Skiing is the way to get in now, too much snow for biking. We put our
packs onto sleds which was a good way to go. Thought that we'd climb
Whiteman Falls first but with the temps increasing 10 C by early morning
it made two spooky big crack-cum-settling noises so we opted for Redman
Soars, which is in good standard shape with evidence of only one
previous ascent, awhile ago, this year. Crux was good with ice for tools
and a couple of airy moves of feet on small rock edges. I led past the
retro-fit 2 bolt anchor (not placed on the first ascent), placed a 16 cm
screw in the pillar above climbed a bodylength higher and started to
pull the bulge. Tried to highstep right over it, blew that crampon and
pulled outwards too much from the higher grip (bump-up position) of my
new X Monster tools (and I am not blaming the tool, rather my
unfamiliarity with it, first day on them) and POP, and to prove Larry
Stanier right, "Even grade 1 ice is going to seem really steep if you
fall on it". Because of the circuitous nature of the route, and my
belayer out a bit to take pictures, I plummeted 20 feet and accordianed
into the tightish rock gully below (where I suffered most of my
battering). Didn't break anything but I am plenty stiff today and
hobbling around on crutches with a sprained ankle.
Anyway, it was and amateur day (I was out with a buddy and not guiding)
so I shook off the shakes and rallied, hauled up two tools (my leashless
ones went to the bottom of the climb, found late on descent) and
finished the climb. The hike and ski out was accomplished with the aid
of 2000mg of Ibuprofen (some medical types have told me that you can get
away with one big dose to reduce swelling, just as long as you aren't on
it, or take more in the next 24 hrs) and my partner taking all the
weight and both sleds.
I'll identify a couple of factors:
-Complacency, I tend to climb with the minimum amount of effort -for me-
my tools should have been in better than hooking. Most years I've
climbed at least 40 days by now and I'm more onto my game. This year I
guided in Antarctica for the last month and yesterday was my 6th day
out, my guard isn't were it should have been.
-New tools, they are different, especially the "bump" position, doubly
especially when pulling a bulge. I should have played with them more at
an easier venue. They climb well, but it is hard/desperate to drive a
piton with them. I think that I'll carry a third tool for piton
placement in the future on trad mixed.
Humbling to fall on a lead that you did the first ascent of, and have
climbed a half dozen times sinse ...
Redman Plummets
Barry Blanchard
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