIRCASE 11 routes BLANDING 14 routes
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument LAKE POWELL 20 routes
Cortez
VALLEY OF THE GODS / MEXICAN HAT 34 routes
Page
BLUFF 12 routes
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BIG TRIP ISSUE UTAH
A PERFECT DAY Choose Your Own Moab Adventure BY JULIE ELLISON 6:00 A.M. Wake up at Big Bend Campground on the Colorado River. 6:05 A.M. Make a quick cup of coffee to wake up and head west on Highway 128, then north on Highway 191. 7:07 A.M. Catch sunrise in Arches National Park. Snap some Instagrams, then head south to town. 8:12 A. M. Breakfast! A
B
C
Fast but filling? Chow down on a huge burrito chased by an iced chai at Wake and Bake Café. Quick and light? Grab a quick coffee and bagel at Sweet Cravings Bakery + Bistro on the north side of town. Sit down? Try the hearty Quinoa Scramble at Peace Tree Juice Café or the decadent Coconut-Crusted French Toast (hello, rest day!).
8:56 A.M. Climbing! A
B
C
Low-commitment cragging? Head south on 191 until you get to UT 211, then take a right. Sink your paws in one of the 1,000s of perfect splitters at Indian Creek. Bring tape! Full-value, scarefest summits? Go north on 191, then left on Hwy 313 to Canyonlands National Park for a scenic tour of the White Rim Trail and a 5.10+ on Washer Woman Tower, or head east on 128 for one of Castle Valley’s monoliths, 5.8 to 5.12, take your pick. Sack up and get your lead head straight! “Rest day” bouldering? Play around on one of the beautifully sculpted blocks across the street from your campsite at Big Bend on Highway 128.
6 P.M. Book it to Dead Horse Point on Hwy 313 to see the most beautifulsunset view in the state. 7:30 P.M. Travel east on Hwy 128 to Red Cliffs Lodge for a recovery steak at an idyllic green setting next to a river between towering red cliffs. 9:00 P.M. Head back to camp for revelry, deep sleep in soft sand, and the chance to do it all again tomorrow!
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Utah’s Director of Outdoor Recreation Brad Petersen walks the talk on the window pitch of In Search of Suds (5.10+), Washer Woman Tower.
ROUTES
Moab Classics The 10 best 4-star routes as ranked by Mountain Project users Regular Route (5.7 A1) Trisstin’s Tower, Lockhart Basin “Wow! As far as clean desert aid routes go, it’s a crown jewel. It’s by far the thinnest seam I have ever climbed. Not a single piece of fixed gear on the entire route—props to the first ascent team.” Spear of Destiny (5.9) River Road “A really fun route with a cool summit. The route requires full-body stemming with possible b odybridge sections. Spicy!”
Supercrack of the Desert (5.10) Indian Creek “Wear a long-sleeve shirt. Better yet, tape it down around your wrists, so that when you show up at work the next day you don’t have to explain those nasty scabs covering the insides of your wrists and forearms.”
Fine Jade (5.11a) The Rectory, Castle Valley “Amazing. That’s the only word for it. We camped on top, and the sunrise was life-changing.”
In Search of Suds (5.10+) Washer Woman Tower, Canyonlands “What a cool and unique route! The roof on the third pitch was exhilarating and well-protected, and the last pitch is spicy. Rapping through the arch is truly a surreal experience—so good!” Coyne Crack (5.12a) Indian Creek “This crack is sometimes confused with Supercrack , and I know of at least one leader who thought they were starting Supercrack . He soon realized his error, but found himself in this thin-hands crack with many large cams dangling from his harness. He barely completed the climb for an impressive flash. This style, the ‘ignorant flash,’ is even more coveted than the onsight flash.”
Stolen Chimney (5.10 or 5.9 A0) Ancient Art, Fisher Towers “This is by far the most popular route in the Fisher Towers. I had a dream in which I wrapped my arms around the corkscrew summit, crushed it, and watched it fall. I giggled about that dream when I saw how solid that incredible last pitch really is.”
METRICS
Annunaki (5.11c+) Indian Creek “If you are a strong sport climber or boulderer, this is the route for you. The entire middle of the climb is bouldery, powerful moves between good holds that are formed by the crack’s zigzags. However, there is still a final fingerlock move at the anchor.” Sacred Ground (5.12b) Castleton Tower, Castle Valley “Super sick! Deserves more attention than other routes on the tower. Rock is unreal on the last pitch, like pinching hardened wax. Do this stellar line!” Excommunication (5.13a) The Priest, Castle Valley “The crux pitch is devious and cryptic, but fair at the grade. The second pitch is scary, as the arête is sharp from calcite. Gets my vote for best route in Castle Valley.”
STYLE Trad is the name of the game
Sport
QUALITY
165
Nearly 1,100 routes at 3 stars or higher
TR 19
DIFFICULTY If you’re solid at 5.10+, Moab offers tons 600
4 stars
450
3 stars
300
2 stars 1 star 0
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SEASON Spring and fall see the most ticks Prime time
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BIG TRIP ISSUE UTAH LOCALS KNOW
Where climbers:
Paul Creme tries hard at the aptly named Wall Street sector of Potash Road.
[stay] It’s as if the menu of accommodations in the Moab vicinity were all designed with the dirtbag in mind. BLM land offers numerous first-come campsites on the banks of the Colorado River just minutes from town. There are also several National Park campgrounds with amenities like bathrooms and electricity. If you prefer to stay in town, check out Up The Creek Campground . There are tent sites, showers, and it’s walking distance to downtown (rates vary, moabupthecreek.com ). The Access Fund acquired a plot of land at the base of Castleton Tower and provides it for use as a free, climber-specific campground (with toilets!). Camping in Indian Creek is plentiful (though crowded on weekends) and free. Random free desert camping certainly exists, though specific gems are sacred to locals—ask nicely at a local gear shop. If tents aren’t your thing, there are more than enough hotels in the area, but the Inn at the Canyons in Monticello, just outside of Indian Creek, is managed by climbers, and offers discounts depending on the season and availability. And they have a pool. (monticellocanyonlandsinn.com ) [eat/drink] Stop at Moab Coffee Roasters (moabcoffeeroasters.com ) on your way through town for the best espresso pull in town. Milt’s Stop and Eat, Moab’s oldest restaurant, dishes out grass-fed burgers, hand-cut fries, and old-fashioned malt drinks in a classic order at the window and eat outside setting
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(miltsstopandeat.com). Looking to party before a rest day? Try Eddie McStiff’s, with great food and a full bar ( eddiemcstiffs.com ). If you’re looking for a ritzier place to take your belayer post-session, the Desert Bistro is owned and chefed by Karl Kelly, a pioneer of southeast Utah climbing who has also published several guides on the area. Oh, and beer. Moab Brewery offers growlers of microbrews, including the exceptional Black Raven Oatmeal Stout (themoabbrewery.com ). Pick up beer for camp at the State Liquor Store on W 200 S; it’s the only game in town. Or you could pack your own from out of state, which is technically illegal (we said could , not should ). [tank up] It’s the desert; water is precious. You’ll go through a lot of it just staying hydrated and cooking. Pack a five-gallon jug and refill at the spring on the right side of 128 just after you turn east off 191. GearHeads Mountaineering also has free filtered water. [clean up] The desert is dusty. For $5 one can find showers at Canyonlands Campark on South Main Street or Lazy Lizard Hostel off Highway 191, among a host of other possible showering spots. For the same price as most showering options, however, we recommend a trip to the Moab Aquatic Center, which includes a swimming pool and weight room in addition to hot showers (moabcity.org ).
[gear up] GearHeads Mountaineering and Pagan Mountaineering are both among the country’s best specialty outdoor retailers. They cater to (and are run by) Moab climbers. GearHeads offers an absurdly extensive gear selection, making their shop a great place to find everything from that #5 you swore you wouldn’t need, to hard-core mountaineering and backpacking equipment. Stop into either establishment for specific route information, local guidebooks, or to simply chat about adventures in the desert. The staffs of both have a wealth of knowledge on the area. [find a guide] For guided trips in the area, Moab Cliffs and Canyons provides guides and classes for canyoneering, cragging, tower climbing, and desert hiking for people of all ability levels. As the oldest vertical guide service in the area, they know exactly where to find the goods without the crowds. Whether you’re looking for a crack climbing mentor, experience on multi-pitch adventures, or a rope gun to get you up that one tower, Cliffs and Canyons will bend to your specific needs. (cliffsandcanyons.com) [kill time] Rest-day activity? Options range from mountain biking some of the country’s finest trails, rafting the Colorado River, petroglyph viewing in Arches National Park, to wine tasting in town. If you are bored here, you are seriously missing something.
R R U B W E R D N A
Hale Melnick on the last pitch of the iconic Kor- Ingalls Route (5.9+) on Castleton Tower.
My Favorite Place
Moab is a bottomless well of inspiration BY ANDREW BURR
T
R R U B W E R D N A
he Colorado Plateau is famous for its breathtaking desert vistas, winding unbridled rivers, the occasional big horn sheep or bunny, the scent of sage (and pinyon and juniper) on the breeze, the evening light that stretches out and licks the foothills of the nearest mountains, and of course, the limitless potential of splitter cracks and legendary towers. Though the region is vast, one corner speaks loudest to climbers and pulls at the heartstrings the greatest. Moab. Just saying the name will give most climbers goosebumps. From the frightful to the benign, the short roadside flings to especially long lactic acid–laced splitters, the sandstone around these parts comes in all flavors, and the best part is that each day you choose your own adventure. Sweet, savory, spicy—or a mix of all three. As a professional climbing photographer who ro utinely maxes out passport pages, I’ve never been to a place with so much rock that’s so photogenic. And it’s in my own backyard! Pick a direction; any will do. Head south and let Indian Creek teach you what a real hand jam is, turn east to walk among the iconic towers of the Fishers and Castle Valley, stro ll to the west a nd cra g along Wall Street or quest bey ond that and into the remote Island in the Sky, or swing to the north and play alongside the countless Arches. Wherever your cardinal instincts may lead you, rest assured that you’ll climb sandstone; it’s everywhere. But, if you assume that all sandstone is the same—oh, how wrong you are! Entrada, Navajo, Kayenta, Wingate, Chinle, and Cutler all present different challenges and sometimes require an acquired taste. Their moods shift with texture and temperature, and each reveals subtle characteristics with the changing light of the day. Navajo is pale and sandy; Cutler, dark and chossy. Then there’s Wingate, the good stuff, that perfect ribbon of amber chocolate that winds its way around the Canyonlands for what seems like eternity. Eternity. That’s why I return time and time again. The possibilities here are infinite. The diversity of climbing and routes and days is boundless. The way the light illuminates the landscape is ever- changing from day to day and season to season. There is not a more rewarding place to pursue perfection.
Into the Devil’s House When the pursuit of virgin rock led seven climbers to Venezuela, they found what they came for—first ascents and lifetimes of untouched boulders—but they also learned lessons they’ll never forget.
Photos by Gustavo Moser
Y S E T R U O C
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THE
BIG TRIP ISSUE
Full Circle Gustavo Moser, 34 / Caracas, Venezuela and Boulder, Colorado Climbing is a discipline, a sport, a martial art, and as far as I know, the best way to get in touch with your inner child. I always think back to that important day in 1997, the day that I grabbed rock for the first time in my hometown of Car acas, Venezuela. Climbing reaches people in many ways, and I’m grateful it came to me the way it did—no gyms, no videos, no names, no brands, no magazines, and no shoes. It was just a group of kids tha t wanted to play on some roc ks. I fell in love with climbing that day, and I could already see that the life of a climber was romantic, full of emotion and adventure. Life did its thing, and I left Venezuela for many reasons. I was in love with a girl and ready for an adventure. When I came to the States in 20 01, I brought my love for c limbing, and it’s given me some amazing experiences: the people and energy of Hueco, the crispy days of Bishop, the endless possibilities of Utah, and the superb rock of the Southeast. All these years spent playing in the American landscape opened my eyes to the endless potential back home in Venezuela. Eventually, a dream was born, a selfish experiment: Let’s go get lost at Auyantepui, one of the largest tepuis or mesas in the countr y. Let’s go to what the native Pemon call the “House of the Devil,” located in the Gran Sabana of southeast Venezuela. I quickly realized that I couldn’t go up there with just anyone to get the fun, peaceful, drama-free experienc e I craved. “So Gustavo, tell me about this expedition to Venezuela!” people inquired. I would reply, “Well, I don’t know, man. Anything could happen on this trip, including nothing.” I came to understand that “I don’t know” is a great way to filter people. Comfort with “I don’t know” requires commitment. This technique brought the right people together—those who were hoping to have the most beautiful experience of their lives putting up first ascents on virgin boulders, but who also knew that this was exploratory with very few guarantees. Eventually, I found seven people who fit the description.
Y S E T R U O C
Nikolas Wasylkowski powers up the moderate Cosita Bonita (V3), afer Gustavo Moser claimed the FA.
“Welcome to Kamarata,” said the pilot while landing our Cessna on the gravel runway of a native settlement in the middle of La Gran Sabana, the great plains of a vastly diverse country. To picture this great savanna, imagine the Serengeti and then trade the giraffes and elephants for 1,000-foot sandstone and quartzite walls in every direction. Amazing rock for the hard and the strong, and a majestic place
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BIG TRIP ISSUE VENEZUELA where climbing seems to lose its importance. A tepui is a mesa or rock plateau, a word created by the Pemon natives to describe these formations. Auyantepui stood right in front of us with a summit area the size of a small city, about 257 square miles, rising 3,700 feet from the savanna floor. We were there to find and climb boulders. At some point during the three-day hike in, I began to feel like a kid again, with the freedom of thought, honesty, and go-with-the-flow attitude that children have, but also with an adult’s ability to be aware of it, to enjoy it and appreciate it. The team made it to the top of Auyan on the sixth day after leaving Caracas. When we came up on the southwest side of the tepui, 13 miles from Angel Falls, the world’s tallest waterfall, we encountered a valley of jungle and rocks. It was the perfect place to let our inner monkeys run fr ee, with black, orange, and white rock faces of all sizes and angles littering the beautifully broken landscape. We didn’t even stop to comprehend the scope of climbing possi bility, beca use we would have had to stop climbing to do so, which was a waste of time. Wake up, take a deep br eath, open your mind, have some coffee, take another deep breath, and then let the child inside take you in whatever direction his feet want to walk. It was a formula that never failed. Find, clean, climb, and repeat as many times as you want. First ascents every day, from V0 to Vhard. The climbing was incredible, like all the areas I have ever visited placed on one big plateau. Slopers, pockets, and pinches on both flat and three-
Jeremy Thomley climbs high on A Muerte (V3), on the Alpha boulder, a committing but stunning line put up by Gary Sorcher.
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dimensional walls made of friction-rich sandstone and nicely featured quartzite. We started slow, gained momentum, and got bolder as the days went by. Our pads were more like old friends than objects by the end of the trip. I had never felt so far away from mankind and so close to Mother Earth. In the beginning, confidence built slowly, and the learning curve was steep, but we kept at it. After t hree weeks, we had tallied 33 first ascents. For me, it culminated with the discovery of and work put into La Gran Maquina (V9)—The Great Machine—which features a split hexagon with three flat faces of horizontal roof climbing, a pocketed 45-degree section, and a highball finish over a bed of vegetation. It looked like a huge geometric engine with pink quartzite—one of the best V9s I’ve ever done.
The trip’s end was never part of the conversation; the present kept flowing. As our departure day approached, we wondered what was going on in the rest of the world. What we didn’t know was that the other side of Venezuela was being set ablaze—literally. The rumors reached our ears as we descended. “Things are getting complicated in the city,” said one of our Pemon friends. He meant Caracas, where we were headed. One of the opposition party leaders had publicly expressed his discontent with the current government’s policies and was jailed
for it. When he asked his followers for help, people rallied. Protests began a week pri or to our return, and we landed in Puerto Or daz to a country in a state of emergency. Caracas and all the major cities had full-blown rioting. The real world hit us swiftly, and our inner children went dormant once aga in. Our friends and families worried about the situation. We struggled to find information about how to make the nine-hour drive to Caracas safely. There were military road blocks all the way. The situation was unsafe. In Puerto Ordaz, we sent the Americans, Gary and Jeremy, back to my home i n Ca racas right away to avoid t ricky situations on the road. Fellow Venezuelan Eduardo Rojas and I drove into Caracas late that same day, and I have never seen my home town in such a sta te. Rubble everywhere, fires burning, and national guard all over the city. The protests continued the next morning, and we joi ned, once again becoming part of the masses, part of humani ty and its problems. Only one night had passed since we left Kamarata, and already our days on the tepui seemed far away. Students, who were basically the front lines, were getting killed—about two a day—while others were taken to prison. In an effort to grab the people’s attention, barricades were built all over the c ity to put an embargo o n everyday life. It’s been several months since those days, and the momentum of the protests has slowed. But deep problems remain. Venezuela represents the dualities that govern the universe: Heaven and hell are right here in the same place, and it’s up to us to choose where we fit.
Auyantepui, as seen from Kamarata.
Like a Dream Gary Sorcher, 25 / Burlington, Vermont “I have no idea why I climb,” I said to the family from Bogota, Colombia, as we sat sipping ice-cold cervezas in a small hostel in Suesca. I was slowly making my way to Venezuela, spending a few days climbing in Suesca, a small crag north of Bogota with a strong local community. My partner and I were discussing the next day’s climbing plans when the family walked in and started asking questions. Between my mediocre Spanish and their daughter’s near-perfect English, we were able to communicate about various aspects: our gear, “Is it scary?”, “Is it safe?”, and other standard non-climber questions. Instead of being impressed by my lengthy climbing travels, they were just c onfused. T hinking something might be lost in tr anslation, they kept asking, “But why do you rock climb? Why is this so important to you?” Despite a series o f gener ic one-liners, they persisted. Finally, I just had to laugh , shake my head, and a dmit to them and to myself, “I really don’t have any idea.” And with any specificity, I don’t. I can’t explain how it took over my life when I moved to Colorado from Connecticut at the age of 18. I don’t know at what point I went from nonchalantly checking out my college’s bouldering gym to spending weeks at a time sleeping in my car around the western U.S. and flying to South America—all for rock climbing. But if you’re reading this right now, there’s a good chance you know exactly what I mean. One common thread for everyone on the Auyantepui expedition was that we all needed to remember, or even figure out in the first place, why trying to get to the top of a rock is such a huge part of our lives. Even on the biggest highball we found, the amount of actual climbing time was rarely longer than two minutes. If I’m being honest, none of us flew all the way to Caracas, drove eight hours, got in a bush plane, walked for three days through jungle, savanna, and forest, then spent 20 days in one of the most remote climbing areas in the world, just to have two minutes attached to a rock face, however beautiful and infinite those moments might have been. So, fair warning, if you’re looking for a trip report detailing The Great Venezuelan Adventure, mine isn’t it. Of course, we did all the things you’re supposed to do on an exploratory bouldering mission to a foreign country: We established new lines. We found projects way too hard for our own abilities. We discovered a few lifetimes’ worth of unexplored, untouched, unseen boulders waiting to be climbed. But we also got ourselves mixed up i n a dangerously volatile political situation. What it amounted to was one of the most profound and formative experiences of my life, shared with a team that shares an undying passion for rock climbing.
The first thing I was told about Venezuela, was that it was fairly likely that I would be kidnapped and held for ransom. I say this as lightly and openly as it was discussed with me when I got to Caracas. Gustavo and his brothers laid it out simply for me. They told me what to do in the event I should be taken, what not to do, and concluded with this advice: “Don’t be a hero.” It was a reality that one has to deal with, living in and visiting Venezuela, they said. And to dwell on it is unproductive. “Welcome to Caracastan,” they said. Days later, when I saw the full scope of the tepui for the first time, I was blown away. Being on top of Auyantepui is like being on another The multi-part approach involves a ride in a tiny Cessna.
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Caracas
Kamarata
Auyantepui
Protests erupt in Caracas.
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planet. House-size boulders rise out of the jungle floor, and cliff walls line the periphery with silver, orange, and black streaks. Canyons and deep splits dominate the topography. We discovered the Gandalf Boulder (named for a feature resembling his wizard hat) on one of our first days because it was close to our basecamp, which we called El Oso, named after a rock formation that looks like a gummy bear. We established a handful of lines on th is rock, including my first-ever first ascent: Como Un Sueno (V2). Putting it up was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had as a climber, and I truly believe it is one of the best problems of its grade in the world. Everything just cli cked when Gustavo cleaned it, urg ed me to cli mb it, then Jeremy spotted and cheered me on as I climbed it first go. Move through pockets, jugs, pinches, crimps, and sidepulls on a slightly overhanging face with a high topout, and it just went, como un sueno—like a dream. The Gandalf Boulder was the source of another dream-like experience when Leopoldo Moser spotted a line up the middle and called us all over to check it out. He pointed out the start holds, and I saw the whole thing instantly. We all took tu rns tr ying the pr oblem that had pinches, jugs, big moves, small crimps, high feet, and a kneebar—all in the first half. We were exhausted, but our excitement kept us going; it was the perfect representation of why we were there. We were working hard, trying new beta, supporting each other, and using creativity to put together the movements on a beautiful rock face in an other worldly setting. Gustavo li ked to call this kind o f mom ent, wh en everyone was smiling and w orking together, “jamming.” Gustavo nabbed the first ascent the next day, calling it The Beautiful Now (V6).
Our life on top was simple. We took our cues from the tepui. If it rained, we rested. If it was damp, we explored and cleaned lines. If conditions were prime, we projected. When the moon was bright, we passed around warm rum and talked about the important stuff. When it was dark, we slept, and when the sky brightened for the day, we woke up. We discovered the rhythm of this place and jammed right along with it. And then just like that, we were done. We started our descent ready to re-immerse in the real world, but already nostalgic for the experience we knew could never quite be replicated. As we left camp, it already started to feel like it had just been a long dream. It was a quick and jarring transition from drinking Cachiri and feasting with the Pemon people to being thrown back into the streets of Caracas, revolt in full effect. We stayed at Gustavo’s house in Caracas for two days, juggling all the uncertainties in our heads. Would flights still be coming in and out of Venezuela? Could we safely navigate the streets? If we got stopped at a barricade or road block, which way should we run? With some bet a from people on the ground, Gustavo’s family helped us determine the best route to get through the city. Jeremy and I left for the airport in th e middle of the night to try to avoid protests, barricades, and the worst of the violence. It was eerily quiet at 4 a.m. on the highway that bisects the city. We looked out the windows of our cab and tried to reconcile the ethereal landscape of Auyantepui with the barricaded bridges and smolderi ng remains of a fire we were seeing now. We saw right in front of us the two contrasting sides to this country. And aft er all of th is, like waking up from a dream, do I know w hy all of this happened? Do I finally know why I climb? Still not with any real specificity, no. But I do know this: I saw the teenage girl from the Colombian family at the crag in Suesca the next day with a local guide. Something in the way I talked about climbing resonated with her, and she decided to find out for herself what climbing was all about. I’m quite sure I will never see them again, but I would like to think that Colombian teenager took her first step down a path that
Eduardo Rojas climbs the prow of the Submarine boulder, which was close to basecamp and home to many easy, juggy warm-ups.
will lead her to some of the same amazing places I have seen, and introduce her to the same type of passionate people I have met.
Breathless Jeremy Thomley, 32 / Hattiesburg, Mississippi Unlike most of my expedition companions, my preparations for this trip were unique, beginning almost a year before landing in Caracas. You see, I’m a 32-year-old climber a nd sculptor who a lso happens to have cystic fibrosis, a disease where the mucus inside my lungs is really thick and diffi cult to move. It can g et infected and gro w bacteria that causes inflammation and eventually blocks airways. My daily treatment regimen requires electricity, refrigeration, and extreme cleanliness, so I had to find an alternative since all three of those things would be hard to come by deep in the jungle of Venezuela—three days
of walking and a bush plane ride from the nearest hospital. When Gustavo mentioned this trip, I could not say no. We all have questionable futures—some more than others—so why not seize the present? One concern for everyone was: Are there actually rocks up there to climb? All I knew was that I was going on an amazing ad venture with fr iends, so I didn’t wor ry about th e rocks. With so muc h uncertainty in life, you have to take your pick of what to worry about. I knew in the end it all came down to breathing for me, so I focused on that—only that.
Several months after the trip, pressed flowers fall from the pages of my beat-up journal, and I fumble to make sense of the markings in it. Isolation is a funny beast. I have never been so directly tied to my stream of consciousness; our minds were open, and ideas and revela-
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Gary Sorcher sticks a big move on Carolina (V4), another first ascent by Gustavo Moser.
tions floated on like a lucid dream. The spirit in this tepui was different. There was a hypnotic pull to the streaked rock, and our campsite was situated as a great stone amphitheater to watch the days unfold. We wanted to be worthy of this place, not just c limb harder. In the local Pemon language, Auyantepui means the “House of the Devil,” and it is mystical and sacred, but it wasn’t pure evil. It was introspective. The morning hours on top of the tepui were like experiencing the creation of a world. Until the sun burned off the clouds, I questioned if anything was out there at all. The lack of visibility only added to the feeling of isolation. Our emotions were magnified; we felt everything, and I think it helped us climb. We were in tune with the rhythm of this place. We looked for hard ways up beautiful boulders but not to conquer them. Imagination is what got us there, and imagination is how we climbed. It was childlike; it was honest. My mornings were spent plugged into the sun doing breathing treatments and writing until it was time to eat. This was the first time in my life I didn’t need a power outlet to run my nebulizer. I felt cleaner, more responsible somehow, having left no trace by pulling rays from the sun to support my breathing addiction. I suppose that feeli ng was freedom, and I’ve n ever felt it stronger. After a cachapa breakfast and some sugary coffee, we were off. Carrying our cameras, water, and bouldering essentials, we attempted to keep up with Gustavo, whose appetite for exploration was insatiable. Get to an area, drop gear, and go to work figuring out that day’s finds. We established early on that if someone got hurt it would be a helicopter rescue. Spotting and pad placement were crucial; we prioritized protecting each another. Eat a simple lunch and get back to it. There were too many boulders to obsess over anything in particular, but each of us had a project.
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The diversity of this place really surprised me; I thought tepuis were all mesas, like in Utah: vertical sides with a flat top. This was more like mountains on top of mountains next to crevasses falling hundreds of feet. Naviga ting the landsc ape was diffi cult, and trails were mer e suggestions that could take you anywhere. Patches of thick vegetation sprang from eroded sandstone. Our goal when dealing with this impassable labyrinth of trees and vines was not to disturb it. There was so much r ock out in the open that it w as not necessary to cut any vegetation. It was unclear h ow lasting our impact would be, consi dering (as far as we knew) no group had spent as much time up here. We were told it was possi ble to find new species of plants and animals. Our bodies were haggard from sleeping on the ground, and hunger was bothersome, but, my god, the climbing was incredible! Many boulders were so ethereal and untouched that we felt protecti ve over them. In the end we decided that every rock had at least one side you could climb. While the other boys played on one side of the Gandalf Boulder and worked The Beautiful Now, I worked on a Horse Pens 40– style problem called StarStuff . The open-handed cri mps and diffi cult topout were as sweet as any Southern sandstone. My favorite problem was called Cachapa. With an interesting sit start to big moves then a scary topout, nabbing the first ascent was the best moment of my trip. There is nothing more amazing than finding a rock, cleaning a problem, and sending it. Auyantepui was without a doubt the most creative place I have ever been. In this place we wanted to climb harder not because of the grade, but because we wanted to be part of that rock’s story. It was like every stone we had ever touched in our lives up to this point had prepared us to clean, climb, and name these boulders. There were 33 first ascents by the trip’s end, and I have pages and pages of geeky beta with GPS coordinates in my journal. I have a few undone projects, but really I gave it my all—no regrets. Considering the stress, elevation, and heavy packs reducing my already-low 65 percent lung capacity, I was just happy to make it down the mountain without incident. Although the three-day death march up there was one of the hardest experiences of my life, I’ve decided I would go back. The sky-blue tepui changed too quickly to a crimson Caracas. We returned to the city during political unrest and Gestapo-style retaliation. The people were hungry for change. I know I need to see Auyantepui again. We developed more than a world-class climbing area; there was a purification. The isolation and harsh environment meant no man lasted long as an island; we were required to care for each other. Bonds were forged among brothers, and once-stra ngers became like family. It made every feeling deeper—the hunger, despair, laughter, sorrow, and the victory. All of these were key to the recipe, crucial factors that made us find heaven in the house of the devil.
Beta Get there Clearly venturing
through this area is not for the faint of heart, but if you are lured by the potential for first ascents and true adventure, the authors recommend hiring Eduardo “El Chino” Rojas with the guide agency Montañeando Expediciones (montaneando .com ). They also credit an El
Pemon native Santos “El Epocan” Ugarte (ask for him in Kamarata) for helping with their journey. Eduardo will coordinate everything you need from the moment you arrive at the Caracas airport. For more beta, contact Gustavo Moser at gustavo@ gas-photo.com). Season Target January and February. The rest of the year it just rains—a lot.
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Back to Basics 9 reasons to travel back in time to an Eastern European climbing paradise
By Heidi Wirtz Photos by Ruslan Vakrilov
“I
am going to Bulgaria,” I announced to any climber who would listen. “What? Why?” was the common response. For some reason, Bulgaria, tucked away in Eastern Europe, has escaped the imagination and hype of the global climbing community, but I was intrigued by an extensive online guidebook and hundreds of inspiring photos. The fact that it was relatively secret made it all the more tempting. I love delving into the unknown. Bulgarians believe that when God created the world, he gave different elements to each country. Some received mountains and pastures. Others took the coasts and seas. When it came to Bulgaria, there was nothing left, so God took the best pieces from all of the other countries to build a paradise. While some might debate this lofty legend, I can certainly vouch for the country’s rock climbing—it’s in a class all its own. There aren’t huge crags, but rather a smattering all over the countryside—and it’s seriously good. They have amazing quality and every type of climbing you could ever want, from deep water soloing and sport climbing to bouldering and trad—even alpine rock. As soon as I emerged from customs, I was greeted by Ruslan “Rus” Vakrilov. For the next couple of weeks, he would be our photographer, guidebook, translator, planner, and occasional cook—essentially a lifesaver as far as making our trip amazing. Rus, a local hardman and professional photographer, was part of the original crew that developed bouldering in Bulgaria, and he’s put up a number of sport routes in the past five years. Despite his extreme modesty, he is a complete badass. He also showed us unparalleled hospitality, always making sure everything was perfect. Every time we so much as bought a loaf of bread, Rus was there to make sure it was “the good one.” Over the next couple of weeks, we took only a few rest days as Rus took us to a new crag nearly every day. Each was unique and spectacular in its own way. The variety was astounding: high-quality slab climbing, overhangs, technical faces, tufas, crimpers, pockets, limestone, sandstone, and giant caves. The only thing that stayed consistent were the incredible views, colorful trees, wild apples and walnuts growing every where, and stiff grades. Bulgaria exceeded our expectations. What we found was that despite being one of the poorest countries in the European Union, Bulgaria is rich with scenery, culture, people—and rock. We all left with pumped forearms, an aching to stay, and a promise to return. The following is what convinced us.
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Chris Weidner on Varna (7b/5.12b) at Karlukovo.
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PROHODNA CAVE
GOOD, CHEAP (SOMETIMES FREE) FOOD
As a climber of 3 5 years, I have traveled extensively around the world exploring remote areas, and this is the coolest crag I’ve ever seen. Period. I’ve been to Tonsai Beach in Thailand, Wadi Rum in Jordan, Yangshuo in China, and everywhere in between. This one takes the cake. It feels like you’re walking on the moon in this massive va ult. Two entrances form a tunnel through the rock, which is ordained with two large skylights in the roof, locally known as the “Eyes of God.” Giant stalagmites loom around every turn, and the sound of footsteps echoes against the walls. It’s surreal beyond words. Best of all, it features every kind of climbing, from balancey face moves to severe ceilings. Not much for beginners, though: The classics are all in the range of 5.12 or harder. And there’s still plenty of potential waiting to be developed.
One of our biggest concerns was food. We thought Bulgaria would be a gruel-and-boiled-cabbage kind of place, but we found that you can eat well and healthy for cheap. The cuisine is similar to Mediterranean; some dishes differ by name only. Even pricier restaurants cost less than €10 for three courses with more than enough wine. We loved the shopska salad, a staple consisting of tomato, cucumber, onion, parsley, and cheese. Farmers markets are plentiful and offer another option for great, cheap food. In fall, you can find walnuts along the trails and apples in the trees. We even found wild mushrooms the size of a Frisbee that the locals assured us were edible and a delicacy. Thankfully, they were right. We sauteed them in butter and garlic from the farmers market, ate them on fresh bread with veggie soup made from more market offerings, and fed six for less than €5.
Heather Weidner on Rebraritsa (7a/5.11d) at Ribaritsa.
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Chris Weidner on Wickeda (7a/5.11d),
the first route bolted in Karlukovo 15 years ago.
UNIQUE, AFFORDABLE LODGING The two main villages we stayed in were Zg origrad and Teteven. Zgorigrad, surrounded by towers and cliffs, sits just above Vratsa, a picturesque town—the largest in the region—at the foothills of the Balkan Mountains. You can find big grocery stores and plenty of restaurants here. Ninety percent of the crags in Bulgaria are within an hour of Vratsa (many within 15 minutes), such as Malkata Dupka (Little Cave), which has a short approach, a mountain spring, beautiful streaked limestone, and exceptional sport routes. Teteven has less but is closer to Prohodna. In Zgorigrad, we stayed in a cute and modern two-bedroom cottage at the end of a dirt road. It was only €35 a night. The second half of the trip, we stayed in an “adventure cabin” in Teteven. It was located on a river in a small canyon outside of town. It was beautiful, but far from modern. We had to make a fire to heat the hot water tank each day, but I fell in love with its rustic appeal, big garden, and apple and pear trees.
HOSPITALITY Bulgarians take the “make yourself at home” idea to a whole new level. The landlords of the rental properties we stayed at treated us more like dear old friends than tenants. They’ll offer you almost anything to make you feel welcome. One person even baked us a pie before bringing us to her place. And all the climbers we met really went out of their way to show us around and give us great beta. The level of hospitality we encountered simply doesn’t exist in the U.S.
EASY AND ACCESSIBLE You don’t need a visa to visit Bulgaria, and you can stay for up to 30
The author on Nema Power (7b/5.12b) at Teteven.
days in one trip. Plus, it doesn’t count toward your EU time, in case you are trying to make an extended trip on the continent, which would otherwise be limited to 90 days in a 180-day period. Many younger Bulgarians speak English, though carrying a phrasebook (we like the Lonely Planet Bulgarian phrasebook, $10) will come in handy at local restaurants, while renting cottages, and on public transportation. The people are friendly and willing to help, so don’t be afraid to ask.
FIRST ASCENT POTENTIAL This place has some seriously untapped crags! If you’re inspired to put up sweet limestone sport routes, pack a drill and get on over there. The locals are excited to have visitors at their crags, and they’ll happily direct you toward beautiful rock that’s just begging to be cleaned and bolted. Just be sure to include them in your plans. You wouldn’t go and dig a pool in a stranger’s backyard without discussing it with him first, right? Nikolay Petkov (office@climbi ngguidebg.co m), a prominent developer in the area, can point you in the right direction.
AMAZING REST DAYS While I wish I could climb every day, my body simply won’t allow it, and fortunately, Bulgaria provides plenty of alternatives. The country has incredible hiking, like Switzerland without the crowds. T he Rila mountain range is one of the hi ghest in Europe, full of waterfalls, alpine lakes, and wooden ladders that zigzag up hillsides and rock faces. Every town has its own interesting local market with much more than produce. For a culture fix, hang out with monks at one of the many monasteries. Or if you just want to relax, you can visit one of Bulgaria’s Black Sea beaches. From Sofia, you can get anywhere in the countr y within a few hours. Even just going for a drive to explore is a viable and rewarding option.
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LOCAL COLOR Bulgaria is a land of trees, and the fall colors are the best I’ve seen around the globe, putting even New England to shame. Visit in spring and summer to see the hillsides turn golden with an abundance of sunflowers.
OLD WORLD FLAVOR This place is a magical one. It’s one of the most impressively beautiful and charming places I have visited in all of Europe. The quaint houses feature rust-colored rooftops, white-washed walls, trellises filled with vines drooping with plump black grapes, teepees of hay, wood waiting to be cut in the yard, gardens fading into the fall, cabbage in excess, and livestock roaming the fields. There is not an espresso shop on every corner, but rather beat-up coffee vending machines placed strategically in key locations. In one anachronistic moment, a horse-drawn carriage meandered past right before a BMW raced by. It was really a treat to be in a place that still holds some of the Old World lifestyle. People live off of the land. Sheepherders march their flocks down the roads. Elderly locals converse on street benches. Sometimes it feels timeless, yet you can still ge t a latte at a modern petrol station or fa ncy restaurant if you so desire.
Karlukovo
Vratsa
Sofia
BLACK SEA
Heather Weidner on Varna (7b/5.12b) at Karlukovo.
Beta GET THERE
Fly into Sofia, the primary international airport and main hub of the country. A rental car is a must for climbers. They go from €15 a day, and gas is around €1.30 a liter. Street signs
seem to disappear (people steal them for the scrap metal), thus a good map (sold at most gas stations) is very helpful, and a GPS is a lifesaver. Potholes, animals, and bad drivers are all big issues here, so be careful. STAY
Many cottages, such as
those mentioned here, require a Bulgarian speaker to book, but booking.com has good local options. GEAR
Forget something? Check out these two outstanding shops in Sofia: Stenata (stenata.com ) and Ekipirovka (ekipirovka.com ).
GYMS
Need a partner, recommendation, or beta? One of these three local gyms is a good source. Stop in and ask—they are very friendly. Boulderland (boulderland.eu ), Climb NSA (climbnsa.com ), and Gravity (gravitybg.com ) are all located in Sofia.
GUIDEBOOK
Intimate details of the burgeoning scene are best accessed through climbingguidebg.com . IMPORTANT CULTURAL ODDITY
Shaking your head means yes, and nodding means no. This can be confusing.
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BIG TRIP ISSUE
The Honeymoon’s (Not Quite) Over When four bold climbers got lichen, poison ivy, and rain instead of the bountiful new-routing, beaches, and fresh fish they envisioned on the islands of French Polynesia, they didn’t let that put a stop to their tropical climbing adventure.
By Mason Earle Photos by Andrew Burr
L
ate morning snowflakes fall from the gray New England sky. It’s calm but bitterly cold outside. The giant old sugar maple stands like a leafless skeleton by my window, new snow covering its towering branches. Climbing warm rock in the sun is a distant memory as I sit close to the wood stove and search the Internet for inspiration, scrolling through endless pages. It’s holiday season, and the two fingers of Scotch next to my computer seem strangely appropriate this early in the day. Every potential climbing spot in the South Pacific I’ve found so far gives me hope for a few fleeting seconds until one more click reveals that it’s mostly a heaping pile of choss. In one last vague attempt, I type “French Polynesia cliffs” into Google image search. Time freezes when I spot a photo of incredi ble rock spires towering above a jungle island. Be still, my beating heart…
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Mason Earle gets high above the South Pacific on a new route on Motutakae in Ua Pou, part of French Polynesia.
R E U A B E I D D E R O Y F S R E T R R U U B O W C E R D N A
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FRENCH POLYNESIA
—
—
FOUR MONTHS LATER, my A-Team (see below) and I are among
“WOOHOO! I’M CAPTAIN COOK!” I scream into the wind.
throngs of retirees and honeymooners boarding an Airbus A340 to Tahiti, where we’ll hop another flight to Nuku Hiva. From Nuku Hiva we’ll catc h a boat r ide to Ua Pou [pronounced wah- poe], which i s located in the Marquesas Islands, a remote archipelago about 800 miles northeast of Tahiti. Ua Pou is six miles wide, with several giant basalt pillars rising out of th e dense jungle. I imagine putting up first asc ents on pristine virgin rock with nights spent in bungalows built on top of the water and feasting on fresh-out-of-the-ocean sushi.
Stoke is high as we speed across the final 30 miles of open water to ward Ua Pou. Packed onto a small fishing boat, we can’t see much of the island due to dense fog, but we can definitely see an enormous dark tower rising up above the clouds—Poumaka, the great warrior. Upon our arrival, I explain to a f ew friendly locals that we wer e here to climb the rock spires. We are directed to a guy named Manfred, who lives with his wife at an off-the-grid jungle compound he built at the foot of the spires. Manfred, at 70 years old, is a German expat who has been
Hakahau
THE A-TEAM IT TAKES A SPECIAL BREED TO SIGN UP FOR A JUNGLE SUFFERFEST
Poumaka
George Ullrich is a modern-day explorer and adventure climber from northern England, born and bred on the runout cliffs of the Lake District. When gear placements and holds cease to appear and it starts to drizzle, his cool head and bomber crimps make him a vital asset. Bronson Hovnanian has been surfing his whole life, and it just so happens that he’s also a master of big wall climbing. If we were headed to an island, we needed a waterman on our team who could also crush some stone.
Andrew Burr seems to have an insatiable appetite for taking pictures of people climbing dirty choss, so naturally his invite was a no-brainer.
Mason Earle is a first ascent pioneer of questionable rock, blue-collar crack climbing, and everything vertical, with a penchant for pain and suffering.
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Moutakae
The A-Team looks back at Motutakae
BIG TRIP ISSUE FRENCH POLYNESIA
living in French Polynesia for more than 30 years. He couldn’t speak French when he first arrived, so he became a helicopter mechanic and eventually a pilot. Now retired, he walks around his jungle operation wearing a camouflag e one-piece suit, produci ng hydro electric power, banana moonshine, coffee, ca cao, and avocados—the essentia ls. Manfred shows us to the start of the steep approach to our objective, Poumaka. We thank him for his hospitality and start heading up.
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The forest is filled with rich aromas, and ripening fruit is just littered across the ground. “Oh neat! Wild cashews!” I say as I pick one up off the ground and begin prying off the sticky green shell. It’s clearly not ready to be eaten, so I discard it. Looking at my now-oily hands, I remember that cashews are actually part of the same plant family as poison ivy: anacardiaceae. Damn it. I wipe my hands off on my shorts and try to forget about it.
Talk about a rappel with a view.
Fruit and massive avocados are an essential part of any island climber’s rack.
The author finds exactly what he flew thousands of miles to find: climbable rock in a tropical setting.
— THREE RAINY AND MOSS-COVERED DAYS LATER, George
and I have only managed to climb two horrendous, runout, and over vegetated pitches of our chosen line o n the 1,000-foot Poumaka. Seventy-five percent of the rock is encased in lichen, and even worse, I awoke one morning to find severely itchy, cashew-induced dermatitis covering 75 percent of my body. This was not the vacation I had en-
visioned. Our camp at the base o f Poumaka had turned co mpletely to mud, and my tent was filled with woodchips because George spent hours carving a wooden spoon. I mostly just itched. My heart was sinking, and although we shared a hearty laugh at my new predicament, stoke quickly evaporated. Rain continued to fall, and we made the call to bail on our inland objective in favor of trying to climb something on the sunny, dry coast. We heard rumors of a giant spire rising directly out of the sea on the southern tip of the island.
— BACK ON THE FISHING BOAT, our friendly skipper Cyril takes
us south along the western coast of Ua Pou. We spend a few hours exploring some deep water soloing, and the magical, warm turquoise water quickly heals o ur spirits. Cyril ca tches a fish and expertly kni fes up some sashimi. I feel like Captain Cook again. We continue south, and a mighty tooth of rock appears. Known by locals as Motutakae, this 800-foot tower of ivory-white basalt was first climbed by a group of visiting Germans with one of the locals from the nearby village. They climbed a line up the fourth class north shoulder, but the west face is a sheer wall. We spy a line right through the mid-
CLIMBING.COM
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BIG TRIP ISSUE FRENCH POLYNESIA
Earle traverses out on one of the first wet pitches on Motutakae.
Beta GET THERE:
Sailing there is possible from the closest landmass of Baja, but it’s a few thousand miles away. Fly via Tahiti to Nuku Hiva, the largest island in the archipelago, on Air Tahiti, which is the only airline that flies to Marquesas. From Nuku Hiva airport, take a cab up and over the island to Taiohae, the main town and port, where you can catch a ride on a fishing boat over to Ua Pou. Before leav-
74 | NOVEMBER 2014
ing Taiohae, make sure to grab lunch at Henri’s. When you get to the main village of Hakahau, find Pension Pukuee (689 925 083), a bed and breakfast that’s operated by Jerome, our go-to guide for the area. This village is the jumping-off point for various climbing around the island, and Jerome can give you boat captain Cyril’s number, as well as introduce you to people you can stay with all over the island. COST:
Be prepared to spend a lot of
money, especially for a dirtbag. Plane tickets just to get to Tahiti start at about $2,000, and then from there, you’ll spend several hundred to get to Marquesas. Cash is best for paying for random boat rides and tipping cabbies, and there are ATMs on the island to get the local currency, the CFP Franc, but also plan on bringing stuff to trade: Approach shoes, rain jackets, ropes, and random expedition gear are all things that are really hard to find for the locals of Ua Pou.
FOOD/CULTURE:
The folks on Ua Pou were unbelievably friendly and hospitable. They were very excited to have climbers come visit their small island. We definitely saved some money because we never had to pay for fresh fruit, which we ate in large quantities everyday, especially at Manfredville (what Manfred calls his compound). Even though we brought loads of food to the island, everyone we stayed with insisted on cooking for us, which seems to be the local custom, and
we ate incredible meals. There is enough fruit growing on the island to support many times the population, and the avocados are the size of footballs. Imagine fresh salad with perfect red cubes of sashimi tuna, tossed in coconut milk with some octopus or goat on the side. Plus, you can more or less binge-drink coconut water—great for fighting off dehydration after sweating all day. As for the culture: Think early 1990s island vibe with overtones of native Marquesan pride.
dle of the steepest headwall, and Cyril pulls the boat up to a spit of rock. In between the rise and fall of the massive swells, we leap to a ledge and pass bags across with white knuckles, fearful that one slip will send crucial gear to a watery grave. However, with some precision and a bit of luck, we keep all our gear out of the abyss. We set up basecamp in the yard of a friendly family in the village of Hakatao. By some coincidence, our host is actually the local dude who accompanied the Germans on the first ascent of Motutakae some 20 years ago. We catch a ride each day to Motutakae in a small plywood motorboat and spend three days establishing our new route. The climbing is actually pretty damn good, with the clean, white rock providing mostly natural protection. The route follows intermittent cracks, and when those fizzle out, we face climb, placing cams in pockets. Caves in the cliff face offer incredible sheltered belays. Marine life swims below us in full force—hundreds of tuna, manta rays, sharks, and even a sea turtle. While following one of my leads, George grabs a chalked-up jug I had just been using to shake out, when it promptly cleaves off a microwave-size block that lands directly on his chest, narrowly missing Bronson at the belay. The headwall culminates with a 40-meter overhanging hand crack with jugs on either side—hero climbing at its very best. Like gentleman mountaineers, we shake hands on the summit and sign the register left by the Germans. A quarter-mile to the north is the island of Ua Pou. To the south lies 4,000 miles of uninterrupted ocean and then Antarctica. Relaxing on the peak, we see what seems like 1,000 birds circling overhead.
— AS WE WAIT TO CHECK IN to our flight back to Los Angeles, my brain spins from an tibiotics quelling a malignant infection in my hand, and I look around at the retirees and honeymooners and realize we look a lot worse for the wear. I imagine our French Polynesian experience was vastly different from that of the other folks in line. People come here for black pearls and ahi tuna, not to fester in the ungle. But in essence, I realize we all came here for a somewhat similar reason—to find our own personal adventure. My team certainly found it, and the smiling faces around us let me know that at least a few others had probably found it in some form as well. A friendly old lady asked what we had been doing, and I told her we went rock climbing in the Marquesas. “Oh, that’s great! The Marquesas are beautiful!” she exclaimed. She leaned in close to me, out of earshot from her husband, and whispered, “We went on a NUDE cruise…”
George Ullrich fights off overwhelming vegetation at the base of the group’s original objective, Poumaka.
E C A L P T E K R A M
Maryland | Colorado 1-800-CLIMB-UP
STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION OF CLIMBING REQUIRED BY ACT OF OCTOBER 23, 1962: SECTION 4369, TITLE 39, UNITED STATES CODE, FILED SEPTEMBER 10, 2014. CLIMBING #0045-7159 is published ten times a year, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUL, AUG, SEPT, OCT, NOV and DEC/JAN. The known office of publication is at 2520 55th St, Suite 210, Boulder, CO, 80301. The general business offices are located at 5720 Flatiron Pkwy, Boulder, CO 80301. Annual Subscription price: $29.97. The names and addresses of the publisher, editor and managing editor are: Publisher – Kent Ebersole, 5720 Flatiron Pkwy, Boulder, CO 80301. Editor – Shannon Davis, 5720 Flatiron Pkwy, Boulder, CO 80301. Managing editor – None. The owners are Mark Crowther, 175 Sterling Pl #6R, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, Allen Sperry, 635 Park Ave, NY, NY, 10021, Ross MacMillan, 20 West 72nd St, #704, NY, NY, 10023, Felix Magowan, 1965 Alpine Ave, Boulder, CO 80304. The known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning 1 percent or more of the total amount of bonds, mortgages, and other securities are: None. Tax status has not changed during the preceding 12 months.
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Single issue nearest
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A. TOTAL NO. COPIES (Net Press Run) B. PAID CIRCULATION 1. Mail Subscriptions 3. Sales through dealers and carries, street vendors and counter sales
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19,750
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1,101 150
E. TOTAL FREE OR NOMINAL RATE DISTRIBUTION (Sum of D 1-4)
11,769
1,251
TOTALDISTRIBUTION (Sum of C and E)
31,519
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5,890
27,535
63%
Average no. of copies each issue during preceding 12 mos.
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J. PERCENT PAID AND/OR REQUESTED CIRCULATION 16. Electronic Copy Circulation
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armaid com 207 374 9952 800 488 5505
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22,938
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66%
95%
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3,352
I certify that 50% of all my distributed copies (electronic and print) are paid above a nominal price. Publication of the Statement of Ownership is required. Will be printed in the November 2014 issue of this publication. Jenny Desjean, 9/10/14
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G U I D E Z O N E
THE FLOW
What Kind of Climbing Traveler Are You? BY KEVIN CORRIGAN
CLIMBING, BY NATURE, is a sport that encourages travel. Crags are fairly static; the routes don’t change. So it’s nice to go out and experience new crags, new rock types, new holds, new landscapes, and new people. Not to mention, there’s nothing better than taking a week off work to dedicate yourself to climbing as much a s possible. Just as there are many different forms of climbing, there are many different ways to travel and types of crags to visit. What kind of climbing traveler are you? START HERE
In a car, tent, or cave.
Will you be sacrificing comforts and stretching your meager savings to travel as long as possible?
And will you be taking your adventure abroad?
I’m not frugal enough to go abroad. Another beer, please!
THE TEMPORARY DIRTBAG You’ll do anything to continue your life on the road. You’ve slept in just about every cave around Moab. Sold blood plasma. Eaten free relish and ketchup packets for breakfast. You could live forever on $10, and you rarely have more than that. It’s all worth it to enable your pursuit of fresh lines and new boulders. At least, until you run out of vacation days (if you have a job).
80 | NOVEMBER 2014
WHERE WILL YOU BE SLEEPING ON THIS TRIP? Well, I already have everything I need in my van. The only cost is gas.
Only through climbing and travel can we truly find ourselves.
I live on ramen noodles so I can afford a hefty airline ticket—then live in relative (but blissful) poverty on my trip.
THE CULTURAL AMBASSADOR Sure, you could spend summer in Yosemite, but there’s a big world out there waiting to be climbed! You crave the adventure that only comes from being immersed in foreign lands and exotic cultures. You might forget the routes you sent, but you’ll never forget the time you bartered with a shepherd in Bulgaria, or tried sake from a toothless welder in a local Tokyo bar.
THE PARKING LOT KING Technically what you drive is a “van,” but that’s a crude way to describe your mobile home base. You own the crag parking lot. Camper top. Portable white picket fence. Lawn chairs. Kiddie pool. The amount of stuff you cram into your small space defies physics, yet the interior always appears roomy. You’re the envy of the crag campground. The downside is that you’re stuck on this continent.
In a hotel, hostel, apartment, or palapa.
Will you ever see other people on thi s trip?
Meeting people is part of the fun of traveling.
None.
THE OLD MOUNTAIN HERMIT You travel to get away from it all. People. Roads. Powerlines. This isn’t a vacation; it’s an expedition. You salivate at the thought of carrying a heavy pack on a long approach deep into a remote wilderness. Your trips have objectives like Chile’s Torres Del Paine. Relaxing? No. You can relax when you’re dead. Or back at work sitting in an ergonomic chair.
No. I seek remoteness and isolation.
How much pre-trip research have you done?
THE SURROGATE LOCAL “Venezuela? I found the raddest apartment on Airbnb. In fact, I was speaking with the owners, and they gave me a lot of good restaurant recommendations. And my sister’s boyfriend’s sister lives down there. She’s actually a climber, and she wants to take us to this amazing secret crag. Her boyfriend is a DJ, so he’s gonna get us into this exclusive club, and after that we’ll go...”
What’s your preferred restday activity?
Completely immerse myself in all the culture this area has to offer. Completely eat all the food this area has to offer.
All of it.
THE WANDERING GOURMAND By day, you’re an all-business crusher. By night, a black hole, sucking down food and booze with inescapable gravity. When will you ever return to Sardinia? Better sample every restaurant while you can. And menu item. And wine. In fact, make it three. Most impressive is your uncanny ability to wake up early, hangover-free, chipper, and ready to climb the next morning.
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