Kurt's Korner

Editor's Note: Kurt submitted this piece a couple of months ago. We apologize for the delay in posting. It took time to have it fact checked by our Fact Checking department. Then Legal had to analyze it for liable. And finally, Intellectual Property needed to determine if the sport of cycling has sole rights on the issue of athletes and doping. Turns out they don't.

Performance-Enhanced Climbing Grades

Due to cycling's recent problems with drugs, the Mill Creek Developers (being one of the most cutting edge groups around for rock climbing -- see previous posts) will start a drug testing program for First Ascents. So that we'll be able to test from now until doomsday please submit 1 to 2 pints of urine. Since we don’t have a bathroom nor officials to monitor collection, please just ask all the climbers on the wall to watch you create your sample.

We won’t give an opinion if drugs are good or bad. We will just add the use, if detected, to the rating of any climbs the associated climber puts up. Since drugs can be categorized as affecting Head (H) or body (B), we will reference them separately. The Head rating will go something like: H1: Mary Jane (see the 1970’s), H2: Cocaine, etc. The Body rating will go something like: B1: Speed, B2: EPO, B3: Steroids, etc.

Going forward, climbs will have ratings like 5.11a/bB1H1L R 

I added the last L for a Left-handed crux. I’m tired of being discriminated against for that. I assume you all know what the R is for.

More info coming as soon as I make it up.

-Kurt

Smith Rock

Way behind on getting these posted. Erik Pallister and I did a trip to Smith in mid March where we hooked up with several Missoula climbers. We had great weather. It was even too warm in the sun a couple of days, sending us seeking shade in the Aggro Gully. Here's a sampling of pictures from the trip. You can see more images on Sam's blog.

-Ken



In the Aggro Gully, Toxic in the background.

Erik earning his PBR, flashing Up For Grabs (11d).


Local beta, eat breakfast here. Just down the road in Redmond.

Cool Missoula climbers.

Even cooler Missoula Portland climbers.



They look just like ants...


Rest day in Bend.




Okay, so maybe the Tick Farm isn't as crowded as Morning Glory.

June and her new friend Paige Claassen. Claassen repeated To Bolt a few days later.

More beta. Save 10 minutes with the Rufus cutoff to/from the Gorge.

Danger Mouse Video

Ken working Danger Mouse

 Dane Scott photo 

Dane, Ken and Scott took advantage of a gorgeous spring day Friday and headed up to the North Rim. We had the drill with us and in between climbs did some improvement on a couple of routes.

Snaggletooth 

This is the 10a located left of No Drama Obama on the upper tier. Snaggletooth is actually the first route we bolted at the North Rim. We'd left it such that you have to place a couple pieces of gear between the first and second bolt. Yesterday we added two bolts above the first, allowing the climb to be done without gear. Be sure to take 2 or 3 runners to avoid rope drag.

Proof of Concept

We bolted a direct start to Proof that starts just left of QED before the little rock step that leads to the Upper Tier. This adds about 25 feet of 5.9-ish climbing and lengthens the climb to just shy of 35 meters. Read: be sure to bring your 70m. Most importantly, the direct start straightens the route and reduces rope drag that occurred when starting beneath Obama. We ran out of battery before we could finish the first new bolt off the ground. You can easily get to the second if you traverse in from the left. Otherwise, we'll have that first one installed within a week or so.

Danger Mouse

On a sending note, Scott Goodwin got the first repeat of the new Little Heroes route Danger Mouse, following Dane's first ascent a week ago. Here's a video Ken captured on his phone. The route is in the low 5.12 range. As always, we encourage others to get on it and give us their thoughts.

The Local Hang

worth a thousand words

photo: Tim Karst Collection