Lucas William Larson: Monkey Paws and Steep Climb

Lucas Larson reaching for the good edge on Monkey Paws 12a

Last weekend I did my first 12a trad climb named Monkey Paws. This climb is located on the Snow Shed wall up at Donner Summit in Truckee, California. This climb is this beautiful, mellow finger crack that faces towards the parking area. My good friend Urs Moosemuller onsighted this climb in his early years. Now trad climbing is not much of my thing. I berfere to climb bolts and go pebble wrestling but I do go trad climbing here and there and I am now starting to spark a interest in that kind of climbing. The first time I got on the it I had no idea what I was doing, did not know where to stop and place gear, where to even place gear but i decided to man up and go for it anyways. Falling and getting scared, I decided that next time I was going to go at it a different way. I decided to go and rappel down and figure out how I was going to stop and place gear and what kind of gear I was going to need. I first ended up pink pointing the climb. (Pink pointing is where you already have gear placed but you treat it like you are sport climbing.) After sending it that way, I then pulled all of my gear and placed all six of my pieces again for the red point. I sent Monkey Paws placing my own gear and having a blast.

Lucas placing a bomber stopper placement.

Lucas Larson getting ready for the next move.

Later that week I went back and sent it again for the photo's that are above. After a nice warm up, I headed over to climb at Star Wall to get on my project, Steep Climb Named Desire 13d/14a. This became my new project after sending Taste the Pain. My friend Anthoney Ozuna was trying to work Warp Factor. He came pretty close all three tries but did not send. He will next weekend for sure though. I how ever tried and failed on Steep Climb, however it is not going to stop me from getting on that thing. I know if I send that climb my climbing will be pushed into the next level and I want that to hurry up as soon as possible but I am 100% okay with taking it slow to learn more about myself and my climbing in order to climb that climb.