New Guides books

The new guides are in. They are sold at Valhalla, Alberni outpost, blue toque, Riding fool hostel and the Comox lake campground.

Guide books

Most stores are out of guides. Mountain Equipment Co-op in Vancouver nad Victoria are still selling some guides.

Climbing photos

Working New Route

Top roped a new route I've been cleaning near Dragons Face. It still needs more cleaning but will be really fun at around 5.10- and 25m all bolts. Also some routes on a separate crag beside the top of Devils Ladder are being uncovered. some hard cracks.

Get out Climbimg

The rock is drying out from the long winter. There has been quite a few climbers out already. A very nice section of trail between the Main Wall and Grand Central was rerouted. The main route developers are out cleaning new lines. Some trail work was done out at Downtown Eastside

The Eagle

Tried to lead The Eagle, its been 9 years (oct 00) since we did the first ascent. My bro and I went up there, I took a beating....... falling twice before clutching my way to the slightly runout top. I fell 2/3 up from the pump and going the wrong way. It overhangs about 2 metres in maybe 16m. My gear included 4 cams bigger than #2 Camalot......so bring a few big cams plus a regular rack down to blue TCU and a set of nuts.

Its definitely a solid 11a lead, and for sure the hardest gear lead at the lake.

Also Rene is taking a serious look at "Mikes route" up at Kamikaze. looks to be 5.13 the hardest route at the lake

Hard Repeat

Rene got probably the 2nd ascent of Pineapple at the Main Wall area. Confirming the grade of hard 5.12. Perhaps the hardest route at Comox Lake. We replaced one of the shitty rusty bolts and positioned it better. Its all hard up to the 3rd bolt, then the climbing is easy 5.10 to finish.

free climb Mi Tie's and Mini-skirts

Mi Tie's and Mini-skirts up at Cell Block can be free climbed (mid 5.10) except for the last 10 ft. The route climbs a small corner and face on the left side of Cell Block. The first bolt is low. Clip bolts and fixed pins to a new lower chain top anchor. Makes me wonder why somebody would bother aiding a mid 5.10 crack route? The route still needs some cleaning and will make a good warm up for the hard free lines up there

Steep Route

Climbed a new routes a few days ago at Twin Towers with Grant M.
The Siesta, 5.10d many bolts to the right of Beach Party.

Still cleaning the offwidth. And another steep route is being work(TR) and should be ready to go soon for leading. Some really fun routes up in this area.
Still re-cleaning the Eagle

Waterfall wall

New route at waterfall wall.
5000 Miles, 5.10b, 10m, 4 bolts + optional big cam. Starts to the right of Never Dull on the pillar.

Also the offwidth and face route at Twin Towers should be ready to go soon.

route work

More cleaning work up at Twin Towers. The trail needs a definite overhaul. I top roped my new route beside Beach Party. The new line is really nice with a 10+ steep crux at the finish. Manuel started cleaning the Offwidth.

Also X-girlfriend got 4 bolts now. nice little lead

Cleaning

I'm starting to re-clean The Eagle , up at Kamikaze Wall. Its a tough gear route, slightly overhanging crack. Mike and I must have been climbing strong way back when we FFA.
Also I solo TR'ed a new route I am cleaning beside Beach Party at Twin Towers. The new line will be 30m, all bolts 10+/11- I think. Ah its really nice with the steep crux right at the top.

Aid

I climbed a little aid line up at Twin Towers. It starts between the Offwidth and Cloud Nine, and finishes at the first anchors on Cloud Nine. I used a blue TCU, knife blades, rurps and a hook. Its maybe A2 and very short at 8-10m high. Be warned a fall from the hook at the top would send you on a long fall as the rurps ripped out. Close if not on the ground.
Have fun

Guides books are in

Finally the guides are printed and on sale! Pick one up at Valhalla in Courtenay, Nanaimo, Victoria or even the Comox Lake campground. The price will be a little higher because of the 30 extra pages and smyth sewn binding.
80 pages, 4.5" X 7.5", 15 full page photos, B/W pages, drawn topos, rock and ice climbing in the Comox Valley



John

trail to Cell Block

I started working on the trail from Downtown Eastside to Cell Block. Its actually not a far distance and once the trail is in, it will be quick. The trial is just a route now but can be followed.

Also I put rappel chains at the top of Choose your Own Adventure.

guide

Uh,
I finally sent my file to the printers, I'll then give my thumbs up to the print proof and then it will get printed. Maybe a week total. Valhalla in Courtenay will get them hot off the press. It is 80 pages, perfect bond, 15 full page photos, + many smaller photos and topos. Its much nicer than my last guide. Also includes ice climbing. Should retail for the same price.













Curtis on Complex Thoughts

new route at Cathedral Rock

Off the Deep end, 11c, 8 bolts. Andy brown. Route starts up Deep thoughts and climbs to the right around the roof and up to the good rest ledge 2/3 up on Deep thoughts. Climb on the right side up a steep face to the deep thought anchors.

bolted

After Thoughts, 10d, 9 bolts, 20m.
Now it can be lead. Climbs the route that Kevin Reid originally cleaned and top roped more than 10 years ago. Crux near the start and finish. Easy middle section. Curtis and I cleaned and bolted.
Also Andy is working on a line (11+) that starts up Deep thoughts and generally weaves its way up between After and Deep thoughts. Finishes at Deep thoughts anchors.

Carman has been cleaning up at the newer life styles Crag.

New route Lifestyles Crag

Couch Potato 5.5, 15m, gear + a few bolts. Climb the obvious crack to start on the right side of the crag. FFA carman solo.
Carman is cleaning a huge are up at the Lifestyles crag. Stay tuned for a few more 5.6 - 5.8 routes. This place will be an awesome beginner area, with grades from low 5th to 10+.

I started cleaning a route up a Twin Towers, looks like 10+/11- terrain. nice and long.

Cleaning new routes

New routes are being cleaned everywhere. Looks like a couple easier routes (5.6-5.8) to the right of Life of Riley. We really need some easier routes, so this will be a great addition. I think they will be bolted. A route looks almost cleaned to the left of Three Amigos at Waterfall Wall. A 5.10 is slowly being cleaned on the far right side of Cell Block. And 1 route is almost done at the start of Twin Towers. I'll probably start cleaning a route up at Twin Towers today to the left of the big offwidth. Also a bolted line to the right of Friday the 13th at Devils Ladder is near complete.

Its good to see many near routes almost ready to go. And we have a few different route setters.



Devils Ladder

Trail Work

A few of us worked on the Devils Ladder trail today. And I did a couple hours of work on the Cell block trail yesterday. Raining hard at times and we use the blue boat to ferry out supplies.

Raindance

Mike B climbed a new route at main wall with Carman G.
Rain dance, 5.11-, 6 bolts + the piece for the top
Start just a few metres left of arachnophobia. Steep face with hard side pulls and small foot holds. finishes up arachnophobia and uses the same top anchor( now has chains for rappelling).

Tightened 1st bolt on choose your own adventure

Its suppose to rain much of this week. Good time to work on trails and my guide which will be out before June.

Masochistic Minstrel

redpointed Masochistic Minstrel today, Derek belay. Tough little crux section there, also requires a medium cam after bolt 4. Andy Brown cleaned up Do or Diet and added another bolt.

hiking home

Mike Boyd finished bolting his new route Masochistic Minstrel at Main Wall, so it’s ready to climb. To compare the 2 new hard routes at the lake, Masochistic Minstrel or Jail Break; I think Jail is a little more sustained/pumpy and more technical in the lower half so I would grade it slightly higher. Minstrel has some tough crimps, but a more straight forward and simpler crux and easy mid section. There are still some small loose holds/flakes coming off and it the top is a little mossy if you take the easier way. A bit of a forced finish if you climb directly above the bolt. Your choice; 5.10 with maybe an awkward fall of 5.8 just a few feet over to the right.

Masochistic Minstrel, 5.11+, 6 bolts + gear, 15m. Climbs the round prow at Main Wall.

Jail Break Free

This is a photo of Pete on Jail Break

I finally free climbed Jail Break. It’s been a long trip. In the fall of 1996 I spent a few days cleaning the route, mostly taking loose blocks off the top 5 metres. I never tried to climb the route. It would have been too hard for me way back then anyway, but the line was a beauty. Then in April 2004 Carman G. and Grant M. aid climbed (jail Break) the steep broken cracks. So jump forward to a few weeks ago in the beginning of April, I through down an exploratory top rope with Manuel, quickly scrubbed and knocked loose crap off. We TR’ed short sections and it was seeping in a few spot, but I verified for sure that it was doable. It only took maybe 6-8 hrs to scrub, top rope and bolt over a few days. My redpoint came on my 5^th attempt in 3 days. I botched 2 of the sequences and almost pumped out after the crux but climbed on the victory.

Jail Break,5.12a,***, 18m, 9bolts, FFA john Waters & Andy Brown. Climbed old aid route at cell block. At 2/3 height continue straight up steep jugs/flakes rather than slant left up the original finish. Awesome line.

Cell Block trail

Went up for a few hours today. I've almost completed the new upper switchbacks. Its quite windy today and the project Jail Break is totally dry, so it looks from the ground. I'll give it a try tomorrow with Andy Brown. He's still cleaning his line up there.

He just did a route today
here's his post from Islandclimbing.com
"Do or diet" 5.10+ 14m. Fun and varied climbing up the wall between Three Amigos and Crack n'Corner. Starts just left of Crack n'Corner in a narrow groove, makes a rising leftward traverse and finishes by taking a crack through a roof to a 2 bolt anchor. 4 bolts, gear to 3 inches. Andy Brown & Mike Boyd