Sunday, July 17, 2011

Punk Rock rocks, hard

Location: Tumwater Mountain

Elevation: 3,850 feet

While searching for somewhere new and challenging to climb in Leavenworth, we stumbled across a secret crag high above town in Tumwater Canyon. Ten miles of a treacherous dirt road led us to an ideal camping spot with views of the river and town below. There were plenty of routes to tackle – all cracks.

I did my hardest route yet here, climbing a 5.9A traditional route (no bolts in the rock). Cracks are unique in that you often have to jam your fist in and twist to anchor your body rather than using hand and feet holds. It took a bit of getting used to but I finally managed to get myself to the top, just seconds before a thunderstorm that had previously been hidden behind the rock let loose. I slipped my way down the boulder and sprinted through the brush back to camp to wait out the rain.

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