rifle

After spending a week in the gym I was finally able to make it out for a few days. My first session at Clear Creek Canyon was relatively successful. After warming up on some of the longer moderate pitches, I made my way over to a route that I had tried years ago when I first began my sport climbing career. Ten Digit Dialing (5.12c) is a nearly vertical route whose popularity can be attributed to its incredibly specific crux sequence. Years ago when I first tried the route I was unable to do the majority of the crux (roughly a third of the climb) which involves navigating through quarter-pad, side-pull crimps and underclings that lead into a compression section on slopers. Things went much better this time around. I came incredibly close to sending the route while hanging the draws, but I fell short going to the positive holds that lead to the exit. After refining the sequence I was able to send the route on my second attempt. I was pleased to have made quick work of such an impressive climb. Ten Digit Dialing, while not the most demanding route, was a benchmark that allowed me to see how things have progressed over my four and a half year climbing career. I enjoy the challenge of making something that at first appears to be impossible seem effortless. I think that successfully making this transition is proof that when you stop making excuses and start working harder you will be rewarded.

With most of the day left, I turned my attention to another route that I had tried once last summer. Interstellar Overdrive (5.13c/d) is a Tommy Caldwell route that is situated on a beautiful, gently overhung bloc at the edge of the 90's Wall. As I recall, the majority of the route clocks in at 5.13a. A marginal rest from the three-quarter mark leads to a V8 boulder problem that tackles relatively small crimps that are quite far apart. Unfortunately, the sun began to move in and forced us to retreat to a shadier crag before I had the chance to tie in. Despite the failure to launch, I plan to make this a priority when I get back to Denver. The day finished with onsights of Slammer (5.12b) and The Great Escape (5.12c) at the Wall of Justice. Neither route was remarkable, but it was certainly nice to see that my fitness had not diminished entirely after a four week absence from the sport.


After a rest day, I got back on the road and headed to Rifle. Considered by most to be America's premiere sport climbing area, Rifle houses a high concentration of difficult routes within a one mile-long stretch of the canyon. I've often heard that Rifle requires a very specialized set of techniques to unlock many of the routes. After sampling routes between 5.10 and 5.13, I would have to concur.

Typically when I visit a new area I make it a point to try as many routes as possible in order to adapt to the environment quickly. This means that every attempt is generally an onsight attempt. I've often thought that I excel at onsighting, but it quickly became clear that onsighting at Rifle is a completely different game. The climbing is much more about manipulating angles, shapes, and body positions than it is about deciphering hand sequences and pulling on holds. I found that the moves in and of themselves were quite rudimentary, but learning how to make use of the blocky terrain took some time to figure out. Further complicating things is the fact that the limestone at Rifle has been so heavily trafficked that most holds are polished. I found it difficult to fully relax my grip as I would on sandstone, and as a result was plagued with a nagging pump that rarely relented.

Climbing in Rifle was humbling to say the least. At the end of my visit I managed to only onsight several routes between 5.11a and 5.11d. I can typically onsight 5.12+ and I even came close to onsighting 5.13a this past fall, so suffering on 5.12 was remarkably frustrating. I certainly don't think that Rifle is sandbagged. It just has a very particular style, and the approach to projecting here requires a different lens. Most climbers in the local scene, including Lynn Hill, reassured me that the learning curve at Rifle is steep. Ultimately I was forced to scale back my expectations in order to refine my technique. Despite not putting things on the board, I truly enjoyed learning a new climbing language. Coming home empty handed is never fun, but that's the great thing about climbing- you always get a second chance.


The bottom line: believe the hype. Rifle is amazing. I look forward to climbing here again when I return to the States.

Until then, I will be spending some time in Canada. Currently I am at 35,000 feet en route to Toronto, Ontario. It's been a chaotic week jumping between planes, trains, and automobiles, but I'm psyched to see my friends and to sample some of the climbing that Canada has to offer. I've been told that Lions Head is home to brilliant limestone and breath-taking views. In addition to the sport climbing scene, I'll have the opportunity to check out some of the recently reopened bouldering spots in the area. From what little I've seen from my friend's blog, the boulders look absolutely brilliant. I don't consider myself to be talented in this particular discipline, but I look forward to trying hard.