The Force Boyle-Mount Johnson, Zion National Park.

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Last weekend I made the hour and a half hike up to Mount Johnson with Rob-beekiller and Billy-O to help put up some more pitches on the new route, "Force Boyle". This is me leading up the first pitch that Robbie and Bill put up two weeks ago. My on-sight attempt was shut down when I hit the 5.ll- crux of slopers. Oh well, I'll get it next time.
We got four more pitches put up that day but didn't make it to the top. This next weekend we hope to get back up there and finish up the route.
Here are a few more pics from our weekends adventure...

Billy-O hiding behind the gear tree.


Rob-beekiller belaying at the top of 2nd pitch.


Billy-O coming up the 2nd pitch choss pile.


Billy-O climbing up onto the 2nd pitch belay ledge. That pack was damn heavy, lot's-O-hardware needed for an FA.


Billy-O making his way up the steep hand crack of the 3rd pitch.


Billy-O making his way out of the "Den of iniquity" near the top of the 3rd pitch.


Trees Ranch in the background. It was originally Shunesburg, an old settlement that was later purchased as private land.


Sorting it all out at the top of the 4th pitch.


Robbie starting up the thin 5th pitch.

Instead of starting a new post I'm just going to update this one with some more pics. Billy-O, the Bee-Killer and I went back up "The Force Boyle" again this Saturday-4/19/08 and freed the first four pitches. Billy-O redpointed the first pitch but Robbie and I both got shut down at the sloper crux in the middle of the pitch. The Fifth pitch has a pretty hard/thin crux right off the belay but should be freeable with a little cleaning.(lots-O-moss that makes the foot few foot holds there are impossible to stick to) We aided our way up the Sixth pitch and it's going to be the hardest pitch to free. (really thin and steep and the rock quality isn't the best for gear.) I lead the Seventh pitch which is a real fun hand crack on lower angle rock. It's probably 5.9 and a little more than a hundred feet. The top of the Seventh pitch is just short of the summit but by the time I drilled the anchor it was too late to bring Robbie and Bill up so we'll have to give it one more shot to get the last pitch to the summit done. All in all we had a pretty good day except for the wind that was gusting pretty hard all day.
Here are some pics from Saturday-4/19/08...


This is Billy-O redpointing the first pitch.


A good butt shot of me redpointing the 4th pitch. It's a finger crack with feet but the angle of the rock makes it really hard to just lay-back the thing. I really surprised myself with a redpoint of this pitch.


Rob-bee-killer and Billy-O starting the 6th pitch. The top of the 5th pitch here is a really big ledge and a nice place to eat some lunch and enjoy the view.


This is Billy-O deep in the business of the 6th pitch. Just above him is where it gets really hard.


Rob-bee-killer bring Billy-O up to the top of the 6th pitch. I'm sitting back in a really big pod that was pretty comfy.


Billy-O coming up to the top of the 6th pitch. (come on in, there's plenty of room)