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Showing posts from March, 2011

The Peach Redux

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Last Saturday, Wiktor, Jerome and I headed back up to The Peach . While Jerome and I had a blast reclimbing the route, Wiktor hung it out there, jugging up lines fixed to anchors consisting of equalized pins driven into decaying limestone. "Try not to weigh the rope," I advised him as he lowered out from a station to begin a free-hanging jumaring session. But not even the yawning void under his ass could make his hand tremble. After all, you would not want the footage marred by camera shake, would you? The result is a fine video of a fine route. Wiktor hanging it out, camera, multiple lenses and monopod in tow. Photo: Jerome Yerly. Second go at The Peach from Wiktor Skupinski on Vimeo .

The Peach

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March 2008 . In between overnight alpine outings, Pierre Darbellay and I took a break from big mountains and big packs to head up Storm Creek. We had already enjoyed a couple of good days up there, climbing some fantastic, weirdly-iced new ground. We wanted to see if there was any more hidden further up the valley. As we skied along, an imposing hanging dagger with an overhanging scoop of yellow rock came into view. We found our objective. In fact, we found more than we had bargained for, and we retreated from below a radically overhanging crack with our tails between our legs. March 2011 . After a three-year absence from Storm Creek ice, I head back there with Grant Meekins. With all the recent snow the track has disappeared, but the snowpack is supportive and we make good time up the valley. Two and a half hours after leaving the car we drop our packs at the mouth of a small rock cave and crane our heads back to gawk at the climb. Pretty but kind of short, says Grant. I remind him o