This story is meant for entertainment purposes. I don't really have any other platforms to share it so I hope you enjoy! Sorry for the poor photo quality, this is only my second trip report on here so I just need to work out some of the kinks.

Like most times that I lean into my writing, the story starts with emotional turmoil based in my relationship struggles. My girlfriend and I were coming to terms with some serious foundational differences in the way we see our relationship in the future, and we arrived at a painful, gut-wrenching stand still. We had plans to meet up with some friends, but I almost always wear my heart on my sleeve and there was no way I could socialize in a way that would feel fun. Fortunately, they are all kind and understanding people.

In the overwhelming, cognitive claustrophobia of a city, I struggle to feel in touch with my intuition. It’s very challenging for me to feel what my heart and gut are telling me, without being able to feel the silent power of nature. The heartbeat of the earth is one of the most important things to me in life and I struggle to feel it when I’m surrounded by a human created environment such as Salt Lake City. This may sound dramatic to many people who love it but it’s how I feel and you don’t need to read on if you don’t want to.

Once all my affairs were in order, I felt the relief of hitting the open road knowing that’s what I needed. I had no intention of escaping my feelings but rather to intensely feel them, dissect them and process them. Part of that journey for me is making sure that each small step felt in alignment with my intuition. I decided to head to Zion National Park to solo some walls but just outside the city something didn’t feel right, I pulled over.

None of the routes I planned to climb were anything I was very excited about. I sat in a gas station parking lot just off the highway and decided to not leave until I had a plan that felt right. I had successfully escaped the city and now had room to breathe, there was no rush.

I find it best to try to align my actions early on rather than to dig myself out of a hole later. Giving myself space to be still and make a decision that felt right was important to me. A little more than an hour went by before I had a plan. I got in the driver’s seat and went back north a few miles with my sights set on an ascent of the route Zenyatta Entrada, located on Tower of Bable!

Zenyatta Entrada had been a dream climb of mine for a very long time, however other things in the area always distracted me. The magnificent tower is literally roadside in Arches National Park. It felt like the perfect objective with a short approach, sunny, safe climbing and bomber anchors for rope soloing. This is what I needed after taking a break from ice climbing a few days before. I had spent too much time being cold or in danger on challenging/scary leads and wanted to switch it up. Besides, the crisp desert air in winter always helps me think! I finished the drive into Moab and picked up some groceries from town. Afterwards, I drove out into the desert that I’ve gotten to know so well over the years and parked in a quiet spot with no one around to enjoy a peaceful night. It felt good to finally be home.

The alarm went off at a comfortable 8am. I didn’t want to set an alarm because my intention was to climb this thing in as relaxing of a style as possible. But my car was complete chaos, and I hadn’t packed yet for the climb. I had been living in my car for the last few months, so I knew I had everything with me, it was just a matter of finding it in a mix of gear, clothing and miscellaneous items. I drove to the base of the tower and put time into making a delicious breakfast scramble. My go to move lately has been to dice potatoes as well as some bacon and put them in the pan at the same time so they both become saturated in the delicious fatty oil. After spilling out any access oil, I’ll add eggs, cheese, and spices, mixed together for perfection! While the food cooked, I simultaneously packed my gear for the climb. I ate and looked at the beautiful entrada sandstone tower and felt very pleased with all the decisions I had made thus far. A quick drive down the road to enjoy the luxuries of pooping in a national park toilet and I was ready to climb!

5 minutes of walking brought me to the base of the tower, where I surveyed the scene. There was a massive boulder I could sling and gear to place to back it up. I organized my gear and set up my rope soloing system to feed smoothly. The route starts with some of the only free climbing on the tower, the rest would be aid. I quickly climbed the 5.6 or whatever it was in my approach shoes to get to the start of the harder stuff. Being there still felt so right.

The C2 start of the first pitch felt easy for the grade, partially due to the use of offset cams, offset nuts and totems. It quickly turned into C1 which went even quicker. To continue with the chill vibes I was loving, I had to remind myself not to back clean until it was runout. The climbing was easy and the rock was super solid for entrada sandstone, I could be safe and there was no speed related reason not to be. I completed the first pitch and rappelled to clean it. On the ground I ate a some Uncrustable peanut butter and jelly mini sanwiches, cleaned my anchor and set up my other rope to trail while I ascended my fixed line. My intention was to climb half the route on my first day.

Pitch two was equally as smooth and enjoyable at C1. I was soaking in the beauty of what I was doing and fully enjoying being alone. My mind was constantly battling with itself, trying to fully be present but also thinking about the conflict with my girlfriend. It was a horrible feeling and my stomach had been in my chest thinking about it for several days by now. There was still very much appreciation that if I had to feel horrible anxiety in my chest, sadness in my heart and insecurity in my brain, at least I would get to feel it in a beautiful place.

Pitch 3 was by far my favorite pitch of the day! It started easy but turned out to be quite tricky leading up to an intermediate belay. Totems were key and this section felt like the crux of the route. After the intermediate anchor was the most fun part though! A few bolts and pitons led to a pendulum traverse. I read it would be better to stay high but the moves getting to the next bolt were atrocious blown out pin scars. I ended up doing the penji down low and it was huge! I swung about 30 feet from side to side until I could reach a hand hold where I could hang on for a second to place a hook on a slab. The hook was very secure and had clearly been used before. I top stepped off of it onto some free slab moves and into a corner. The next 40 feet was bumping and back cleaning .75 cams. C1 but large fall potential because of needing to be able to clean the traverse. Eventually I finished the fun, engaging pitch, fixed my ropes and cleaned on the way down. I left all my gear on the wall and ropes leading to the ground.

I rapped off and had a message from a group of people I’m going to Pakistan with at the end of May and they needed some paperwork filled out for the Pakistani government. I have heard horror stories about the difficulty of getting permits accepted and the need to get it done early. It was only 330pm so I immediately drove to the Moab library to do battle with the scanner! I got it all sent out and then once again ran away from civilization to chill in the desert. I cooked a beautiful dinner of Kobassa sausage and veggies with rice and watched the sun set over the La Sal Mountains in a spot that I had shared with many important people in my life. I spend a lot of time thinking about my time as a wilderness therapy guide, I always do. It was the 5 most important years of my life.

The alarm woke me up at 9am and I drove over to the park. My morning pit stop in the warm comfortable bathrooms was successful but I was thinking about pitch 4. Being present during the small things in my life is something I put a lot of effort into and this time was no different. As I cooked my delicious morning breakfast scramble pitch 4 was nagging at me. It was said to be the crux of the route. It was further nagging at me because I wanted to be relaxed while I climbed so I could think about this stressful situation with my girlfriend. Classic future tripping.

Ascending my ropes went quickly and it felt satisfying to get closer to pitch 4. As I passed pitch 2, I collected the lower rope that I fixed to reach the ground, as well as some gear that I had left hanging there. As soon as I arrived at the top of pitch 3, I quickly set up my system, organized my gear and then I was off! It started with some tricky moves between bolts and some ledge fall potential but I went slow and made it feel very secure. I kept expecting it to feel very hard but it never did. The steepness of the pitch was impressive and the position shortly became WILD! It was spectacular to be at an intermediate anchor, at an airy hanging stance above a large roof, while the entire route sweeps away below my feet. I was led to believe that this section would contain a blind tri cam placement up around the roof but the route required no such thing, thanks to my .5 totem! It was a surprising and perfect placement that took a lot of the sting out of this pitch! I enjoyed the exposure as I continued up solid gear to a piton traverse to what is said to be the crux of the route. I didn’t have any beta on what the issue with this section was and if I wasn’t soloing it probably would have been chill free climbing. Instead I took a trekking pole off my harness and taped my aid ladder to it, clipped the anchor and moved on. No sense in making things more dramatic than they had to be!

Cleaning the traverse was fun in its technicality, such a wildly steep position! I enjoyed every moment. The engagement of the climbing was helpful for my heart ache because while I was still thinking about it, I was also taking action in my life which took a bit of the edge off. I was very excited to be past pitch 4, which was also not as difficult as the middle of pitch 3. The summit felt close and I started up pitch 5 with speed!

P5 was tricky with ledge fall potential but offset cams and nuts provided the cure! After a short traverse, the pitch finished with a bolt ladder and some easy free climbing to the anchors. I was now within a stones throw of the summit! To save myself the trouble of, rapping down, cleaning the pitch and ascending back up, I simply brought up the other rope for the last pitch. I didn’t need much gear for it. After fixing my green rope at the top of p5 where I would start my descent from, I followed a short but slanted and airy ledge around the summit block to where a short bolt ladder awaited me. I climbed that with my orange rope, fixed it then scrambled up to the true summit finally!

In the all consuming anxiety of my relationship struggles, it felt really good to accomplish something so satisfying and to meet all of my personal needs along the way. Intrusive thoughts of stuck ropes on the rappels prevented me from staying long on the top. I took a few pictures, had a few moments of stillness and then started the descent.

It went extremely fast. A short rappel got me down from the summit to the shoulder where I scrambled back over to my fixed rope at the top of pitch 5. With not a breath of wind in the air, I cleanly tossed my orange rope down so I could do a double rope rappel. I cleaned all of my gear from leading pitch 5 as well as my anchor as I descended all the way to the top of pitch two. After I cleaned all my gear it was straight down and overhanging. A perfect clean pull! One more steep rappel with a perfectly clean pull and I was on the ground about 30 minutes after being on the summit!

It was warm and I felt relieved. I cleaned up my gear for the short walk back to my car but sat for a little while before I left. The sound of cars annoyed me which made me move along. I threw my pack in the car and drove in to town to celebrate with Gilbertos, the delicious Moab Mexican food joint. This may sound repulsive to some readers but I thoroughly enjoyed a shrimp fajita burrito and a large horchata!

I sat in my car, content but nostalgically in a spot where I have many times before. The climb was brilliant and exactly what I needed. I just don’t understand why it’s so difficult to have a life partner that I can love unconditionally forever and for it to be reciprocated. This is not just a reflection on my current struggle, but of others I’ve contemplated in this same parking lot, on similar emotion fueled trips. I drove to my safe place alone in the desert and once again watched the sun set as I embraced the solitude and the accomplishments of the last two days!

The next day, I woke up with the goal to focus on my spirituality. After breakfast, of curried sausage and veggies, I meditated silently for hours. I walked through the desert soaking it in and fully feeling the heart beat of the earth. I put my face on the warm sand, my skin on rough rocks and my nose the sage brush. Sage is my favorite smell in the world. I felt all my feelings and felt optimistic about some things in my relationship that we had talked about the night previously. But mostly I tried to have quality love and connection with the earth and spirit that flows through all things. That always helps me see clearly. Later in the day I drove over to my next days objective, The Tombstone.

The Tombstone is located in the Lost World, a zone I only started exploring last year. I’ve never seen another climber in the entire area. The Tombstone is a feature that is taller than it is wide but its status as a tower is definitely debatable. It is a stunning feature right off the dirt road. I’ve decided to count it as a tower because it’s my list and it felt like a tower! I climbed a route called Family Plot that is graded 5.8 C1. It was overall chill but still adventurous!

The approach was very short so I had no reason to rush. The route starts with a high first bolt leading to a bolt ladder. I used a trekking pole with some tape to stick clip the first bolt. My plan was to link the first two pitches which went smoothly despite some soft rock and big choss that I had to use to free climb. It was physically challenging for the C1 grade and the free climbing was heady. VERY sandy but overall type one fun. At the top of pitch two I fixed my rope and pulled up my other rope. The last pitch felt easy so I chose to free solo it, trailing my rope up behind me. It was a bit more insecure than I had anticipated but I found good anchors on top so I didn’t have to down climb it.

From the top anchors was a short scramble to the summit. I felt much more present on top of this one with a very easy descent ahead of me. I made an enjoyable work call from the summit and then sat for a long time. I spent a lot of time thinking about my girlfriend obviously, but I also spent some time meditating and soaking in the silence. There was no one around and no signs of anyone, exactly what I wanted. I felt light hearted for the first time in a while. I was being present and accepting the struggles of the relationship and life. I have a hard time pursuing acceptance in all its intricacies but once I arrive there, I can fully feel it.

On the descent I noticed that the poop bag I had set in the shade beside my car had now gone into the sun, bummer. I got a good laugh out of it and did the first rap down to the top of pitch 2. That anchor was a series of old pitons and bolts with one good bolt. It was not set up to rappel on so I decided to donate my cordillette to the cause. For most parties it probably makes sense to bring all their stuff to the summit but for a soloist, that would imply a lot of extra work. I set it up to be able to rappel and cleaned my gear on the way down.

While rappelling, I decided to take advantage of no one being below me. The large blocks that I had used to free climb on my way up could definitely be removed, improving the safety of the route. I easily moved it with one hand and then used both hands to throw the block away from the wall to protect my ropes. Upon impact with the ground, there was a deep smacking sound with an explosion of white sand! I laughed uncontrollably! I still laugh out loud every time I think about that block exploding white amongst the brown/red dirt ground. The second block made more of a plume of white sand all over everything! Once I arrived at the ground, it looked as if it snowed. There was white carnage and sand everywhere! I couldn’t stop laughing and at that time felt 100% present.

I cleaned up and reversed the short approach back to the car where my toasty warm poop bag awaited me. I had no plan and didn’t know what to do. I had no obligation to return to Salt Lake City for another several days at least. The goal of this trip was mental health so whatever I did next should prioritize that.

I drove back into cell service and looked at avalanche forecasts, weather forecasts, mountain project and dream climb lists. After checking in with myself for a while, I decided I was ready for some winter activities again. I started this winter with the intention of not working, and just living in my car in the San Juans. The goal was to complete my list of Colorado’s 14ers, all climbed solo during calendar winter. I was currently at 65 completed out of 75. This was my 10^th winter working on this project and for the first time ever I was excitingly close! Earlier in the season I decided not to push as hard to complete them this season because to do so would mean a lot of time away from my girlfriend who loves ice climbing more than anyone I know. I LOVE ice climbing as well so it didn’t feel like much of a sacrifice to prioritize her and spend most of my time climbing ice together. Conditions for winter solos weren’t that good anyways after December.

But now, after taking some time in the desert to think and sit comfortably with myself, I was ready to suffer again. Forecasts agreed that it was a good time to attempt Wetterhorn Peak and off I went! I drove to Grand Junction to chip away at the drive while still maintaining the luxury of packing/reorganizing in the warmth of the desert. The following day I did my normal routine of meditation, cooking, packing and stretching. The drive went fast and I spent the night a quarter mile before the trailhead where there was a bathroom so I could go in the morning before I started.

I woke up at about 4am and turned my car on so I didn’t have to get out of my sleeping bag until it was warm, a guilty pleasure of mine. I ate some of my pre cooked breakfast scramble that I made the night before. After breakfast, a liter of water and my morning poop, I drove two minutes to the trailhead proper. Shortly after I was skinning up the road.

I was surprised to see a van at the trailhead but I was pleased to see that there had been a steady flow of snowmobile traffic up the road. I wore the perfect comfy layers and made slow but steady progress up the road. It felt good to feel the crisp mountain air and to move in the silence. The miles on the road slowly ticked by and the conditions were great, comfortable hard packed snow. I went slow so I would never get tired. The buildings on the sides of the roads were cute and enjoyable to look at but the scenery was not yet interesting enough to keep me out of my head. The monotony of the road was perfect for festering on the hurtful parts of my relationship. I thought about all parts but it was hard to see a way out of the struggles.

I stopped for a snack just before the final section up to the trailhead and at this point I started to see signs of another skier. I always wonder what is going to happen when I see signs of others when I’m on a winter solo. Will they be kind? Someone I know? Someone I’d climb with in the future? My biggest regret about doing the winter 14ers as a solo project is the lack of time I’m be able to spend getting to know the 14er community. The solo project is important enough to me that it feels like a worthy sacrifice but I still always look forward to getting to know and spend time with others who do this kind of activity.

Just before breaking tree line is the avalanche crux of the route in my opinion. I fortunately found very stable and firm conditions so I took an efficient ascending traverse up across the headwall leading to a small saddle. The saddle was the only section of the day that required anything resembling real trail breaking. It was no more than ankle deep and the skier in front of me had already set a track. They were staying on the summer trail exactly and I followed their track until tree line. Once at tree line, I decided to take a break and melt some snow for water.

For me the crux of this route was the mileage and vertical gain. I was somewhat concerned about avalanche slopes but once I saw conditions that was no longer an issue. With the distance, my goal with packing was to be as light as possible. I decided to just roll with a single liter of water but have my light stove with a little fuel. Just above tree line was the perfect opportunity to brew up. I also needed to consider my route. The skin track followed the summer route to the right around the basin but I saw a line up the middle of it that seemed to have 100’ extra vertical gain but half the distance. With the current conditions, trail breaking was not an issue at all. Seemed worth it to me!

I was very happy with my line which also marked the most efficient way down once I started skiing. In the upper basin I chose to go up the summer route to avoid avalanche danger and enjoy lower angle terrain, albeit a bit longer than the direct line. I continued up eventually meeting up with the other climbers tracks near the saddle at 13,000 feet.

At around 13,200’, I met the other climber on his way down. I said hello and he instantly asked if I had an ice axe, which I intentionally left behind this day. He adamantly said “you NEED an ice axe” despite not knowing anything about me or my climbing experience. He seemed frazzled and anxious but I was annoyed to receive unsolicited advice that was so based in opinion. I love receiving informed beta based off objective observations such as the consistency of the snow or how much of the route is covered but to say that the gear he needed is what everyone will need is not helpful and often inaccurate. I was just trying to say hi! This kind of assertion is usually based in ego but that didn’t seem to be the case this time. I was polite but happy to leave the encounter back to the safety of my solitude.

I bring this up because it is a common mistake amongst climbers which can negatively impact others’ experience. Despite what your intentions are, it is often unfriendly and unhelpful to give unsolicited advice. Especially when it’s based in opinion rather than fact. Typically, when it is important enough that advice must be given to a stranger, the delivery needs to be tasteful, because no one responds well to commands from someone they just met. It can be especially destructive to newer climbers who might be more prone to giving weight to other climbers opinions, who they think are more experienced even if they are not. Obviously if someone is about to die in front of me, I will step in to help or assist in a rescue, but no one should approach strangers and tell them what to do. This is my opinion and I feel comfortable sharing it in my own writing, this entire page is my opinion.

In the end, conditions were perfect on the summit stretch. I had a trekking pole in each hand, and I was glad I didn’t bring an ice axe because the terrain didn’t necessitate it for me and it wasn’t worth the weight. That is my experience, and you will have your own, based off of your style, experience and education, with these activities. There is absolutely nothing wrong with bringing any tools that you need to do it safely. Just do what’s best for yourself and don’t be afraid to bail if you made a wrong choice. If you’re the person who I met up there, no offense. I have always felt passionate about this topic and this was simply a good opportunity to discuss a common issue in the climbing community. Feel free to reach out if it doesn’t sit right with you or you want to discuss further.

The summit scramble had beautiful views and exposure, especially the last 100’ to the top! It was magnificent and I felt extremely satisfied to be on top of Wetterhorn Peak for my first time ever! Winter solo number 66 was a challenging climb but also exactly what I needed in the processing of my relationship. I thought about it endlessly on the way up thus far. Mostly frustration, sadness and hurt, but that is how I was feeling so it needed to be felt.

The descent went very quickly. I booted down to about 13,400’ where I stashed my skies and immediately started making some nice turns down the ridge. But the descent down the upper bowl was truly spectacular powder skiing. It was starting to refreeze in some spots, but it only slowed me down minimally. It was very fun and wide open! At the bottom of the big bowl, I had to put skins back on for a short distance through the trees to get to the original headwall that I traversed up. I thought it was going to suck more but it went very quickly as well. I was thrilled when I got to take off my skins and start skiing down again. It was all downhill from here! Or so I thought.

Some important information for you to have is I am horrible at ski maintenance. The bottoms of my skies are totally trashed and haven’t been waxed in years, not to mention all the core shots. I recently left my skins on my skis, in my roof box for an extended period of time so parts of the bottoms are permanently sticky to the touch. Needless to say to say the glide on my skis is not great anymore.

The main part of the day that I suffered was the road. It was awful. I was rigidly adamant about not putting my skins back on because any minute I thought it was going to get steep enough to slide downhill again. It just never did aside from more than 500’ or so. The upper road was ok because there were some significant downhills, but the lower road was mostly flat or uphill! At the same time, I was stuck in my brain replaying hurtful things in my girlfriend had said or done to me, not able to find any solutions or resolve to the issues. It was the definition of suffering. I should have put my skins on and it would have been chill. I tend to learn lessons the hard way.

In the end, I was extremely satisfied with the climb! Conditions were about as perfect as you could hope for a winter 14er and the processing I did that day was important. I was happy to take off my ski boots and get in my car. I ate some more of my breakfast scramble left over from the morning and drove the 15 minutes down to Lake City to find a place to sleep that night. Physically satisfied.

While looking for a comfortable flat spot to park, I noticed something on the ground. I knew what it was and it was super expensive. Not wanting to get involved I backed away but shortly after I realized it was a good opportunity to help someone out. I picked up a pair of, Grivel Dark Machine ice tools, retail at about $450 per tool. They were very gently used and I knew someone had forgotten them while climbing at the ice park. I immediately posted on my Instagram and all the Colorado ice climbing Facebook pages. I realized it was a win/win type of situation. On one hand I could do everything I can to help someone out and get the tools back to their rightful owner, and I got it back to them, I’m sure they would be very happy! On the other hand, if I continued to do everything I could and still wasn’t able to find the owner, then it was a hell of a score!

The next day was a rest and partial travel day. I drove to Montrose, ate some good food, watched a bunch of Netflix, did some walking around in the desert and stretched out my tired body. The new plan I had formulated was to go down to Eurika for a few days and solo some ice climbs down there to take advantage of my last few days before I had to return to obligations in the city. Right before bed, I received a message from someone who ended up being the owner of the tools! He told me what they were (which was information I did not divulge online) and knew the special markings on them! I was mostly happy but somewhat disappointed! It felt good to have the opportunity to help someone and demonstrate integrity though.

Fortunately, the owner of the tools was in the direction I was headed anyways! He was planning to climb in the Ouray ice park that day so I just met him in the parking lot and handed off the tools. He was stoked and turned out to be a very nice guy! I am very happy with the way things played out.

My plan for the day was to climb some ice! At first I was planning to go up Camp Bird Road and see if The Ribbon was in, if so, I would solo that with the stable avalanche conditions. But while I was hanging out in Ouray returning the tools, I forgot what a scene it is down there and I don’t actually enjoy spending time in Ouray. I’ll come back for The Ribbon another time. Besides, I have some close friends that maybe I could meet up with in Durango so I continued south to Silverton where I would head into Eurika and solo Highway To Hell. A classic and beautiful looking WI4 flow next to the famous, Stairway To Heaven. By the time I got there I realized I wasn’t feeling social and was content to continue with my alone time.

I did everything slowly, still feeling tired from Wetterhorn and the climbs before it. By the time I got my act together and left the trailhead it was almost 1pm. It didn’t matter because free soloing always goes fast. I walked up the road a short distance and got my first look at Highway to Hell! The flow looked great, however upon seeing how high above me it was, my legs instantly protested. I had no intention of working that hard right now. Climbing WI4 was no problem, but hiking up and gaining elevation was totally not something my body wanted that day. Listening to my body and intuition I decided to be gentle with myself, there was no reason to push it. I decided to pivot to a much easier objective, First Gully. It was just 10 more minutes of hiking up the road and it was rambling WI3, should be perfect.

Once locating the route, I hiked up the old debris staircase to the base of the ice. None of it looked that good but here I was. I started up the soaking wet, low angle ice for a bit until I was on top of the first step. Since my route was so fast and easy, I didn’t bring anything with me other than the clothes on my back and a rope I was trailing below me. The feature turned into a couloir with firm snow that I continued to boot up. A couple small ice sections and then I found a more significant step of rock and ice. I climbed through a cornice type snow feature and made a few sketchy mixed moves on rock. The flavor of the climb was rambling alpine type terrain. It was fun but the route was definitely not “in”. The last little bit seemed too sketchy and delaminated, so I descended a short distance below the top. I was content with what I did and the ice was in horrible condition. I downclimbed most of it and rappelled twice. The last rappel was by far the most satisfying part of the climb. I found a perfect shrub/rock spike combo that was frozen all around it. It was perfect to feed the rope through and I knew it would pull clean with just the right amount of length to get me to the ground.

Once at the ground, I quickly packed up my stuff and was happy to get out of there. I was mentally prepared to watch Netflix in my bed. When I got back to my car that’s exactly what I did. I cooked some dinner, watched more Netflix and schemed up some plans for the next day. Hopefully I was feeling stronger!

The next day it was forecasted to dump snow. Very little had fallen over night, so I wasn’t concerned about avalanches just yet. My friend Lee was planning to come out and climb the mega classic Whore House Hoses! An ugly name for such a beautiful piece of ice. It was a dream climb of mine and it seemed like the right time to do it. I always put it off thinking I would just romp up it with a friend one of these days and I guess today was the day!

I hadn’t spent time with any person in more than a week which was exactly what I wanted but now I was excited to hang out with Lee. We originally met in Peru while I was climbing by myself down there. I heard a bunch of other gringos speaking English and we ended up hitting it off! We attempted Chopicalqui together but overall I just knew he was a kind, easy going and responsible person. The roads were terrible as he drove from Durango to Silverton where we met up. We were instantly on a time crunch because he dropped his kids off at day care to come do this climb! I was so impressed with his balance of family and adventure! He was just as easy-going and fun as I remembered him to be.

As soon as he arrived, I threw my packed bag into his 4 Runner and we cruised up to the trailhead. We left as soon as we could and made quick work of the approach. We were hustling with fears of the storm worsening and him not being able to make it back in time to pick up his kids from day care. We saw that another party had already hiked up and we worried about getting stuck behind people. Fortunately, it was a very kind guided party, and they were efficient and on top of pitch one when we got to the base.

Pitch one is what makes this climb so special in my opinion. It’s a full 70 meters and the ambiance is magnificent. It was long but in WI4 conditions when we did it. The snow was falling gently and we had the whole place to ourselves, it was absolutely magical. The only scary part was near the top of the pitch, things started to sound very hollow. There was a high flow of water running behind the large ice feature and there was a hole where I could see through it and things were thin. I climbed very gently, and it wasn’t a problem. But if it was a problem, the problem would be catastrophic. I was happy to be above the sketchy part and place a screw.

Lee made quick work following pitch 1 and we both thoroughly enjoyed it! Classic! We then saw that pitch 2 was in easy soloing condition, so we dragged the ropes up it and continued hiking up towards the last pitch. For the last pitch there are two options, one that is low angle WI3, and the other which was a much steeper and more attractive piece of ice. We obviously chose the pretty one and set up at the base of it. The party we saw earlier was just coming down, and we had hours left before daycare closed.

When looking up at that pitch I thought it was going to be picked out WI3+ so I started fast. Eventually I realized the line I took was more like WI5 which was very enjoyable for both of us! The ambiance continued to be stunningly beautiful and once again Lee followed quickly. Partially because he’s a good climber and partially so he could make it back in time for his kids. Once again, much respect to the hustle and balance! We celebrated on top for a moment and then zipped down.

We reversed the hike up, downclimbed pitch two and rapped pitch one. However above pitch one, we got distracted talking to some very nice people from the mid west which ate up more time than we realized. Once on the ground we packed up quick and hiked fast down to the car. We drove down to where my car was parked in Silverton, did a quick photo exchange and he was off! Fortunately, the storm had hit more north than it was originally forecasted for and the roads were completely dry! Lee made it back to pick up his kids with plenty of time to spare and we both enjoyed the satisfaction of a quick hit on a classic climb! The one bummer about the day is that since we had to move so fast, we didn’t have much time to hang out and catch up. We enjoyed each other’s company and next adventure we will have to make sure to pencil in some time to chill and drink a beer! I drove to Moab that night to set myself up to comfortably finish the drive back to the city the next day, once again content with the climb of the day.

Trips like this remind me that the Colorado Plateau is my favorite part of this country. The contrast of deep desert wilderness and rugged backcountry of the San Juan mountains. It is truly incredible to be able to practice so many disciplines of mountain travel all within such a close proximity. Rock, ice, mixed, aid, alpine and ski. It also offers a wonderful mix of easy access, popular destinations, as well as remote, spiritually intense places where you will rarely see another human. When I need to process life, I know there will always be a safe place for me to do it, somewhere on the Colorado Plateau.

PS. After this trip I went back to Salt Lake to work for a weekend, my girlfriend and I broke up, and I drove back to the wilderness to try to check off as many dream climbs as possible. I spent some time in California, Nevada and Utah. I actually looked for partners because I got lonely but it was hard to find people. I met some people walking around at crags and I met some people through Facebook groups. If anyone ever is looking for a partner send me a message on Instagram (@paul_barish) or Facebook, I rarely check this page outside of the winter but it might send me an email if you message me? Either way thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed at least some of it