A Slow Return to the Rock

Aaron working The Cave Route V10

After an 18 month setback due to health, I've recently found some success with a new drug regimen. I have a long way to get back to my peak fitness level of fall 2009 but at least I can climb again. Since July 4th I've been on multiple trips to Ten Sleep ticking of 10's and 11's. A new camera and some new blood in town has inspired me to start this blog back up.

Charlie working the Cave Route V10

Anna climbing Mulkey Meat V1

Charlie doing the move on Assassin V9

Chris on an unnamed V1

Greg Seftick Memorial Highight Reel

This past week one of my greatest climbing partners and good friend Greg Seftick passed away in an avalanche in Garnet Canyon near the Grand Teton with his climbing partner Walker Kuhl. The details are here.

After I moved to Montana in 2004, Greg made routine visits to climb mountains, rocks, and ice with me. I loved photographing our adventures, and Greg got to be the climbing model a lot. Most of the time our climbing partnership would be me leading up to some crux move, I'd state the dubiousness of the situation, Greg knowing full well he wasn't going to pull the move would tell me that "a top notch alpinist and climbing coach like myself" (which was a lie) should be able to get through the difficulties, I'd then turn back at the rock, tell him he was crazy, think about it again, and pull the move and get us to the belay.

Multi day routes were great with him. He was a portable talk radio built for the mountains. His stories were crazy, humorous, and endless.

What follows below are some of the best climbing photos I have of Greg. Many are re-posts but it's worth it to see them collected again. See you on the other side of the mountain Greg.

Mount Inabnit, Beartooths

Greg Seftick and I on our last summit together, July 4th 2010.

beginning the moderate snow couloir.

Greg topping out the couloir. He climbed it with strap on crampons over his running approach shoes. How local of him.

Greg coming up the couloir on Mount Inabnit.

Greg relaxing at camp, and journaling post climb with our summit in the skyline. I had been quite anemic the preceding months and hadn't been doing much climbing, and was still feeling ill when he came to town to get a climb in. I proposed this mountain because my strength was weak and this climb was less technical than what we normally would look for thus we could hike in with less weight. The climb still destroyed my body and it took me weeks to recover. WORTH IT. I always felt safer having Greg on a climbing trip. I haven't climbed much since this trip as I'm still trying to regain my health.

Taylors Falls Rock

A rare day of bouldering together in Taylors Falls. This was St. Ores wedding day. Greg and I rarely were able to meet in Minnesota after college.

Greg about to crush a move.

Teton Rock

Greg and I spotting my younger brother Jeff on one of the Jenny Lake boulders.

Greg topping out the finishing moves on Baxter's Pinnacle.

Beartooth Rock

Greg following the seventh(?) pitch of what we would call "The Bearcrack"

Greg Seftick coming up the ridge line of Two Cent Tower.

Cody Ice part II

Greg Seftick leading the first pitch of "Stringer"

Greg leading the 3rd pitch of "Broken Hearts." He was so proud of this photo on a route he was so proud to climb.

Grand Teton

Greg crawling nearing the summit. He was sooooo out of gas. The rest of us had been climbing at high elevation for the past two weeks and he shows up 3 days out of school in Minnesota. Plus he was wearing ill fitting double plastic boots to add insult.

Greg, Anya, and Jeff ascending

Greg Seftick on the summit with a classy look of pain.

Greg, Jeff, and Anya. We climbed the Grand in the last week of June, lots of snow and ice. Greg and I loved to laugh at the east coasters who would show up at the climbers ranch without crampons and be shocked that they needed them.

Greg chillin' out on the descent.

Poster Boy

Greg even made it on the poster for my climbing photography show

Sharksfin, East Rosebud, Beartooths

Hey yeah, lets go climb that.

Greg Seftick climbing it.

Storm Spire, Beartooths

Greg coming up the 1st pitch on Storm Spire

Greg, Daniel, and Danaher on the summit of Storm Spire, preparing for descent.

Mystic Lake, Beartooths

Greg and I spent a good amount of time up near Mystic Lake trying to climb various features, but never seemed too successful in that drainage. We had much more success in East Rosebud.

Following along the shore of Mystic Lake in search of the Pot of Gold.

Crossing the stream to Mount Hague

Cody Ice part I

Greg following the 2nd pitch of Chasing the Sun.

Greg on one of his first ice leads ever, the first pitch of Chasing the Sun.