Nine Sleeps in Ten Sleep

My muscles are still aching from our trip out to Ten Sleep, Wyoming. More than one rest day in a row makes me feel guilty. Ten Sleep Canyon in Northern Wyoming is one of the new big up and coming crags of the West (8a.nu ranks it as the 4th trendiest crag in the world right now), with 700+ climbs established currently and more being put up every week, a new guide has to be published nearly every year to keep up. The climbing is on limestone and dolomite, that I would describe as a mix between Smith and Ceuse. Most of it is generally off vertical (usually no more than 10 degrees either way) technical and pockety. I've been to some crags (cough Ceuse) that claim to be pockety, but they are really just slopey crimps or huecos, this place IS pockety. The name of the game here is sticking your fingers in deep, usually two and three finger pockets and mono's and yarding off of them, I love it. The only thing I didn't like about the place is how far it is from Olympia. At a little over 1000 miles each way, it took Laura, Chas and I driving in Chas' car 17 hours to get there. I would happily do it again though, the climbing out there is so much fun. When we arrived we found a nice campsite near some Australians Lee and Sam who were on a long road trip. We crashed and rested ready for some rock crushing the next day.

Laura absolutely flourished on the well bolted, fingery technical climbs, which is to say all of them. Before this trip she had redpointed a handful of 11b's, at Ten Sleep she onsighted many 11b's and 11c's and flashed an 11d! Chas did really well too, onsighting his first 11b, and flashing his first 11c! I know what you all must be thinking, this place sounds soft. But I don't think so, I found the grades to be pretty spot on and a lot more consistent than many other crags, but the style definitely favors climbers who are good on small holds and have good footwork. As for me, I managed to onsight or flash everything I tried 12a and below including 5 12a's onsights, but failed on 3 different 12b onsight attempts. My closest was Happiness in Slavery where I was staring down the chains, and could have grabbed them with my teeth, but I was too pumped to hold on and screamed like a girl as I took the whipper. I did manage a 12c/d (more like a c) 2nd go, but got shut down on a 12d, the harder routes there definitely require a lot of work.

There are so many stories to tell about lightning storms, spiders down clothes, dubious climbing ethics, you'll just have to ask me in person, but for now I'll just leave you with these photos and videos. I'll definitely be back next summer, I want to go for a month, get on more hard climbs, and bring a big Oly crew with me. So Olympia climbers, put it in your calenders. This is THE perfect pocket pulling paradise for mid 5.10 to mid 5.13 climbers.

Just some of the rock in Ten Sleep Canyon, those cliffs are about 200ft tall.

On my first day I managed an onsight of this beautiful 12a on Slavery Wall.

Laura flashing B-1 Bomber Dude (11a) on our first day there.

The small holds and plentiful clip suit Laura's style.

Laura flashing the awesome steep 10d School's Out

The town of Ten Sleep, population 300 or so.

Chas and Laura enjoying Dirty Sally's Ice Creams, Laura's holding mine as well as hers.

A common sight driving through Wyoming. This is America!

Just up the road from Ten Sleep at 9500 ft elevation

Don't expect the local auto shops to have open open slots. Here Chas supervises as I rotate his tyres.

This is what I call a mono. You had to yard off this thing to get off the ground on a 10d.

Chas enjoying the view.

Laura flashing Save the Best for Last (11c). This is not a slab as it appears, but a steep wall.

Laura flashing an 11b/c on the Circus Wall, a great little wall.

Me trying to onsight a 12b, it felt a lot steeper than it looks.

Chas heading up Killer Karma a stout 11d roof climb.

Laura onsighting Vitamin K (11c).

This photo doesn't do it justice, but this climb Great White Buffalo 11b is amazing!

Laura flashing Circus in the Wind (11b), I took the video because I thought she was going to take a fall on the pumpy top, but I was sorely disapointed.

Me redpointing Napalm Death (12c). I don't normally wear a helmet, but I was a little worried about the swing if I fell, luckily I didn't.

Hitting my Stride

I sent my summer project yesterday, Gerbil Killer 13a. Its my 3rd year running climbing a 5.13, and I feel like I really deserve this one. Over the past few weeks I've been getting in good shape by climbing regularly at Little Si, and it paid off yesterday when I practically floated up Gerbil Killer. Well not exactly... on my first redpoint attempt yesterday (of about 5 or 6 total) I felt really good. I climbed the intro moves smart and conserved energy, I managed to shake out well on the rests, so that when I got to the crux I felt as fresh as if I had just stepped off the ground. Unfortunately I guess a had first go nerves, and while I was focusing on getting my right hand just right, my left hand popped off and I was sent flying. I was frustrated, but I could take comfort knowing how good I felt on it. I rested for a good hour before getting on it again. This time I felt pumped going into the crux, but it was a controllable pump. I love that feeling when you know you can do it, but you know you have to fight for it and everything has to go just right. It did, I got got my feet up on the little spikes, reached out for the crux crimp, latched it, set myself up for the big thow, and hit the victory jug perfectly.

Shoes that climb 5.13

Working the projects on WWI

It was a busy day at the crag, and lots of projects went down yesterday. Most impressive for me was seeing Jimmy climb Flatliner, 13c. Everyone at the crag was surprised when he clipped the chains, including him I think. Laura also managed an impressive redpoint of the really thin and technical 11b on the far left end of WWI, her third 11b of the year. It was a good mini-project for her, she went from not being able to do the moves, to going bolt to bolt, then one hanging it, and sending it in the space of a couple of hours. We are both climbing very well right now, which is perfect timing because on Wednesday we are heading out to Ten Sleep, Wyoming with our friend Chas for a week and a half of limestone sport climbing. I can't wait!