The red rock of Tusher Canyon

“Get two good hand jams and just do a pull up.” Brian calmly informs me.

“Oh, just a pull up with a hand jam? Is that all?”

“Yep, there are no good feet, you just have to go for it.”

Brian’s instructions do not inspire much confidence, but I do as I’m told and put my flat hands into the crack as far as I can and retract my fingers into my palm to create counter-force between the heel of my palm and the top of my knuckles against the warm sandstone. It feels as if I am climbing on 100 grit sandpaper as I apply enough force to effectively hold my body weight, if just barely. I can feel the skin being grated off my hands. This sacrifice, to be repeated time and again the next few days, it’s a rite of passage into the world of crack climbing. No tape on this trip, it is a sacrifice after all.

To those that are strictly face climbers, cracks are something of a mystery. I have always been intrigued by cracks and those that venture to some of the most remote corners of the world to climb them.

As the owner of Front Range Climbing Company, Brian is a climber with an ability far beyond what I can even comprehend. Luckily, he is a good enough friend to tolerate my weak climbing abilities and complete lack of crack experience and invite me along with a few other guides, Mark, CJ, and Josh from Front Range Climbing Company to a desert climb outside Moab, Utah. Although the area surrounding Moab lays claim to some of the most visited desert climbing meccas in the world (including Indian Creek) there still are some areas that are relatively unexplored. Tusher Canyon is a favorite spot of Brian’s. Located about 30 minutes northwest of Moab, Tusher could almost be considered deserted wilderness. In the three days I spent climbing in Tusher Canyon I saw only one other vehicle, the driver of which was apparently too preoccupied with air conditioning to exit. Thankfully, this lack of spectators allows me to retain some of my dignity as I begin my pull-up and flail with my feet for anything they may help in my desperate bid for ‘up.’

The author tries his hand at 'Piece of Shit, Pile of Monkey Nuts' (5.11+)

I finally manage to complete the opening move and begin to link hand jams with wedging my foot into the crack and twisting it to create something to stand on, a process known as ‘jamming,’ progressing about two body lengths much to the surprise of myself and all parties concerned. A rest is in order and I take the time to examine my hands which roughly resemble hamburger meat and leave small blood stains on the already red sandstone. I smile. The joy of being here overcomes the pain from my hands. Onward and upward! After a few more moves the crack begins to open until it’s large enough for me to arm-bar for my life. I rest. I can hear my belayer, Mark above me feeding me some much needed beta and I contemplate the next move. I Rest. Using what can only be described as an awkward shimmy I mange to move up higher into the expanding crack and make use of a chest jam. I rest. After what seems like an eternity I work my way high enough to make use of the coveted, but rarely used, ass jam. It becomes a shimmy up the crack using any means available. Chimney, counter-force, jams, it’s all fair game at this point. I rest. I feel slightly trapped as I struggle (in what can only be described as flailing) and finally see Mark, a welcome sight. I was exhausted and at the time was thinking maybe the desert was just too much for me. Maybe I had bitten of more than I could chew. Maybe these guys are just too far out of my league. But as the exhaustion was overcome by a feeling of euphoria I realized the two days I had left wouldn’t cure my new-found lust for crack climbing. Who knows, it may even become love.

That night we sat around the campfire. Mark played the guitar and sang. We all drank and joked. We laughed and told stories and made fun of one another. We slept in the sand and in the back of trucks. Out here the wind blows the fine sand into every nook and cranny and my sleeping bag was no exception. The next morning broke cool and bright. Brian and Mark were already up making breakfast. I would need as much bacon as I could consume if I were to make it through the day’s activities. I eat. I silently question what I am doing out here with these guys. Then I hear Brian ask “ready?”, and I do what I always do, get up and grab some gear.

The names escape me. Rubber Duck, Merge, Pile of Shit – Monkey Nuts, and a host of other oddly named routes chew at my hands and build my fondness for cracks, fueling my desire to return. There were triumphs and heartache and pain. Lots of pain. But mostly there was love. Love for the rock, the climbing, the people. But mostly there was love for the place.

Looking out the window on Echo Pinnacle

Seeing the rock in Tusher Canyon is nothing short of inspirational. Some blood red, some gray, some black. Multi-colored layers on all. Cracks can extend 300 feet into the sky on what may be some of the straightest, sharpest lines rivaling those made by man. A religious experience to be sure.

On the last day we climbed the Echo Pinnacle. The Pinnacle climbs 270 straight out of the desert and at the top of the first pitch there is a large protected ledge and window that looks out to the East and West. Here we eat, talk, joke and laugh.

We drive out of the canyon on that third day with the intense desert sun setting behind us as I reflect on the past couple of days. Cracks, it turns out, are all that I had expected and more. I expected the climbing to be hard. I underestimated them. The skin will regrow, but what will forever remain is my desire for more cracks.

Logistics:

Tusher Canyon lies about 30 minutes north of Moab, UT on US 191 and is easily accessed from I-70. Outside Moab, UT. What passes for roads in the canyon are more like trails — rough and possibly impassable during some parts of the year. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended. Many areas of the canyon are rather developed whereas others have just a handful of routes with plenty of lines to be explored. Although you may run across a few climbers on Echo Pinnacle, if you continue deeper into the canyon to a dead end you can access the areas of Putterman, Neighbor of Putterman, and Convoy walls where chances are good you will be alone, even on the busiest of weekends. Not many people have attempted climbs back here and the potential for new routes is still high.

Tusher Canyon is owned by the BLM and as such primitive camping is allowed around Tusher Canyon (although not in the dead-end canyon). Other facilities are not available without making the trip back to Moab. Obviously, water can be very scarce in the canyon so make sure you have sufficient quantity (more than you think you’ll need) before setting out. Back in Moab you’ll have all the facilities you could ask for. Pagan Mountaineering (59 South Main St. #2 Moab UT 84532 Phone: 435-259-1117) is the source for gear, and restaurants and hotels are plentiful. Weather can be a major consideration as the heat can be unbearable in the dead of summer. Early spring and late fall are perfect candidates for an epic desert trip.

Alternate Climbs:

If you’re looking for just a quick climb in the area, Wall Street (located on Route 279) is a good place for a quick send, although solitude is not something you will find here, especially on weekends. And, of course, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks are both great places for some climbing in their own right.

Crack climbing is a necessary skill to climb many classic American routes. From desert towers like Castleton Tower in Castle Valley, UT to big walls like Yosemite’s El Capitan and Half Dome — if you want to climb it, you must be able to use crack techniques. Learning the basics of crack climbing will also make other climbing disciplines easier. For example, you can utilize crack techniques on a face climb to rest or stick a move. Jamming in cracks is not intuitive like face climbing. It must be learned and practiced. As you practice these techniques you will not only gain experience but open up a world of new routes.

Let’s begin with a bit of terminology. Climbers usually describe cracks by the appendage used to climb them, such as a hand, fist, or finger crack. Wider cracks are referred to as off-width crack and chimneys. Climbers refer to the width of a crack as it’s “size.” How you climb or jam a crack depends on its size relative to your body.

Hand Jam

When climbing a finger crack, climbers apply a technique called a finger lock. This is done by stacking your fingers tightly into the crack and turning your wrist to pull down. This cams your fingers and locks them into the crack. This can be done in either the pinky up or pinky down position. Most climbers get a more secure lock with their pinky up, however it is dependent on the rock. Experiment with both and find out what you prefer. There is a good chance it will be some combination of both as the situation dictates.

I feel the most secure way to attach yourself to the rock is with a hand jam. In a perfect world the hand jam is done by placing your hand inside a crack with your thumb tucked into your palm. While cupping your palm try to close your hand so that opposing pressure is placed on one side of the crack while the back of your hand and knuckles are pressing on the opposite side. As the crack gets wider you will need to cup your hand more to maintain pressure. Ideally a thumb-up hand jam is going to allow you to have a greater range of motion off of the hand jam than a thumb-down jam can allow. However there are many times you will need use both to successfully reach to top of your climb.

Fist jam

As the crack continues to get wider you will need to start jamming your fists. This is simply a matter of putting your hand in the crack and making a fist. You may find the need to adjust your hand’s orientation horizontally or vertically depending on the width of the crack or size of your hand.

If you find yourself in the gray area between a hand jam and a fist jam there is a trick you can employ. Make a hand jam with your top hand and rotate your hands so the palm of your hand is facing down the crack. For your bottom hand do the opposite. It will essentially be an undercling hand jam. Once a hand jam is no longer wide enough to keep you progressing up a crack you are going to have to start getting a little more creative. And, as your creativity increases, so does your energy output. Stacking is the most common way of working up wider cracks. Do this buy putting your hand over your fist (like paper covers rock in a game of rock-paper-scissors). This along with some chicken-winging, (putting your arm in the crack with your hand on one side and your elbow on the other side, or put your arm into the crack elbow first.) will help you make progress up the crack.

Off-width trick

Practice builds confidence… and technique. As you do more crack climbing you’ll develop a great feel as to when are where are the best times to walk your hands (hand-over-hand progression) and when it is best to shuffle them (hand-to-hand progression and keeping one hand in the top position). The same is true for your feet. For example, if the crack is completely vertical it will probably feel comfortable with walking your hands and feet; conversely, if the crack is leaning to one side it is likely you will need to keep your highest hand with a thumb-down jam and will need to shuffle your hands. Your feet will also be more comfortable being shuffled. You’ll have the best body control if you keep the corresponding foot on top (i.e. right hand and right foot high)

While hand jams may help you feel secure, foot jams will do just as much if not more for your confidence. However, the size of your feet and the size of the crack will do a lot to determine how easy or comfortable you will be. Also, consider your gear. I recommend getting a pair of climbing shoes that have a slightly roomier toe box and allow your toes to lay flat. (This is not the time to be cramming your feet into your 5.10 Anasasis.)

Foot jam

To do a foot jam you simply turn your foot so your arch is pointing up, slide your foot into the crack and straighten your foot, pushing your arch back down. As you do this it will cam your foot into the crack and you’ll be able to stand up. The more weight you place on the foot the more secure your foot will be. The most important thing to remember is that when turning your foot for the jam, you need to use your knee to do the work turning your foot. It will allow for greater range as well as make your foot jam more secure. If you find your feet slipping or feel unsecured in the crack this is likely the fix. As the crack gets smaller you will be able to get less and less of your foot in the crack. When this happens you will need to take smaller steps and you may not feel quite as secure. In more extreme cases you will want to point your toes up the crack as you are turning turning your foot (from your knee) and place as many of your toes in the crack as you can starting with your pinky toe.

Once you get a little experience under your belt you will naturally want to make the progression to leading. If you’ve had experience placing gear this will be easy to pick up. If you’re used to clipping bolts this too will be a learning experience. But here are a few tips to help you get going. Try to get used to how the size of your gear relates to your hands. For example with my rack of Black Diamond Camelots I know that I am the happiest jamming my hands if I’m placing yellow number 2 cams. #.4 gray cams are fingertips, #.5 purples are good fingers, #.75 greens are loose fingers, #1 reds are small hands, #3 blues are fists. And, if I’m placing anything above a #3 I’m likely to be saying things that would make a sailor blush, because I’m stacking and chicken-winging in an off-width. It is also helpful under most circumstances to try not to place above your highest hand. (You will find that your gear will just be in the way.) Finally, like most any time you are on lead it is nice to have a belayer with experience. The rope has a natural tendency to want to snake into the crack and be right in the way of any gear or your hands. A couple of well timed flicks can keep the rope mostly out the way.

It is likely if you have spend much time around trad climbers you have seen them with tape gloves on. While I have and will wear tape gloves I prefer to use them on the end of a trip when my hands have already given as much as they can. I personally like the feel of my hands in the crack. I find that it helps me get a better sense of how secure my jams are. If my hands are slipping I know I need to make an adjustment. While this will probably leave you with some battle scars to show off around the campfire it will also help you learn what works best for you. And, I’ve never seen a climber who had aspirations to be a hand model…

There is no substitute for experience, and watching a seasoned crack climber float up super crack while you are still trying to get off the ground can be a humbling experience, but with a little patience and a lot of practice you too will be jamming your way to the top.

'Crack/trad shoes' - Scarpa Techno

Maybe it’s your first pair of rock shoes.  Maybe you are looking for a second pair of shoes to increase your performance.  Or maybe your current shoes kill your feet or you want some specialty shoes for a specific type of climbing.  There are many different reasons for purchasing a new pair of rock shoes but knowing what you need is the only sure way to get exactly what you want.

Types of Shoes

There are a few main types of climbing shoes and they are all designed for a specific purpose.  There are shoes for comfort while climbing all day, shoes for cracks, shoes for edging, and shoes for extremely steep and overhanging rock.  Keeping in mind many shoes overlap categories, let’s take a look at each. When trying on climbing shoes attempt to place you foot in positions you will encounter while climbing.  Most reputable gear shop will at least have a couple of climbing holds on a wall you can step onto.  Worst case, while wearing both shoes ensure you are able to rock forward onto your toes, if you experience discomfort try another size or a different shoe.

Comfort Shoes

'Comfort shoes' - 5.10 Spire

Although not a very technical term, it does sum up the purpose of these shoes.  These shoes are designed to be able to be worn all day with minimal discomfort and are generally low-cut and mid-stiffness.  They do, however sacrifice edging ability and sensitivity.  Most climbers start with shoes in the comfort category for three reasons. First, they’re inexpensive.  This is generally a concern for someone just starting a new sport, especially one that can be as expensive as climbing.  Second, although there is no such thing as a real “all-around” shoe, the comfort shoe is as close as it gets.  And third, frankly it doesn’t matter.  This is just the shoe you use until you want to increase your performance or determine you need a shoe for a specific purpose.

Examples:

• 5.10 Spire
• La Sportiva Cliff
• Scarpa Freestyle
• Evolv Royale

Sport Shoes

'Sport shoes' - La Sportiva Miura

Sport shoes are not as comfortable, but many climbers find the trade off worth the added performance.  Sport shoes have chiseled toes and a relatively larger arch than shoes designed strictly for comfort.  Within this category shoes range from relatively stiff to extremely sensitive.  Stiff shoes are designed to hold small edges all day long and are very beneficial to climbers lacking strong foot muscles.  The drawback is the loss of sensitivity.  Over time you adapt to this and have no problem telling what is underfoot, but for climbers switching from a sensitive shoe to a stiff shoe there can be a learning curve. Extremely sensitive shoes provide tremendous smearing ability and feel.  The downside to this type of shoe is it can become fatiguing on long face climbs with a lot of thin edging especially for people lacking strong foot muscles. Sizing these shoes can be more difficult as the toe boxes of these shoes vary greatly.  It is important to try on different shoes and make sure you have something that fits your foot well.  This is not the time to order the new “greatest ever” shoe on the internet without trying them on.

Examples:

• 5.10 Anasazi
• 5.10 Galileo
• Evolv Pontas
• Evolv Defy
• Scarpa Mago
• Scarpa Booster
• La Sportiva Miura
• La Sportiva Katana

Crack/Trad Shoes

'Crack/trad shoe' - La Sportiva TC Pro

Crack/trad climbing shoes are used for just that, crack and traditional climbing.  They differ from sport shoes in that they are designed to be more comfortable for use during long trad routes as opposed to shorter (generally one pitch) sport routes.  These shoes are designed to give the climber a toe box designed for foot jams and extra rubber and material around the front of the shoe to help it hold up to the demands of crack climbing.  Some shoes feature a higher cut to protect your ankles while climbing cracks.  These shoes are also designed with some comfort in mind as they tend to be used on longer routes and most climbers will typically not size these shoes quite as small.  It is very important to make sure your toes lay nearly, if not completely, flat in the shoe.  Foot jams are not a pleasant experience for many climbers and having the right shoe sized properly can make the difference between looking at a summit to looking down from a summit.

Examples:

• La Sportiva TC Pro
• La Sportiva Tradmaster
• Scarpa Techno
• Evolv Quest-AF
• 5.10 Grandstone
• 5.10 Copperhead

Bouldering/Steep Face Shoes

'Bouldering/steep face shoes' - La Sportiva Testarosa

There are also shoes made specifically for bouldering or steep and overhanging rock.  They are characterized by a significant down turned toe designed to help the climber get more of the shoes rubber on the rock and put more power into the big toe.  These shoes can be very uncomfortable if not sized correctly but beneficial for those exclusively climbing very steep rock. Again, it is very important to get a shoe that fits your foot.  You are are going to get very tired and discouraged if you have to remove you shoes after every attempt at a boulder problem.

Examples:

• 5.10 Blackwing
• 5.10 Dragon
• 5.10 Jet7
• La Sportiva Testarossa
• La Sportiva Solution
• Scarpa Stix
• Evolv Talon
• Evolv Predator

Sizing

The most important thing to remember when looking for climbing shoes is the fit of the shoe.  No matter what promises they make to improve you climbing ability, it won’t work if it doesn’t fit.  Make sure the heel doesn’t slip; and obviously you won’t get much rock climbed if you dread even putting them on.  As many manufactures have different cuts, the best place to buy your new shoes is a local retailer.  Yes, they are more expensive than buying online, but they will make sure you have the right size.

Men’s vs. Women’s

Many shoes are made with a men’s and women’s version.  Men that have a low volume may find it beneficial to buy a women’s shoe while women with high volume feet may find a men’s shoe provides a better fit.  Again, your best bet is to try them on.

Linings

One last thing to consider is the shoe made of.  You can expect an unlined leather shoe to stretch up to a full size.  Lined leather shoes may stretch half a size.  While lined synthetic shoes are said not to stretch, however some models will stretch a tiny bit.

Slippers vs. Velcro vs. Lace-up

Climbing shoes are offered in a few different styles.  Slippers just slip on and off making getting in and out of them easy but lacks any way to fine tune the fit.  Velcro shoes generally have two Velcro straps that still makes it simple to put on and take off but allows some fine tuning of the fit.  Finally, lace up shoes allow you to fine tune the fit the most but you sacrifice the ease of getting them on and off.  Which you decide on will be strictly a matter of personal preference.

Now That You’ve Found Your Shoes…

So after an extensive search you have found a pair of shoes that fit you feet well. Since you don’t want to have to replace them right away it is important to take care of them. Do this by keeping them clean, it’s obvious you don’t want to wear them all day at the base of rock walking though fine dirt and mud as that will force dirt and small rocks into the soles. This is going to reduce the friction the soles of your shoes are able to create. As a rule of thumb if you are trying to keep your rope out of it you should try to keep your shoes out of it. If you do need to clean your shoes you can do so by hand. To clean the soles take a clean cloth and do a little scrubbing.  You can also take sand paper and lightly go over the soles, do this in a back to front manner and avoid side to side motion. It should be obvious that if you do this after every climb you will shorten the life of your shoes significantly.

Do what you can to avoid direct sunlight and heat.  While climbing on the sunshine slab may make this difficult, put your shoes in the shade when you are not climbing.  The base of your shoes are held in place by glue that is heated during the application of the sole.  Allowing your shoes to get hot will reduce the bond between your shoes and their soles potentially allowing them to delaminate, shortening their lifespan and reducing their performance.

If you spend much time at the local crag you have probably seen many climbers with big fancy backpacks with plenty  of room who have their shoes clipped onto the outside of their packs.  This is so those shoes can have the chance to dry out and get a little fresh air in an attempt to keep them from stinking.  Some climbers keep a dryer sheet in their shoes to help keep them dry and smelling fresh-ish.  One last note, if you are going to have your shoes re-soled (after all they are already broken in) do the re-soler a favor and either wash them by hand and give them a chance to dry, or stick them in the freezer for a couple of days.  The cold will kill the bacteria that makes them smell.  While this will only last until the next time you wear them but your re-soler will greatly appreciate it.

Recommended shoes manufacturer websites:

• La Sportiva (http://www.sportiva.com/)
• 5.10 (http://www.fiveten.com/)
• Scarpa (http://www.scarpa.com/)
• Evolv (http://www.evolvesports.com/)

The author and new friends at Old Moses Camp

Day 1 (16 January 2011)

Nairobi – Nanyuki – Old Moses Camp

Lunch of pepper steak and chips followed by greetings by trekking guide, Daniel, and technical guide, Kim. Team photograph (2 guides, 2 porters, 1 cook) in front of 4×4 before setting off in it to Sirimon Gate @ 2650 meters above sea level. Rearranged packs at Sirimon Gate, swapping out the 80 liter Lowe Alpine pack for the 35 liter Berghaus day pack that Tom gifted me some years ago (old lover, old backpack) to one of the porters. Handed one of my Black Diamond Women’s trail lite compact hiking poles to Daniel and started the trek to Old Moses, where we spent our first night on the mountain.

The Sirimon route leads up from the Mt. Kenya ring road some 14 kilometers east of Nanyuki. The route climbs over the northern moorlands. It’s renowned for wildlife and dry, green scenery and it’s the most frequently trekked route up to Lenana. En route to Moses, I met a group of Bible-study Norwegian youths, spreading the word of Christian God throughout Kenya, and a Kenyan-Danish couple. Admittedly, I totally had a crush on one of the Norwegian Christian kids (ok, fine, two – Rune and Gisle, who, incidentally, is from Iceland but speaks Norwegian). First night’s dinner consisted of fried fish, potatoes, and veg. Didn’t have much of an appetite after my big breakfast of muesli, eggs, yogurt, fruit (not to mention the pepper steak lunch) but nibbled a bit. Finished up night with warm water wash and exfoliating cloths – luxury at its finest.

Howell's Hut

Day 2

Old Moses Camp (3300m) – Shipton’s Camp (4200m)

Early AM start through Ontulili River up Mackinders Valley via Liki North Ridge. Big breakfast of eggs, toast, sausage, porridge, passion fruit, pineapple – far too much to digest at 630 Kenyan time! Trekking proved to be harder than I thought – already at this point below 4000 meters sea level, and I had to slow down my pace or my heart would not have forgiven me. The itinerary called for 7 hours but my pace got me there in about 9. Stupid endurance. Began to get annoyed with guide at this point, with his frequent mobile phone chats and somewhat disregard for my pace and frustration. When it was finally time to lunch circa 14:00 at the ‘lunch point,’ it couldn’t have f*cking come sooner; I was starving and exhausted and the ‘picnic lunch’ was well deserved. And certainly munching on my ham cheese and butter sandwiches and Ribena in a surreal Joshua Tree-like setting below towering peaks and glaciers, furry rock hyrax (think non-spiky hedgehogs) and sunbirds was appreciated. At 4,000 meters, one really begins to notice vegetation that exist only here and at a few other lofty points in East Africa as a result of the combination of altitude and a position astride the equator, for example, the ‘water-holding cabbage,’ ‘ostrich plume plant,’ (whose skeletal remains would make for fantastic silver grey goth bijoux) or ‘giant groundsel,’ seemingly designed by some 1950s science fiction writer when first encountered – surreal indeed.

Shipton’s camp: infested with bunk beds and rats – how is it possible that these f*ckers survive at 4200 meters when I nearly ripped off my head due to high altitude-inducing pounding hangover times hundred thousand headache? Napped for about twenty minutes upon arrival, only to be thwarted by obnoxious, burping, snoring, farting Czech tourists. Learned how to play kickass Icelandic card game. Sympathized with Norwegians and Danish and Kenyan couple for their upcoming 3am assault on Lenana (4985 meters). I would get my taste only a few hours later…

Much deserved lunch break

Day 3

Shipton’s Camp (3300m) – Point Lenana (4985m) – Austrian Hut (4700m)

MISERABLE SCREE. headaches. lemon tea. snow. ice. tears. nausea.

Awoke many times through the night with a pounding headache and perturbed by the presence of rodents @ 4200 meters, rummaging through my pack in search of Clif and Luna bars. Breakfast of lemon tea with orange blossom honey, sausage, pancakes with peanut butter (or was that the day before?), eggs, bit of a rest, and greeted the Christian Norwegian kids goodbye before pushing straight for Lenana (which Lonely Planet describes as a tough 3.5-5 hour slog via Harris Tarn and the tricky north-face approach).

Looking back after having summited, I suddenly don’t feel so crap about my pace. Also, I can’t help but laugh maniacally at myself after having realized just now I bagged both Point Lenana AND the bloody Summit Circuit on the way down from Lenana to Austrian Hut in the same bloody day: ‘While everyone who summits Point Lenana gets a small taste of the spectacular Summit Circuit, few trekkers ever grab the beautiful beast by the horns and hike its entire length. The trail encircles the main peaks of Mt Kenya between the 4300m and 4800m contour lines and offers challenging terrain, fabulous views and a splendid opportunity to familiarize yourself with this complex mountain. It’s also a fantastic way to acclimatize before bagging Point Lenana.’

Splendid and spectacular my ass! All I could remember on the way (incidentally, I took the Summit Circuit on my way down from Point Lenana so there was no such ‘fabulous’ acclimatisation opportunity) was MISERABLE SCREE!

‘Depending on your level of fitness, this route can take between four and nine hours. Some fit souls can bag Point Lenana (from Austrian Hut or Shipton’s Camp) and complete the Summit Circuit in the same day.’

Well, that was dumb, and I’m not _that_ fit but apparently my Kenyan guide (who did not want to insult me and my ‘level of fitness’ and hence agreed to take me up to Point Lenana then Austrian Hut the back way, trekking across MISERABLE SCREE) believed that I was.

8.5 grueling hours, headaches, vomiting, tears of anger, fear, and frustration later, I reached Austrian Hut after having summited Lenana 3 hours prior (~14:45).

The author and her guide pressing for the summit of Mt. Kenya

Day 4

Austrian Hut (4700m) – Nelion (5188m) – Austrian Hut (4700m)

After the previous day’s debacle, in which a planned summit of Lenana and slog across scree to Austrian Hut (to better acclimatize and alleviate my AMS by climbing high and sleeping low) had taken 80% longer than anticipated (9 hours vs. 5 hours), I was rather uncertain about my ability to bag Nelion. The thought of an alpine start (4:00) after having suffered consecutive sleepless nights, headaches, nausea, aching quads, swollen fingers, and sheer exhaustion was not exactly the most exhilarating. I had spoken the night before with my technical guide, Kim, about the real possibility of turning back and abandoning the ascent midway if the AMS persisted and my pace and endurance were to take a toll (read: turn to shit) as a result.

Surprisingly, I slept through the night and made sure to be diligent about striking a fine balance between hydrating sufficiently to battle the effects of altitude sickness and over-hydrating, resulting in countless trips to the bathroom (which, in the case of Austrian Hut, was a precarious uphill trek from the lodge across icy boulders in below freezing temperatures to the outhouse) in

the middle of the night. Kim woke me up around 4, only to be greeted with a painfully pounding headache for the second day in a row, coupled with the pleasures of altitude-induced nausea, which resulted in a supreme loss of appetite; I had absolutely zero interest in putting away the hard-boiled egg, sausage, toast, pancakes, porridge, pineapple, and passion fruit that my cook, Joseph, had prepared for me, but forced myself to fuel up for the Nelion climb with a piece of toast, egg, fruit, and heaps of lemon tea to sooth the headache. Also, after much resistance, I finally succumbed to treating the effects of altitude sickness with Diamox, swallowing the bitter pill to cope with the headaches and nausea.

5:30: so far, so good. We trekked downhill before reaching the Lewis Glacier, where we strapped on our crampons and armed ourselves with ice axes for the trek across icy terrain. After having been on the mountain for three days, this was the first time that I had really experienced ice or snow, and it was stunning to see the peaks rising out of white pockets of snow deposits.

According to the Mountain Club of Kenya’s Guide to Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro, the Normal Route (via Nelion South Ridge, South East Face and Summit), is ‘rather complex, and much of the climbing is not above grade III (5.7)…Throughout the climb care is needed to avoid dislodging loose stones.’ Sounds straightforward enough. The apres-Lewis Glacier approach was itself an adventure, before the route finding even began: ‘From the Austrian Hut cross the Lewis Glacier and scramble up the scree, which has many precariously balanced boulders and can be dangerous in half-light.’ Awesome. More scree? And by the light of dawn? My favorite!

After MISERABLE SCREE PART DEUX, we finally reached the base of the crag circa 7am, and began to gear up for the climb. Although my badassedness is usually in full effect when I climb, I was completely sketched out when Kim asked me if I wanted to ‘scramble’ (read: free solo) the first two pitches ropeless and I insisted that we rope up (my nerves were in full effect, tingling like mad, due to the effects of Diamox). The route starts up a side groove about 55m left of the Brocherel Couloir and although the first two pitches of climbing were indeed short (18m and 25m respectively) and easy, I could barely keep my eyes open and myself from yawning every 22 seconds, and couldn’t tell if this extreme exhaustion was a byproduct of Diamox, high altitude, the intensity of activity the last few days, or a combination of all. Even the most basic tasks (e.g. securing my Metolius PAS to the anchor system) required some assistance, because I felt myself fumbling with the ‘biners and having a difficult time concentrating at times (blame it on the limited/lack of oxygen going to my normally big brain).

The climb consisted mostly of cracks, chimneys, and traverses, and I was grateful to Kim at pitch 4 or 5 for his consideration of my rather weakened and pathetic state, asking whether I wanted to follow the more aggressive route involving a wicked overhang (my response: no thanks!) or climb a more conservative route. This kind of backing off was somewhat out of character for me, but there were too many unfamiliar elements and conditions at play, and the tendency to prove myself departed rather swiftly on the mountain (circa day 2, if I recall correctly).

After climbing what seemed like 10+pitches (but was, in reality, probably only 6 or 7), we reached a tin shelter (Baillie’s Bivi) just below the notch beneath Mackinder’s Gendarme on the main ridge: ‘This is approximately half-way up Nelion.’ Please be kidding me. Again, the climbing was not technically difficult and weather was certainly on our side, but these 5.5- 5.6ish moves felt more like 5.10-5.11ish given the effects of high altitude. Also, although the weather conditions were friendly by mountain standards, I had packed only my hot pink Evolv rockstar climbing shoes and North Face Summit Series waterproof in my mountaineering bag to the summit, naively leaving behind my Scarpa mountaineering boots and down jacket – a move I came to regret as snow flurries greeted us on the traverse across snowy terrain to get up higher (and therefore colder) points. Luckily, I was clever enough to pack a pair of merino wool socks, which came in rather handy at the summit.

A large gully, two short chimneys, and some traverses later, we reached the summit of Nelion circa 15:00. I was thrilled to discover a gem of a hut (Howell’s Hut) on the summit. Ian Howell built it in 1970 and boy did I feel like one lazy mofo as I crawled into the hut, sat down, and lunched on my packed ham, cheese, and butter sandwich and piece of Kenyan chicken leg whilst listening to my guide explain how the structure was built. The corrugated iron for the hut was dropped onto the Lewis Glacier by helicopter and then this Howell dude CARRIED it to the summit in thirteen solo ascents and built the hut. BADASS!

One of the stark differences between rock climbing in my own backyard (aka The Gunks) and on Mount Kenya – aside from the obvious fact that the former is a ridge of bedrock in Ulster County, Sullivan County and Orange County in the state of New York, and the latter is a 5,199m stratovolcano created approximately 3 million years after the opening of the East African rift – is the descent. Gone is the luxury of a two or three pitch rappel when you’re on a mountain. This might seem self-evident (like, duh!), but it wasn’t to me (again, blame it on the high altitude), and I was less than thrilled to discover that we had to abseil 14 or 15 pitches down to the base of the crag. The abseiling wasn’t quite the walk in the park that I thought it would be, due to the weather changing on us (it had gone from sunny and warm to snowy and cold by mid-afternoon), somewhat sketchy down-climbing and traversing to get to the abseil bolts, and the fact that we were now a party of 5 (I had met up with the Polish couple I knew from the Lenana trek and their guide en route to the summit), increasing our rappel time. And the downward approach from the base of the crag is no simple Gunks ‘StairMaster,’ but another 1+ hour of precarious trekking down scree by nightfall, in the cold, with a headlamp: score.

You can imagine my enthrall of having to put on crampons and trek uphill across Lewis Glacier after having descended scree (I guess icy scree > rock scree?) and 15 pitches; I kept myself motivated with the idea of being greeted by hot soggy ramen and Kenyan tea back at Austrian Hut. Certainly the descent was not pretty (but neither were any of my ascents) so I slogged on, often leaning lazily on to my ice axe and nearly toppling over on to the ice (at some point, I’m certain that I did, and Kim had to help me back up at least once or twice).

Around 21:00, I returned to Austrian Hut cold, wet, bloody, and famished, at the awe of Daniel, my trekking guide: ‘You made it back! I did not think you would summit but felt very glad in my heart when I saw a dot on the mountain top through my binoculars and I knew that it was you. Here, let me take your pack.’ Thanks for the vote of confidence, buddy.

And damn, that apres-summit soggy Kenyan ramen and hard-boiled egg hit the spot! As did my 20F down sleeping bag that night.

Day 5

Bandas Huts near the base of Chogoria (2950m)

Newbie mountaineer mistake: you do not conquer the mountain; the mountain conquers you. A hard lesson learned, 100 kilometers and 5000 meters later, having battled equatorial sunburn, AMS (acute mountain sickness), blisters, swollen fingers, chapped lips, aching quads, greasy hair, and damn, this Tusker lager and bar of Spruengli Grand Cru Criollo de Maracaibo I picked up from Zurich airport consumed by the fireplace in my 1BR hut (Bandas) near the base of Chogoria gate (~2900 meters) tastes good.

About Jeanne Fu

Jeanne suffers from a chronic case of wanderlust and is constantly in search of the next adventure. She has bouldered in France, climbed crags in California, China, and Colombia, surfed shore breaks and point breaks in Costa Rica and Peru, and trekked mountain trails in South Africa and rain forests in Argentina.
Born and bred in New York, NY, she spent summers in Shanghai – her parents’ hometown – and spent extensive time abroad, studying philosophy and languages in Scotland, India, Germany, and England. A former Fulbright Student Scholar, she earned her B.A. in Philosophy from Colgate University and M.Phil in Philosophy from University College London.
She speaks fluent German and Shanghainese, decent Spanish, aspires to brush up on her (now) very rusty French and Italian, and learn Portuguese to prepare for her upcoming surfing and climbing adventure in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.

Brian Shelton

I posted last week that a friend of Adventure Insider underwent surgery to have a tumor removed from his brain.  I am please to inform you that the surgery went well and Brian is on his way to recovery and looks forward to getting back on belay.  In the mean time the climbing competition to raise money for this expensive surgery is planned for April 3, 2010 at the Sport Climbing Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Registration will begin at 5:30 and the competition will begin at 6:00.  The cost is $10 for a very worth cause.  Don’t worry about you climbing ability, there will be prizes for all abilities in addition to raffles and an all around good time.  A party will follow the competition.  Members of Adventure Insider will be there including Erick, Shane, and CJ.  Great prizes have been donated by Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, Prana, Outdoor Research, Black Diamond, Diver’s Reef, and NOLS to name a few.  If you have questions please leave a comment and we will get back to you.

We hope to see you there!

Brian has been instrumental in the development of Red Rock Canyon Open space in Colorado Springs. A relatively new climbing and recreation area that offers outdoor enthusiasts a great place to climb, hike and get away from the tourists.  Brian has also played a major role in the Anchor Replacement Initiative at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.  Brian, along with other local climbers spent countless hours replacing old and unsafe anchors so that everyone can have a safe, enjoyable climbing experience.

These are just a few examples of the work that Brian has performed for the climbing community and the community in general.  Brian also owns Front Range Climbing Company, teaching and introducing new people to the sport of climbing.  On a personal note, Brian is a great friend and would always be willing to drop everything to help a friend in need.

Now it’s our turn.  Brian has been diagnosed with a large brain tumor and is having surgery to remove it.  It’s time to show our support for someone who has give so selflessly to the climbing and outdoor community.  Brian is without health insurance and, as you can imagine, the cost of the surgery is quite high.  To help Brian, a climbing competition is being held at the Sport Climbing Center in Colorado Springs on April 3, 2010.  During the competition there will be raffles, prizes and a silent auction.  If you are interested, come join us.  If you can donate items for prizes/raffle/auction email us and if you can donate cash an account at Chase Bank has been established under the name “Donation Fund for Brian Shelton”.  Updates to follow.

1. I really am 13 years old in this tape, even though I look 10
2. To this day I’m not much of a swimmer, but in 1989 I could’ve been called ‘afraid’ of the water. Rafting & canoeing was a big step for me.
3. I don’t wear stupid things on my head anymore.

So without further comment, I present “The Wilderness – 1989”

1989 Wilderness Adventure in West Virginia from Shane Williams on Vimeo.

Wow…that wasn’t too bad, was it?

Here I am 20 years later, and the love for adventure that was born so long ago is alive and well. While life (house, job, responsibilities) sometimes has to come before the adventures I so badly want to take, I still manage to get outside pretty often. I’m blessed with a wife who loves the outdoors as much as I do, and I can’t wait to start teaching our son about how amazing the world can be. During the next few months things will be kind of slow, but by the end of this year I have no doubt that the entire Williams family will be exploring the outdoors once again.

Jimmy Chan (http://www.jimmychin.com)

Renan Ozturk (http://www.rockmonkeyart.com)

http://ngadventure.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/relics-recovered-a-pair-of-worldclass-climbers-goes-where-archaeologists-cant.html