Top 10 routes of 2015!!!

These are my top 10 routes from 2015, so many awesome adventures!

10. ANCIENT ART 5.11a, Fisher Towers, Utah. Is it sandstone, or is it mud? Is the whole route actually an April Fools joke? Definitely the craziest and most unlikely rock formation I've ever climbed on

9. THE CASUAL ROUTE 5.10b, The Diamond (4,346m), Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. "It turns out climbing 5.10 is really hard when it's covered in snow and you can't breathe..."

8. Bron's house in Perth, Ontario to Yosemite, California. 5 days of driving, this one was so good we did it four times!!! There and back twice.

The glitz and glamour of life as a professional dirtbag. Making coffee in the Macdonalds carpark (free wifi) because you're too cheap to pay 1 dollar for a coffee inside...

Death Valley. Not a good day to stock up on reduced Easter eggs...

Iowa has a lot going for it as a state...

7. PEACE 5.13c, Tuolumne Meadows, California. I wore through a pair of shoes in 5 days on this route. Extreme knob-crimping at its finest...

6. A PhD in Mathematics. Approximate grade of 8c. Still can't believe I actually finished this.

Ah right then, glad we got that cleared up.

5. SALATHE in a day, El Capitan, Yosemite. SALADAY! Climbing the best cliff in the world in 17 hours of semi-rushing with mild to moderate fear, excellent.

Shayna leading out onto the headwall at sunset.

Taken by me in the exact same spot as the picture above.

4. MOUNT WATKINS SOUTH FACE 5.13c, Yosemite. Great free climbing on a remote big wall. Would have been better if we hadn't got lost on top and had to phone Bron's mum and dad for directions...

Topping out after midnight on Halloween, no need for costumes!

3. MOONLIGHT BUTTRESS 5.12d, Zion, Utah. Mind-blowing to imagine Honnold soloing this. Prestashing the portaledge made for luxury big walling at its best!

2. DISKO 2000 8a+, Blåmman, Norway. This trip required a lot of faith in pre-placed beaks and a lot of faith that one day it might stop raining.

Base camp.

Pitch 2, 8a+ corner!

Dave showing off ;)

Summit, more rain, YESSSS!!!!

1. FREERIDER 5.13a, El Capitan, Yosemite. Blood, sweat and sharks. 6 days on the wall, I never want to look at another Ramen Noodle.

Bron having a lovely time in the Monster offwidth. I did not have a lovely time.

 

Bron catching up on the gun show.

BONUS, WORST CLIMB OF 2015!!!

...

Half Dome, REGULAR NORTHWEST FACE. First off we forgot a sleeping bag, then we got stuck behind some aid climbers, 19 hours of grimness ensued... Then the route fell down a month later!

I guess it wasn't so bad really...

Pure psyche on display after topping out at 11pm!

If next year holds even half as many awesome adventures I'll be happy. Roll on 2016!!!