Mount Lindsey 14,048 ft Elevation

I climbed another 14er on my list of climbs. I was with a strong group of 11 people. We were celebrating the last Colorado 14er for one of my good friends. He has climbed 101 mountains to date.

We took the harder class 3/4 route along the ridge to the summit of Mt. Lindsey to avoid the sketchy, loose scree class 2 gulley. It was quite enjoyable. We took our time because many of the rocks looked sketch, so we didn't trust anything, but everything was pretty solid on the ascent up. The decent down is a different story for another post.

We summited at 10:30am

Eldorado Canyon Rock Climbing

I had the opportunity to climb in the Eldorado Canyon. The route Wind Ridge is on the rock formation known as Wind Tower which is about 300 feet tall.

This is the 3 pitch climb!

Getting my gear on

Route Description

Pitch 1 (5.8) From the trail walk to the left end of the tower. There are two ways to start this pitch. Either go up the somewhat overhanging awkward flake (5.8) or go left the obvious wide gully and traverse right onto the face (5.5). The 5.8 start is highly recommended as it takes good pro and is more sporty. Once you top onto the flake go around the corner on the west face. From this point on climbing eases and follows a crack with good holds and pro to a large ledge, belay here on gear.

Pitch 2 (5.6) Go to your right and get into the crack which is the hardest move of this pitch. Follow the crack which becomes wider higher up. Save your biggest pieces for the last part of this pitch. Belay from the large ledge which almost looks like a cave. There is a 4th class walk-off option from this point to your left.

Pitch 3 (5.6+) I thought surmounting the weird roof and flake on the opening of this pitch was the hardest move of the entire climb. There are not many places for pro and holds above the roof. But the climbing eases, and reaches the summit at a tree. Belay from the tree and watch out for all the loose rock around.

Descent

Traverse the rigde to your left on exposed slabs. Angle down to a notch but don't go too far low to your right. You will traverse below a rock formation and find the 2 bolt rappel station. A short rappel will bring you down to the trail. Walk back to the base of the route.

Climbing

I’m always looking for new challenges, and with climbing, there is a limitless lifetime of challenges awaiting me.

Rock Climbing Gym

Last night I went to the rock gym to start climbing again. I'm going to climb the Grand Tetons again this August. I love climbing like a little monkey!

Forearm Stand

I love inversions. I love the challenge of trying to stay balanced. Headstands, forearm stands, and handstands are all kinds of balancing inversions.
Headstands are the easiest inversion since your head and your forearms are planted on the ground. Handstands are the hardest (I think), because only your hands are holding your body up. So that leaves forearm stands right in the middle with a moderate level of difficulty. You may find them easier than handstands, since both your forearms are helping you to stay balanced. Plus, you are lower to the ground, so you may find this easier to get into. This pose has a lot to do with shoulder and upper back strength, but it's also about engaging your core muscles.

Climbing Mt. Rainier Days 3-6

Well Tuesday morning started out cold and rainy. I was prepared for all weather but when the wind is blowing and your already wet it starts to become dangerous. We hiked in from Paradise and to the Kautz route. We had to cross rocks and glacier ice if gravel on it first. He had to climb up the rocks on the side of a waterfall. Remember it's been raining the whole time. Then we did hours of snow treking and climbing. We went from 4000 feet up to 8500 feet. We used a shovel to flatten out the snow and our ice axes as tent stakes. Still raining we set up our tents as fast as we could. We stayed in our tent the rest of the night. Next day rain stopped for two hours and we did some ice climbing and some rescue training. Then a huge storm rolled in and put us back in our tents until the next day. This is expedition training at it's finest because on the Denali you can get stuck in your tent for days. The plan was to start climbing at midnight to attempt summit but, the storm kept blowing all night. Thursday around 8:00am it stopped we packed up and started climbing again. We used ropes and just took one step at a time. I really didn't take that many pictures because of weather and I had an ice axe in one hand and a ski pole in the other. We climbed to around 10,000 feet just up to the "castle" and the plane wreck. The plane wreck happened in the 1960's due to a military coordinate mishap. The plane had been frozen into a glacier up to five years ago when it thawed out. So again a huge storm rolled in and we had to find safety so we started to down climb. Needless to say we climbing all the way back to the parking lot in the pouring rain again. The next day we learned more rope skills and mountain medicine.

Training Ground Day 1 & 2

I'm back from an awesome journey. I will post all week about the experience and post different pictures. On Sunday we trained 8 hours in the classroom and on the ice wall at Rainier base camp. On Monday we went up to the Mountain which was an hour away from basecamp. We hiked about an hour to a glacier with snow to do more training. I learned a ton of skills in the first two days. Monday was another 8 hour day of training.

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up or across natural rock formations or man-made rock walls with the goal of reaching the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route. Rock climbing is similar to scrambling (another activity involving the scaling of hills and similar formations), but climbing is generally differentiated by its need for the use of the climber's hands to hold his or her own weight and not just provide balance.
Rock climbing is a physically and mentally demanding sport, one that often tests a climber's strength, endurance, agility, and balance along with his or her mental control. It can be a dangerous sport and knowledge of proper climbing techniques and usage of specialized climbing equipment is crucial for the safe completion of routes.Top roping is climbing with the protection of a rope that's already suspended through an anchor (or also known as a "Top Rope System") at the top of a route. A belayer controls the rope, keeping it taut, and prevents long falls. Most Indoor climbing or "gym climbing" is top roping on indoor purpose-made climbing walls although it's also common to boulder and sport climb indoors. Gym climbing is used as training for outside climbing, but some climb indoors exclusively. Due to its simplicity and reduced risk, most beginners are introduced to climbing through top-roping.

One Wild Challenge Extreme

Day 1: Tulsa - Seattle

Day 2: Technical Training Day

The Rainier BaseCamp facilities in Ashford open at 7:00 a.m. Climbers may register with Rainier Mountaineering, Inc., pick up rental equipment and purchase last minute items from Whittaker Mountaineering during this time.

We begin the morning with a welcome and introduction of team members and guides.

The Pre-Trip Preparation and Training provides an intensive learning opportunity in a classroom setting. The preparatory class is a focused introduction to a variety of topics. This includes a detailed personal equipment discussion and gear check, instruction regarding Leave No Trace practices and environmental considerations, a discussion of mountain medicine, mountain weather, expedition logistics, and navigation and route finding. This helps prepare us for our adventure on Mt. Rainier , and increases the likelihood of a safe, successful ascent of the mountain.

Day 3: Mountaineering Day School

Team assembles in preparation for the day. Please arrive dressed for hiking, packed with your Mountaineering Day School gear, and ready to go at 8:15 a.m.

Our Mountaineering Day School is spent training in the field on the lower slopes of Mt. Rainier . On this day, you are introduced to many skills, from the basic techniques of efficient mountain travel (rest-stepping and pressure breathing), various safety practices including use of helmets, harnesses, and avalanche transceivers, cramponing, roped travel, ice axe arrest practice, anchors and running belays, fixed line travel, and the basics of crevasse rescue.

Day 4 - 7: The Kautz Climb

Day 4: After an initial team meeting at 8:15 a.m. our shuttle departs for Paradise , and our climb begins.

We hike from Paradise (5,400’) across the Nisqually Glacier to our first mountain camp between 6,000’ – 8,000’. As we move up towards camp we begin to work on the foundational skills that make us more efficient and capable climbers. These skills include pressure breathing and the rest step, dressing appropriately for the weather and workload, kicking steps and climbing in balance when on snow, eating and taking efficient rest breaks, and working on a pacing system that allows us to hike and climb all day. These skills will get us into camp feeling good and are important skills for any climber to possess.

Day 5: We move to our High Camp at the western edge of the Turtle snowfield between 9,400’ – 10,500’. Prior to our summit attempt, we focus on the skills and preparation necessary for a successful ascent, and pay extra attention to the techniques required for current conditions on the upper mountain.

Day 6: Today we put it all together and make our attempt on the summit. The spectacular 35- to 50- degree Kautz ice chute, pouring through the ring of ice cliffs above 11,000 feet, starts the ascent. This is enjoyable and challenging climbing. The route climbs steeply for several hundred feet to access the crevasses of the upper Kautz and Nisqually glaciers leading to the summit. We may utilize running belays or fixed lines for this part of the ascent, as dictated by the route conditions. The upper slopes of the mountain then take us through numerous crevasse fields to the summit of the mountain.

The summit of Mt. Rainier is spectacular. A large crater dominates the summit, with steam rising out of the cavernous summit vents. The bare ground near the summit can be warm to the touch. At 14,410 feet, Mt. Rainier is the highest point in Washington . After spending some time on top (depending on weather), we begin the descent to High Camp. This usually takes about half the time of the ascent, and requires definite effort. (Be sure that your training specifically includes preparations for descending. This will help ensure that your ability to descend is not compromised.) Our group returns to High Camp for the evening.

Day 7: The final day of the program is spent descending our route from High Camp, and returning to Paradise . Our shuttle will then take the team down to Rainier BaseCamp. Plan on arriving back in Ashford in the late afternoon. After the group gear is unpacked and checked in, we celebrate our adventure with a presentation of certificates.

The duration of the climb depends on many variables including snow conditions, time of year, route conditions, weather during our climb, temperatures, etc.

Day 8: Seattle – Tulsa