From Spidey to...

One summer during college, I worked at a climbing gym and got suckered into dressing up as Spiderman for the Grand Opening spectacle (yep, that's me in the picture). Back at school, the closest gym was over 50 miles away and since Illinois doesn't boast much in the way of elevation, I ended up finding other things to waste my time with.

Five years later, an internship brought me to California and placed me in the same office as a Canadian climbing dude, where I got a taste of real climbing and was hooked.

Below are just some of the adventures I've survived in my time playing in the mountains.

Alpine Climbing

Mountain

Location

Type, Grade

Date

Comments
Fairview Dome		 Tuolumne, CA (USA) Trad,
5.9 12p		 June 22, 2008 This is my favorite long climb to date. The first few pitches seemed about the same difficulty (solid 5.8) to me despite varied ratings. There is a fun 5.7 roof at the top and after pitch 8, you are doing easy and fast climbing. Couldn't ask for a more a chill descent.
Royal Arches		 Yosemite Valley, CA (USA) Trad,
5.7 A0 (16 pitches)		 May 17, 2008 The first move of the first pitch is the crux move, especially if you don't like chimneys :) This is a classic, easy climb. Great views, easy climbing, but I was kind of bored after about 12 pitches and ready for it to be over. We took the rap route down, which is apparently much nicer than the gully descent. There is a funky chord at the 5.10b traverse so you can swing past it. This was clipped a few weeks after we did it, so make sure it's there if you are counting on it.
Joy Route		 Mt. Indefatigable, Alberta (CAN) Trad,
5.5 10p		 September 12, 2006 The climb is joyful for about the first 5 pitches, mostly due to the gorgeous views of the Kananaskis Lakes. After that, the monotony of slab climbing takes its toll and you just want to finish the last 5 pitches and get it over with. [Pictures]
Gap Mountain		 Kananaskis, Alberta (CAN) Scramble September 10, 2006 Great scramble for an afternoon. There is one 5m exposed portion a quarter of the way up, but there are big steps and hand holds to ease the traverse. Otherwise, boulder hiking to the top. Don't forget to sign the log at the summit! [Pictures]
Cathedral Peak		 Yosemite National Park, CA (USA) Trad,
5.6/7 6p		 July 15, 2006 My first time rock climbing! Peter and I started the long approach at 5:30am and still weren't the first group, so make sure to get out early if you don't want to wait in line. The climbing was a nice and easy mix of crack, slab, and chimney leading to a gorgeous summit view of Eichorn Pinnacle and Cathedral Lake. Mosquitos are fierce at the base, so make sure to bring spray. [Pictures]


Rock Climbing

Route

Location

Type, Grade

Date

Comments
The Amazing Face		 Mt Diablo, CA
(USA)		 Sport, 5.01a July 27, 2008 Nice sport route given the limited options in the bay area. You can top rope this climb if you want, but it's a well bolted lead. There is a 5.10b route to the right that is generally considered much harder, probably because the high traffic over the years has rubbed off all the holds. There is also a nice 5.10c farther to the left.
The Gallery		 Red Rocks Canyon, NV
(USA)		 Sport, 5.8-5.11 November 4, 2007 Very short climbs with a very short approach that ascend in difficulty as you travel right on the wall. This place is in the sun and can be seen from the road, so it's often crowdy, but we didn't have to wait on any routes when we went. All of the routes are pretty well protected with longer slab finishes to keep things interesting. I did my first lead on the 5.9!
Dark Shadows		 Red Rocks Canyon, NV
(USA)		 Trad,
5.8 4p		 November 3, 2007 Definitely deserving of its high star rating. This climb has great exposure, a mix of crack and solid holds, and enough varied climbing to make the whole climb enjoyable. We linked the first two pitches together and found the last pitch to have the only awkward crux move. Only downside is you get no sun on the route, which could be good in the summer, and your rope will get wet on the last rappel as there is a pool at the base of climb.
Surrealistic Pillar		 Lover's Leap, CA
(USA)		 Trad,
5.7 3p		 September 30, 2007 There was nothing terribly memorable about this climb, despite us having to wait for it and be followed by two parties. Make sure to read the topo as the party before us stopped at the wrong belay ledge and went over the ridge a bit early, which caused them frustration.
The Line		 Lover's Leap, CA
(USA)		 Trad,
5.9 3p		 September 29, 2007 Sustained 5.9 crack that actually requires a few jamming moves for the face climber that prefers to cheat. You won't find anything more asthetic on the East Wall and we were lucky to not have to wait to get on as it's one of the most popular routes in the area. The last pitch has a pretty tough overhang, but is right above the anchor to lessen the nerves.
Our Father		 Red Rocks Canyon, NV (USA) Trad,
5.7 1p		 April 29, 2007 This climb is in Black Canyon, an off road area a few miles past Red Rocks. It's a great place for the hotter months and there are a ton of amazing, long climbs here. After a 30 minute approach in the sun, it was nice to find shade. The first pitch of Our Father is a crack with enough slab to let cheaters like me get by without any jamming. There are a few moves that make it easily earn its grade, but nothing to cry home to the kids about. [Pictures]
Black Corridor		 Red Rocks Canyon, NV (USA) Sport,
5.10a, 5.10d		 April 28, 2007 Rich, Robin, Chris, and I headed to the Black Corridor for some moderate sport climbs. This area had a bunch of 5.9-5.11 climbs and is often crowded in the warm months because of the short approach, number of climbs, and most importantly, shade. Rich and I climbed Trigger Happy (5.10a) and Nightmare on Crude Street (5.10d). Both were soft grades, but really fun climbs I'd recommend to anyone in that area. [Pictures]
Overhang Bypass		 Joshua Tree National Park, CA (USA) Trad,
5.7 3p		 February 23, 2007 This climb was a great example of why everyone should really just follow the guide book. Peter and I circled around Intersection Rock a few times trying to find the first pitch of Overhang Bypass. There are multiple options, but we wanted to pick the most appealing one. After seeing a guy free solo up one fun looking crack, we decided to follow suit. At the second pitch, our free soloing friend had already walked off a different route and we were left facing a pretty crazy outward flaring crack. Peter was swearing, I was complaining, and suffice it so say that it was not pretty climbing. There is a 5.7 and 5.9 variation for the third pitch; we decided to play it safe with the 5.7. A fun hand traverse and a short slab run out easily make the climb worth doing. Because this is so near the road and Hidden Valley parking lot, you'll probably be the subject of a few tourist photos so make sure to smile when climbing![Pictures]
Double Cross		 Joshua Tree National Park, CA (USA) Trad,
5.7+ 1p		 February 22, 2007 This was my first climb in Joshua Tree and my first exposure to how sandbagged the easy routes here can be. Peter and I thought we'd start out with something easy, but this route definitely earns its + rating. Two couples followed us and both agreed it was pretty rough for 5.7. Still, a classic Joshua Tree crack climb all the way to the top. [Pictures]
Subject-Verb Agreement		 Red Rocks Canyon, NV (USA) Sport,
5.8 1p		 January 9, 2007 Named after our president, who often ignores this important grammar rule (e.g. "Whether they be Christian, Jew, or Muslim, or Hindu, people have heard the universal call to love a neighbor just like they'd like to be called themselves. - George W. Bush, Washington, D.C. Oct. 8, 2003 ). This was a 9 bolt sport climb with the face totally in the sun and the belayer left in the shade between the climb and a wall at their back. It's a steep climb, but huge holds and many bolts for good protection. [Pictures]
Cat in the Hat		 Red Rocks Canyon, NV (USA) Trad,
5.6+ 5p		 January 8, 2007 One of the most popular climbs in this area located on the Mescalito Buttress in Pine Creek Canyon. The approach was not clearly marked and we never passed a sign marker that the guide book mentioned, but we eventually found the base. We did pitches 2 and 3 in one, so finished the climb in 4 all together. Mostly crack climbing with a short slab crux at the end brings you to nice views of the surrounding area and the Las Vegas strip afar in the distance. [Pictures]
Shark's Tooth		 Phantom Spires, CA (USA) Sport,
5.8/5.10a 1p		 August 13, 2006 I top-roped the 5.10a variation on one side of this spire, a short, fun pitch in the shade. There is alternatively a 5.8 bolted climb on the adjacent side that faces the sun. [Pictures]
Gingerbread		 Phantom Spires, CA (USA) Trad,
5.6 2p		 August 13, 2006 Easy climb with a great view of the spires. The last pitch is horizontal slab with big holds. The scariest part of this climb is the rappel - overhanging and steep. [Pictures]
Corrugation Corner		 Lover's Leap, CA (USA) Trad,
5.7/8 3p		 August 12, 2006 Climbed this with Rich, Sophia, Chris, and Peter. The climb is exposed and steep, but huge holds leave it at a 5.7, deservedly recognized as one of the best in North America. Pitch 3 has a 5.8 variation and peaks out at a flat ledge for the next belay; Sophia, Chris, and I each took a beached whale's approach to getting on the ledge, so think before you step at the top if you want to have a more graceful finish. A simple walk off from the top gets you back to the base. [Pictures]
Pine Line		 Yosemite National Park, CA (USA) Trad,
5.7 1p		 July 24, 2006 This is commonly a first pitch climb to El Capitan. It felt more like a 5.8 to me, but that may have been from outside circumstances. My rock shoes were still wet from climbing Munginella in the rain the day before and were drying in the 90°F as I was climbing. Burning toes! [Pictures]
Munginella		 Yosemite National Park, CA (USA) Trad,
5.6 3p		 July 23, 2006 As the name suggests, this climb is on the dirty side: lots of loose rock, tree roots, and other random debris. Nevertheless, it's a fun few pitches for beginners. Just after Peter finished leading the last pitch, we got a downpour of rain, so I got to climb up rock with water running over it. Not everyday you get to water climb! [Pictures]



Ice Climbing

Route

Location

Type, Grade

Date

Comments
The Good		 Ghost River Area, Alberta (CAN) WI4 1p January 18, 2007 Drove over a few rivers and many snow drifts to get to "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (GBU). Only climbed the leftmost climb, The Good, an easy-medium grade WI4. [Pictures]
Grotto Falls		 Canmore, Alberta (CAN) WI3 1p January 15, 2007 First time ice climbing! Very easy climb and perfect for a beginner. The short walk to the falls goes over a frozen river and through a canyon with Native rock paintings. The canyon keeps the wind out but doesn't let much sun in, so pick a warm day for best conditions. [Pictures]