Sharing some pics of Kyle Silvermans of me last Thursday when Kyle, Jim and I cut work early and were doing the First Ascent of Happy Crake 5.8 gear (pronounced Crack) at The Far Side. That's a gentle joke of mine as its the way Jimmy spells "crack". We got out there at @ 4:30pm, and it started lightly raining as we were visiting with each other. After @ 10 min of B.S.ing, Jim mentions that the light rain we were seeing must be the early rain which was slated for 7:30pm that night. I was soon speed racking, and we had no sooner all done it in the light rain and were back under the cliff, when the deluge started up. Poured hard all evening and night. We were soaked when we got back to the car. I apologize if the pics are dark, but that's why. It's an all gear climb. You could do it with all nuts. Or all cams to 1". Even a rack of offset Aliens would do the trick.

Start of the picture sequence with Jims signature green helmet below. Kyle had rapped down on a separate line and was shooting about mid point.




At my feet is my prybar used to pop off some blocks @ 1/2 way up. Notice the blocks I'm on? They are wedged in there, but not attached to the cliff in any obvious manner. The prybar didn't want to pop those out, probably a good thing as 2Tard4U has a critical bolt right behind me in that block that my heel is on.







The crux was right above this Alien.


How about the clothes? I took off my Ralph Lauren loafers, put on my rock shoes and fired. (Kyle did some pre-cleaning but it remained filthy, I'd already cleaned 3 days so far and you can still see the dirt.


I've gotten out twice and cleaned it some more. Damn that's brutal work. My shoulders are trashed form the prybar action alone. Trashed. I can barely sleep it hurts so bad *cough*pussy noises*cough*

Hopefully this pulls some of you out of spray to look at a pic or 3.

Right on! Post of the week!

I'd post my weekend pics except they're of secret stuff includig pics of my kids each with a nice 16" trout caught in a nearby lake w/ the cliff in the background.

this in the vicinity of headwall or some other undisclosed location?

Ivan if youre responding to me....No other side of the lake...the climbing isn't secret just the lake....fishermen: they are the real secret keepers! It's a cliff not a headwall.

Ill post one...

heres me on a random 5.12d/5.13a in Kamloops.. I didnt send... Its arguably the most difficult climb ive attempted.

Marc....you are 15 and you are already chestbeating.....welcome

I did mention that I didnt send.... thats not real chestbeating lol

naw, i meant it for bill

kevin, why does this bother you so much?? Cuz you suck? Big deal we all suck...

3.5 feet to the right of 2trad4u. Although the route is 100 percent gear, there are places you could reach left and casually clip a bolt on 2tard. We were laughing as it's an obvious and easy natural gear route which is a squeeze job next to the harder route that got bolted over a year ago. This is an outstanding route Ivan (which I suspect folks will be freesoloing soon). I went out last night after work and brushed down 2tard and Happy Crake as a final cleaning. There is still a real very fine dust which my wisk broom didn't get, but after I broomed it off I solo TR'ed both of them to make sure and they're all do-able and the holds are plenty clean enough to grab and have good feet on. It's all good, I need to relevel the base and they just need to get some traffic, in fact that entire area needs some traffic. I called Jim on the way in last night and told him so. Time to bring the secret gradually into the light, start sharing it with good and appreciative folks like Tim Holsher and John Frieh and that sort. I think Jim still needs a moment or 2 to digest that idea:-) A lot of the fellas who did so much work at Ozone had kids, jobs, moved or something else, so they don't show up any more or they go to Ozone. Some of the routes we cleaned out in spring already have vegetation on them.

Thanks for sharing the pic Marc! Good on ya for getting on it and going for the send too.

ps - kev didn't mean that in anything other than a friendly way.

i disagree bill...ANYTIME someone mentions a grade, it provokes an auto-asshole-response about ego from the tool...

I hope Marc didn't take any big ass whippers (20 feet).

I had a bolt at my waist....

shhh.. raindawg may be around here somewhere

You mentioned the grade....that is chest beating.....Rumr STFU. It does not bother me one bit.

Like I said Marc.....welcome.

I had my pretty baby blue "Trad" chalkbag on my side. Pricetag still attached. Anyone want to guess why it's a "Trad" chalkbag? Hint: Notice it's still closed, in the wrong location and unused.

ps, I proposed a grade of 5.7, however, the debate still rages with 5.8 being proposed as well. We may settle for 5.7+ or 5.7 ++. That should get the blood flowing for some of you.

Beer holder?

ding ding ding ding...we have a runner up. Close Angus.

Place on the bottom to stash your weed.

Best response EVER! The "TRAD" chalkbag does have a zipper to keep a mini headlamp or some gu packets...or whatever stashed away.

There's nothing trad about the Mini or the Gu........as matter of fact trad men and women hate even uttering the words "Mini" or "Gu."

cool - and it don't seem like the bonezone's as likely to get cluster-fucked what w/ the much larger emphasis on trad - the parking is way more sketchy there though, eh?

whatever...it obviously bothered you enough to post...just like your posts grate on me...

why don't you go all "philip scoles" on him and make a laughing stock of yourself like last time...

Marc, props to you and keep pushing yourself!!