Relevant

I decided to take advantage of Veteran's Day and climb at Suicide Rock with Albert and Kevin. The weather was cool and mostly overcast with a light breeze. We started out with Surprise 5.8 and then went over to the north end and finished with Guillotine 5.8. The climbing was great, only saw one other party climbing.

Ran out to Joshua Tree for a few hours this morning. Climbed several of the old stand-by routes. Double Dip, Stichter Quits aka Black Tide and The Eye. Good to get out and move on the stone. Quit when it started to get warm.

October 10, 2009

Climbed at Suicide Rock today. Did Surprise (5.8) and Serpentine (5.9). Conditions were excellent and we never saw either of the other two parties except at the parking lot. Just about a perfect day, even if it was short.

This weekend a couple of us decided to make a weekend trip down to So Ill to go bouldering.  The crew was Matt, Thomas, and Kate.  The three of them headed down before me and did some bouldering at Fern Cliff and Gum Springs.  I arrived at 10pm and found out that apparently road signs do not exist in Shawnee National Forest.  After about 2 hours of driving around lost I managed to find Jackson Falls where we camped. 

It was raining Saturday morning so we decided to hit Belle Smith Springs for some water bouldering.  The water was amazing we found some nice boulders sitting along the creek.  The So Ill bouldering guide book only made passing reference to Belle Smith Springs and we were shocked to see the potential in this undeveloped area for both bouldering and rock climbing.

We spent the next day and a half at Jackson Falls.  Getting down into the canyon was kinda sketch with a 35 foot rope decent.   Once we got down into the canyon it was easy to see why Belle Smith Springs was under developed.  There are literally hundreds of boulder problems and climbing routes at Jackson Falls.  We spent the remainder of the weekend hitting the clasic bouldering areas at Jackson Falls; Yosimite Slab, Welcome Boulder, Reefer Madness, and the ODM Boulder. 

I ran across this site of an access group that works to preserve climbing areas in Roaring Fork Canyon in Colorado.  Currently they have been working to protect five climbing areas in the canyon; Thompson Creek, Glenwood Canyon, Redston Pilar, False Drool and The Drool.  Their efforts have not been for nothing.  There is currently a new resource management plan in the works for Thompson Creek, they are managing to maintain the tedious agreement with land owners at False Drool, and the The Drool has recently been purchased to allow access for climbers.  Check out their site and support the cause. 

http://www.roaringforkclimbers.com/

I'm just sitting in the office itching to go climbing.   Its been a terribly busy week and I haven't even been able to make it to Paradise Gym to work some climbing in.  Guess I'll have to make it in tonight if I can manage to find some time.  Just have to make it through to Friday night and I'll be off to the Garden of the Gods to work on a couple of my project routes.