Wednesday's Time Waster: How Things Work

Chris' Warning:  This is rated R for language.

I took the Rock Guide Certification Exam from the American Mountain Guide Association this past October in Red Rocks, Las Vegas, Nevada.  I've got to tell you - this is the exam that made me sweat the most.  You guys know I'm not rock climbing sponsorship material.  What I do well is carry packs, breath thin air, climb long alpine routes, and make good turns in powder.  So I really was worried about climbing well enough for the exam, and a couple of hiccups along the way didn't bolster my confidence at all.  So a month out from the exam I was still asking myself if I was going to make it.

Taking the exam was made financially possible by the AMGA Montrail Scholarship, which paid for my tuition and allowed me to use that money for other needs - like to cover my September and October bills while I wasn't working.  The following are excerpts from my final scholarship report: 

9 September 2009, 30 Days to the Exam

Every season seems to have a different focus: one summer I climbed 10 alpine ice routes, another summer seamed to be repeat trips into the low-grade, high quality routes of the Palisades. This summer certainly let me focus on Rock Guiding, but I still haven't been climbing with the intensity I've wanted. So I'm taking the rest of the month off, dedicating myself to climbing as much – and as hard – as I can for the next 30+ days until the exam.

I'm really worried about my psyche. I've never felt like a hard rock climber, so now I'm doing some things to really change my attitude. My friend Joe shaved my head down to a mohawk, and I painted my finger nails silver. Seriously trying to turn on the “just go for it” attitude.

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My Favorites List: Sierra Nevada

The Sierra Nevada doesn't have all the best climbing in the world, but some of the world's best climbing is in the Sierra Nevada!  Here is my list of local favorites:

Favorite 2nd Class:  SE Slope.  Mt. Lamarck, Evolution Range.  Bishop, CA.

Favorite 3rd Class: North Face. Mt. Ritter, Minaret Range. Mammoth Lakes, CA.

Favorite 4th Class: Northeast Ridge. Mt. Dana, Evolution Range. Bishop, CA.

Favorite 5.fun: Northeast Ridge. Lone Pine Peak, Whitney Portal. Lone Pine, CA.

Favorite 5.7: Leaping Lizards. PSOM Wall, Pine Creek Canyon. Bishop, CA.

Favorite 5.8: Premier Route (aka Beckey Route). Premier Buttress, Whitney Portal. Lone Pine, CA.

Favorite 5.9: Red Face (link up of Red Bush and West Face). Cardinal Pinacle. Bishop, CA.

Favorite 5.10a: Boooiiiinnnnggggg! Patricia Bowl, Rock Creek Canyon. Tom's Place, CA.

Favorite 5.10b: The Red Dihedral. The Incredible Hulk, Sawtooth Range. Bridgeport, CA.