rock climbing – Get High on Altitude

El Potrero Chico 2023, We Came Back for More!

on February 9, 2024May 27, 2025 By Chris Comair

Early in 2023, Jess and I decided to give EPC a shot. We had thumbed through the famous guidebook multiple times, taking it on and off our shelf. But, we had also heard a lot of warning about safety, which had us putting it off as a serious destination. Ultimately, safety ended up being a non-issue, the area we stayed in ended up being super poche, and it ended up being one of our favorite climbing destinations ever. I mean, what’s not to like about 20 pitch bolted routes and some of the best food in Latin America? [..]

El Potrero Chico 2023, Vamos a México!

on March 7, 2023May 27, 2025 By Chris Comair 2 Comments

January 2023, just like every January, the climbing withdrawals set in and I start going crazy. It’s like clockwork. They say the horrible grey and wetness it’s perfect for skiing, but I feel like climbing. So there I am in Smith, frozen numb fingers, gripped out on some random route, trying to warm my hands [...]

Mazama’s Big 5.9s: Flyboys, Prime Rib, and more

on October 3, 2022April 16, 2024 By Chris Comair

Climbing Flyboys, Prime Rib, Methow Valley Inspiration Route, and Earl Grey felt worthy of a write up. But, for exactly 1 year minus 1 day, I couldn’t really figure out if I wanted to really post about these climbs individually, jointly, or at all. I’ve, for the most part, kept my posts solely for “alpine climbs”. [..]

Monkey Face, Pioneer Route

on September 8, 2022February 9, 2024 By Chris Comair

Labor Day weekend usually marks our last hoorah in the alpine for the year. It’s a nice long weekend, the weather is usually still nice, and the offices are still in “summer break mode”. And while 2 of those things were true this year, the weather was not forecasting to be good. Our treasured and coveted long weekend Eldorado Backcountry Zone permit was as useless as a keychain carabiner. And while our alpine plans were ruined, we had a few ideas in our mind for Smith. The Pioneer Route was high on the list. And while not super techy for a crag day, we were really intrigued by the concept of getting to the top of the notable Monkey Face. Not to mention the intrigue of climbing a big bolt ladder- something I had never done. [..]