Smith Rock Update #2

Well well well its 2012 now and the time is just flying by. Since my last post I've been fighting Lyme Disease and am working on becoming a commercial pilot, so I've been climbing a little less, but still trying as hard as I can. This past weekend Wilbur and I managed to make it out to the Kangaroo and got started (hopefully) on a new wave of first ascents. We kicked it off with the Ka-Kawd Father, so now I'll let the boring descriptions and mediocre pictures tell the rest of the story...

• Kangaroo - "The Ka-Kawd Father" - A1++
  FA: Tyler Adams & Will Nazarian - 3/3/12
  
  The Ka-Kawd Father is the next route to the left of "The Bratwurst Pouch" it should be a free climb but with only three bolts its probably a little sporting for the average 5.13 sport nut, so Sonnie Trotter come eat your heart out... or you Bosch cowboys come spray some bolts in and chisel it down to 5.10 for all I care, aid climbing is dead and sport climbing and lame ethics prevail!! Rack: 26 beaks or a bolt gun and chisel tip.
  
  

Photo: Will Nazarian

Photo: Will Nazarian

A couple weeks ago Wilbur went back to the Kangaroo with Gabe Coler to finish up some projects we started at the same time last year. These routes are great additions to the area, adding some more challenging routes to the Marsupials. So now there is an 11b, to the right of "The Bratwurst" where Wilbur swung over to the right and slammed in an anchor for "The Boomerang" which has six bolts and has some slight "run-outs" up high. Then further to the right of that, I had started up the original "South Face" route and traversed far to the left and placed an anchor and cleaned a bit leaving my rope fixed. Wilbur went up the line and added some lead bolts for what is now "Mark-A-D" clocking in at 10d with six bolts as well. 

• Kangaroo - "The Boomerang" - 5.11b
  FA: Will Nazarian & Gabe Coler 4/2012
  The first bolted route to the right of the Bratwurst. Follow six bolts to an anchor with the crux in the upper half of the route. Protection: 6 bolts + anchor.
• Kangaroo - "Mark-A-D" - 5.10d
  Prep: Tyler Adams 3/2011
  FA: Will Nazarian & Gabe Coler 4/2012
  Named in honor of Mark D, who needs to come back to Oregon. Just to the right of The Boomerang sits the easiest bolted line on the South Face of the Kangaroo. Follow six bolts with the crux just below where the angle kicks back. Great warm-up for other close by routes. Protection: 6 bolts + anchor.

Dustin Fric and I also added another route to the Mudpile. "The Cow Pie" follows the obvious crack on the South Face listed in the book as "60. Project (5.12)". Ryan Lawson had attempted this route traversing in from the left and only climbing about 30'. I started direct from the ground making the whole pitch about 150'. I took a fall when a beak ripped in the upper section, where I sprained my ankle. Not wanting to come down, I finished the pitch, but I might have drilled a little more than a should have, but the groove was akward as hell at that point, and I was not willing to risk another fall at that point. The route will have a second 5th class pitch to the summit but for now you can traverse the belay ledge far to the left and finish up to the summit via "Truth Assassin".

• The Mudpile - "The Cow Pie" - 5.8 A2+
  FA: Tyler Adams & Dustin Fric 4/2012
  
  Start below the obvious crack to the left of the glued together cave. Free climb up to a bolt, then some thin beaks and cool features lead up to another bolt above the overhang. A couple more free moves in the groove bring you to another bolt, where easy aid leads up the crack. To a bolt where it traverses right right on some hollow flakes to another bolt and some awkward aid in the groove to a line of 5 more bolts then a mantle on to the spacious belay ledge. The route would probably go free by bolting a start through the initial overhang about 10'-15' to the right of where the route starts now that would connect right around where Dustin is in the first picture.
  
  

  

  Dustin Fric cleaning on The Cow Pie.

  
  
  
  The Cow Pie
  
  
  
  The view from the pouch!