Cape Clear report

[seanT]

On sat May 13, after 3 years of effort equipping,cleaning,route finding,dreaming,visualizing...beliving, the dream finally became a reality. A line up the most striking, prominent, features on the huge Wave Wall at Cape Clear. A line that would consume 3 years of my life. A line that would test everything I've learned about climbing over the last 18 years. A line that on this special day would finally see 2 climbers work thier way up the wall and top out in the dark to a glowing orange full moon. Along the way the route unfolded in a spectacular fashion.
Pitch ones terrifying crux pulling the first of several roofs and the wet slabbing to the hanging belay will be forever etched in my brain.
The second pitch dubbed "the super heavy duty"pitch is as close to perfection in climbing as you will ever get. Wildly exposed face climbing, on polished patina plates and edges, close to 700ft up from the river brings you to a airy, perched, no hands rest where you can de-pump and enjoy the view. Think twice about looking up though because looming right above you is a massive roof and you are about to enter the crux of pitch 2. Intricate route finding will bring you to the crux: turning the lip of the roof. Big reaches from a tips deep undercling flake takes you to smaller and smaller hold till you think all is lost then...BAM your hand hits the jug. Cut your feet loose and enjoy the sensations of hanging in space. One more hard move and your cruising to the belay. The "super heavy duty" pitch is yours.
The third and final pitch leaves the hanging belay under yet another roof and climbs up a immense overhanging bombay chimney. Exiting the chimney puts you on a face covered in vertical cracks and huge bulging features. Follow the steepest part of the wall turning bulge after bulge on huge holds. This pitch dubbed "the vertical beach" is a little dirty but the holds are huge. (We climbed it in pitch dark without headlamps) From the belay at the top of the beach some fourth classing will take you to the top of the ridge. Beneath your feet lay 3 pitches, close to 200M of pure adventure, beneath your feet lies "FEEL THE LOVE" 5.12 A0 PG13

Gear needed
14 draws per pitch. Due to the nature of the route ie roofs and traverses some very long draws are recomended.
A small selection of larger nuts and some mid-size cams will be needed.
We climbed with a single 60M rope but double ropes would have a calming effect on pitch one.
Hardshell helmet is mandatory.
Bring water, it took us 5 hours to do the route.
On a personal note I would just like to thank every single person who supported me in my mad quest to climb this. Special mentions to Todd Foster for turning me onto Cape Clear. To Sean Kelly for providing valuable photos I could drool over and local beta. To Joe Rossiter for helping bolt pitch one on lead. To Sean Cassidy for keeping me psyched and always being there when his phone rings and I am on the other end screaming "Cape Clear"!!! forecast calls for sun! Never one to back down Sean was instrumental in making this dream come true for me. And finally my wife Kate. For putting up with my obssesion and mad rants. For dealing with my absence's weekend after weekend every fall for 3 years. For never once asking me to not go to to the Cape.
You have to love something pretty strongly to stay at it for 3 years. And you have to have a lot of love from people around you to deal with the lonelyness of a solo 6 hour rapping, scrubbing, bolting session. Can you feel it? Can you
"Feel the Love"?

[The Teth]

Sounds like a route all Nova Scotia climbers can be proud of. Now we have an epic multi-pitch climb in Nova Scotia. Good work Sean! Now when western climbers scoff at our rope climbing, we can say: “Go try Feel The Love.” It sounds like a route that would be worth making a trip for.

The Teth

[chameleon]

"Feel the Love"? "Feel the Love"?...what happened to "Smell the Glove" Nigel?

---------It's a fine line between genius and stupidity.

Thanks for the adventure bro'

S

[dquinn]

Congratulations man. Good send and aptly named.

[dcentral]

Sounds like an epic day. Nice post.

[Zamboni]

Right on boys! Sorry I couldn't make it. So whats the next line?

Conan.

[The Mitt]

Outstanding Sean.. and Sean. Congrats. Feel the love baby.

Mitt (Aka Sean)

[granite_grrl]

The climb sounds amazing! I'll forward this post to my husband, Nathan. He has wet dreams about putting up routes like that .

Of course, it may become his ambition to climb it if we head out there this summer....I may have to practice my jugging skills!

Rebecca

[jeff.]

Sean,
What up Sean. Sounds like a good route, has some cool sounding pitches, love the bombay chimney man, that flowers is great, hopefully no bolts there...... Where are the pics, show up some stuff man, would like to see a pic or 2 of the roof pitch, sounds cool. Maybe see you guys when I am back this summer for a bit...

J. lo

[Eager]

Now that's the good flowers,

S Squared mad props for the send,sounds like gnar gnar. Awesome that you guys got 'er done.