Comments | zia_montrose: Summiting The Chief

zia_montrose

Summiting The Chief

Jul 09, 2010 01:23

Wednesday, after 11 hours and approximately 2,000 feet of climbing, we topped out on the Stawamus Chief. The Chief is located about an hour north of Vancouver along the panoramic Sea to Sky highway.

Wednesday also happened to be our wedding anniversary.

( Photos from our route... )

Comments 7

megan29 July 9 2010, 14:55:34 UTC

Better you than me, 'sall I'm saying. I got dizzy just from those photos.

Happy wedding anniversary! Way to celebrate it. Even though I can't understand the goat syndrome, I do appreciate people who know how to celebrate without stuffing themselves full of food (which is what we usually do...).

Did you leave Apollo by himself for 12 hours? Did you have to kennel him? (I know, I know, I have a slightly monotonous track of mind).

zia_montrose July 15 2010, 19:32:42 UTC

stuffing themselves full of food
Well, we enjoy that too!

Poor Polly had to stay long-leashed to the car in the shade with a bed and water bowl. He's used to waiting for us by now, often at the bottom of buttresses as we disappear into the vertical horizon, but not usually for as long as 12 hours at a time. But since we were not rappelling back to where we started the route, we couldn't do that this time. We were actually running the descent because we felt like we'd left him for an awfully long time, but he didn't seem distressed when we arrived--just happy. We didn't even get the 'reprimand bark', just licks, squeals, and tail wags. He generally considers the car family territory.

When I look back to my pre-climbing days, the thing I liked most about mountain running/hiking was the steep and rocky sections where friction mattered and it was a tactical game of where to place your feet. Apparently, it was just a prelude to climbing.

shimotsuki July 9 2010, 16:34:39 UTC

Those pictures are SO beautiful. With my lack of any head for heights, I know I'll never climb like this, so it's wonderful to be able to see it through your photos!

And happy anniversary to you and the Boy Wonder. What a very nice way to spend it.

zia_montrose July 15 2010, 19:39:24 UTC

it's wonderful to be able to see it through your photos
Thanks, that's exactly why I like sharing these! It's a very soulful sport and often a fun and beautiful way to see other parts of the world. Writing about it and photographing it come easily.

That was one of the longest routes we've ever done, so we were psyched. : )

amamama July 9 2010, 18:33:12 UTC

Wow - purtty! Amazing climb, had me grinning like a maniac. Hubby saw the pics too, and blanched. Hehe. not that I'd go for anything remotely like it, but you know why. Great way to celebrate your anniversary!

zia_montrose July 15 2010, 19:52:54 UTC

had me grinning like a maniac Aw, I'll trade you these photos for ones of perfectly golden loaves of bread that I never bake! And can you tell I have a soft spot for places where mountains cascade into the ocean?

Great way to celebrate your anniversary!
Thanks! We're just two nutters happily tied to opposite ends of the same rope. *g*

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zia_montrose July 21 2010, 18:07:15 UTC

Thanks! The downhill run was definitely the hardest part for us too. We were pretty tired by then and had run out of water on the climb, so we were most psyched to make it down to the first stream crossing (giardia, whatever! we were too hot to give it heed at the time). I sympathize on the knees. For me, it's my feet that I need to take diligent care of. They're aging far faster than the rest of me. I don't want to picture what they'll look like when I'm 80...