Climbing, July 31-Aug. 23 September 3, 2009

July 31: We took Syd, our new executive director, out for a day of "team building," or something like that. In our office, "team-building" apparently means a multi-pitch rock climb, and free rappel at the end. Mitsu (left) and I came up with this idea, and after Syd said he'd go, I started asking Mitsu things like, "Has Syd rappelled before? When do you think the last time he rappelled was?" Brie, our staffing manager, and her BF, Mike, came along.

July 31: Mitsu and (new Big City Mountaineers Executive Director!) Syd Jones on the second belay on the East Face of Seal Rock in the Flatirons. This is Syd's first time living west of New Jersey, although he has spent tons of time out west, and in the mountains.

July 31: Mitsu, after more than a year sitting in the office and working way too much, finally gets back climbing rock again! Okay, it's only a 5.4. But sick!

July 31: Syd tops out. Not a bad view we have here in the Flatirons.

July 31: Mike runs up to the top. A few minutes before this, Mike overheard the leader of another party of four saying, "See, everybody gave me shit about bringing a water filter up here, but if we had to spend the night up here, we'd have at least 3 liters of water from this pothole." It is possible that they spent the night up there.

July 31: Brie finishes.

July 31: Sometimes I feel like the only photos I have of my girlfriend are of her wearing a climbing helmet and sunglasses. Maybe she feels like that about me, too.

July 31: This is half of our office: Mitsu, me, Syd, and Brie. Good thing we all got down safely.

July 31: The rappel off Seal Rock is free-hanging for about 60 feet, and I hate it. Steph apparently has no problem with it, though.

July 31: And neither does Syd.

July 31: Brie and Syd watch Mike finish the rappel.

Aug. 16: We started out at the Fourth Of July Trailhead with the idea of climbing both South and North Arapahoe Peaks, a traverse that would take us most of the day. Here's Mike and Chris starting up the trail.

Aug. 16: Southern gentleman Brian Williams, in town for a couple weeks before matriculating at the University of Edinburgh, crosses a stream with his friend and former Breckenridge co-worker Nick Bohnenkamp.

Aug. 16: There's a series of photos here that would have really come out well, had Nick been a little more excited to be peeing on camera, and if I had kept everybody in focus and the mountains in the frame. Instead, this is the only really good shot. Brian lets it fly into oblivion.

Aug. 16: Not a bad day for a little walk in the hills, eh boys?

Aug. 16: South Arapaho Peak in front of Nick.

Aug. 16: Natalie and Steph: "We're having fun!"

Aug. 16: Mike reflects on how he could have stayed home and watched golf on TV all day.

Aug. 16: A couple other folks on the ridge below the summit.

Aug. 16: To my knowledge, no one took a summit photo. But Nick and Brian nailed this one.

Aug. 16: And, we're out of here.

Aug. 23: Last time we were at Vedauwoo, I watched a guy lead Mother 1, a 5.7+ offwidth. For a year and a half or so, I've also heard my pal Aaron talk about how he climbed it, and immediately never wanted to climb rocks again. Also, I read stuff like this on MountainProject.com: "I thought the rating was a little stiff for a 5.7 but I guess my technique lacked as I suffered, pulled gear and bled up this course mother of a crack. I have led up to 5.9 trad and I thought this was the hardest and scariest 5.7 trad route I have done to date. Even a small fall seemed to remind me of cheese in a grater. I can see why it's a classic ... if you are ready for an ego bruising throw yourself at this." "Way humbling. My friend and I took a trip here to work on our OW technique, and jumping straight onto this first thing is like learning to swim by jumping off a ship in the middle of a storm." "Hell." So of course we drove up there and I said I wanted to get on it. Here's me wishing I had stayed home, before the climbing even begins. (Photo by Mitsu Iwasaki)

Aug. 23: Let the crying, grunting, swearing and bleeding begin. (Photo by Mitsu Iwasaki)

Aug. 23: I am wishing for a handhold or a foothold here. This continues for another 40 feet.

Aug. 23: I think right about here I took a 15-foot cheese-grater whipper, sliding down the rock and exfoliating a lot of skin on my forearms. I feel like if you were watching this whole thing take place, you would never want to climb here. (Photo by Mitsu Iwasaki)

Aug. 23: I eventually got to the top and just about fell asleep belaying Chris. When Steph saw this later that night, she said, "Just so you know, I don't think that's cool."

Aug. 23: I don't even know how this part happened.