Sunday on the Sandstone

Getting outside wasn't a sure thing this weekend. I had a lot of work to do, and the weather forecast looked cold and breezy. But the skies were clear on Sunday morning, and the breeze wasn't too strong, so we decided to try some toprope climbs on the Sandstone Buttress.



We warmed up on "Dorsal." Then we climbed "Code Blue," and finished with "Road Test." "Road Test" is a fun bouldery route which took us a couple tries to send clean. We enjoyed all three routes, and I highly recommend them. They have interesting features, on comfortable sandstone. It's fun to pull through moves that feel very insecure when you're on a toprope!

Approaching the crux on "Road Test."

Higher on the wall, two climbers spent the day multi-pitching. I couldn't identify what route they were on. It might have been a first ascent.

The topropes were a lot of fun, but they didn't provide a full work out. We hiked up the hill, and ended the session by working on the "B1 Traverse" on the Dolomite Band. It's a difficult problem for short climbers. We found separate sequences to do all the moves, but Ashley will need another session (and I might need two) to send the crux after climbing through the beginning.

Ashley approaching the crux of the "B1 Traverse."

For the past few years now, I've made an effort to post my climbing activities or some climbing thoughts on a weekly basis. This approach has provided a somewhat scientific transect of my climbing life. The interesting stuff is all here, and it's evenly mixed in with the not so interesting sessions.

Going forward I've decided to change my approach. Rather than write 18 posts about our next 18 weekend sessions in Sinks Canyon this spring, or committing philosophy because I feel forced to, rather than inspired to, I'll only be posting when I have something that I feel is worth sharing. With all the extra time I save, I'm going to begin work on a bouldering guide for the Lander area. The timeline isn't set yet, and I'm not even sure what form the final product will take, but I'm committing myself to finishing a guide. If you know about bouldering in the Lander area, and have something to contribute, please contact me. Photos, history, opinions on grades and star ratings, what areas should be included or which should be excluded, I'll be looking for information and support. Thanks in advance.