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So I plan to turn 60 this year and feel the need to do something special to celebrate. How about –

60 new trad / sport / bouldering leads in 60 areas.

60 new climbs means a new bouldering route, a new sport lead or a new trad lead – no top roped climbs will count . The definition of 60 areas I’m working on, but I definitely plan to expand my usual range.

I’d really like to hear everyone’s recommendations for classic climbs in your area – it’ll make it more than a tick list if we’re working your local favorites – and better yet if you climb with us. Thanks!

I’m giving myself until the end of the year since my climbing partner has been somewhat out of sorts since 12/29/2013 due to recovering from a rotational elbow dislocation. We’re coming up on 6 months since and she seems to back near full strength – yay!

Trip Planning

• Tahoe Area
• NW California (Bigfoot Country)
• Oregon / Washington / SW Canada
• Wyoming / Colorado
• Utah / Idaho

Click me to see pictures of the climbs so far

Keeping Score / Trad Routes

1. 05/28 Benton, CA / Benton Crags / Locals Only / Get Lost, Trad 5.7 single pitch. Seemed easy; 70m rope is just barely enough!
2. 06/20 Sonora Pass / Chipmunk Flat / Eastbound Wall / Cornflakes and Classics, Trad 5.7 single pitch. Face to crack to chimney – nice variety. First ever trad lead fall. Beautiful, high quality granite and no crowds!
3. 06/21 Mammoth Lakes / Horseshoe Slabs / Rodeo Rider, Trad 5.6 single pitch. I don’t recommend it, few opportunities for gear placements and the first one is really sketchy.
4. 06/26 SF Bay Area / Castle Rock SP / Waterfall Cliff / Leading to Death, Mixed Trad, 5.9. First ever 5.9 trad lead. Watch out for poison oak!

Keeping Score  / Sport Routes

1. 04/11 Lone Pine, CA / Alabama Hills / Gunga Din / Alabama Dome / Southern Man, Sport, 5.9; straightforward. Anchors are over a lip which affects the rope pull.
2. 06/21 Mammoth Lakes / Horseshoe Slabs / Horseman, Sport, 5.10a; great lead for me, heady crux at the first bolt and another crux up high. Highly recommended.

Keeping Score / Bouldering Problems

1. 03/10 Bishop, CA / Happy Boulders / Headbanger’s Cave / Beer Tumor Right V4; personal best, a great day.
2. 05/23 Mammoth Lakes, CA / The Ravine / Various V0’s; recovering from sore elbow, good spot to warm up on varied climbs.
3. 06/16 Marin County / Mickey’s Beach / The Beach Boulder / V0; beautiful sea shore. Low tide would be good. Our crash pad got a saltwater dunk.
4. 06/19 Sonora Pass / Donnell Vista / Vista Corner / V0-R; perfect hands crack, kinda highball but you’re leaning in and can’t see the ground so it feels secure.
5. 06/19 Sonora Pass / Switchback Boulders / Warm Up Wall / Climb 8 in SuperTopo / V1; slab with thin diagonal crack. Hard RH side pull then balancy reach with the LH. Later in the week, we returned and met Kerwin Klein at the Switchbacks. He pulled in talking about rehab for nerve damage and a beer belly, then proceeded to crush everything we were projecting…
6. 06/23 Bear Valley / Hell’s Kitchen / Roadside Boulder / Northside Crack / V0-; “Perfect, short splitter”. My admiration for proficient crack climbers grows and grows.