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- Jun 06, 2012
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Mother-Daughter Rock Training — Rain or Shine!
Despite the Weather forecast Karen and Keira Howe, a mother and daughter team from the eastside, picked me up at my house and we all drove over Stevens Pass to Leavenworth. Keira, a senior in high school, has been working most of the year on the mental aspects of climbing as her senior project (What a cool senior project!!!).
We arrived in Leavenworth under low lying clouds and a steady rain, but we had come prepared for this. Armed with a big tarp and plenty of Gore-tex, we started off under the tarp at Hammerhead Rock reviewing knots, belay techniques, anchors, top rope strategies, gear placements, and multi-pitch climbing.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1044.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=f5a831ac2a3594271a3feca7d2bbbe44 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1044.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=4c48e5096fce3294fc48365d4ff70b0b 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1044.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=87afb0249fade92fc91ca9c7dda15f92 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1044.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=00908e3e9b4de514ada58c9750ed1478 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1044.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=298bce223c3bba292ed2dae2d8fd2a9b 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1044.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=a61370a0b6df3d309302d28cf498fa8d 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1044.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=a993c1dbe17f9f377576ca1f87eaf302 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1044.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=a3318bbc7a50abec8b5752f18c6d13ca 800w)
The ladies learning knots and trying to stay dry! Ian Nicholson photo
By early afternoon everyone was itching to get in some climbing and apply the skills we had just covered, but the weather hadn’t let up and we still stared out at a steady rain from beneath our tarp. But the motivation was high, so we drove over to the Icicle Buttress and started climbing up a five pitch route named R & D. The rock was wet and at times water ran heavily down the rock in the backs of some of the cracks. There was the occasional unexpected slip because of the wet rock. The rain was steady for most of the climb until our final pitch when it started to pour. As a whole, Karen and Keira’s spirits were so high that they would still call this experience fun and we realized that we were likely the only people climbing in all of Leavenworth!
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1090.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=e1020afab3397a6f1d94e1ed77ca86f3 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1090.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=616003c72a813a3bdc0460eddde2e597 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1090.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=9845640b53d3dfb0f9e30bad17d9fd58 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1090.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=e9e3914c02df319611638db27012e431 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1090.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=79ebc1f6516955222a6848c38099166c 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1090.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=e2ee98bddceb9a529ef473cd75b24d7d 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1090.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=282ef50cf9c8b36abc763a4991e007b8 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1090.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=3d8bf23ef328213c9c23734bfd50138b 800w)
Wet climbing on R & D. Ian Nicholson photo
It rained through the night but by the next morning it turned into more of a drizzle. After our French toast breakfast the rock was even approaching the description of “dry”. We went to the Mountaineer’s Dome to practice some rappelling techniques before driving over to the February Buttress where we climbed Groundhog Day, which, even though it is two grades harder than R & D, felt easier because it was dry. After that we drove back to Seattle so Keira could continue to work on her Senior project.
Good luck Keira!!!!
~ MM Guide Ian Nicholson
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1104.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=9b903c27f9606b7e9fbcc6496944db94 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1104.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=b8aa6375b040b51183e6989000e5791b 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1104.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=10876055852a0234b3b2e8b2bcbab309 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1104.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=eae4489ea5d174b69a5debf3de28b9b7 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1104.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=21c68c18b59918a3275930dd3e2e1545 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1104.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=e876f1fd59c02a9e8c1419c8bb7807e0 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1104.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=fbf8001da0965e0d0f386483db43f3c8 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1104.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=def548d4e95f4ae2fb9df474ff32a4cd 800w)
Practicing setting anchors. Ian Nicholson photo
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=74b0356b1939535369484180a2f30c18 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=1d654fe3573038dc43fb96e139eb035c 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=0b4a0aecf1c84ac6a96bb9e4b2079728 600w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=6c25f1212081c825c98256273af59154 600w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=10959406de3903414f7cdea60f3b0f1e 600w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=ffc82cf1542466846beae2f93fd69c81 600w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=824436c39f4a043b3b065ea4f76fd56f 600w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fnewswire%2FIMG_1118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=eda3009ae0587e08fa178dab28b86922 600w)
Sending the Mountaineer’s Dome. Ian Nicholson photo