Travels and Vagabonds
Bradley Falls
In the morning we awoke to sleet, freezing rain, and all around awesome weather for climbing. Taking this as an exploring rest day, we decided to pack up, drink a lot of coffee and go to a new area, none of us had been too. However, first I took in the sights of the Apple Belt of NC.
Approach up to to Sauratown for Climbing
I missed all the fun and festivities last when the CCC (Carolina Climbing Coalition) got access restore to the Sauratown Cliffs. This year it was made a point to get out there before things would close down. Also, if you somehow wandered to this post for Sauratown Beta (through google or other devilish search engineering methods), give the CCC a few bucks for getting access restored.
So its summer again and Dave’s girl Katie was in town, so we all piled in the Z-mobile and headed out to “Paradise Cove” aka “Cripple Creek Cliffs” aka “Guffy Falls.” I brought along the camera with the fast lenses to get some action shots. When we got there, I actually stopped to read the signs at the location this time, and noticed that this was BLM land. Free for all. Continue reading “Cliff Jumping Redux – Guffey Falls”
Exploring Moab
Wayback in the spring of 2009, Paul and I took a trip out to Moab, Utah to join Ben and Amanda on some desert adventures. The trip out to Utah from Colorado Springs was a very grueling drive, which caused us to make an emergency nap-stop in Fruta, Colorado on the top of a dinosaur mountain. Once crossing into Utah the next morning, we were greeted by the “Eagles on Highway” sign, which Ben had first hand experience with the previous night by almost running over one in the dead of night. Continue reading “Wayback Wednesday #2”
A passed Sunday, Z had a hunger for some cliff jumping. After using his extensive Interweb skillz he found one of the most legit areas for cliff jumping in
Colorado.
The cliff was nestled deep in the Mountains of Colorado, pass the roaming elk ranges, and the granite boulder fields. The hike was relatively short and through a nicely formed gorge. The path was well formed, but you could tell the this area was almost completely known to locals only.
The entire area was giant play ground for outdoors lovers. Steep Cliffs, waterfall, lush vegetation was abound in this area. The area was a giant bowel of water that had been carved out by the waterfall. The formations of the rock allowed people to jump from many different heights (ranging from 20-80ft).
Continue reading “Hidden Cliffs and Gorges of Cripple Creek”
So its been over 1 month since my last update, and this is due to the horrible month that is August. As my mom pointed out to me, lots of bad things tend to happen to our family in the month of August and this year it was no different. However, to make the best of the month and cheer me up, the group of us went to pueblo reservoir. The entire trip was put together by Derek and Sean much props to them.
Jimmy, Z, and I got there late in the afternoon after sneaking out of work early. Well actually, I worked in the car on the drive down and Z practice his stick driving skillz. Derek and Sean had rented a boat from the Military outpost for the weekend, so we now had a way to get around the lake. The BASSHUNTER was a formidable vessel. Complete with live well, tackle compartment and swiveling bass chairs, this thing was made to slay fish. The boat was super fun to drive to drive both on water and off.
As soon we got to the lake, we all jumped on the boat and head out for some Friday evening cruising. The lake was pretty quiet and we just motor boated around. The goal was to scope out some cliffs for the next day, but we found one that we all had to do right then and now. We made harbor behind the rock in a cove and had some fun.
The next day we spent alot of time on the water. We headed directly for another cliff that we saw earlier yesterday. Sean and Derek made there way to the top, while Jimmy, Z and I monkey’d around the bottom looking for some deep water soloing routes. This cliff, which I dub “HUGE ASS SPIDER CRACK ROCK”(due to the spiders which were about the size of mouse) was lots of fun. We found some routes up and it was really deep to jump.
Afterwards, we went to chill in a cove and fish for a bit. While fishing in the middle of this cove, we got inspected by the boating police. Apparently we were over capacity for the BASSHUNTER. # of people we had on the boat = 7 ; BASSHUNTER’s capacity was = 4. After talking to them for awhile, they let us go with a warning, and that we get the extra people off the boat asap. So we made are we to the shore, but along the way we met a sweet dude name Mike was a bitch’in boat. Mike had a MOOMBA boat that was in the gravity games for wake boarding. The tower had a awesome sound system and PA. He blasted metal and rock. They just cruising for the day and we happy for us to join, we brought beer which made them even more happier. We tied up and hung out with them for most of the day. Definitely a cool group of people.
Other times we took groups of 4 out for some more jumping. Derek Sean, Z and I decided to assault “the nipple”. This was a jagged outcropping in the middle of the lake. This was the highest jump of the day (40-50 ft), as well as my most epic Deep water Solo Route. Everyone found different ways to go up, but I wanted claim the face of the Nipple. The Climb started out with 1 juggy hold and a crimp, it then move to a weird but sweet turndown, and then just handjams the rest of the way. Free climbing above water is such a weird feeling, you feel worried that you going to fall until you start falling, after that while you falling you feel super calm because you know you be ok. In the end I got the nipple twice, but was completely exhausted. I believe I can state that I have the first ascent, onsite and redpoint of this route.
Pueblo was a fun time here are some more shots from the trip.
