We drove out to the spit to try and take a long-exposure shot of the Chief. This is the best I could do with a point-and-shoot and $10 pocket tripod. Well, after our two failed attempts at taking a rest day, we decided to just keep climbing. The mornings are getting a bit rough, and the approaches all feel twice as long as they actually are.
The climbing itself, on the other hand, just keeps getting better and better. With that in mind, we slept in late and then made the very short approach to the base of Bullethead East. After a pitch of easier climbing, this quality route provides three back-to-back 5.10c finger cracks with spacious belays. It was by far our favorite route of the trip. After ticking off our first route, we came down for a chill lunch and then went to the Smoke Bluffs to see how well my elbow has recovered.
I’ve been wanting to try something harder to see if I’m really healed. So, after warming up on a short 5.11a corner, I got on a fantastic 5.11c finger crack called Crime Of The Century. I sewed it up good, but I sent. It felt great to do something hard again. I hope I can carry my new-found health into the fall season and build up some actual strength to go along with it. For our last day we kept it pretty chill and just did some cragging around Murrin, and now we’re back in North Van for some actual rest and to pick up our bikes before we head to Whistler. We’re super tired and need a day off, but we’re stoked to meet up with our friends and ride the world’s best downhill trails.
