Self Belief is Everything

All words and pictures copyright Alastair Rose 2011

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Sport climbing is neither so what is Aid Climbing?

So today I went aid climbing, yesterday I was working. Really I wanted to get into the mountains but the snow level is still very low and it would have been a horrendous slog. I therefore convinced Ryan (who planned a day of sleeping on the couch) to come and climb the monkeys face with me. The monkey face is graded 5.8 A1 and while i dont usually climb Aid routes i thought it would go pretty easily. (for the non climbers Aid is basically pulling on the gear, or in this case bolts that are in the wall for protection and involves lots of things I never usually use such as little portable ladders called "etriers" and a whole host of techniques I have never learned. The photos should show exactly how cl0se the bolt were but it still felt kind of strenous. It was great to just be out and laughing at each other followed by a trip home past the pizza shop that sells 24 inch pizzas, it really was a good day. I have also spent a lot of time on the deschutes river recently for work which is awesome but is a very cold river flowing through the desert. I really feel the need for some trees and mountains but hey it might happen soon. Tommorrow is my other day off before another 25 days in the field so I am off to kayak the metolious river. This could be highly amusing for my friends as it has been a very long time since I kayaked whitewater.





Sunset on the deschutes river

















Below- the monkeys face. the aid pitch goes up the left dark side and a climber can just be seen two thirds of their way up it.



















Ryan seconding the Aid pitch and Dave with a freshly baked foccacia on the river.


Raftin on the Dechutes (this was taken by accident as I was fiddling with my camera but I kind of like it)


Lisa putting in a big pry to get her raft back on track in "wapanitia" on the dechutes



Ryan crimping on a bolt at the top of the Aid pitch


Now its back for some more work

Sunday, June 15, 2008

River photos and general work stuff

Buckskin Mary Camp on the Dechutes - Family course
Chilli for Dinner - staff training on the Deschutes
One of the 4 gear boats on the Deschutes - Jess in the princess seat with Kellen and steve at the oars.
A Lesson on something? - Deschutes
The put in for the Clackamas river
Beckett and Whitney trying to look all serious - the deschutes river
Kellen asleep on one of the four gear boats - early morning on the deschutes.
A student going off the big jump on the Deschutes - Family course


















Me demonstrating how not to do the big Jump (I just like to look where i'm going) deschutes river family course. Photo coutesy of steve ironsides