Psyche Slab - The Most Developed Wall in the Valley * Updated

The most accessible wall in the valley, it's host to 15 free multi pitch routes (from 3 to 12 pitches), and 2 single pitch routes. Pysche Slab is by far the most developed, most climbed wall in the valley. Due to it being a slab, though at times near vertical, it lends itself to easy to (mostly) moderate free climbing. 

Mika on the awesome first pitch of RacknoPhobia

You'll also notice that the view on the slab is stunning. The West Main Wall and Carag Dur protrude in the background.

Beer Ledge - Scattered Conditions (Credit John W.) - Carag Dur in back

Detailed route info as posted on the sign heading into the climber's camp:

From left to right:

SRI - 5.10 

Day Pass  - 5.7


Sanitarium - 5.9

Skitsophrenia - 5.10 *** A must do!

Racknophobia - 5.11

Never Never Land - 5.11b

Solstice  - 5.10

Trailer Park boys - ? (A steeper crack system start to the right of Solstice...I think, but don't take my word for it) 

 The next 3 routes start on an alcove up a very steep trail that branches left directly off the main trail

Pyscho Path - 5.10

White Dykes and Dirt Barbies - 5.9

Decoy - 5.10b

Scattered Conditons  5.11d or 5.11-A0   - *Not in photo, between Decoy and Falkland Crisis. Starts on a very low angle slab just passed the steep Psychopath trail, at the time of writing this too dirty to climb but the next few pitches look fine.  Could traverse in from WDandDB.  Topo found here: Scattered Conditions Topo

The Falkland Crisis - 5.9+  - This early line climbs the strikingly obvious dihedral feature in the middle of the slab, just right of Scattered Conditions. Although I'd like to try and clean it this season, it is currently completely grown over and best avoided. 

Delusional Reality - 10.d   (Hard to find, you've gotta know what you're looking for to find the access pitch which is very bushed in)

Check out Mountain Project for some topos of the routes.  (Warning: Topos may not be up to date or entirely accurate, use your best judgement)

Comfortable shoes that are good for smearing are highly recommended, unless you're a total masochist of course.

 Since the current guide book is over 10 years old and 90% of the routes aren't in it, it's understandable that there is little traffic. Many routes are vegetated or mossed over, particularly in the lower pitches. Once you get passed this (or find a cleaner route, - keep looking, they're there!) the climbing is top notch.  Bringing a brush is always a good idea - be a good sport and scrub on your rap down!

New V0's in the Eldred, B-Branch

Spent a day in the valley with my partner Anna, who put up her first boulder problems. Two new V0's behind the giant Dog Day boulder in B Branch. One of which "Shadow Porn", is a great climb on well featured rock up a steep slab. The other, "My Humps"

No crash pad? No problem - I donated an old pad to the campsite. I hope people will see it and realize there must be some bouldering around!

 

Working for the send

New problem! Needs a good rain to clean it up more.

Great features found beneath the moss

Sending the awesome Muddy Rails (V1). A steep jug traverse that ends with a belly flop of a mantle.

Sharing is caring

Stash pad

Newly Established 10.D at On The Fritz

John Rapp recently got the first ascent of a line he bolted at On The Fritz.

From his FB post: "Super spicy lead with ten feet between the bolts at the second crux. 5.10d 25m, a classic sport climb that involves a huge variety of moves, pumpy but has good rest".

 The route is called Clobber Globber, and from what I remember, the name came from an encounter with Fritz when he showed John and a friend his home made bug spray concoction. "You clobber them in the air, and then you globber them on the ground!" - I may not be quoting directly.

Props to John for putting up what sounds like a classic, and keeping it bold.

Update - I went and climbed this, and it is now possibly my favourite sport pitch in town. This is definitely worth the walk in even though there are only 2 routes currently - even if this were the only one there it would still be worth going to.

John Rapp leading Clobber Globber, 10.d 

Why the long silence?

 I haven't been updating this blog for awhile, but not due to lack of climbing news in Powell River.

Matt Hodgson has been crushing, developing a whole new bouldering area across the river in the Eldred, with a new zipline access.
 There's been ascents on the Buttress, and new stuff at the lake bluffs as well.

I haven't been posting because I'm back in school, living in Vancouver, and have been very busy working on opening a co-op climbing gym in Powell River. Between that, school, work, and climbing as much as possible in Squamish, I've been a bit out of the loop with the actual climbing scene in PR.

 For anyone who doesn't know, check out our website, at prclimbinggym.com for info, and join our FB page "Powell River Climber's Co-op" for updates as they come.

 In the mean time, enjoy a few videos! The first is one I made of one of the most recent problem's I've established in Squamish.  It might take me a while to get the hang of filming and editing, but I cant wait to start making some videos of the climbing in PR this coming season.

 Enjoy! https://vimeo.com/150876433  <--- Click there to see the vid.

 Here's one I dug up of Matt H getting the FA of Inverted Academics (V6) in the Eldred. I busted my knee on the second ascent and still can't do certain kinds of heel hooks. Injury aside, it's a really unique, must do problem in B Branch.

Inverted Academics, FA, V6 - Matt Hodgson  <--- Click there for the video of Matt!

2015 Eldred Valley Adopt A Crag

It's that time of year again! The annual Eldred Valley Adopt a Crag, where the community gets together to do trail maintenance, climb, develop, and party!

From Christie:
It’s time for this year’s annual Powell River adopt a crag! Come ready for a fun weekend of camping, working and climbing.
Due to work obligations I have move the date of this year’s Adopt a Crag to the May 30th weekend, Hope this works for everyone!
Saturday projects this year will include: 
• The West Main Buttress trail to the right side of the wall. Marking and building the trail to the base of the wall and up the right side to the base of Matt’s new route. If anyone feels super energetic and wants to mark farther, the route does go to the top of the wall.
• Psyche Slab trail maintenance and brushing.
• Repair of the log bridge in the campsite
• Splitting and stacking of firewood in the campsite. For safety reasons there will be no chainsaw work in the campsite on this weekend, no exceptions.
Bring hand tools for trail building, clippers and Work gloves. Please bring appropriate footwear for trail building, no sandals. I will be asking certain people to bring larger tools such as wheelbarrows and chainsaws.
Saturday evening after all you’re much appreciated hard work there will be a salmon bake and potluck dinner in the campground, complete with socializing around a big campfire!
Join the event below:

https://www.facebook.com/events/827908300608029/

Higgy Land: New Routes

 I bolted a much looked at line at the Frayed End (or Rippin Area) at Higgy Land on Saturday April 18th. It's up for grabs, seeing as I won't get a chance to try to red point it for probably a few months. I rope soloed all the sections, but didn't link it, and had to leave town the next day. It felt in the 12.c range, but it's hard to say without linking everything on lead.

Drilling in the roof! 

  The line pulls through the big roof smack in the middle of the wall (first crux), continues up though the brown streak on crimps, blocks, a pinch, under cling, and a sloper, then thins out before the final and hardest crux right after the last bolt. You end up pulling up hard on a weird uneven left hand crimp and a paper thin micro crimp for your right hand. Super quality, especially for Higgy Land where rock can be loose (random foot chips are likely to still break around the roof, but the main foot hold is rock solid)

The awkward first bolt

Although I haven't officially done the FA yet, I don't mind if anyone else wants to get on it and do it - however, I'd like the name to be reserved for Late Bloomer.
 The name comes from the fact that to me it's the most obvious line in the area, and is only being put up now. Also, the fact that I've started going back to school late in life, so it's kind of a tribute for those two things coming together.

Tracy patiently belaying/being pulled into the air as I bolt the final few (I needed a belayer for positioning in the roof I couldn't do solo)

Late Bloomer - Project

 Over last season, I retro bolted 3 other routes and one old trad line was given a more direct mixed variation.

 Tweaky Face (5.10d?) (old guide gives a 10+, felt like at least a 10.d) Very fun route, definitely a must do.  The zig zag nature of the start makes it awkward to clean on rappel, probably easier if someone seconds it.

F*** I Love It (5.10b?) already had an anchor and a few bolts, but you couldn't get a piece of gear in until half way up the route, so it was basically a free solo that saw little to no traffic at all. The old book says 5.11 and "Much harder than it looks!" - though I found it pretty easy. It's 5.9 until a very straight forward crux, and then more like 5.8 until the end. The crux is bouldery, though the route in it's entirety I would say isn't harder than 10.b  It was given 3 stars, though in my opinion it's not very interesting. Top half is run out, but easy.

Gotta Like It (5.9) Starts the same as the above but veers left to follow the more obvious crack/rail feature, and is a much better route despite only getting one star in the old book.
 I had to space the bolts out a bit due to the nature of the rock, but it adds to the excitement. The crux is tricky, with very poor friction slopers. After a break on a ledge, the last half climbs slightly over-hanging edges before a final yet easier crux.
 Shared anchor with F-I love It (use a long draw on the last bolt to make it easier to clean)

Whatever Pal (Variation?) (5.8) - Mixed, a few mid sized cams. This is an awesome route! It has all kinds of interesting climbing in it, and though you could easily veer off route at a few spots, the natural direct line is the best. You can also traverse right towards the end to finish on Whatever (5.8) to change things up a little. Shared anchor.

Psyche Slab, Schizophrenia Video

https://vimeo.com/115652185  Here's a cool video of the classic 12 pitch climb Schiz (5.10). A great casual moderate, I'd say it's one of the most commonly climbed routes in the Eldred. A few shots of the campground, river, Carag Dur and the West Main Wall thrown in there as well.