ClimbTech Arming The Bunker

Recently I ventured out into a new area in Clear Creek "The Bunker".  I have no clue why it's called the bunker.  My best guess is that it has something to do with the 20-45 minute (pack weight dependent) death march up hill to get there.  That's just a guess.

Now my first trip up the area was downplayed.  I was told, "It's not as cool as it looks" and "It's smaller than it looks".  

Truth.  It does look bigger from the road.  

Truth.  The hike really does suck.

Truth.  "Apoca Lips Now" is AWESOME.

Truth.  I've been up now 5 times.  

Truth.  All 5 were worth it.

So I decided to perma draw Apoca Lips, for various reasons, mostly because I really wanted to perma-draw a route and this one seemed like the right one.  So I ordered some cable draws from ClimbTech and this is what happened. 

Note: These were just some test photos we took.  Jamie and I will venture back and do even better this weekend. 

The Prowler

Years ago Jason Baker bolted a line right of Twitch in Clear Creek Canyon.  The line sat unsent and ignored.  Recently Mark Anderson has been on a tear and spent some time on this line.  Thus "The Prowler" came to be.

Photos of Jamie Gatchalian 

The Prowler clocks in at 5.14a.  The route is very short but packs quite a punch, the lower crux being in the V9-10 range.  

While on my attempt I was unable to do the first crux I found the moves above to be some of the coolest around.  Sadly I have no photos of those moves.

Lightning

A cool storm with cooler lightning came through today... I had to snap a picture.  Here is my favorite.

Taken from my garage.

The BUNKER

The Bunker is a crag I saw about two years ago and thought to my self "WOW! That has to have some cool lines"  All I saw was a huge roof.  Ever since I've wanted to check it out.  I finally got the chance to do so on Sunday.   I ventured out with Kevin Capps and Mark Anderson to the wall.  Mark is responsible for most of the new routes going up at this wall.

Note: The Bunker isn't on Mountain Project nor the Mabe book.  I guess you'll just have to get the new book to find it.

Here are a few shots of them climbing.

Starting with Kevin

This climb is called "Apoca Lips" and probably goes at 5.13a or b or ?  I don't really know.  It's steep, pumpy and very cool.

I don't know the name of this rig, I do know it's in the 5.13 range and that Mark just sent it earlier today.  It looked hard. 

Mark has been on a tear.  It seems he is sending a new 5.14 on a weekly basis.  He doesn't feel the need for feet while chalking up.

Enjoy

-Keith North

New lines in Clear Creek Canyon

Yesterday I went out with a Matt Lloyd to investigate and shoot a new line on River Wall in Clear Creek.  Note: This line isn't exactly new, it's just unsent.  River Wall is one of the under appreciated walls in the canyon, seeing relatively little traffic to other surrounding walls.  This is primarily due to access.  All climbs are accessed by climbing a 5.7 to a ledge high off the river, then traversing along the ledge to either climb up to the top of the wall or to lower down to the river and climb back out.   

Here are some photos of a line (name unknown) it climbs a fun 5.11 section before entering a difficult boulder problem involving large moves on nothing slopers and small very sharp crimpers. And the exposure is pretty cool too.

Enjoy.

-Keith North

Adventure out West

This weekend I set out with two very good friends Matt Lloyd and Dan Cornella.

Our plan was to leave Denver Thursday afternoon, drive to Rifle, pull on some hard sport routes then jump back in the car and drive on to Utah.  This is where the plan ends, we knew a tower was in our future, just not which one.  The decision was made to climb The North Face of Castleton tower, The north face being shaded all day this seemed the only sane option.  Castleton tower is one of the most prolific of Utah's desert towers, attracting climbers from all around the world to reach it's summit.  The North Face is the most difficult trad line on the tower.  To my knowledge there is a bolted 5.12? also on the tower.

Here are some photos from our adventure.

Rifle

Here are some photos I took of Dan & Matt on a new(ish) 5.13a called "I'm Sorry"

Dan trying hard to work out the moves on the low crux.

Control the swing

Latching the crimper of the upper crux.

Matt enters the upper crux

Working out some tall man beta.

We got to Castle Valley around midnight and then went hunting for the dirt road that would lead to the trail head... We didn't find it.  We found a different dirt road and went 4 wheeling in the dark for an hour before we gave up and made camp.

It wasn't till morning we realized that the entire 4 wheeling adventure was parallel to a paved road and that we passed the trail head at one point along the drive.  Go us!

Nothing beats a 4Runner - you can disagree but then you'd be wrong.

Castleton Tower, The Milky Way, Starry skies.  I love Utah at night.

Castleton Tower lit with moonlight.

Before going to bed I set up my camera to do some star trail photos.  I took the results and came up with these three final renderings.  Let me know what you think.  I'm new to this.

I never sleep well camping and was the first one up, so I grabbed the camera and went to work trying to capture some landscape photos while the sun rose.  Here is what I got.

And the tower - I mentioned we missed the trail.  We went straight up the hill, Matt and Dan are both 6'5" I stand 5'8",  trying to keep up with them hiking is usually quite a task in and of it's self, then there is the tower.

A lone flower I found on our approach.

I liked that little house.

The view on the approach

From the top of the first pitch

Our route

Pitch 1

Pitch 3

Summit shot

Turning the edge - See if you can pick out our packs down below.






Now from time to time Matt or Dan will take the camera.  Here are those shots - Random order.

Tape gloves :)

Racking up

The toss on Cryptic Egyptian 5.13c

High up on Cryptic

Hope you enjoy
-Keith North