After spending the end of last year recovering from a ruptured appendix, Canada’s Sonnie Trotter is back in top form again with two notable ascents in the past couple of weeks.
First up was his FA of Sugar Daddy (5.14), an all gear direct start to Big Daddy Overhang (5.12b) in Squamish, BC. Writing on his excellent blog Trotter describes the climb like this:
Back in Squamish, about two weeks ago, I climbed a project of mine which I was really happy about. An overhanging arete. It’s the sort of feature you look up at and WISH it had holds on it. This one did, but barely. I tried the line last spring, and found the tiny crimps that linked it all together. It’s incredible movement, knee drops, slopers, heel hooks, lots of squeezing, and a very tedious mantle. I tried it a few days and was able to link it once or maybe twice, but then it got hot, summer hit, and then my appendix ruptured at the very end of August, which ruined my fall season. And so it sat all winter. This spring I went back, and TR’d it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was much stronger than last year. I did the moves quickly and linked it twice in a row on my second day. I guess the bouldering paid off. I reckon the line is a 5.11 to a V10/V11 to a 5.12b.
Following up on that success, Trotter returned to Joshua Tree in southern California where, according to UKClimbing, he nabbed the likely 2nd ascent of the brutal finger crack Stingray (5.13+) which was first done 22 years ago by Hidetaki Suzuki. Trotter had blogged about his attempts on the line back in February but the friable nature of the footholds and the “metric tonne of more lock off strength and a shit pile of pain tolerance” necessitated more visits to attempt the line. According to the email he sent UKClimbing, Trotter felt like Stingray was the 2nd hardest crack he’s climbed with the hardest presumably being Squamish’s Cobra Crack (5.14).
Stingray
Update: Trotter has more about the Stingray send, including pictures from Andrew Burr, in his latest blog post
Sonnie gets to do some of the coolest stuff out there, in my opinion. Cobra Crack still gets my vote for one of the coolest pieces of rock in the world, a line on gear that kicks back so dramatically that follows an obvious (and super difficult) weakness. Stingray sounds cool but more painful, and the formation isn’t as cool. Good to see he’s back at it though.
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So back in March I was out in Smith Rock happy to have the new guidebook by Alan Watts. It mentioned that Beth Rodden’s Optimist (14b) had been repeated by Sonnie.
I hadn’t heard this news and have been meaning to check into it. Anyone have an idea? What about a video? Seems strange I would have missed such a rad ascent.
Thanks!
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According to a comment he just posted on his blog the answer to that would be yes
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Meltdown?
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True…
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true what???
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Ubercracks
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Of all the pro-climber blogs, Trotter’s is far and away my favorite. His entries balance the polish of a professional with the colloquialisms of a dirt bag. He clearly respects the history of the sport, appreciates the experiences his professional status affords him, and looks for ways to give back to the community (and not just through cutting edge first/second/whatever ascents). Because his passion shines through, his spray becomes a source of delight for his readership (we take pleasure in his successes), rather than the obvert attempts at self-promotion that inevitably seem stale. I always leave his blog motivated to work at climbing and at life. I can say that about few other climbing blogs.
ps I do not count climbingnarc as a pro-climber blog. It is more like 8a, ukclimbing, climbing.com, etc. Of those, it is clearly my favorite.
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Couldn’t agree more. His is definitely one of the best, specifically for the way he doesn’t come across as self promoting as you point out. Good stuff.
And you know that there is nothing professional about the way I climb…
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Indeed there isn’t. And most years Climbingnarc could be called more of a ‘wanna-be climbers blog’. 🙂
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Sad but true
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isn’t it ironic that the two issues used in the news about UC and Rock and Ice, one the R&I cover has Sonny Trotter on it.
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the reason he respects the history of the sport is that he still carries on the history of the sport. You can’t be to
much of an ego maniac when hanging off those nuts.
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Traditional is where it is at. Started bouldering, moved to sport, then finally found the heart of the “sport” Highballs and trad. For me it just made sense
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I wanted to add, Jstar’s blog comes in a close second. A true unsung champion of the sport. Love that there is something more to his climbing than ticking the hardest lines. Climb hard, but more importantly, climb the best lines a crag has to offer. Love it.
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