Nik Berry: Summer Fun!

Summer is a bit of a double edged sword in SLC and many other places as well. With the better weather comes the heat and forces us to suck it up and enjoy climbing for the movement and try and be less fickle about "perfect temps." These are the reasons that SLC climbers gravite towards Maple Canyon in the heat of the summer. Maple offers climbable temps and fun movement PEROID and that is how you have to think of it. After two weekends of the Pipe Dream I was over the crowds and I sent Millennium so I was happy to move on. The Compound is a great cliff that is a bit of a hybrid between Box Canyon and the Pipe Dream with many hard routes that are mostly nails hard for the grade. It is quite refreshing after the fluff of the Pipe Dream. The grades rage from about 5.11d to 13d and some red tags(boo).

It was great climbing with John Starr, Kristin, Clay, Rosie, Reid, Ann, Lief, Lindsey, and Kim for a few weeks. In the end I managed to do most of the routes there and had a great time.

Hanging out till the sun leaves the cliff. AHHH sport climbing laziness

Breakfast of Champions

Clay trying to make the "Fat Laydy Sing" one of the best 13c's in Maple

More of the Fat Lady

Starr on another incredible 13c TSS

After weeks at Maple I was ready for some adventure and Lone Peak was just becoming climbable. This was due to the Wasatch having a record snow fall and delayed the normal access to the area by about a month. The first day up I humped a load of about 70 pounds up the 5,500 feet of elevation gain and it was a total bone crusher. It probably did not help that I left the trailhead at 9:30 P.M. (I am an IDIOT!) The next day I ran into my friend Ari and I was able to get the second ascent of Jonathan Knights route. It is great with very technical climbing that requires perfect body positioning and a cool head to say the least at 5.13a. Ari also had some good burnes and will do it soon I am sure. I then went to work on a line in the middle of the question mark route and JK route. This thing is MEGA just under vert climbing and will be the hardest route I have done if I can put it together.

The following day I raped into the Wonder Wall that is a classic aid line that goes at A3. I worked out the moves and I hope I can put it all together this weekend! Psyched!!!!!