Blacksmiths

Although the Black Canyon has the reputation of being full of loose rock, poison ivy, and scary climbing, there are the occasional gems that avoids all three of those things; Blacksmiths on the Hooker Buttress is one of those routes.

Stoked on the warm sunlight.

I had given up on the idea of climbing at all in the Black in 2017.  Schedules and weather never lined up.  Luckily with the mild and dry fall we've been having the season was extended and we were able to squeak in a route.  I saw some photos of Noah on the route in the end of October and texted Matt immediately.  We hadn't done a Black route in mid November before and I for one was a little worried about the minimal light and cold nights.

Traversing

We started early, leaving the car with 30 degree temps.  Per usual however, half way down the SOB I was in a t-shirt and sweating.  With a plethora of beta we were able to get to the base of the first pitch at first light.  The route allows a few pitches to warm up on Dry Hard before veering off left over some big roofs. 2 1/2 pitches of traversing puts you at the base of the hard climbing.

Feeling the exposure.

Matt was up and onsighted through the hard climbing, and fell off due to rope drag on the wandering pitch right before the anchor.  I convinced Matt that we should lead in small two pitch blocks since he was rested from belaying and I was pumped from following the last pitch.  He lead up the next crux pitch and gave it a valiant effort but apparently he gets tired too.  Who knew?  I lead the next to pitches and Matt took the last, topping out at 3 with lots of light left for the half hour walk back to the car.

Matt on the first hard pitch.