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THE COLORADO COLLEGE ALPINE JOURNAL 2006 2 The Colorado College Alpine Journal 2006 Volume 1 CONTENTS Free Girl Days: Drunk on Moonlight’s Nectar -Madaleine Sorkin (‘04) Pgs 6-12 Gurla Mandhata: Ascent in Tibet -Jake Norton (‘96) Pgs 13-17 Land of Contrast: Adventures In Africa - Joe Forrester (‘06) Pgs 18-28 A Short and Winding Road: Two Students’ Trip up El Capitan -Chris Burwell (‘08) Pgs 29-32 Face Down In The Ditch With A Slice Of Humble Pie: Trip Report Of A Pilgrimage -Chris Barlow (‘04) Pgs 33-40 Cover: Sunset on Washer Woman and Monster Tower, Canyonlands -Joe Forrester 3 Climbs and Expeditions 41-63 Alaska 41-43 California 43-44 Colorado 45-50 North Carolina 50-51 Utah 51-55 Canada 55-61 Mexico 61-62 Letters, Thoughts, and Stories 63-68 Sunset in the Fishers—Joe Forrester The Colorado College 4 Alpine Journal Joe Forrester Michael Wejchert Editors Morning Fog on approach to Mt. Kenya—Joe Forrester 5 What hands have touched this rock! What fingertips have felt for the same holds as mine, have searched for the same camalot placement, have felt the same sense of security from a well placed piton, and have sighed with relief and a bit of sadness, perhaps, calling down to a well trusted friend and partner from a safe belay stance? I won’t lie: I came to Colorado College for climbing. I was as ob- sessed with it back then as I am now, and much to the chagrin of my parents and oftentimes friends, it consumes me. Yet I came to realize that my questions need not apply merely to glo- rified alpinists or mutant free-climbing rock crushing monsters. With such a revelation and a year or two of block breaks under my belt, I revised my query. What hands, then, have gripped the steering wheel on the dirt road up to Tur- key Rocks after class got out? What hands have leafed through guidebooks looking for the next desert adventure? The hands in question, as it turned out, belonged to many of the most prominent American climbers of their eras. I shall refrain from saying more, as they will be allowed to speak for themselves on the following pages. Joe Forrester, one of those magnanimous and oh so patient “elders”, called me up from medical school in Virginia with a proposition. (It has turned out to be more mentally daunting than another one of Joe’s calls inviting me to help out on his ascent of West Side Story in the Fishers.) His idea for an ex- clusively Colorado College based journal was a brilliant and simple plan for uniting CC climbers young and old. Unlike other journals and magazines, we strive to honor all shapes and sizes of ascents. We’ll save emphasis on style and ethics for more serious publications. What follows is a smattering of literary pieces and trip reports varying in climbing difficulty and method. Yet all are fastened together by the simple joy of an alarm going off at an insane hour, stomach fluttering in pre- dawn excitement whilst friends become roused, to leave the clutter of our world, if only for an instant, in hopes of remembering what those great mo- ments in great places feel like again. Here is the first edition of our Alpine Journal. We hope you enjoy it. -Mike Wejchert Mike and Joe, summit of Cottontail Tower, Aug ‘05 -J Aslaksen 6 FREE GIRL DAYS DRUNK ON MOONLIGHT’S NECTAR -Madaleine Sorkin (‘04) Mike Schaeffer 7 FREE GIRL DAYS “Wahoo! Nice work,” I yell up as Kate Rutherford (‘03) reaches the anchors of an upper pitch on the Moonlight Buttress. “Ah, this is an unrelenting splitter,” she shouts back. “We’re going to have to try hardddd, Mad.” “Well, we’ll just keep climbing it until it becomes a hand crack. The joys of soft sandstone!” I cackle. “Yeah, then we could climb this when we’re old ladies! Maybe for a 60 th birthday?” Kate jests. I laugh and can’t stop smiling. The sky is blue and the wind calm. I am on the most beautiful sandstone splitter with a friend I can laugh and be goofy with and who pushes me to challenge myself. I feel blessed. We top-rope two more difficult pitches and rap to the ground. This is our first day on the buttress and we’re not articulating much yet, except that we are dually inspired. I recognize the glimmer in Kate’s eyes and think hopeful thoughts. Maybe a big objective is just what we needed. We can be focused! We can be motivated! The excitement begins to stir my stomach. This is a condition which will linger through the week, keeping me up at night. On the bus, Kate turns and says, “Okay, so tomorrow we’ll rap in and try to lead those pitches.” “Oh god,” I groan. “I don’t know; I’m almost sold on high exposure top-roping for the rest of my life. That was way too much fun.” We are like giddy little schoolgirls. With a project that feels like a great big juicy se- cret, I hesitate to disclose to anyone what we’re planning until it becomes more of a real- ity. Another day is spent working on the route. I become ill at ease when a baby tarantula meets me in a finger lock at my Kate on p.6, 5.12+ face. Kate tries to swipe it out -Mike Schaeffer of the crack as she follows the pitch. It catches air but doesn’t 8 FREE GIRL DAYS fall far and returns to the wall only a few feet below. “Great, now it’s going to migrate down two hundred feet and bite us at our bivy in a few nights,” I yell. But at least we won’t have seven years bad luck and I happily view the spider’s resilience to extermination as a good omen. On our third day we situate the haul bag, which a raven terrorizes like an open fridge and flies away victorious with bagels and cheese in beak. Kate tries the crux pitch. I am exhausted before this day begins. Each time I swear Walter (to whom these in- famous switchbacks are attributed) has added a new wiggle onto the hikers’ trail up Angel’s Landing. We return to town for beers and pizza. Our secret is no longer contained and we Top: Madaleine slotting it up on p.7 have indirectly garnered a Springdale -Mike Schaeffer cheering squad. While thankful for the team effort, I am resistant to chatter and hope we can keep our attention and energy on the task before us. I’ve never been so obsessed about a route and I’m wary of losing focus. Two agonizing days are spent resting readying ourselves for the glori- ous stone. Sitting in a hot tub, we avoid talking about the route. I ask Kate about her ambitions as a climber. How often mine fluctuate! I’m moved to thank Kate for her friendship, and the commonalities that bond us and em- power me. I muster, “I like climbing with you, Kate. It’s really encouraging to climb with another female…and such fun!” She smiles affirmatively. Since we began climbing together, a mutual respect for one another’s ability, experience and easygoing spirit has existed. But honestly, I was unsure whether our dynamic would create enough determination for this route. I’ve acknowledged the value of climbing with other females often; however, odds 9 FREE GIRL DAYS and choice have put me in contact with more men than women in my climbing life—leading me to question the personal relevance of a female climbing part- ner and to feel unique in a male- dominant environment. Climbing and traveling for much of the year, and with the start of these adventures punctu- ated by a sobering climbing acci- dent, I’ve had time to evaluate the honesty of my self-image and let go more easily of traps my ego can fall prey to. Moreover, I’ve made time to be thankful for my good fortune and opportunities to learn. I am far less complacent about what I do, with whom, and why. I see my growth continuing in various ways and enjoy being able to observe these subtle changes through my continuation as a climber. I am so proud Kate and I are here, making this climb hap- pen, and I wonder if these days could have meant as much to me a year ago. The night before our big Top: Madaleine Sorkin on p.7, 5.12 Left: Morning on Moonlight -Mike Schaeffer 10 FREE GIRL DAYS day, a man, affectionately known as Fishhead, offers his waders Above: Kate and we are saved much of the torment of the icy river on our Rutherford on ever-abused climber feet. We begin the route early enough for p.10, 5.12 -Mike the cold rock to numb our hands and toes. The pitches march by Schaeffer until the base of the open book and the start of the most strenuous climbing. We sit here on the ‘rocker-block’ ledge and enjoy lunch. I struggle with the mantle problem off this ledge, wishing I’d tried it before. I eventually figure out how to keep my left foot in place and reach the desirable crack, which I follow happily upward with a clear path ahead. Kate looks flawless and absurdly composed leading through the tips lie-back corner, and finds a foothold for the first time at the crux.