Our climbing trip, July 2014, which included areas from Purinton Creek to Byron in Alaska. It was a ton of fun for the whole family! We got to climb many different places and different types of routes and rock as well as enjoy the views, the sites and grab some adventure! :)
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| The girls stretching out at our camp site near the base of the crag at Purinton Creek. |
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| All smiles that we made it! |
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| Here we are! |
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| Some of the crag near were we stayed. Natalie was checking out a possible solo for herself... |
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| The approach to the crag... |
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| Nat saying yeah check out this approach! |
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| The girls setting up camp.... |
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| Team work! |
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| That evening, right off from the pull off of the Glenn Highway, the rock walls are to the right |
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| Madi, Merek in his new ergo which saved our shoulders, and nat |
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| Natalie with Merek; Stoked! |
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| It wouldn't be an official trip without Madi and Mia posing lol! |
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| Nic helping Lex with the rest of the tent job:) |
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| The girls climbing rocks behind out camp while we prepare dinner. |
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| Merek stretching out on the crash pad. |
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| Nat and all the kids at our lil home for the next couple days. |
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| Night time, Natalie and Merek by the camp fire. |
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| Madi getting warm between runs of fetching wood for the fire. |
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| Natalie and Merek in the rain the next morning. As Nat predicted, in the late morning the sun came out and the weather held so we could hit the crag. |
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| Merek crashed out for his late morning nap while we got gear ready for the day. |
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| All our gear |
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| Nat belaying Nic |
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| Nic on Red Road |
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| The view from the belay station |
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| Mia on Red Road |
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| Mia higher up on red road |
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| Madi trying out the harness while later on we taught her how to repel and to trust her rope. Unfortunately our camera died after this and we didnt get pics of Lex and Natalie climbing this route that day. |
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| That evening Madi found a stick that she said looked like Harry Potters broom so Nic gave it a go LOL! |
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| And it broke LOL! |
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| Mias version of gathering logs for the fire LOL! Later she said she was working out for climbing lol! |
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| The girls the next day at Chikaloon on an old bridge they don't use for driving on anymore. |
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| Us on the bridge |
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| The size of it compared to our car. |
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| The girls at the river across the road from the Chikaloon Boulders |
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| The girls having fun! |
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| Us and merek by the river |
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| Merek saying "ok what do i do now mom?" |
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| "Oh dads taking a pic!" |
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| "Let me show you how this is is done!" |
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| Merek happy on the rock:) |
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| Lex playing on the boulder |
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| Yeah! |
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| Going to the boulders at Chikaloon |
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| Nat bouldering at Chikaloon |
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Nic bouldering at Chikaloon....
Thunder Fluff |
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| Nic on another boulder route at Chikaloon |
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| Lex and Merek |
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| Nic on another boulder at Chikaloon |
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| And another route with yet another death sit start lol |
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| We headed back to Puriton that evening and scouted out some more routes on the wall. This one is called Fine Line. |
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| This one is Garvey's Slab. |
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| The view from the base of the rock wall |
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| This one is called The High Roof |
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| This is trail along the base of the wall! |
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| The trail going down, be careful cause there's overgrowth on talus here so watch your steps! |
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| The belay station for The Fine Line: who said you ever needed more than a couple feet and to be more than 200 feet up isn't a solid belay station LOL! Yeah! |
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| After leaving Purinton Creek we headed to a cave on the Turnagain Arm which the whole family enjoyed climbing that day, We hit it just right as the tide was out so we had hours to climb there that day. |
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| Nic climbing the cave |
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| Nic gettin the edge |
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| Nat belaying Nic |
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| Nic climbing and Natalie belaying at the cave |
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| Nic getting his footing higher to get the next holds |
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| Lexs turn, we top roped the first bolt for the kids to again get comfortable on the rope and at this climbing spot they really got the hang of and had fun repelling and getting higher than one another on the route. We are sure too that being on solid ground helped the confidence in the kiddos that day :) |
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| Mia going for it |
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| Mia feeling for the ledge |
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| Madi going for it |
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| The view from the cave |
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| Madi coming down after pushing off the wall |
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| Natalie going up and Nic belaying her |
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| Found good foot ledges |
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| After the tide came in that evening at the cave we headed to Byron Glacier |
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| Awesome campground at Byron with super nice pathways to walk and sight see the glacier |
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| We set up camp, Nic made a fire and the kids found a tree to climb lol! |
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| Nic and Nat and Merek standing behind our camp site, we both about broke our necks trying to stand on this slimy stump! Behind us is a creek and above that a glacier to the left. |
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| The first view of Byron Glacier while on the trail in. Mia looking a bit astonished that yes we have been here before, a year ago lol! |
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| Past the trail into the Byron Glacier valley |
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| Here we are! |
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Oh Yeah!
This was right before the glacier creek crossing. We crossed both sections behind Nat and the kids in this picture. The crag is up and to the left. |
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| This is where we were, its the main wall below us. Again we are hundreds of feet above the ground but at the base of the wall, another pretty sketch approach. |
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| The approach trail..... |
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| A old man on the main wall, he soloed it and repelled down but man he was fast! One minute he was on the approach then the next he was up the wall! Props! |
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| Nat looking for holds up there... |
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| Lex trying to figure out the holds, the wall was very glassy with tiny crimps and slippery sloppers |
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| End of the day, leaving the crag |
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| The girls having a great time! |
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| Nic and Nat and Merek in his trusty ergo carrier yet again that thing saved my shoulders, on the other hand poor Nic was hauling all the gear so he was pretty wore out by the end! |
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| Nic made a rock bridge for the girls where we could and here hes helping Madi over the creek and the final crossing. |
