Mixed climbing

[ganu]

I once discovered, years ago when i lived in P.E.I(I now live in b.c), frozen clay climbing. Yes the stuff that all the cry baby climbers whine about in p.e.i, clay. Some of my funnest climbs ever, have been on the stuff.
I guess u want me to explain: they actually do similar climbing to this, on some soft stoned cliffs in Brittan. Ya need a set of ice tools, crampons and the works. I found this stuff very intriging to lead. It was enormous fun pounding long angles, bulldogs, even pound in screws in the stuff. Sure none of that would hold much of a fall, but we ain't sport climbing, are we?
Of course there are plenty of routes that are mixed. That is how i found out about this climbing was on an ice lead in the orby head area, after the short ice pitch there was nothing but a 65-70 degree wall of frozen clay. Well i did what any other comon sensed gentelmenly(im not really a gentelman) climber would do. I hit the flowers with my ice axe. It gave me a better placement than the brittle ice. It was amazing I was hooting with joy. Then came the famous p.e.i dirt conrnice. Well there are many great things to in this world, and one of those is reaching over that dirt overhang, slamming that ice tool in the frozen turf and pulling yourself over it.
Obvious, the opportunities in p.e.i are endless. The one major problem is that many climbers don't want climb anything that is not in a magazine. From some of the comments I have read on this forum, about p.e.i being a "climbers hell", it seems that some lack the capacity for creative thought. Much like I do for grammar.
There are many different reasons why people climb. Myself i love adventure, and still being safe. I have been climbing hard now for 10 years, have put up many first ascents on the b.c coast, on alpine, rock, and ice, in good style. Yes I know this looks like im bragging, but I started climbing in P.E.I. I have many fond memories of climbing in P.E.I. That is top-roping and leading. There is solid rock( no, not as solid as welsfort), the sea cliffs facing governors and St. Peters island. Myself and my buddies have climbed 30 or more routes in that area.
There is nothing at all wrong with only liking to climb high quality stuff. However that does not mean that P.E.I has nothing to offer a climber. It just takes a couple of attributes, the first one is (some may not like this), ya got to be at least a little bit tough, the second and most important OPEN-MINDEDNESS.

[dcentral]

Do you live in Bizzaro world?

[saF]

ganu,

Your comments seem to be in reference to my earlier post. I am primarily a boulderer and not a "dedicated", "climb to live/live to climb" climber. So I don't have the equipment and desire to go out and find anything "climbable" ON pei. I also have a very healthy respect for the cliffs around PEI. I don't want to become another statistic from having a cliff face crumb on top of me.

So for me, it is a climber's hell. Your experience may vary, but that is how I see it.

Shannon is trying to get me into ice climbing and maybe I will do some. At the very least I will go and belay for him. As a matter of fact, we were out on Saturday looking at Orby Head and Cape Tryon. I suspect Shannon will give a quick report and maybe some pics soon. He has more knowledge about this stuff than I do.

saF

[shannon]

I once discovered, years ago when i lived in P.E.I(I now live in b.c), frozen clay climbing. Yes the stuff that all the cry baby climbers whine about in p.e.i, clay. Some of my funnest climbs ever, have been on the stuff.

You sound like you were a member of the gang that Sean Kelly was part of. He's out in Whitehorse now, having the time of his life.

He showed me Orby Head (see his photo) a few years back and we've been checking it out a couple of times this year. I know the added incline you speak of.

My problem with the sand stone is partly echoing Scott's message. I don't want to be a part of the problem of erosion, and I don't want it to come down on me!

By the way, I checked out Cape Tryon (scott and myself) and there was very little ice formed yet. The season needs to develop more due to the lack of ice at the beach level. With high tide, the ice water (not ice yet!) beats the shore line. No belay station there!

Great little road trip scott! We'll do that again.

shannon

[ganu]

hey Scott, i'm really sorry about singleing u out like that. That was not my intention. I just got so caught up in the point I was trying to get across, that I was not thinking of how my words might affect anyone.

[saF]

No worries. I just wanted to point out that some of us are not as gung-ho about climbing in conditions that may be considered not ideal for one reason or another. I will readily admit that I am a bit of a fair weather climber. Mostly because I have many other interests and commitments that I enjoy and want to persue.

But then everyone else is their own person (at least I hope so) so if you like doing something and it doesn't hurt anyone else, go for it!

saF

[Matt Peck]

Hokay, I'll agree with Dcentral, do you live on Bizzaro world Ganu? There are just so many things that seem wrong with your post.
After seeing a couple pics that Shannon posted regarding ice climbing, and after scouting around a bit for myself, I'll admit that there does look to be some ice climbing on PEI. That's about where the good climbing ends however, especially in winter. Your accusation against narrow minded climbers not wanting to try something new has a little merit, You're right, I sure as hell don't want to slam my tools into chossy frozen turf if I can avoid it. Those picks are expensive. And who in their right mind is going to drive, let alone hammer an ice screw into the stuff? Oh wait, you must be sponsored.
Also, some people like to climb 5.6 X climbs. Nothing like the surge of bladder crushing adrenaline of knowing that if your tool pops out of this frozen crud, you'll be slowly beaten to death before hitting the ground to charge your day. Me, I'll take the sunk-to-the-hanger-in-blue-ice screw anyday. You know, what the stuff was designed for.

The one major problem is that many climbers don't want climb anything that is not in a magazine

Yep. That's why I climb the stuff I do. Cause it's in a Magazine. Holy cause and effect Batman!

Sigh,
Ok, don't get me wrong. PEI is a great province, and there is some climbing potential there, but I don't think berating people who want to go climb decent ice climbs elsewhere is the way to go. Climbing most dirt in PEI is just dangerous. Period.
The rest of your article was just hilarious by the way, that bit about common sensed gentlemen, dirt cornices and slamming a tool into frozen turf was classic. Save the hooting with joy for the porno though.

So I'll end with a nixon imitation. "I am not a dick." I just think that your post was a little wacked, and that you should invest in finding real ice to climb (even a tree would be better) As opposed to blowing all that good cash on pick-rending choss.

M@

[martha]

There is solid rock( no, not as solid as welsfort),

And by the way...

it is 'Welsford'.

[ben smith]

hey i'm going to side with ganu here-it seems like people are more interested is complaining about how flowery and chossy an area is or how difficult it is to get out than actually getting on something-I'm just as guilty of this as anyone else and i've never had to climb really flowery chossy rock but if me and nathan had a hard time getting out we put up little walls every where and even had lines going up our chimney and the front of the house.