El Capitan Train-Up

The Tentative Game Plan

Well maybe it's completely unrealistic, but I genuinely think El Cap in any capacity would be an amazing accomplishment. I am working hard at my climbing so maybe if the opportunity presents itself I can go on a trip to do the Nose or Triple Direct or one of the big trade routes down there. Either way this is a journal to keep track of my progress toward the trip.

• Outer Space - Icicle Canyon - Leavenworth - (DISPATCHED 7/23/08)


• Liberty Crack - Washington Pass - Mazama (DISPATCHED 8/4/08)


• Crack of Doom - Tumwater Canyon - Leavenworth


• Toxic Shock - Inner Walls - Index - (DISPATCHED 8/13/08)


• Rogers Corner - Lower Wall - Index WA (DISPATCHED 9/3/08)


• Lead 15 Climbs of any grade at Joshua Tree - (DISPATCHED 10/19/08)


• Top rope/second the Big 5 in any method possible at Joshua Tree(ATTEMPTED 3 of 5 10/19/08)


• Lead 2 climbs at Idyllwild (DISPATCHED 10/21/08)


• Trad lead any 5.10 at Joshua Tree (ATTEMPTED 10/19/08)

Please leave comments on anything you can think would be helpful for my endeavor. I will take everything into consideration!

Trad 2008

Party in your Pants 5.8 - Vantage WA - 3/16/08
The Gully Route 5.0 - Peshastin Pinnacles - Peshastin WA - 3/18/08
Dogleg Crack 5.8+ - Alphabet Rock - Leavenworth WA - 4/30/08. (On-Site)
Classic Crack 5.8 + - 8 Mile Rock - Leavenworth WA - 4/30/08 (2 falls, first falls on cams...ever. They do work! Route is slick as pig snot)
Saber 5.5 - Castlerock - Leavenworth WA - 5/28/08
Dogleg Crack 5.8+ - Alphabet Rock - Leavenworth WA 6/8/08
Route 5.6 - Hammerhead Rock - Leavenworth WA 6/8/08
The Cube 5.8 - Clamshell Cave - Leavenworth WA 6/8/08
Keep Clam - 5.8 Clamshell Cave - Leavenworth WA 6/8/08
The 5.6 - Bruce's Boulder - Leavenworth WA - 7/1/08
Theresa's Lingerie - 5.9 Middle East Wall - Vantage WA - 7/5/08
Classic Crack 5.8 + - 8 Mile Rock - Leavenworth WA - 7/9/08
Outer Space P6 - 5.9 - Snow Creek Wall - Leavenworth WA - 7/23/08 (On-Site)
Old Crack 5.7 - Feathers - Vantage WA - 7/29/08 (On-Site)
Toxic Shock - 5.9 - Inner Walls - Index WA - 8/14/08 (On-Site)
Corner Flash - 5.7 - Inner Walls - Index WA - 8/14/08 (On-Site)
Midway - 5.6 - Castlerock - Leavenworth WA - 9/2/08 (On-Site)
Rogers Corner 5.9 - Rogers Corner Area - Index WA - 9/3/08 (1 take)
Rogers Corner 5.9 - Rogers Corner Area - Index WA - 9/10/08 (redpoint)
Iconoclast P3 5.8 - Snow Creek Wall - Leavenworth WA - 9/13/08
Classic Crack 5.8 + - 8 Mile Rock - Leavenworth WA 9/28/08
The Cube 5.8 - Clamshell Cave - Leavenworth WA - 9/28/08
Keep Clam - 5.8 Clamshell Cave - Leavenworth WA - 9/28/08
Sex Party 5.10a - Middle East Wall - Vantage WA - 10/1/08
Clamshell Crack - 5.7 - Clamshell Cave - Leavenworth WA - 10/8/08 (On-Site)
Noisy Oyster - 5.7 - Clamshell Cave - Leavenworth WA - 10/8/08 (On-Site)
Tangled Up In Blue - 5.9 - Sunshine Wall - Vantage WA - 11/23/08

Sport Lead 2008

I will only include more serious sport leads. 5.8d+ stuff.

Baseball Nut - Peshastin Pinnacles - Peshastin WA - 4/17/08
I remember baseballs being slightly larger. Good calf workout. Well bolted.
Hind Quarters 5.10- - Alphabet Rock - Leavenworth WA 4/30/06
Climbed this last season with my friend and I taking turns deciding who would get the next bolt. Lots of training has paid off. Lead it this year with 1 fall at the crux. Took a 30 second brake and finished the route with really no problem. I just didn't see the move the first time through.

Playin' Possum 5.10a - Clems Hollar - Leavenworth WA 8/27/08
On sited the first 2 pitches on lead. And on sited the 3rd pitch seconding.
Nettlesome 5.9 - Clems Hollar - Leavenworth WA - 8/27/08
On sited both pitches on lead.
Honkeys Lament 5.10- - Clems Hollar - Leavenworth WA - 8/27/08
On sited on lead. Love the last little zen crux move.
Gun Rack 5.9 - Clems Hollar - Leavenworth WA - 8/27/08
On sited on lead. Really cool roof. Totally looks harder than it is.

On Site Top Ropes 2008 (Personal FA)

Elvis' Pharmacist 5.10c - Sunshine Wall - Vantage WA - 3/26/08
George and Martha 5.10a - Sunshine Wall - Vantage WA 3/26/08
Old Grey Mare 5.8 - Castlerock - Leavenworth WA 4/9/08
South Face, Jello Tour 5.8+ - Castlerock - Leavenworth WA 4/9/08
Saber 5.5 - Castlerock - Leavenworth WA 4/16/08
Meat Grinder 5.10a - Alphabet Rock - Leavenworth WA 4/30/08
Twin Cracks 5.8 - 8 Mile Rock - Leavenworth WA 4/30/08
The Fault 5.6 - Castlerock Leavenworth WA - 5/4/08
Catapult 5.8 - Castlerock - Leavenworth WA - 5/4/08 (variation to the right made this probably closer to 10a)
Canary 5.8 - Castlerock - Leavenworth WA - 5/28/08
Godzilla 5.11a - Lower Wall - Index WA - 6/1/08
Princely Ambitions 5.9 - Lower Wall - Index WA - 6/1/08
Route 5.10a - Hammerhead Rock - Leavenworth WA - 6/8/08
P1 Davis Holland Route 5.9 - Upper Town Wall - Index WA -6/18/08
P3 Davis Holland Route 5.10b - Upper Town Wall - Index WA - 6/18/08
P1 Lovin Arms 5.10 - Upper Town Wall - Index WA - 6/18/08
p3 Lovin Arms 5.9+ - Upper Town Wall - Index WA - 6/18/08
Rogers Corner 5.9 - Rogers Corner Area - Index WA - 6/25/08
Breakfast of Champions 5.10a - Rogers Corner Area - Index WA - 6/25/08
P4 The Lizard Route 5.8 - Great Northern Slab - Index WA - 6/25/08
The Elders - 5.10a - Middle East Wall - Vantage WA - 7/5/08
P1 through P5 Outer Space 5.9 - Snow Creek Wall - Leavenworth WA - 7/23/08
Liberty Crack -Liberty Tower - North Cascades Pass WA - 8/3/08
Toxic Shock 5.8 Start - Inner Walls - Index WA - 8/14/08
The Javelin 5.10- - The Special Spot - Leavenworth WA 8/27/08
Opening Ceremonies 5.9 - The Special Spot - Leavenworth WA 8/27/08, Went off route for the finish and ended up on the slab moves finishing Semi Final. A neat variation.
Strength Through Bowling - 5.11a - Lower Wall - Index WA - 9/10/08
P1 Iconoclast - 5.10c? - Snow Creek Wall - Leavenworth WA - 9/13/08
GRTC 5.10b - Clamshell Cave - Leavenworth WA - 10/8/08

Top Ropes Notables

Z-Crack 5.10c - Alphabet Rock - Leavenworth WA 4/30/08
Tried to climb this last season with Nick on top rope. Both of us were sent home without making the crux move. Way over our heads at the time. Tried it today on top rope again. Fell 3 times at the starting crux and lowered to rest up. Climbed up again after a short rest to the crux and fell twice. Tried a third time and on-sited the rest of the route. Way maxed out, but completely awesome!

Thin Fingers 5.11a - Lower Wall - Index WA 6/1/08
Got to second this pitch. The first part to the crux is brilliant. Love the climbing. The move or 2 to the hand crack is strenuous. Hand crack is brilliant up to the small roof/layback section. Loved the layback. Really powerful & way laid back! Easy to the anchor after that. Very fun!

Sloe Children 5.10d - Lower Wall - Index WA 6/1/08
Whoa! The start to this is really balancy. I fell right at the start. Brilliant finger crack from there to the crux last move. Was really humid so I was chalking like a maniac. No way the last move is 10d. I would say more like 11a or b. Feet Feet Feet!

Davis Holland 5.10b to Lovin Arms - 5.11a - Upper Town Wall -Index WA - 6/18/08
Pitch one is a bit awkward. Not hard, but the feet are difficult to get right. Pitch 2 is absolutely the gem of this route. Although I loved Pitch 5. I had a simple slip that kept me from onsighting the second pitch. Sent the rest of it with a layback style learned from a Dean Potter video on tombstone. 3rd pitch started with a neat roof that was a bit tricky with the feet, then went to a reachy boulder problem and moderate from there. 4th pitch (pitch1 of lovin arms) was really wet. Ended up doing a bear hug instead of hand jam. Chimney section was cool. Pitch 5 has a really scary start. I was really nervous. Awesome technical climbing after that. I loved the 6th pitch a totally pumpy jug haul. Can't wait to get back on it!

The Lizard Route 5.8+ - Great Northern Slab - Index WA - 6/25/08
I ended up leading the first pitch although it turned into more of an aid lead then anything. Had to pull on a piece past the middle. Rock was really slick and I am not all that great with off-hands at this point. Tom lead the second pitch through the Butt Lips chimney. Totally wanked on that thing. Next pitch Tom encouraged me to lead, but after the sandbag rating of the last pitch I was happy to let Tom try his luck at it instead. Only to find out it would have been an amazing pitch for me to lead. I made like KFC on that last pitch LOL. CHICKEN!

Desert Dessert - 5.11a - Middle East Wall - Vantage WA - 7/5/08
You know I fell at the crux 2 or 3 times. Other than that I felt like I was pretty solid on the route. Really humid so my hands were slick. I think next time I can put it together. Ended up just going at the crux a different way that pushed you up a lot higher than a chalky spot which tempts you to move out right too soon. Who knows though. Sort of Balancy but I don't think that adds to the difficulty. Maybe it did. Who knows.

Hang Dog - 5.11? - Castlerock - Leavenworth WA - 9/2/08
Did not get this at all. Felt really good getting up to the small roof. Felt relaxed and cool about the right traverse. Couldn't put the moves over the roof together though. Tried twice. This will be a great goal.

Crack of Doom - 5.10a? - Castlerock - Leavenworth WA - 9/2/08
First time on this route was much earlier this year. Did old grey mair to crack of doom. Could not put the route together. Tried the route again today on top rope as a second. Got to the start of crack of doom and got spit out again. Totally maxed out after trying Hang Dog. Keep trying i guess...

Japanese Gardens - 5.11? - Lower Wall - Index WA - 9/3/08
Second time on this route. Actually on sited the first pitch the first time about a month ago. Got the 1st pitch again today, and got almost to the first rest stance before the first crux of the second pitch. Still couldn't touch it. Although I did get further. I think this is one of those projects that is going to take a while. 5.11 is stupid hard.

Doctor Sniff and the Tuna Boaters - 5.10d - Lower Wall - Index WA
Fell at the really thin crux getting to the layback. I think I can do this route, body positions are aboslutely critical. Seems like there are about 6 routes in a row that require you to get it just right. Fun route though!

Iconoclast to Hyperspace & Psychopath - 5.11? - Snow Creek Wall - Leavenworth WA - 9/13/08
Really Really Really Hard rock climb. Iconoclast for the most part went well. Psychopath was good. I fell at the crux. Got to lead the 5.8 hand crack pitch with the 2 roof problems. Felt really solid on that. Ended up passing a couple of people on the next pitch. Pressure chamber on hyperspace was painfully difficult. I fell in the dozens of times on this entire route. Most falling in a while. Trying to keep pushing through the stuff and only had to aid/french free a few moves to keep me going. At my current ability this was not one of my favorite routes, but mysteriously attractive in its own rights.

Aid / Solo Top Ropes

Solo Top Rope

Just about everything at Bruce's Boulder. Leavenworth WA - 5/4/08
Party in your Pants - 5.8 - Sunshine Wall - Vantage WA - 7/3/08
The Chossmaster - Sunshine Wall - Vantage WA - 10/5/08

Aid Lead

Jugging

Fixed Center Rope - Tom's Gym - East Wenatchee WA - 8/1/08
Flat Wall - Tom's Gym - East Wenatchee WA - 8/1/08
Cave over Roof - Tom's Gym - East Wenatchee WA - 8/1/08
Lithuanian Lip (Pitch 1) Liberty Crack - Liberty Tower - North Cascades Pass WA - 8/4/08
Pitch 3,4,6 Liberty Crack - Liberty Tower - North Cascades Pass WA - 8/4/08

Free Solo

While I am not seeking these out. I do want to keep track of them.

Baby Steps 5.4 - Mad Meadows/Playground Point - Leavenworth WA - 6/7/08

Training Notes

Training update 4/16/08
3 times a week at Golds gym is really paying off. Climb Wednesday Night, Thursday Night, and all of Sunday. Sometimes Saturday. Ordered and received Chris McNamara's book "Yosemite Big Walls". Simply awesome. I won't even say it, but my mind is already gearing towards it. Climbing partner has done "it" 3 times and I am convinced it is my ultimate goal now. If training and climbing keep progressing at this rate I should be well on my way for the training plan. Anyone with experience I am literally a moldable ball of clay right now when it comes to training info on "it".

Training Update 4/30/08
2 back to back hard workouts at Golds are leaving my legs and calves aching to oblivion. Going climbing this afternoon with Tom out at Castlerock in the Tumwater. I know he is going to work the crap out of me so that will be fun. Might try to start the day off with a lead up Saber. I have been itching to lead it ever since seconding it a few weeks ago. I really like that climb. Plus I think its a good warm up style climb for the rest of the stuff out there. Excited to play with my cams some more.

Training Update 5/6/08
Took the last couple of days off as I was stung by a bee on my right elbow. The thing made it so my arm was in a lot of pain. Benedryl seems to do the trick for the pain though. Headed out again tomorrow, Benedryl and all. Backed off on Golds gym just a bit. We have climbing some things that were close to my max lately and I felt like I was getting a good enough work-out on those. Hopefully get my Saber lead tomorrow. I have my wedding this weekend so I need to kind of hold back from my normal climb really hard style. Read something today that says a lot of younger climbers continually push themselves and it causes a bit of an experience gap that is pretty important. Think I will pick one of my climbing days and focus on 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9 and really work with my gear to fill in that problem. Would like to be able to go back to Alphabet rock and do z-crack without any falling the first time through instead of wanking on it like last time.

Training Update 5/18/08
Training has really fallen off. My wedding was last weekend and I had my honeymoon last week. Climbed a couple of climbs at Fun Rock in Mazama WA. Both 5.5ish. Managed to go to Index for the first time yesterday. Wonderful climbing but was very near or at heat exhaustion. Really warm. Going to try to get back in the swing tomorrow morning with a early AM workout at Golds. Managed to gather a ton of information on Solo Top Roping last week though. Need to get a mini-traxion. That will help training efforts.

Training Update 6/4/08
Starting to get into cardio a bit. Back into running has been really nice. Still 3 times a week at Golds Gym and 2 times a week climbing. Really getting myself into the mental state needed for continued training for this El Cap thing. Initial conversations with my partner are leaning towards Triple Direct. Partner is warming up to the idea that I may actually be able to pull this off with him. I am starting to gain confidence in my 5.10 climbing. A lot of work ahead!

Training Update 6/18/08
After climbing Lovin' Arms I am now really feeling like I have what it takes to commit to this. I was very humbled at the top to think that after 6 pitches and as off the deck as we were, El Cap would still have 24 or so pitches remaining. Really feeling like my aid climbing needs to start progressing. It's hard to just go aid climb when there are so many fantastic free routes around. I don't own the gear, so that is a barrier as well. Lovin' Arms also showed me that I need to be able to contribute leading a bit more. It would be nice to think i could just top-rope the entire el cap deal, but the reality is, I need to be helping my partner more. I am at the point now where I feel like I could jump on a 5.10 and try and lead it trad. Depending on the route of course. Layback's feel solid enough. Hand jamming is coming along really well. My hands are finally numbing up and I don't tear them up after a single day of climbing. Some jams I still get sharp pain in the tops of my hands. I am told that goes away with time. Finger jams actually feel really solid too. Was nervous about pulling a finger when i first started with that. I need more crimp strength. Trying to get down to the second rung on the campus board at Golds is impossible for me. Losing a little weight would probably help that too. I would like to target 175lbs. Cardio training will help with that in time. Doing fast miles on the treadmills then going immediately to the stair master and doing interval training for 10 minutes. Calves and Knees are sore for the rest of the day, but are fine the next day. Lawn mower pull is up to 80lbs. All for now.

Training Update 7/24/08
Well just about every Wednesday we are on something multi-pitch now. Can't think of the last time we weren't. Working out at Golds has eased off as we have been climbing more and doing bigger climbs. Outer space went down last night. I didn't feel like the climb was terribly hard stamina wise, so the work-outs earlier this year are paying off big time. With this heat we are doing a lot of the shorter classic repeats in the evening. Haven't really had anything note-worthy to post on here. No worries there is some big stuff in the works for August hopefully up Liberty Bell.

Training Update 8/14/08
The inevitable work being really busy and some of the bigger climbs we have done, my work out schedule has gone to crap. Trying to get motivated to get back into the swing of the Golds routine, but failing to ignite a patter with any longevity. No excuse. Headed out to Golds tomorrow morning!

Training Update 9/3/08
Back in the swing of things. Climbing Almost every other day. Repeating a lot of really good routes. Snagging a few new leads here and there. Trad is coming along. Probably going to just stay out of the gym until winter hits. We have a trip to Joshua tree tentatively planned for October. Should be a lot of fun. We are climbing a lot, and on stuff that is challenging me. Had a great trip to Clems Hollar the other day, on-sited everything I touched. Love those days. Crack of doom spit me out again today though. Was really psyched to try that again on top rope. Think I got pumped trying hangdog.

Training Update 9/17/08
Have been climbing a lot. Staying out of the Gym because I seem to be getting plenty of work out outside right now. Got a trip planned to Joshua tree for Mid October. Really looking forward to that. Feeling a bit like I have a cold coming on right now. Hopefully I can shake that before we go to California. Taking lots of Vitamin C and getting plenty of fluid and rest. You know this is weird to say but I am actually looking forward to some gym climbing. Had a full summer on the rock this year and the comfort of the gym sounds nice for a bit. But I am probably totally wrong and will be headed out every chance I get between now and snow!

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