The approach to the granite face raises my heart rate enough that I only talk in short sentences. Maybe it is the pace, maybe it is I am not in the best shape. We are heading to a spot named the Southern Dihedrals to take our rock climbing skills to try some multi pitch trad routes. Our gear fills our backpacks as we hike to our final destination. We are skeptical though, Copper Mountain is wet, and streams flow across the almost vertical rock face. I remember last year we attempted the same route but were denied because of a stream flowing in the crack system we were to follow. But maybe it would be different. We get there, and right away I laugh at the expectant sight of a minor river flowing down the face. There is no possible way to climb the route! Again!
We look at the face and see what is climbable, nothing fun, everything that is dry is two hard for us. We are defeated, again. But instead of heading back to the car we decide to continue right to a second area named the Southern Most Dihedrals and we see a climb that is wet, but..."if we are able to get through this first section of wet it seems to dry out when it really matters. " one of us say. "We should at least try" another of us blurts. I convince Brad that he should try first, and he agrees with a hesitant yes. We get prepared and soon we are ready. Brad ties into the sharp end and I take the belayer's stance. The first piece of protection is a bolted hanger, get to this before falling and hitting the ground is impossible. Brad moves up, and traverses right. Wet rock his feet are on and it gets the better of him, not physically, but mentally, and he tells me that he will turn away and that I should give it a go. He reverses his moves and comes back safely to the ground. It is now my turn.
I grab the cams, the nuts, the quick draws and slings. I slip into my rock shoes and chalk my hands. I glance over at the all to important bolt and make my plan to get there. I take one last deep breath and with hands clutching rock and feet balanced the fun starts....
I move up and right towards the first bolt. I know that rock is wet and I am being extra conscience of my feet position's. A 7 foot fall could turn into a 20 meter tumble down the approach slope. Falling is not an option until I can clip my rope into this first bolt. Without much more thinking I clip a quickdraw to the bolt and feed the rope through the other end of the carabiner. I am safe...for now. Now I have a series of cracks and flakes to make my way up, all wet. I move up, and I place gear to protect falls. Up and up I go until I hit a roof that seems impossible to surmount. I hang out in the alcove under the roof and ponder my next moves. I try to jam a fist into the crack but every time I pull on it it slides a little. I try to grab the flake above it but still cannot get the confidence to get over this obstacle. I rest inside the alcove again. I realize I cannot get over this! I need to find another way. I look at the gear attached to my harness and grab my biggest cam. It looks like it just might fit, right...there! It fits and it seems solid. I grab onto the sling attached to the cam and pull on it and with this extra little help I am able to get my feet and body over this roof and here I am able to clip onto a bolt. Safe again. From the bolt I do a strenuous lay back almost all the way to the top of the climb. The route is more then half of the ropes length so the climb was in the high end of 30 meters. I finished the climb by running out the crack since no other pieces would fit into it. I stand on the ledge with a sense of accomplishment as I clip into the bolted belay station. I let out deep sigh as I start to make the anchor to belay Brad up the climb. Feeling satisfied I let out a yell that hovers over the valley bottom and echo's back up towards me...
