Ben and Krissy

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Musquodoboit - Go There!

ps. These are all NEW problems we put up in the last couple days (approx 12 new problems)

Friday, June 10, 2011

Monday, May 23, 2011

Dover Island - First Day of 2011

On Sunday a large crew of Halifax climbers headed out to Dover Island for the first time in the 2011 season. The weather was finally dry, but slightly on the cool side. With the retirement of Norm, we now have a new boat "captain" and a new boat launch - which seems like it is going to work out fairly well.

I was able to put up a couple of new problems, as well as get on the good old classics. The first new problem, Camaro Crash Helmet (V8), climbs a steep overhanging bloc just opposite the White Trash roof area. The problem is essentially two, big moves - the first, jumping to a pinch on the right corner, followed by a powerful bump to a jug. This one is still awaiting a second ascent to get some sort of consensus on the grade. The second problem I did was a link-up: Start on White Trash (V8) and then climb into the second part of Horizontal Matter (V11). I think this one is also probably somewhere in the V11 range. It's not a stellar line by any means, I was just looking for something new to try. I named the link up White Trash Matters (V11).

Ben on the First Ascent of Camaro Crash Helmet (V8)
photo: C. Stamp

Camaro Crash Helmet (V8)
photo: C. Stamp

Scott trying Camaro Crash Helmet (V8)
photo: C. Stamp

Mick on White Trash (V8)
photo: C. Stamp

Ben Q playing the part.
photo: C. Stamp

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Chameleon

Chameleon was Nova Scotia's first and only 5.13 sport route for many years. Sean Cassidy first climbed the route in 1999. The route went unrepeated for 12 years.

Here is what Sean said about the route:

"When did I put it up? ....when you were knee-high to a grasshopper. Ha!ha!

Nov.22/99 was the date. I think Therien belayed me. Good temps.

Almost sent it earlier that year (got through the first two cruxes with a taped split tip), but my finger tape slipped off when I was in the middle of the top slab crux. Blood doesn’t provide good friction, as it turns out.

I bolted it in spring/summer 99 (pretty sure). It took me about 3 frustrating visits to bolt it (at that time we had to rent drills and their batteries totally sucked), which was a major motivator for our work in getting a drill for CNS."

Needing a little change from working my usual projects, I made it a goal to repeat the route. Ben Smith and I worked the route this past Saturday and then went back an both made ascents of the route last night - the first repeats.

Now I am going to move on to a couple of unclimbed sport projects in the Halifax area. Maybe we will find the areas first 5.14....