The Labyrinth Wall - Part I

TEXTS FROM LAST NIGHT

NOVEMBER 30, 2009

Jesse Bernier: Doesnt look like there will b any ice this weekend. I think i already asked but u dont know anyone who owns a ledge do u? Id luv to spend two days on a route

Me: Yeah ice season is off to a shit start. I don't know of anyone who owns a ledge but trevor has said he has access to one.

DECEMBER 1, 2009

Me: Labyrinth wall on cannon has a natural ledge...

Jesse Bernier: Got a haul bag?

Me: Nope but neither did yvon

Jesse Bernier: The follower could always jug with a big pack... im down if u r!

Me: Fuck it. I'm in.

With that, we watch the weather forecast for Saturday. On Wednesday the forecast reports: sunny, 40 degrees. Lookin' good.

On Thursday: 10% chance of snow, 35 degrees. Still good, maybe a nice couple flakes of snow.

Then on Friday: 40% chance of snow, 40 degrees. We decide it won't be that bad. It'll just be a snow flurry in the afternoon, it'll still be nice and warm, and besides: "It's Training."

THE PLAN

The Labyrinth Wall is about 1,000' of East Coast Big Wall up the center of Cannon Cliff. It can be free climbed at 5.11, but since it's December, we're planning on aiding it and trying to free whatever we can do, probably about 5.8 or so. We'll do the first 6 pitches to get to the bivy ledge on the first day, then the last 4-6 pitches to the top the second day. One large backpack will be our haul bag. In this will be: two sleeping bags, two emergency bivies, two sleeping pads, a pocket rocket, a fuel canister, 3 liters of water, mountain houses, snickers, and a Pepsi bottle of Jim Beam. Each of us will carry our own boots, climbing shoes, 1 liter of water, and big puffy. Sounds rad right?

Well, I get to the Lot that night at 11 PM. Ouch. We do some organization and crash hard in our cars.

DECEMBER 5, 2009

Jesse does me the service of waking up a bit early and starting up the stove to make breakfast. He's heats up some turkey and pea soup that his mom gave him, and oh-my-lord, hot turkey and peas in my mouth is soooo good at 5 AM; let me tell you.

Thanks Mrs. Burnier!

We leave the parking lot about 6 AM with a big high five. AW YEA! Then it's up the trail and through the talus we go to Cannon Cliff.

Jesse looking pretty with the pack

Cannon is serious business. In fact, the approach to Cannon is serious business. After the sometimes sketchy scramble through the talus (trying not to think about how all of this fell off at some point...) we reached the base of the slabs on the north end of the cliff. Then we walk down along the base of the cliff to get to our climb. Easy in the summer, a bit more difficult on frozen over crusty snow. Needless to say, it was then another 20 minutes of awkward sliding, slipping, and post-holing to get to the base of Labyrinth Wall. But then we were there. And it was big.

Let's get it started in here. Pitch One.