Autumn colors are creeping down the canyon, and that means climbing's best time of year is about here, the aptly named "Sendtember."
On that note, props go out to Jesse Selwyn for getting an onsight first ascent of Give and Take as reported in comments here. We're always psyched to receive comments on the blog, as well as news of any sends you'all are doing at the North Rim. Thanks again for the report, Jesse!
Kurt, who opened Give and Take, put a tentative 5.10d rating on it. As Kurt said, "Seemed close enough." Dane, who tried it quickly during an early t.r. session, thinks it could be 5.11. We'd welcome any feedback on the grade.
Li'l Crack 5.7, Give and Take 5.10d
In other activity, Dane and Ken made it out for the afternoon on Sunday, arriving about 2pm. It was bright sun, cloudless, and pretty warm, but a breeze kept things fairly nice. By about 5pm temps dropped and it got quite comfortable. We focused on the Upper Tier routes, climbing No Drama Obama and taking a couple spins each on Proof of Concept. These are two fine routes, and for those who are seeking Tempest-like climbing, they come highly recommended. Proof is rated 11d, but safely bolted and lends itself to projecting on lead.
We climbed with a 70m that has been shortened to maybe 62 meters. When lowering off of Proof's anchors, the leader touches ground near the start of QED, a good distance below the belayer. With the shortened rope, there appeared to be just enough left to indicate that a 60m would reach. If you do climb Proof with a 60, be certain to knot the end before lowering. Worst case scenario would require the belayer to climb up the route 5 feet or so in order to allow the leader to touch down. Note that if you did run out of rope, by that time the leader is suspended 15 feet away from the rock, so there's no chance to climb back up. Remember too that QED definitely needs a 70m!
A team of two climbers with a black dog arrived at the Tick Farm mid-afternoon and got in a few climbs, starting with No Dick Tick. They left before we did, so we didn't get a chance to see who it was.
If you're a repeat visitor to the area and have climbed through the Tick Farm routes, we encourage you to venture up to the Upper Tier and sample Snaggletooth (10a), No Drama Obama (11b) and Proof of Concept (11d). These routes are considerably steeper and longer than the Tick Farm, and of really high quality. Note that Snaggletooth does require a couple of wires or micro-cams for the opening 20 feet. The other two are bolts only. So venture up and enjoy!
Descending from the North Rim
Evening Shadows, Bitterroot Valley
