Journal

Thursday, August 11, 2011

BD athletes Tommy Caldwell and Sonnie Trotter redpoint new 5.13+ multi-pitch route in the Canadian Rockies

Black Diamond athletes Tommy Caldwell and Sonnie Trotter returned to their multi-pitch project on Canada’s Mount Louie earlier this week and managed to pull off the redpoint. The main headwall is a stacked beast with the following pitches: 5.12+, 5.12+/13-, 5.13+, 5.12-, 5.12+, 5.11+, 5.10, all of which they bolted on lead. Below is the email and photos Sonnie sent us shortly after the redpoint.

Be sure to check out the October 15 issue of Rock&Ice magazine to read a feature co-authored by Sonnie and Tommy about their new route.

 

From:     Sonnie Trotter
Subject:     Re: The Shining
Date:     August 9, 2011 3:55:11 PM MDT

Hey Guys,

I just landed in Squamish on Sunday from a whirlwind tour.  Squamish, Canmore, New York, back to Canmore, Salt Lake City for the tradeshow, and finally home again via L.A. Super stoked to unwind. I did flew over Yosemite Valley on my way back, which may be a little foreshadowing considering I am going there for six weeks with Will Stanhope this fall.

And yesterday I took a 50-foot fall and ripped a total of seven pieces of gear on the Pan Wall Project… doh!  That was a wake-up call. I knew the gear I placed was bad, but I was scared and kept getting further into trouble. I still have a lot to learn. Or, maybe somebody should really bolt that thing. ha ha.

Anyway, I don't have much time, I have a lot of catching up to do and a wedding to plan, but I’m super stoked to report that Tommy and I finished the route on Mount Louis.  We called it The Shining, and it goes at a grade harder than we first expected—5.13c/d, 15 pitches, seven of which are bolted.sonnieIt is one of the best routes I have ever climbed, and I could not imagine having a better partner for it. In fact, if it were not for Tommy, it would definitely still be a project.  He's my ultimate hero. We started our mission at 1am, and we both freed every pitch, and summited around 6pm, and back to town for a steak dinner. Does it get any better than that? I wonder.
sonnie
Hope you're all well, and thanks again for everything, it's missions like these that remind me what I love so much about mountain culture, what we do, and the people we share it with. Happy scaling.

Sonnie.

 

 

Photos

Recent Talk (1)

  • Robert L. Peters
    6 Sep 2011, 10:15PM

    Ummm... this is Mt. Louis, not Mt. Louie. Thought you-all might want to know...

  • Ben Random
    23 Aug 2011, 4:34PM

    Love Sonnie Trotter's tip to Caldwell in his gang flash!

  • Owen Darrow
    12 Aug 2011, 4:49PM

    That last picture is pretty sick. "It was really nothing, haha"

Talk!

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