Coaches:		Climbers:
Jermey Bowler	Johnny Goiocoechea	Jesse "Wonder Twin #1" Warren	Allie "Wonder Twin #2" Warren

Matt "Math" Sorensen

Kirsten “Mini Mountain” Oldroyd

Samantha “Samurai” Scharenberg

3/29/08

Johnny and Jeremy met these climbers on Saturday at 9am at the Smith Rock State Park parking lot for 4 days of outdoor training. It had been a cold night, so the park was nearly empty despite sunny and warm temperatures, so we jumped on a couple of classics at the Morning Glory Wall to warm up.  Top ropes on “5 Gallon Buckets” (5.8) and “The Outsiders” (5.9) were great starting routes because of their large holds and fun moves.

We then moved on to the far end of the Christian Brothers area to get our lead on.  Kirsten, Sam, Allie and Mathew got an intro to Smith bolt spacing on “Dancer” (5.7).  Just around the corner, Jesse flashed “Double Trouble” (5.10b).  Mathew, Kirsten and Sam all had a go on lead, but weren’t quite feeling it yet, so they tried it on top rope. Heading back east, Jesse tried to onsight “Heresy” a bouldery 5.11b, but got a bit pumped due to the unusual overhanging nature of this Smith classic.  Everyone (including the coaches!) got to have a whack at this one, providing a great way to finish our first day. - Matt on Heresy (5.11b) with Jesse and Johnny spotting.

Johnny and Jeremy woke up at the campground to a few inches of fresh snow, so instead of bothering with the Jetboil to make coffee, hopped in the car and headed to Redmond, OR to get it made for us and call the climbers (at their nice, warm, comfy hotel rooms…) and push the start time back a bit.  The sun was out and it looked like a great day, we just needed the snow to melt and the rock to warm up. At 10am, we convened at the parking lot again and headed off to more adventure.  To start the day off right, everyone hopped on “Bunny Face” (5.7) a classic Smith slab covered with pockets and knobs. - Kirsten picking through the sea of knobs on “Bunny Face” (5.7)

Mathew, Jesse, Allie and Sam all did “Wedding Day”, a somewhat scary 5.10b with the hardest moves right off the ground, but sustained just-off-vertical moves the rest of the way.  Jesse flashed it on lead and Sam jogged up it on top-rope, vowing to come back and lead it. -Sam showing off her footwork on “Wedding Day” (5.10b)

We all grabbed our lunches to sit back and watch Johnny flash “Chain Reaction” (5.12c).  This route was at the top of Jesse’s tick list and he seemed ready as ever to hop on it.  He quickly worked out the moves getting to take a decent-sized whipper in the process!  Mathew then grabbed the sharp end and tried his luck at the route that graces the guidebook cover.  He cruised the bottom part, but the crux ended up being pretty stiff and spit him off more than once. As it turned out, a local climber pointed out the route to the left called “Evil Sister” (5.13b with a stem to another rock to the left or 5.13c if the climber stays on the pillar itself).  Johnny nabbed the 4th ascent of the 5.13b route and its first flash!  -Jesse working out the crux on “Chain Reaction” (5.12c)

Jeremy wanted everyone to have a taste of true Smith edging, so he got himself psyched to lead the infamous “Barbecue the Pope” (5.10b).  This route, although four stars has a notoriously high first bolt (somewhere in the 18’-20’ mark) and then the climber risks a ground fall from the 3^rd bolt looming way above the second.  Despite the cool temps and occasional snowflake, he took off, making it to the fourth bolt with only 4 bouts of “Elvis Leg”.  Then it began to snow.  Hard.  Although the sweet SoiLL Tux Tee gave him great confidence, it only goes so far when there are small puddles on the slab edges, so he lowered off.

We all waited out the weather with a few more attempts on Heresy which stays entirely dry no matter what the weather.  Jesse and Mathew both made good efforts, but were stymied by the cold rock.  As the clouds parted, we saw sun on the Morning Glory, so took off in that direction.

Sam, Allie and Kirsten all led “9 Gallon Buckets” (5.8), a fun hueco hike with well-spaced bolts; hats off to them for keeping it cool.  Kirsten then got excited about a 5.11a next door called “Cool Ranch”.  From the ground it looked easy, but we soon found out it was .11a for a reason!  Fun huecos made up the first 3 bolts of this climb (which she cruised), but then the holds got further apart and the upper section just looked intimidating.  Sam went up to try to complete the climb, but got nervous about the moves above the 3rd bolt as well.  We back-cleaned the draws with the intent of finishing up the next day. - Allie lowers off “9-Gallon Buckets” (5.8) while Johnny works out the beta on “Churning” (5.13a) in the background.

A few routes down the wall, Johnny made an impressive effort on “Churning in the Wake” (5.13a), but took a big fall at the last bolt.  He quickly finished up the route and turned the rope over to Jesse and Mathew to try the route on top-rope.  Jesse went first and got all the moves with only a couple of hangs, making another project for him and only 1 more day to do them all!  Mathew did not seem as excited as Jesse to be pulling on small edges and pockets in the cold, so after a few hangs, lowered off and everyone packed up for the day. The entire team and all the parents met up in Bend at McMinneman’s brewpub for burgers and (root) beer, making for a great end to the first half of the trip. - Mathew belays Jesse on “Churning” (5.13a) with Johnny helping to figure out the moves.

3/31/08

Spoiled by the ease of buying coffee the day before in Redmond, Jeremy and Johnny woke up and went straight to the car to head back to the “Java Crew”.

With everyone having slightly different agendas, we split into two groups and went off to send.  Allie and Kirsten had not had a chance to do “The Outsiders” from the first day, so they started there with Jeremy and Sam.  After everyone had a lap, it was back to “Cool Ranch” to do some sending.  Kirsten took the first lead and quickly passed her high point from the day before.  After several strong go’s at the crux, she lowered and handed the lead to Sam who also got stumped by the difficult moves guarding the anchors.  Allie had her turn as well, but in the end, Coach Jeremy got on the rope and pulled through the final moves (with some hanging, whimpering and a few loud yells to let the rest of the park know he was trying pretty darn hard).  This group went to check in with the others.

Jesse, Mathew and Johnny warmed up on “Barbecue the Pope” (and recovered the draw Jeremy left the day before!) and then set to work on “Chain Reaction” and “Heresy”.  Johnny also worked on “Evil Sister” without the stem.  Everyone gave good efforts on their respective routes, but the only send was by Jesse on “Heresy”

Kirsten unfortunately had to leave at this point and head back to Seattle, but Jeremy, Sam and Allie went to the Phoenix Buttress to pull on pocket basalt.  They both led a route called “Hissing Llamas” (5.8) which featured some strenuous laybacking up a polished slab, no “gimmee” for the grade!  The wall was in the shade, though, so they headed back to the sun and found Matt getting ready to try “Heresy” one last time.  Having his own cheering squad, Mathew launched into the route making it look easy, but got pumped on the final moves and fell just short of the anchors!

After that, Matt, Jesse and Allie all had to leave for Seattle as well.  With not much time left in the day, Sam and Jeremy did a 5.7 that was still in the sun called “The Purple-Headed Warrior” while Johnny peeked at some routes up the Aggro Gulley.  This turned out to be a fun route with either good hands and bad feet, or great feet and no handholds and a nice way to end day 3.

4/1

With only Sam left from the team, her whole family decided to come and do a little climbing.  Sam was kind enough to put the top rope up on “Lichen It” (5.8) so her folks and brother and sister could have a route to play on.  She then went down the path back to “Wedding Day” to lead it, which she did with no trouble at all.

After the Scharenberg family had their fill of “Lichen It”, there was only time for one more route, and in an effort to truly challenge Sam, the coaches agreed that a top rope lap on “Latin Lover” (5.12a) would be perfect.  The guidebook describes it as “thin pebbling and edging” up a vertical face.  Sam tied in and fired the route off with only 2 hangs (once because there were unclipping difficulties with one of the quickdraws).  As the family packed up, Jeremy and Johnny were confident that everyone from the team who came down and climbed now had a project route to entice them to come back someday soon. With the last couple of hours of daylight, and no team members for the coaches to watch, Jeremy and Johnny did a few routes of their own.  Johnny warmed up by onsighting a 35m monster called “Heinous Cling” (5.12c- very runout after the final bolt) and Jeremy had a go at the lower section (5.12a) on top rope. - Thanks, Sam, for putting up the top-rope!

Now ready to do some work, Johnny gave several solid tries on “Evil Sister” but was having trouble with one of the moves.  Deciding to give it one last go, he stuck the crux and finished off the route, earning him the 2^nd ascent of the pure version of this line.

Next up, it was back to the Phoenix Buttress for a nemesis route of Jeremy’s called “Blackened” (5.11c).  Thankfully, it had been in the shade for the last 6 hours, so being too hot wouldn’t be an excuse for not sending.  Jeremy made it through the first crux, but fell on the final difficult move, a deadpoint to a bucket, leaving him with a good reason to come back to Smith Rocks as well.

All in all, a perfect way to spend Spring Break!

We’ll be back!