Scott Krankkala: Recent Climbing Endeavors

Ever since the end of the semester and the end of finals I have been traveling around and climbing as much rock as possible. On Saturday after finals I made a trip into the Black Canyon to climb Comic Relief with Matt Toensing. This is a route I have been looking forward to climbing since I climbed its neighbor to the left Escape Artist. This stunning line follows a great crack system that ascends nearly 1000' of the North Chasm view wall. As far as length and sustained difficulty this remains one of my favorite climbs in the canyon.

Another Amazing Pitch on Comic Relief

Great View of the Astonishing Painted Wall

The next stop on my trip homeward was Moab. In Moab I met up with friends Mali Noyes, Reid Pletcher, and Märta Larsen. After some great mountain biking and climbing along potash road Reid and I decided to make an ascent of the tower Sister Superior via the route Jah Man. As I had climbed this route the past fall I knew exactly how to get there and the route to the summit. Although the forecast was for weather in the 40's with high winds we decided to go for it any way. The climb went very well although the wind felt as though the tower would blow over. After making the summit we took some pictures and immediately began the series of rapels to the ground. This tower is very classic and follows one of my favorite routes in the whole desert.

Sister Superior

Mid-way up the stellar thin-hands pitch

Reid and I on the Blustery Summit with Castleton, The Rectory, and the Priest in the background

After a quick stop in Salt Lake to stay the night at Mali's and do some mountain biking I drove the final stretch home to spend some time at home before returning to Colorado for the rest of the summer. The only climbing I was able to do at home was up trail creek in an area I have never been. The location had an amazing view but the climbing was difficult on poor rock. Most of the time home was spent mountain biking on the great south valley trail system up Croy Canyon.

The next stop on this journey was another trip to Moab on the way back to Colorado to climb some more desert towers. The first climb was done by Reid and I upon arrival in Moab. Lighthouse is a great tower with a relatively short approach and moderate climbing to reach an impossibly small summit. After two great pitches we reached the summit and enjoyed the view of the Colorado River and Big Bend.

Lighthouse(right) as seen from the road

Making the final desperate move to the summit

A seldom seen view of Big Bend

The next day Reid and I made a early wake to climb my final tower in Castle Valley, The Priest. This climb spent a strenuous 180' in a chimney system that was so narrow at some points that you could not turn your head to look the other direction. From here the climbing moved onto the airy face and to the summit. This tower while physical was one of my favorite summits to reach as it was the final climb for me to do in Castle Valley.

Sun setting on Castle Valley, from left to right The Priest, The Nuns, The Rectory, and Castleton

Summit of the Priest

After returning to Gunnison I spent some time mountain biking in preparation for the Growler. This mountain bike race travels 64 miles of the rocky and fluid trails of Hartman Rocks. This race marked the longest amount of time I have ever spent on any type of bike (6hrs 45min) and was extremely brutal yet satisfying. After spending some more time climbing in Taylor Canyon and Hartman rocks I decided to make a weekend trip to the Black Canyon to climb two more routes I have been looking at for a long time. The first climb was A Midsummers Night Dream which unfortunately I did not have my camera for but ascended 4 long pitches of good rock with tricky well protected moves. The next day a hike down the same gully was made to climb the Journey Home. This route which ascends over 1000feet of the Black Canyon is known for its extremely sustained climbing and marginal rock quality in places. After only 1 hour of climbing the sun came around the corner and made its way onto the climb. We instantly went from being somewhat cold to feeling like we were in a stone oven (next time I am going to bring an egg and see if I can fry it on the black rock). This aside we were able to drink enough water and keep moving so that we were never severely dehydrated or tired. This route which took about eight hours to climb has now become my favorite Black Canyon climb due to the extensive nature and awesome climbing. I would also like to mention that while on this climb my Grandma Loraine Dickman (81 years young) was rock climbing on Lake Superior with an outdoor women's camp!