Fist Fight with a Sumo Wrestler

I've been a bit obsessed with the Marble Gully this summer, and as the season comes nearer to the end my anxiety about finishing projects increases. But somehow I let Styles talk me into venturing out of the Marble to hit this splitter crack that we'd been eying for months. What a nice treat for any self abusing climber, this 2 pitch climbs a nice lieback flake then scary steep climbing on hollow flakes followed by a splitter fist crack to an anchor. Pitch 2 continues up the splitter crack for another 90' to a decomposing ledge.
Another Crags Classic "Fist Fight with a Sumo Wrestler" 5.10+.

Marbelous!!!

5th times a charm!
Marbelous 5.13a(r)
jai sri krsna

Back to Business

Alright enough BS, time to climb. Marbelous!, 4 redpoint attempts so far. I'm feeling pretty confident that it'll go down this weekend. I've gotten pretty comfortable taking 20-30 footers on 1/4- 1/2" cams and it's given me a new confidence in trad gear. I'm just glad this route is as steep as it is. Thank you, Peter for coming out on Monday and confirming the quality of the climbing in the Marble Gully and being a 3rd body out there while I try to go big on Marbelous. I feel this is truly a mile stone route for the Crags and I'll be stoked to bag this FA.
Just to give you an idea of what we're working on. 110' of climbing on a slightly overhanging marbled granite wall, discontinuous flakes take you to 3 distinct cruxes, 2 of the cruxes come high on the route after the pump factor kicks in. I'm pictured here at the 2nd crux right before I blew it and dropped about 30 onto a yellow Alien. After making this crux you load up a flake with a green alien and a blue Metolius cam and then traverse left for about a body length, then lunge another 3' to a sloper, mantle up or take a 30 foot swinger. After pulling that crux plug in a black Alien and another shallow blue Metolius and pump up another 20' of 5.11 liebacking to the anchor.
Projected rating 13a R (this route has no bolts!).

Get Over It!

OK, time for my 2 cents. If anybody has anything to say about the way we are going about our business in the Crags they should come talk to me or write me some email, instead of secret recon's and other BS. We are putting up quality climbs(as confirmed by visiting climbers) and we're doing it with less bolts and less impact!
peace
-iaN

Step'n it up!

A MARBELOUS DAY! Thank You Dylan, Amy and Angela. For coming up to the Gully and supporting our projects. The stakes are getting higher as the numbers get bigger and your support has been a great inspiration for me to push to the next level, thanx.

Alpine Sport Climbing, Marble Gully

Here I am working a new route and enjoying perfect temps in the gully, while it's smoking hot most everywhere else. We've got a hand full of routes under way and a couple of great moderates already established. A visiting climber told me people wont walk all this way to go cragging. I'm glad I'm not one of those people ;-)

The Marble Gully

Gita staying dry in the Marble Gully. We finally made it here! no snow! But wouldnt you know it's raining cats and dogs! Well nice to know you can stay dry under the looming wall of marble.