Outdoor Research Verticulture » Blake Herrington http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com Get Stoked! Outdoor Research Verticulture Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:31:57 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Classic Climbs: Scenic Cruise http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2011/05/classic-climbs-scenic-cruise/ http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2011/05/classic-climbs-scenic-cruise/#comments Fri, 27 May 2011 17:59:16 +0000 Blake Herrington http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/?p=6588

Scenic Cruise

Astroman, The Grand Wall, Epinephrine, The Beckey-Chouinard… Climbing, perhaps more than any other outdoor sport, lends itself to a storied history of adventurous new lines which rise to prominence as the classics. And whether they exist on the desert sandstone of Nevada or the alpine granite of British Columbia, any classic line must combine a spectacular setting, excellent stone, and difficulty levels which are challenging but not impossible for the masses of vertically oriented adventurers.

While alpine routes sit under layers of snow, and the desert southwest is scorching hot, May is a great time to tick off some of the classic climbs in places like California’s Yosemite or Colorado’s Black Canyon. A couple seasons ago, I was in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park with another Washington native, Matt Van Biene, exploring the canyon and its 2000′ classic line – The Scenic Cruise.

The Scenic Cruise was first climbed by Black Canyon pioneers 30 years ago, and follows vertical granite cracks, interspersed with devious traverse pitches on the canyon’s blank, white, pegmatite mineral bands. At the time, my partner Matt and I had both received American Alpine Club grants for summer expeditions, and with thoroughly over-inflated egos, we considered our trip up The Scenic Cruise as good training, beginning at noon to maximize afternoon shade.

Pitch after pitch of immaculate climbing high above the raging Gunnison solidified the route’s classic status, and the looming darkness on the final pitch solidified our mistake in not climbing a little faster. The route tops out literally on the North Rim viewpoint, with no segue between vertical granite and horizontal high-desert. As I clipped into the overlook guardrail and belayed Matt up, I couldn’t help but appreciate the fact that between ‘summit’ and camp stood only 100 yards of flat trail along the canyon rim. Rather than hours of rappeling and downclimbing to reach our tent, we strolled back to camp in five minutes and were sipping beer by the fire within five more. Colorado’s best route? Maybe. Colorado’s best descent? Well, it’s definitely a classic!

Read more stories about Blake’s adventures here on VertiCulture and on his blog, Travels and Tribulations of Blake, including his most recent trip to Patagonia.

]]> http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2011/05/classic-climbs-scenic-cruise/feed/ 0 Aguja Guillaumet: Patagonia Climbing http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2011/03/aguja-guillaumet-patagonia-climbing/ http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2011/03/aguja-guillaumet-patagonia-climbing/#comments Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:16:52 +0000 Blake Herrington http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/?p=6112 It was my second time in Patagonia. It was my friend Scott’s first. Based on my first trip, I thought I knew what to expect: Rain every day, ceaseless wind, driving snow, occasional 16-hour sun breaks…

But not for us, not this year, not in February. Despite my constant and dour prognostications, we were fortunate to have a whole month in Patagonia, during which good weather that was found in relative abundance. (Or about half of the days.)




With a 2 or 3 day period of calm weather arriving above the Fitz Roy range immediately after Scott and I arrived below it, we set our sights on a new route that we hoped would dry off quickly and be manageable in a day.

The west face of Aguja (needle/spire) Guillaumet is between 1,400′ and 1,700′ tall, a small, accessible–and by all accounts splitter–chunk of granite on the range’s northernmost mountain. And after a day to approach the peak, navigate the rock and glacier to its base, and kick steps across the steep snowfield beneath the peak, Scott and I were psyched.

We awoke in the dark, equally motivated by the instant coffee, rock’n'roll from our iPod, and visions of stellar granite we’d glimpsed the day before. I took the first lead block, tackling a steepening corner and crack system in gloves and approach shoes. But as the climbing got harder and the morning air warmed (or was it just adrenaline?) I stuffed the gloves inside my jacket and switched to rock shoes to deal with an “oomphy” chimney slot.

Scott took over for the route’s signature feature, a roof and hanging chimney that allowed us to climb up through the mountain’s band of overhanging orange granite. With no rock gear to fit the frozen maw, and no 20-foot arm-span to reach the ice in the back for a screw placement, he ran out the chimney and got us through the day’s mental crux.

Cold, windy, and paradoxically incredible free climbing led to a small stance within a rope-length of the summit ridge and topout. It was here that our four frozen hands, followed by an encounter with four frozen meters of ice-choked cracks, compelled us to “take” or hang on a pitch, and engineer a pendulum-ing rappel to avoid the icy-filled fissures. But topping out amid the twilight, with the sun setting over the continental icecap, and headlights showing down in camp, we couldn’t get too upset over barely-missing the free ascent. We had summited the peak, sent a new route, and the west face still awaited a free ascent. Maybe it would be all the motivation we’d need to forget the wind, ignore the cold, and return another time.

Read about more of Blake’s adventures on his blog, The Travels and Tribulations of Blake, or here on VertiCulture.

]]> http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2011/03/aguja-guillaumet-patagonia-climbing/feed/ 0 Ten Days in Red Rocks http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2010/10/ten-days-in-red-rocks/ http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2010/10/ten-days-in-red-rocks/#comments Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:45:05 +0000 Blake Herrington http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/?p=4861 After a couple visits to Red Rock, I became convinced that many of the area’s best routes and most memorable canyons were seldom climbed and explored. Tucked away just 20 minutes off ‘The Strip’ in Las Vegas, Red Rock hosts an astounding wealth of adventure opportunities for hikers, climbers, canyoneers, and desert bushwhackers.

I wrote an article for the November 2010 Edition of Rock & Ice magazine about the unheralded climbing and impending threats to this beautiful area. Check out the video of our experiences in Red Rock, and take a look at the article, with photos by my friend Garrett Grove.

Blake’s article just hit newstands in the new Rock and Ice issue. Check it out – center of the book – for the full story, or go to his blog, the Travels and Tribulations of Blake.

]]> http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2010/10/ten-days-in-red-rocks/feed/ 0 Better Belaying… Learn to Share http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2010/09/better-belaying-learn-to-share/ http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2010/09/better-belaying-learn-to-share/#comments Thu, 30 Sep 2010 23:55:33 +0000 Blake Herrington http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/?p=4837

Nearing the belay while scoping terrain for my lead on the next pitch

I wrote this article to be published elsewhere, but was told that it was potentially dangerous by an online editor, and Climbing magazine was keen, but had recently ran a very similar concept as one of their tech-tips. At least this second rejection validated the idea as: A. somewhat worth listening to and B: not completely crazy. Coincidentally, these are the only two prerequisites I use for filtering out potential blog material, so I figured I might as well post this and see what others thought…

Keep it simple with the fastest and easiest way to use your new-style belay device.

On multi-pitch climbs, I like to take turns leading. I hate having to flip, or re-stack ropes at the belay, and after a stressful lead, I am always happy to follow a pitch. And as a naturally-cluttered person, I’ll do anything to simplify things at the belay. That’s why I like to take full advantage of my auto-locking belay device by using ‘the swap’. An auto-locking belay device has become standard equipment on multi-pitch climbs, with nearly every company now making a lightweight device that can be hung from the anchor. These automatically lock off the rope should the second climber fall, but offer another, little-used advantage beyond hands-free belaying.

Patagonia, approaching the belay in a mountain range where efficient changeovers seemed vital.

Simplicity – When swapping leads on a multi-pitch route, both climbers should have a hangable belay device like the Petzl Reverso, Trango B-52, or Black Diamond ATC Guide. The first climber leads the pitch and belays her follower like normal, by hanging her belay device from the anchor and bringing in rope in hands-free mode. When the follower reaches the belay, he should not bother with a daisy chain or other personal anchor slings. Instead, leave the desired length of rope out from the belay device to facilitate easy gear exchange or comfortable distance from the anchor. The follower can hang from the belay device–already in place– using the rope, which was already tied into. The follower is locked off with a dynamic connection to the anchor, and avoids fiddling with extra gear.

Speed – The follower will lead the next pitch, and so he should begin to rack gear or quickdraws on his harness. The belayer should grab the team’s second belay device off her partner’s harness, and clip it into her own belay loop. The rope is already stacked with the new leader’s end on top, so the belayer should immediately put her partner on lead-belay as he finishes racking his gear. The new lead climber is still hanging from the locked-off belay device he was brought up on, and now on lead-belay from his partner with the second device.

Swap It- When the new leader is ready to begin, he confirms that he’s on lead belay from his partner, and then un-clips from the hanging belay device, grabbing it to bring with him up the pitch. The climbers have now swapped belay devices, and completed a simple and speedy belay changeover without having to re-stack the rope, use a daisy chain/personal anchor, or carry more than one belay device each on the climb.

A note from the VertiCulture Editor: Blake is one of my favorite climbing bloggers to follow. If you haven’t checked it out yet, I recommend you heading over to the Travels and Tribulations of Blake Herrington. His Stikine Story is one of my favorites of the season.

]]> http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2010/09/better-belaying-learn-to-share/feed/ 0 Launching into the Unknown http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2010/02/launching-into-the-unknown/ http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2010/02/launching-into-the-unknown/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:44:45 +0000 Blake Herrington http://outdoorresearchverticulture.com/?p=2071 “I would like the experience at some point this year of launching up a wall and into the unknown…”

The above was written by my friend Rad Roberts last spring, acutely distilling an alpinist’s desire for exploration into one line of email. But desire is a foe ill-suited to stormy Northwest weather. So after a summer of missed chances, a forecasted few days of sun was all we needed to put plans into action.




We left Seattle at 5AM, en route to Sloan Peak (7,800′). The Southwest face was 1,500′ of solid-looking stone in an accessible location. It had never been climbed…

Rad so strongly wanted to launch into the unknown, so after a few miles of old-growth and alpine meadows, I let him take the first pitch. A mossy chimney leads to who-knows-where. From atop the chimney progress slows, but movement is interjected with whoops of joys and grunts of desperation. I prepare to get sandbagged. Instead of the vegetated corner, Rad’s following a line of previously-unseen –and overhanging– splitter cracks. Forty more feet and he’s off belay, 15 meters of slack pulled up, and I’m on.

I reacquaint myself with backpack-clad squirming, lean a right shoulder into the wall and pray the rubber on my comically blown-out shoes will adhere for a few more moves. The climbing is phenomenal, and well-protected. I trundle some blocks and barely hang on between desperate finger locks.

We trace a line up thin cracks and delicately-featured rock. Dodging left around a huge roof, Rad dances up a right-facing dihedral, belaying along a major ledge system 400′ up.

We survey our situation: time, water, location… and I’m off. With another steep unknown wall looming, it’s time for some speed.

The rock here is even cleaner. My pitch flows without hesitation. This is why we climb. Reach up for the jam, stem out to the knob, 3 more moves to a stance and gear…At 50 meters I ease onto a pedestal, and I’m staring at a rusty Lost Arrow Piton! We suspect someone had come across the long ledge which splits the face and also belayed atop the pillar.

Check out the next page! »

]]> http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2010/02/launching-into-the-unknown/feed/ 0 Blake Climbs RMNP http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2009/12/blake-climbs-rmnp/ http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2009/12/blake-climbs-rmnp/#comments Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:01:36 +0000 Blake Herrington http://outdoorresearchverticulture.com/?p=641 With a stomach full of Pumpkin Pancakes (Oh yeah, they’re delicious), I’ve been looking through some photos from the last few weeks. Snow is falling this morning, but Rocktober has lived up to its name here in Colorado. I’ve been able to climb in Boulder Canyon, Clear Creek, Rocky Mountain National Park, the South Platte, and even Utah’s Castle Valley.

After some local sport climbing, Kelly the Estes Park local guru took me out to the Rock of the Ages in Rocky Mountain Park. We did some of the local classics and tried not to get blown away by the wind. It’s a beautiful cragging spot.




Our buddy Forest Woodward came into town and we went out to Lumpy Ridge to climb and get some photos. All these shots are Forest’s.

Check out Blake’s blog for more on his adventures[

]]> http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2009/12/blake-climbs-rmnp/feed/ 0 Mendenhall Towers Expedition, Juneau, AK http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2009/12/mendenhall-towers/ http://www.outdoorresearchverticulture.com/2009/12/mendenhall-towers/#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:43:01 +0000 Blake Herrington http://outdoorresearchverticulture.com/?p=347

What sticks with us after a climbing trip? For me, it’s seldom the climbing. Sure there are pitches I try to remember, and scary moments I want to forget, but that’s not what I remember most. Instead, I can remember laughing with Jason about the too-close-for-comfort crevasses, certain that these gaping chasms were slowly easing their way nearer to our tents. I remember being encouraged on the hike out, as bushwhacking and mosquitoes took a backseat to talking about how much pizza we’d consume back in Juneau. And apart from the amazing views and careful cross-word rationing, I remember some culinary adventures around camp. Anything (coffee, Oreos, PB&J) is better with the inclusion of butter. Larabars make great coasters and a convertible chair/sleeping pad is worth every ounce on the hike out.

One evening, after surveying our depressing pile of half-buried food (“the fridge” section of camp) I decided to make falafel. I skeptically eyed the powdered contents of a Zip-Loc bag that Jason had brought from his “camping food” box in Colorado, before heating our oil and mixing the dough. The consistency felt a little “off” but I chalked it up to age, and dropped a couple of the doughly lumps into the hot oil. Falling seracs and cornices provided entertainment as my culinary experiment set to cooking. Oddly, the lumps absorbed most of the oil and took on a consistency of Play-Doh. Woops… falafel, this was not. Jason and I tried the lumpy batter balls, and couldn’t really decide if it was some sort of spackle, drywall, or breading. As a native Washingtonian, I wanted to show off the taste of a few Walla Walla sweet onions we had, and decided it must be breading for onion rings.

Sliced onions were mixed with the powder and then dropped in yet another batch of hot oil. This time, the batter fell off the onions, turned brown, and the oil developed a slick, scummy coating. The onions bobbed around in the hot murk, and Jason just kept laughing. I strained the onions, pouring all the hot oil and mystery dough into our nearby expanding crevasse, and settled on making burritos, extremely onion-intensive and free from all traces of the mystery powder.




**This video was produced by Jason Nelson. Check out more stories of adventure from Jason and his family on their blog, Visual Adventures. Blake Herrington, author of this article, shares his adventures on his blog Blake Climbs. Both Jason and Blake provided the photos for this story.

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