but im back. Here is a link to a new video i was just involved in. I also have been up to lots else, mainly studying which is hard for me . Not to worry though, i have been climbing too. I have pics and video to put up soon.
http://www.deadpointmag.com/videos/watch/matt-loyd-darkside-boulders
for now here are some pictures… enjoy
http://picasaweb.google.com/relentlessclimbing/ElCap?authkey=Gv1sRgCMDpxIy6rIi6KA#
The anchors are in and the climbing has commenced. People who have never established a new route ( and boulder problems don’t count) have no idea how much work it is. hand drilling bolts ground up in granite is work ,like cowboy work not desk work.
we started the day by setting up a Tyrolean across the river to speed up the process of hiking back and forth from the car to recharge batters and get supplies. This proved to be a lot of work but it was fun.
once across the river we ascended our fixed lines that i put up yesterday. I climbed the two pitch route with 3 bad cam placements to get to the top. It was wicked scary but worth it. The first two pitches weigh in at around 5.10- . Both josh and i are excited about the quality of the climbing and the chance to contribute something a little more moderate to the climbing community. To date my first acsents include a 5.12c, 5.12d, 5.13d, 5.13b, and a slew of hard run out r/x 5.11s…. not for the faint of heart.
hand drilling bolts suck, especially in bullet hard granite. It takes about 30-40 mins per bolt. We have a 24v hammerdrill but it doesn't do that great in rock this hard so the battery will only last for about one and a half holes per charge.
This is the business, the purpose, the goal… a perfect overhanging wall about 50 feet tall and ripe for the taking. upon arriving at the steep wall we discovered some bolts here already. i climbed the route and discovered absolutely fantastic rock quality and a opportunity for a new very hard and very beautiful route. I have a full summer folks… action time is here.
