Last of Tehipite Climbing

Fighting Irish cloud...nah I don't think so.

One of the upper pitches of the final 1200ft. This route was already established and is a wonderful 6 pitch (each pitch being 200+ ft long) route that goes at about 5.11. The route has a first and last slab pitch with great vertical crack climbing in between! Here is a sporty endevour with very few bolts being placed on the slab.

Ari nearing the top of our route on the last techy 5.11 crux. Notice that he is always ready to party with that shirt on!!

Ari coming up the monster 4th pitch of 5.11 big hands. Straight up and straight down perfect splitter and not a loose part of the wall in sight. What was amazing about this wall is that we hardly had to do any cleaning. The wall had no flakey rock or crumbley stone. It is really a choice line on a choice piece of stone. Compared to El Cap it certainly is a rival in rock quality.

Triple roofs, pitch 4.

Tehipite Dome Part 1

Mike B on his horse at the biggest creek crossing of the trip. Little did we know that our camp was just a few miles away. At this point of the ride, all of our butts were getting a bit sore and we were definitely ready to finish the ride. It was nice though to have a few minutes of walking around and stretching the legs by the crystal clear river.

Ari, taking it easy in the woods of tall trees and ferns on the forest floor. The outfitter (Clyde Pack Outfitter), put the littlest guy on our trip on the biggest horse. It was funny watching Ari trying to get on and off the horse during the ride in and ride out of Tehipite Dome. He wore is only blue jeans and a hand me down western shirt and a fisherman's hat the whole time!

This here is Allen Clyde and he knows these trails and his horses really well. He has been a horse packer in these mountains for over 30 years, he is a doctor of the feet, has a ranch near Fresno and is the man that you want to take you into the wilderness for any of your needs!

When we got to camp the evening before the ride into Tehipite Dome we had to explode the truck to repack all the gear in the horse pack bags. So we had to make sure that we had everything, ropes, harnesses, shoes, cams, nuts, toilet paper, stoves and cook sets, food, tents, backpacks, the whole works. It took over three hours to figure everything out and get the 6 pack bags equally loaded and all strapped down. As we did this the Pack station dogs joined us and sniffed our gear and we had a nice campfire going to keep away the bugs. It is always tough to pack the final amount of gear for a trip like this because you never really know what you need and it is always too late when you find out! We quickly realized that we forgot the bug spray!

Mike B and Ari just outside the Fresno airport where they picked me up. I was flying in from Canada and the Squamish Mountain Festival and they drove in from Colorado and Utah in my truck. Ari was wearing my warm weather gear to keep the 100 degree heat at bay while we walked to the truck. Notice the wind block hat and the woolen Arcteryx neck gaiter. I don't think that there is an outfit that Ari doesn't look good in.

piz : )

Found My Camera!

The Hollis Route on Monitor Butte in Moab. I got the first free ascent this spring 5.12+. Out a cave to 5.10 climbing in the dihedral. Good fun and a little dirty. It has everything a desert crack should have, shade, fingers, a roof, hand crack and wide stuff!

Need any petrified wood, head into North Wash, just south of Hanksville and wander around the hillside.

Mike B getting after it in Zion. Did I ever tell you that he can carry a heavy load through deep water!

Mike M and his little one on St Patty's Day 2010. She is the better looking one of the two!

So, we moved the printer at our house and accidentally hid our camera behind it. It was the final sweep of the house that I discovered the little guy. I was so happy! I am just bummed about not getting any photos of the race last weekend.
On another positive note, I am not sore from running but I was fatigued while training for climbing yesterday. I slept well and am now ready to get after it again.
I will be in Capitol Reef National Park this weekend and am looking forward to climbing some desert splitters with Mike B. Let the good times role and the hand jammin begin.

I am really glad that you have visited my blog.
Thanks and I hope to see and hear from you soon.
Rob Pizem

And last but not least, don't forget to check out my favorite sites:

http://www.scarpa.net
http://www.arcteryx.com
http://camp-usa.com
http://sterlingrope.com
http://ColoradoMountainJournal.com
http://www.wunderground.com
http://climbing.com
http://rockandice.com
http://deadpointmag.com
http://urbanclimbermag.com
http://andrewburr.com
http://ladzinski.com

April Plans

Jane climbing at Shelf Road, Colorado. photo by Keith Ladzinski

Jane in a tree! Near my parents house in Ohio. (December 2009)

Well, Jane and I have signed up for our first trail running race of the year. It is called the Desert Rats trail running festival. It is located in Fruita, Colorado and will be on the weekend of April 17th/18th. http://www.geminiadventures.com/DesertRATSfestival.html

Because Jane is an animal when it comes to trail running, she is racing the 25 mile course on Sat and the 10 mile race with me on Sun. It should be a great time. The trail is along side of the Colorado River and it shouldn't be too warm in mid-April.

It's my first race where I haven't tried to finish DAL (dead ass last). In high school, my friends and I would always dress up in cos tums and run charity races to finish last and raise everyone's spirits. This time I will try to compete and not finish last. Since it is my first race, I have no expectations of winning, but I would like to make it the 10 miles and not have any severe knee or back pains. I have been training since the new year and feel good about the distance as I often walk nearly as far to go climbing with a heavy pack.

Get out there and enjoy the almost spring time cause winter is just about over!!!

I am really glad that you have visited my blog.
Thanks and I hope to see and hear from you soon.
Rob Pizem

And last but not least, don't forget to check out my favorite sites:

http://www.scarpa.net
http://www.arcteryx.com
http://camp-usa.com
http://sterlingrope.com
http://ColoradoMountainJournal.com
http://www.wunderground.com
http://climbing.com
http://rockandice.com
http://deadpointmag.com
http://urbanclimbermag.com
http://andrewburr.com
http://ladzinski.com