Cracks and BASE...not drug related

  In Jackson Hole, once the leaves start changing colors and the tourists start thinning out, off season trip dreams start coming true. I've got friends currently in  Yosemite Valley, Nepal, Thailand, Chile, and a girlfriend in Honduras. While those destinations sound awesome, I opted to keep it (relatively) close to home this off season and do some desert climbing.

  The trip started with a few days in the always incredible City of Rocks, Idaho. I've climbed in the City quite a few times, but there is SO MUCH stuff to climb there that it never gets old. It was particularly good to get back to the City with a bit more confidence placing trad gear and try a few harder lines. Bill and I mainly stuck to the 5.9s, which in the City can mean old school, physical, grunt climbing...at least for me. Best climb was probably the Yellow Wall, a sporty 5.9 classic lead with excellent protection. We camped next to some cool guys from Washington who were on a month long climbing trip. Coincidentally (or maybe not considering the season) their next destination was the same as ours: the crack climbing mecca...INDIAN CREEK, UTAH.

  Indian Creek is a special place. Located about 75 miles south of Moab, the Wingate sandstone formations tend to crack vertically, resulting in world class crack climbing. Bill had been here a few times but never lead anything, while I was a full-on Indian Creek virgin. I knew the basics of crack climbing, but as they say, if you wanna learn to climb cracks you go to the Creek. And learn I did. It is amazing how what only a year ago would have seemed desperate and terrifying, now seems SO secure.

  The great thing about the Creek is that is helps you build so much confidence in so many different ways. First off, get ready to lead 5.10 cause that's as easy as it gets at the Creek. There are some 5.9s, but they are really just shorter 5.10s. However, the "harder" grades are complimented nicely by the fact that you can basically plug gear wherever you want. Getting tired on Supercrack? Plug a #3 wherever you want and sit back and enjoy the scenery. Not only is the protection abundant, it's bomber as well. It IS sandstone, so it's not like sinking gear into granite, but it's still solid. Also, as added bonuses the camping is free and there are numerous Native American paintings/dwellings/etc. to enjoy.

  We quickly made friends around camp and enjoyed climbing all the classics.

Marriane van der Steen on Scarface; 5.11    She's sponsored

Me leading the uber-classic Supercrack, 5.10

 After a few days in the Creek, I realized I'd found the American equivalent to Tonsai, Thailand. Unlimited climbing, and a ton of dirtbag climbers loving life. I've always said that climbing bums are by nature the dirtiest of the bums. At least being a ski bum you have to have a roof over your head, so that  usually means you need a job. In the Creek, the camping is free and the weather is perfect, so you can REALLY be a true dirtbag. If the parallels to Tonsai weren't already enough, my friend Scott Patterson happened to be in Moab on a BASE jumping trip. I met Scott in Tonsai, Thailand a year ago. While in Tonsai, we did some AWESOME climbs together, often dragging Scott's BASE rig to the top so he could jump off while I shot the photos.

Scott jumps off the Crystal Flame in Tonsai, Thailand 

  We took a rest day from climbing and met Scott and some of his BASE jumping buddies in Moab. After an excellent lunch at the HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Eklecticafe in Moab, we watched the boys do couple of jumps... but we also had something better in mind. Bill and I had already been talking about climbing Ancient Art, a crazy sandstone tower formation near Moab made even more famous in THIS Citigroup ad. In true Tonsai fashion, we pitched the idea of a climb-to-BASE jump to Scott, and in true Scott fashion, he excitedly accepted. 

 We met for coffee on a clear Sunday morning, then made the half-hour drive to Fisher Towers. There would be two teams of two. Bill would lead up with Adam Krum following, and I would lead up with Scott following. The climbing up Ancient Art isn't particularly great, but the summit is amazing. After dealing with the logistics of getting two BASE jumpers in position, it was time for the show. I'd been with Scott on several jumps before, but my heart of still racing. With the GoPro rolling, and my Nikon ready, Scott did his thing in pure style. I'll let the pictures do the talking here:  

  A stellar summit, and a stellar exit point. Scott and Krum styled it. As usual, Scott threw the gainer and made it look easy and fun. The day-hikers down below couldn't believe their eyes. Bill and I quickly rapped down the formation and we all enjoyed a cold beer back at the truck. 

 We spent one more night around Moab and left the next day headed back to Jackson. Another incredible trip in the bag, with the added bonus of seeing a friend from the other side of the world. I'll leave you now with one of Scott's BASE jumping videos.

 Hope to see you again soon, Scott! 

_BY