There鈥檚 something about the picture above that invigorates me. It could be that when I took it, I had just climbed my first multi-pitch route and was sitting as gracefully as possible on a wee spot of rock with a dizzying amount of exposure below me. It could also be that I鈥檓 a little bit proud of the way this photo turned out鈥攅ven if it鈥檚 entirely too Instagram鈥檇. But I鈥檓 pretty sure it鈥檚 those tiny little dots atop the Indian Chief-looking spire in the distance that make me giddy.
Jes Nelson (left) and Julie Ellison (right).Picture this: a late September sun-filled day in Wyoming鈥檚 Tetons鈥攁n Indian summer day when it very easily could鈥檝e been windy and stormy and entirely unpleasant. The air has a snap to it, but only in the shade. I鈥檓 here with a group of editors and retail buyers to test the latest approach shoes from , a mostly European mountaineering footwear brand, and we鈥檙e doing some warm-up climbs the day before a bid for the summit of the Grand. The rock is craggy, richly-red, and all within a few hundred feet of high camp at 11,000 feet. From my position on a route called The Watchtower, I鈥檓 watching fellow adventuresses Julie Ellison, magazine鈥檚 gear editor, and Jes Nelson, a manager at Golden, Colorado鈥檚 famed gear store, scurry up the 5.7 Red Sentinel route like tiny ants on a log. In this picture, they鈥檙e straddling the summit鈥攁 few hundred feet on one side and a few thousand on the other鈥攚atching wildfire smoke lilt over the valley floor.
Just thinking back on that day makes my heart flutter. As someone who doesn鈥檛 call herself a climber, I improved my skills tenfold on this trip. But underneath my own self-determination (and there鈥檚 a lot of that), was the inspiration these two women stirred up. So, I decided to catch up with Ellison and Nelson and ask them about their experience and鈥攐f course鈥攚hat pieces of gear were pivotal in helping them to complete what they鈥檙e calling on of their favorite climbs ever.
Tell me about the route you did on the Red Sentinel.
Ellison: It was the epitome of what I call a full-value climb. After a long-slog of an approach through a breathtaking cirque of small peaks and rocky ridgelines, you come up this chiseled spire that is begging to be climbed. It was 200 feet in two pitches with a third summit pitch that is a short traverse. There was one point where you swing onto the north face of the spire and the ground drops out below you by at least a thousand feet. I鈥檓 not afraid of heights and have had a decent amount of experience with exposure, but I had to take a second to regain my composure. Plus, there are all these old pins and rings鈥攆ixed gear鈥攕o you don鈥檛 really trust your protection. You can鈥檛 see or hear your belayer, so you鈥檙e kind of in your own world.
What was it like sitting up on the summit?
Jes Nelson: You鈥檙e sitting on that knife鈥檚 edge of the “Rad Sentinel” with sheer vertical walls on three sides, taking in your surroundings. The only word that does it justice is peace.
Ellison: We were smiling like idiots over the climb we just did!
What pieces of gear were key on this climb?
Ellison: My baselayer. I wear it as a midlayer because it fits over a tight baselayer and under an athletic jacket. It鈥檚 breathable and I never sweated out in it. It鈥檚 become my go-to鈥攊t has revolutionized what I expect from midlayers. I also had my standby , which fits my large head perfectly and breathes in hot weather.
Nelson: Moving back and forth between sun and shade can be challenging. My is a nice insulated midlayer or jacket that鈥檚 extra breathable where you need it. I鈥檝e definitely sweat in this piece and it always manages moisture and temperature well.
What other gear do you use in your regular climbing routine?
Ellison: My climbing partners are often larger and weigh more than me so the gives me an extra layer of safety when I鈥檓 belaying my climbing partners. It鈥檚 an assisted breaking belay device that fits nicely in the palm of my hand.
Nelson: It鈥檚 all about the shoes. Bouldering was my first love鈥攏o ropes, no gear, just me and the rock. And shoes! I love the and lace-ups. The fit, form, and rubber can鈥檛 be beat.
What inspires me the most is that you girls had just met the day before. But there鈥檚 a lot of trust you have to put into a climbing partner. How did that work?
Ellison: Jes and I were both out there to have fun and enjoy such a beautiful place鈥攖here was no pressure to climb perfectly or outperform the other person. I immediately had complete confidence in her.
Nelson: There was just a commonality of experience, interest, and passion. It just fit.
So how about that rappel off the Red Sentinel?
Ellison: You have to walk backwards and gently maneuver your body down over the edge. If you move too fast, you can cut the rope on the sharp edge. You come down over this roof and you鈥檙e dangling with the wall 30 feet away. It鈥檚 pretty heady.
Nelson: It was exhilarating. You sit back, start walking, and, all of a sudden, nothing but air.