Bromance

Alberta Adventure 

     Where should I start? I still want to do a write up on my Wyoming/Alberta trip and how Maxim Ropes hooked me up with a new 9.5mm rope called "Pinnacle" (hands down the best projecting rope I've ever had), but lately all my time has gone into a project I just sent. Expect a post about the Alberta experience in the future. For now I hope you enjoy my short post about my latest route adventure I called, "Bromance."

Maxim Ropes hooking me up huge!!

     I bolted this epic route back in March of this year and by the end almost regretted ever starting. I was cursed since day one. When Tyler and I first repelled down to check the line and begin the bolting process the drill bit snapped in half on the second hole. No spare bits meant no more drilling.

     

It took another full day to finish bolting, clean off (most of) the choss, and build a belay station. When it came to working out the sequences,  I would spend 2 hours hang dogging trying to figure out beta. When I did unlock the sequence a hold would break making the beta useless. This happened 3 or 4 times before all the choss was gone leaving a sloping 3 foot rail.

"Bromance"

     The route was so alluring in its challenge that it brought me back relentlessly. However, it was starting to cost me sleep and money. The hospital would call me if I wanted to work the next day, but before agreeing to anything I would preface my answer with, "Let me check the weather first." This led the staff to start calling me a "Fairweather worker." If I did have to work I had a three stage process to projecting this route :

Stage 1) Work 7pm-7am

Stage 2)  Sleep 3 hours and go straight to projecting (Often heavily assisted by caffeine. And cookies. And tea. And, do you happen to have more cookies?)

Main crux of "Bromance" 

Stage 3) Work 7pm-7am

     This route clocks in at 65 feet long, which breaks down to a technical crimpy start, to huge thuggy throws, to a shoulder breaking crux move on a very bad sloper hold, to yet again big throws on good holds that goes around 5.12+ to anchors. There is only one real rest at the second bolt, but after that you're racing to the anchors with barely anytime  or any place to rest.

True Bromance with TVR ;)

    

Yesterday I went out with my buddy Tyler, who brought with him a secret weapon – the Rosary. I’ve only kissed the rosary once before, right before I sent my old project Nostalgia. Now, I'm not a religious person, so I refused to kiss it on my first attempt on this new route and I failed miserably. On my next attempt, I kissed the Rosary and sent the project! I still have a hard time believing in this lucky charm, but I must say this Rosary is two-for-two! As for the grade I'm unsure, but feel this route is more difficult than my previous route Déjà Vu, which I graded 5.14a. That grade could be soft since it was an open project for over 12 years and climbers who have worked it said the grade is 5.14b/c. I ended up naming this new route "Bromance" due to my love of projecting with my good friend TVR! Also the moment you share with your belayer after you send. We had a bit of a Bromance after my send today ;)

Using the powers of the Rosary before my send ;)