Sonnie Trotter

Changes

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

Well things are a changing around here.  Winter in Squamish is coming to an end, and temps are getting finger licking good.  Not only is the wetness of Nov/Dec/Jan behind us, but it’s starting to get dark much later as well, around 6/6:30pm.   Before we know it,  it’ll be full on bloom town springs ville.

Right now, we’re still getting out, but fewer days than last year, about once or twice per week.  This past Sunday was delicious.  The friction was so tack, everything felt three grades easier.  I took full advantage of this and climbed a beautiful thin crack called “King of Rock” 5.12c/d.  Then I pulled out the pads and climbed it again without the rope.  Then, after we cleaned up and everyone left, I went back and did it again.  Nothing is better than climbing steep quality rock cordless and having it feel easy.  I sometimes wish I had the Honnold gene, I’d for sure do it more often, on harder and longer routes, because I know how beautiful that must feel.  But I still enjoy my comfort zone, and those moments I have on my own projects are memorable and delightful.  My friend Kelly took some pictures from the other day.  Just for fun.  I wore my new Five Ten Arrowheads on the climb and they worked perfectly.  They have quickly become my all around favorite shoe.

Climbing on a TR, learning the moves.  The crack has been pinned out years ago, but many of the climbable features if not all, are not pin scars.  The wet streak on the left made things more interesting, but not impossible.

4 feet up, first crux.

The old’ hand foot match.

my 6 foot 4 inch friend Kevin stepping in,  just in case I botch the last move, which is the hardest of them all.

And another big change is that I bought a new/old van.  Something I am both happy and terrified about.  A 2008 FORD E-250, it had 19k miles on it,  I could not resist.  I almost feel like myself again, once I camperize the inside to feel homey, until then, it’s just a big empty steel box.  But, oh the possibilities…the road is calling…

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VIMFFF!

Saturday, February 19th, 2011

Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival FUN!

Come out tonight, it’s the shit mang.  VIMFF Finale, presented by Arc’teryx, Saturday, February 19, 7:30 pm (doors 6:30 pm), Centennial Theatre, 2300 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, Tickets $ 18 in advance, $ 20 at the door, packages available.

Come watch top notch bad ass LIVE presentations by Mountain Queen Jasmine Caton, Comp Crusha Sean McColl, and some granite phenom kid named William Stienhope or something rather.  They also got 4 or 5 top quality films to show, the one I am most looking forward to is Leo Houlding’s flick about climbing the Prophet on El Cap.  A 9 year effort to complete the 5.13+ line is one hell of a push, I mean, shit, you just have to give some serious mad props to commitment like that, no matter who, what, where, when, or why, and I for one can’t wait to check it out.  Leo is mad.  Show starts at 7:30, be there early to claim a good seat and see all your/our friends and have a tasty bevy or two.

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FIVE TEN BLOG!

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

For most, Indian Creek is more than just climbing, it’s about being somewhere wild and fantasy like that really plucks our strings.  The stone ranges color from orange and pink to almost purple and black.  The many miles of corners and aretes stand upright like museum sculptures, each one individually shaped and pronounced, while the sky beyond is soft and ever flowing – the contrast is incomparable – like a priceless landscape painting that’s constantly changing right in front of you, even if we stand still, the scene evolves around us, the desert light shifting and revealing it’s many personalities.  I am grateful for it all.

My trip to the desert with Will Stanhope was only five days, but it felt like two weeks  (approximately three times longer).  When I think about it, that’s about the right ratio, one day down there has a three day lasting impression.  ha ha.  You could almost live longer if you spent more time there, or so it would seem at least.  A fountain of youth, even in the dead of winter.

While we repeated some new age 5.13’s, our new route was the most fun for me, if it was closer to the road it would be climbed 50 times a year, but I kinda like how far away it is, it keeps a bit of mystery locked to it.  I have good memories of ring locks, handjams and laybacks, and screaming bloody marry when I screwed up my first sandstone bolt placement at the anchor, and yet all was forgotten while plugging in perfect greens and purple cams.

But somehow, I have even better memories of the sunrise and sunsets each day, the warmth of the camp fires on the palm of my chalky hands, and the company of good ol’ Jack Daniels escaping us at night.  I can’t wait to go back.  For any length of time.  The desert is a gem in itself.

READ MORE about this trip and to see pictures of the routes with  WILL’S recap on the 510  BLOG

Sunrise over the cliffs of insanity.

An EMPTY parking lot, day one.

Willy’s van packed to the brim.

Packing up after a long day on the rocks.

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