Back In P-Town!

It feels so nice to be home!! Alaska was a major success for Max and I. The only reason we are home early is because we felt that we had our fill of success...best not to get to greedy in the hills. On our trip we were able to make the first free ascent and fourth ascent of Burkett Needle, the first ascent of a mountain we called Silly Wizard Peak (3500' 5.7, 50 deg.), the first ascent (in bad weather) of the west ridge of Mt. Suzanne (named after my mother) (3500' m4, 5.8, 65 deg), and the fifth ascent of Mt. Burkett via the biggest route of our lives, a line we call The National Public Ridge (7000' 5.10, AI3, 70 deg). Although we had major success it was far from the easy trip. In the next few days I will attach stories to each of these climbs. Adventures include large falls while simul climbing, a broken helmet, forcing routes through bad weather, pushing on with little food, sitting out major storms in precarious positions, and tapping reserves of strength that only the good energy of freinds and family can provide. Thanks to all for the incredible support, whether it was gear, prayers, or positive thoughts...a lot went down out there, can't wait to share it with you all. Check back soon!

Spring In The Stuart Range

The last week has been quite a busy one. In addition to packing for the Alaska gig and finishing work at the winery, I have stood on top of a four peaks in the Stuart Range. It's so nice to live a few minutes from the trailhead...the Stuart Range is a great training tool to have in the backyard and I love every minute I spend up there.

After an ascent of Stuart (see previous blog), I worked a few days at the winery before embarking on a Monkey mission to Colchuck Peak. I had always wanted to climb the NE Buttress of Colchuck, a climb that had recieved mixed reviews over the years, but had always caught my eye. To my suprise, this route struck me as one of the best easy routes above the lake. The route finding seemed straightfoward (go the Kearney way!), the rock was incredible, and the feel on the ridge wonderfully alpine. Ryan Paulsness, Max Hasson, and I used Monkey style to send this one...we carried one 45 meter half rope, a single set to a gold camelot, and a few slings. The three of us simul climbed on the one rope together for the majority of the route. In true Monkey fashion we kept it simple, relying on our skills rather than our gear...in our opinion, the best way to climb. Perhaps the most special aspect of this ascent

was our time spent on the windless, warm summit. We had brought a bottle of Icicle Ridge wine to the top of the peak. Without a doubt, it was one of the best bottles I have ever had. Icicle Ridge Winery (my employer) in Peshastin, WA, has allowed me to pursue my dreams as a climber and as a human. They are passionate people and I am honored to be a part of their business and to call them friends. To show our appreciation for their support, we put together a video of our ascent which can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW7ybLBmCV0h?v=PW7ybLBmCV0

Thanks again Icicle Ridge!

After a day spent gathering supplies for the trip north, I headed back up to Colchuck Lake with Sol Werkin. We began the day with a trip up Acid Baby, a nice 5.10 route up Jaberwocky Tower. Although this line does not recieve many ascents, it certainly deserves more. Without a doubt, one of the best quality rock routes for the grade in Washington's mountains. I had done the line a few years ago on a cold, stormy day with Max Hasson (Patagonia training), but this time experienced perfect conditions. What an awesome route. After topping out Enchantment Peak we rambled through firm-enough snow to the base of Prusik Peak where we planned a trip up the fabled Solid Gold. Now, I just gotta say. Why are more people not repeating these routes on Prusik (Der Sportsman, Solid Gold, and anything else on the south face for that matter)? They are truly some of the finest rock climbs in the state. Get out and enjoy these routes guys...they are world class. Anyway, Solid Gold lived up to it's name and I enjoyed every move on this incredible route. The final pitch to the West Ridge is surely one of the best in the range...so beautiful. Sol and I wrapped up a great day with a magical descent back to the car under a setting sun and a rising moon. As always when climbing with Sol, this day was positive, fun, and successful. Thanks Sol!

self portrait at the bus stop in P-town...I work the early shift

Sol dancing through the physical climbing of Acid Baby, pitch two

Sol enjoying solid patina jugs in a spectacular postion

A rope, a rack, and the shirt on your back...Sol on his way to Prusik

Solid Gold, pitch one

The magical descent

So there you have it. Some fun stuff for sure. Max and I embark early Tuesday morning for AK, so no more blogs for a month or so. Hopefully, I will have some great content to share with you when I return. Take care friends!!

Happenings

Not a lot to report from L-town besides a growing psyche for the upcoming trip to the Stikine Ice Cap in SE Alaska. Max and I have recieved incredible support from Leavenworth Mountain Sports (best shop in the east!!), Black Diamond, and Pro Mountain Sports (best shop in the west!). I just want to thank you all so much...we'll see what happens out there.

Me looking really dorky with the 1997 issue of climbing that sparked my interest in the Burkett Needle. Dreams do come true!

Although I don't have a lot of climbing news, that doesn't mean I haven't been getting after it. Sol and I took another shot at the L-Town 15 and failed again. Not to say we didn't have fun. To push yourself in this sport is to accept failure and laugh about how much you are getting your butt kicked at certain times. We nailed 13 of the routes and felt good about the project. Hopefully next year we can claim all 15. I sincerely hope some of these routes see traffic in the future. Hard climbing is not the norm in L-town, but it's out there. Seek and ye shall find...check out Sol's great trip report about the L-town 15 on Cascade Climbers in the rock climbing forum. Fun stuff.

Sol rapping Air Roof (5.11b, an Icicle classic)

I have also spent a few days up at Trundle Dome recently. The salt and pepper granite at this crag is gorgeous and super fun to climb on. Plus, it recieves ample evening shade, a big plus during these hot days of summer.

I also stood on top of Mt. Stuart a few days ago, climbing the Ice Cliff Glacier with Max Hasson. It was nice to spend a mellow day in the alpine. No run outs or scary moments, just enjoying the mountain evironment. The route was really fun (I am a sucker for slogs) and I was able to eye up a future project in the area...but that will have wait for my return from Alaska. This upcoming week includes a nice dose of alpine madness, so stay tuned for more bad pictures and cheesy writing!

Max enjoying fine snow conditions on the approach to the Ice Cliff

The Hassasinator assasinating the upper reaches of the Ice Cliff Glacier

Myself having fun on ice

The radical environment of the Ice Cliff Glacier

Hidden Wall Adventure

A few days ago Dan Cappallini and I took a trip to the seldom visited Hidden Wall in the Leavenworth area. The Hidden Wall lies beyond the Bridge Creek Wall, and like most of the climbing in the heights of the Icicle, the experiance was dirty, scary, and really, really fun. A few years ago Dan and I completed a new line on the Bridge Creek Wall and while descending, spotted an interesting dihedral system on the Hidden Wall. We vowed to return as soon as possible, but it was only a few days ago that we actually got down to business.

The high crags of the Icicle are soooo untapped. The potential for long, hard free climbs is limitless. I truly believe that the Upper Icicle is one of the best adventure climbing areas in the states, right up there with the obscure desert towers of the South West, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and other similar zones. Like always, we carried no bolts or pins and still managed to find an unlikely 5.10, five pitch climb, that shot up the center of the formation.

The photo above shows the Bridge Creek Wall. It blows my mind that this 1500 foot wall sees as little traffic as it does. It is one of my favorite walls in the state. So sick. To reach the wall one must face a grueling (fun) hike through blowdowns, loose sand, and talus. To reach the Hidden Wall, you go even further, but it's worth it...

The Hidden Wall

Our route took a line starting directly above the big tree on the right, and followed two distinct half moon dihedrals across the face. Pitch one was painfully dirty, but we persevered and scored on pitch two. This awesome stretch of climbing traversed left and up and contained pumpy climbing through several unlikely features. Awesome!

A few shots of pitch 2

Pitch 3 was also super classy. It is an incredible feeling to be able to climb protectable, traditional rock that has never been traveled before. No tat, no bolts. Just you, the rock, and mountains behind...another day in paradise.

Dan on pitch 3

One of the best reasons for visiting these high crags is for the panaoramic veiws of the major peaks of the Stuart Range.

A shot from the top:

Our long day finished with a few thousand feet of vertical sand surfing and a thorough tick check (we each pulled about ten off our bodies). If you desire dirt, suffering, run outs, and the sheer beauty of untravelled terrain, the upper reaches of the Icicle are for you. Get out there!

The Games Climbers Play

A few years back my freind Renan Ozturk ran around Joshua Tree one winter day and ticked off 20 classic 5.11 routes. The link up was great training for his trip to the Karakoram that year and lately, in preparation for my Burkett Needle expedition (June 9-July 9), I have been playing a similar game here in Leavenworth. A week ago, Sol Werkin and I began a project to climb the 15 most classic (in my humble opinion) 5.11 routes in the area. We have tried the project twice now and what a project it is! If you know the Leavenworth area, then you can imagine the amount of hiking and elevation loss and gain that goes into a day like this. It is freaking huge. The other day we made it through 9 climbs before realizing we would never finish before dark. By my calculations the goal, when accomplished, will take around 13 hrs and will require absolutely no hick ups. No falling, no stopping, no hesitating. Bottom line. The other day we managed to climb:

Tubing At Der Ritterhoff 5.11a

Rock And Rattle 5.11c

M.F. Direct 5.11b

No Such Thing As A Free Lunge 5.11d R

Daz Muzak 5.11d

Bovine Persperation 5.11b

Air Roof 5.11b

Gilligan 5.11d

Domestic Principles 5.11a

The ones we did not get to are:

Mastadon Roof 5.11c

Lazy Boy 5.11c

The Guillotine 5.11d

Pumpline 5.11a

M.J.B Arete 5.11b

Giant Steps 5.11b

I have almost all of these climbs on lock down, but the goal is still one of the most challenging I have ever tried to tackle. All in all, this link up is grade 6 for sure! We plan on making a third attempt here soon, so stay tuned...hopefully the third time around is a charm. Thanks for taking a look!

Heart Of A Stone Monkey

In this modern climbing age, the term "monkey" is thrown about rather flipantly, without a second thought of the meaning or depth behind the label. On a surface level it makes plenty of sense. A monkey likes to climb, I like to climb rocks, therefore I am a Stone Monkey. As easy as 123, or is it?

Before I delve deeper into this subject I must say; this essay has nothing to do with you being or not being a Stone Monkey. The beauty of climbing and living is there are no distinct defenitions. We are what we are, through and through, following our given paths until the very end.

To me, a Stone Monkey exists in a space where climbing is an automatic extenstion of anamalistic routine. Movement is not forced by thought, but rather flows out of a connection with the stone. When I pull onto a wall, a mountain, or a boulder, I am in that very rare spot, where I don't need to think about my actions, wrong or right, responsible or irresponsible; I just know I am where I should be, connecting the right dots, and easily following my instinct. This assuredness comes from years on the rocks, building muscle memory and shaping my mind to see normality in the vertical.

Being a Stone Monkey also inlcudes an undying love for the mediums I move and live in. Watching the sun set crouched on an airy ledge, sleeping best under stars and moon, taking in the beauty of my position mid climb and connecting that power with my present situation. The list goes on, but for me, the intamacy I feel with my surroundings helps me become a part of my environment. I am that piece of lichen undisturbed on a granite slab, that lizard crawling into a crack, that gnarly pine duking it out with a gusty wind. When I climb I try to feel the organic rythm of things, always hoping to be on key with the other members of nature's choir.

Living as a Stone Monkey is as humbling as it is inspiring. The raw experiance of being a productive member of nature always reminds me of how typically fragile life is. A dead sparrow on a belay ledge or the bones of a deer scattered amongst the boulders quickly remind me that for us all it's ashes to ashes and dust to dust. Not to say the world doesn't spin a fair cycle. Life is mostly what I know. Wild flowers in the spring, cougar tracks in a fresh, woodsy snow, or my friends faces around the fire. Again, like the reminders of the end, an inspiration to live to the fullest, each moment, each day.

So there you have it! A clearly inadequate take on an alternative lifestyle. My heart and body are always being molded, leaving evolving shapes of me in different phases of my journey on earth. But the core values always remain the same. Although parts of me yet discovered are sure to blossom and the tree of my life bound to grow, those values are the foundation of my being. So no matter what I become, I will never escape the true Jens, a Stone Monkey for life.

Canyon Life

Nearly every time I go climbing with my friends here in Leavenworth, we can't stop talking about the endless beauty and joy our home area brings. A still pine forest, the calming rush of the Icicle River, and familiar climbs that bring satisfaction every time. Home is a good place, especially for a few magical weeks in the spring and the fall. Conditions for climbing and enjoying life in nature are in perfect niche.

These first few weeks of spring has seen us enjoying the pure movement of the Icicle's classic granite blocks. Bouldering has always been a weakness for me and I'm out to change that. The monkeys in these parts climb hard and fun, so with their provided inspiration I've been making some definite breakthroughs. I am hoping to apply what I'm learning to my routes this year. Taking a deep breath, stepping on the silent stone, precisely executing demanding moves, and crouching on top, savoring the flavor of the moment...that is the bouldering I'm learning to love.


Max capping a nice week of climbing with success on The Dangler

Myself, taking The Physical

Jessica doing a good job making The Physical a bit less physical

Rock Monkeys, as found in their natural habitat