A week in Victoria BC: Mt.Wells Regional Park

The climbing area on Mt. Macdonald in Mt. Wells Regional Park

My wife, Gaby, is the Argentine regional president for the International Biometrics Society and she likes to attend the biennial international meetings. This year the meeting was in Victoria, Canada. Since we typically have a two week break from the University at the end of July and since I am now eligible to take 15 days of additional leave, we decided to take a week long trip to Victoria as part of a month long vacation to visit my sister in the US and to rock climb.

Pacific madrone trees

Mt. Wells Regional Park is less than one hour from downtown Victoria and the guide book shows almost 120 different routes. The climbs are mostly one pitch, both trad and sport, generally in the 5.9 through 5.11 range, although there is also a smattering of 5.12s.

Gaby rapping down a slab route in Mt. Wells Regional Park

We climbed two days at Mt. Wells but I would have really enjoyed going back for more. The routes were varied and interesting and the cool, breezy weather was ideal for all-day climbing.

A 25 meter-long 5.10a face route on Mt. Macdonald

We started out on a couple of easy slab routes. 

Easy slab route in Mt. Wells Regional Park

Finishing up an easy slab

Ceci did some homework, to keep up from missing two weeks of school

Ceci studying at the base of the Prisoner Wall

My daughter is studious

After that, we moved up the hill to the South Cliffs where we did a fine 5.9 bolted face.

Gaby starts up a fine 5.9 face at Cosmic Lights

A little stemming action

Higher up the 5.9 face

Mt. Wells Regional Park

Next we did a very nice 10a bolted face.

Gaby points the way at the start of a 10a

Higher up the 10a

Eyeballing a bolt

Launching into the crux sequence

For me, the crux was stepping my right foot into this pocket 

After that we did another 5.9 that started in a short crack, then we moved down to climb "Sunday Snooze", a 5.8 route the guidebook describes as: "An old-school test piece and a delightful finger and hand crack." Although short, the climb was a definitely a kick and fairly challenging for the grade.

Pasty white, old fat guy starts up 5.8 old-school test piece.

Trying to find the best holds to use in order to place gear on Sunday Snooze

This finger lock move felt stout for 5.8. 

Get some more gear ...

then top out!

The day after next, we were back to Mt. Wells Regional Park, this time climbing at the crag on Mt. Macdonald. Our first climb of the day was a bolt-protected 5.9.

Another cool 5.9 face 

After that I did the 10c next door. 

Moving into a tricky 10c crux sequence

The crux

This part of the route is cake

The next route was a much easier but very enjoyable 5.10a up a steep, juggy 25 meter-long face.

A fun, easy 10a face

I couldn't do it without Gaby!

Higher up the same face

The last climb I did was my favorite. It was a 10b that started with a steep bolt protected move into a strange and elegant gear 5.9 crack.

Looking to get gear after a bolt-protected move into a crack

Moving up the crack on a 10b route

After following the crack for about 40 feet, the route went past a couple more bolts protecting the 10b crux face-moves through a bulge

Underclings at the start of the crux on the 10b

It's hard to believe this route wasn't done until 2011. Who knows? Maybe it needed a lot of cleaning before it could be climbed.

Heading into the crux on the 10b

We also went one day to check out Fleming Beach, about 10 minutes from downtown Victoria. I wasn't so impressed with the area, but I have to say Fleming Beach has, without a doubt, the hardest 5.10 and 5.11 boulder problems I've ever seen. We ended up top roping some stuff (a route called "Pumpy Overhang" is a nice 5.9) and I played around doing some traverses. 

A long traverse at Fleming Beach: Take 1

A long traverse at Fleming Beach: Take 2

A long traverse at Fleming Beach: Take 3

A long traverse at Fleming Beach: Take 4

 

Cupps was here: Part 2; More than sixty routes in two weeks

Joe tries out some mellow boulders six weeks after breaking his collarbone

Once again, I'm way behind the times. The weather in Balcarce has been awful this fall. Quite possible, the worst fall weather in 20 years. It was cloudy, cold and damp for weeks on end with maybe three nice days. In spite of that, I was still able to climb outside at least a couple of days a week (frequently bouldering alone). Today is Wednesday, and I didn't drive to Tandil for work (which is typical for my schedule this fall semester). Wednesday is for climbing, but for the past few days we've had strong winds and horizontal drizzle. I won't be climbing outside today. Shortly, I'll be putting on a rain jacket and going jogging with the dogs. After that, a training session in my home gym. When I'm done, I'll try and finish up with a photo bomb of Joe's visit back in March.

Cupps sends a V0 six weerks after breaking his collarbone

Don't fall, Joe!

Well, it's been nine days since I started this post in the paragraph above. After finishing my training session (a week ago) last Wednesday, I got hammered by the flu. It was four days before I could get back out of bed. Today I'm feeling a lot better and the weekend weather is looking up. However, right now (Friday, June 10th) the weather is awful: cold, with wind and intermittent drizzle.

Back to last March. After Joe returned from a four day, solo bus trip to Peninsula Valdés and seven weeks after breaking his collarbone, we finally went on a hardcore climbing binge. We started at La Vigiliancia, with Joe top roping. 

A little boulder move at the start of a short 5.9 in la Bosque de La Vigilancia

Working a tricky 5.10 move

You got it, Joe!

Viejolandia is a small sector in Sierra de los Difuntos and it sports the largest concentration of easy routes to be found in the Sierras of Balcarce. So that's where we went when Joe was ready to try some leading. 

Joe tries out his first lead, a 5.7 with a bouldery start in Viejolandia

Working the bouldery start.

The rest is cake

Working the 5.7 moves

Getting the clip higher up

Joe steps up his game and does a 5.8

Another bouldery start

Interesting features up higher

Getting stood up

More cool, juggy features higher up

Joe working the 5.8 moves

The next route over is a bit harder, maybe 5.8+ or even 5.9.

Joe powers through the bouldery start of this 5.8+ route

Old guy using footwork

Gaby looks distracted

The second hardest route in Viejolandia is a short 10b with a weird, powerful crux.

Eyeballing the crux on a 10b in Viejolandia

Undercling with the left

Getting through the crux

Gaby climbed well on the 10b

Does this guy look spaced out?

We also spent a day each climbing at Paredes Naranja in Sierra de los Difuntos, El Nido at Sierra de La Vigilancia, as well as El Autodromo, La Matrix and El Bosque on Sierra La Barrosa. In El Bosque, Joe stepped up his lead game. He sent my 5.9 arete route in good style.

Joe getting ready to make an exciting move on the 5.9 arete in El Bosque de La Barrosa

Getting the second clip

Got it!

More footworking from Joe

In a nice position

A high-stepping move

Old guys know to use horizontal handjams to rest their forearms whenever they can 

All in all I managed to send more than sixty different routes (including a few onsights) those two weeks climbing with Joe. With all the bad weather we've had recently, I've hardly climbed on a rope since (maybe five different times in the past two months).