A (not so) Brief History of Cobra Strike

Back in 2009 I was driving along the outer edge of Hartman Rocks searching for new climbs. I had planned on driving a lot further, but just 10min after leaving my apartment I noticed a surprisingly overhanging wall. Right off the road. I pulled off and hiked up to the wall, not expecting much. From the ground though, it was obvious that there was a route that followed the black water streak. I rapped off the top to get a better look was amazed at the quality and presence of holds. Those that have been to Hartman’s know how anomalous and overhanging route with holds is. In fact, in the whole sea of friction slab climbing that is Hartman Rocks, I think this is the steepest, if not the only, overhanging sport route.

Obviously I was psyched! I couldn’t wait to sink some bolts into the wall and start figuring out what I thought was going to be a sweet 5.12. I called everyone I knew who had a drill, trying to borrow one. Everyone said, “No”. I couldn’t even get someone to lend me a hand drill. So I bought a hand drill and spent Easter ping-ping-ping-ing away. Almost 1 hour per bolt for 7 bolts. The Hartman’s Project was born.

My first tries on the route were pitiful. It took all day to figure out the overhanging mantle and after that I couldn’t do 90% of the moves. This couldn’t be 5.12. Having never climbed 5.13a before, the hardest thing I could conceive of was 5.13b. Maybe this thing is 5.13b?

Early tries on the Hartman's Project

Enter Ben Spannuth. I met Ben through the Collegiate Climbing Series in 2009. Ben is a SUPER strong climber with multiple 5.14d ascents. After a CCS competition we held at Western State College, I took Ben out to check out the project. He was psyched on it! In the one afternoon he worked on the route he quickly did all the moves, but couldn’t link the sections. Ben left, but was psyched to return at some point.

Ben's first time on the project. 2009.

Over the next 2 years I would periodically go back to the Hartman’s project to see if I was strong enough yet. I wasn’t. Eventually, with the added psyched of Caleb Justice and Roy Quanstrom, I was able to do all the moves on the route. After another year I could 1 hang the route right in the middle.

Now it is 2012. After climbing a bunch of ridiculously hard routes in Spain, Ben is coming back to Gunnison to work on the Hartman’s project. The pressure was on. I knew Ben was strong enough to do the route and I had only 3 weeks to get the first ascent before he arrived. After bolting and working on the route for 3 years at this point I REALLY wanted the FA. I became obsessed. In 2 weeks I went from 1 hanging the route in the middle to falling on the 2^nd to last move every time. The clock was ticking and I had to SEND. After sticking the 2^nd to last move and falling on the last move one day I was psyched! I had it, the route was in the bag! I skipped class he next day and went out to the route fully confident that I would send it. I warmed up, did all the moves, came down, and got psyched for what I hoped would be the send burn.

The camera was rolling. I cruised through the overhanging mantle, snagged the low crux crimp and cranked <POP> to the pinch. Wait. Shit. Take. That was my finger.

I had just ruptured my A3 and A4 pulleys in my left ring finger. Climbing was out of the question for months. I was facing a long recovery and I knew it.

Ben arrived a week later and got to work. I hiked up and belayed him for 2 weeks, still no send. He was so close though. At this point I just wanted to see someone send the route. I had imagined over and over what it would feel like to snatch that finish hold. Now that that was out of the question I had to at least SEE it done. To know it was possible.

Ben left for a weekend and quickly (5 tries) dispatched with The Bleeding (5.14b) at Mill Creek in Utah. He came back and had 1 more week to finish off the Hartman’s Project. The last few moves are hard though and Ben was hitting the same wall I had, the deadpoint to the lip off of the two slopey pinches. The 2^nd to last move.  On the evening of May 2^nd, 2012, Ben dug deep, snatched the lip and topped out Cobra Strike (5.14b).

I learned a lot from watching Ben climb Cobra Strike. A lot about climbing, but also a lot about humility, patience, and priorities. I had become so obsessed with the first ascent, something that I thought was rightfully mine, that I over worked and injured myself. Only to find out that I had a crucial bit of beta wrong. Had I been patient and worked on the route with Ben, I might have sent, I may have even got the FA.

I like to think that every project has a lesson to teach. A lot of times that lesson isn’t even about climbing.

Fast forward through the year and a half of recovery and training and here we are. September 2013. I sent it. It felt great.

I did it!

I could regale you with the details of the send and give you the move-by-move recap, but I won’t. Because that isn’t what is important. The important stuff is what occurred before the send, the lessons I learned, and the life that goes on after.

I am sitting in a coffee shop in Gunnison Colorado with Ben right now. We are 3 weeks in to our 4 week climbing trip. Our cuticles are destroyed from working the hard pocket routes we just finished bolting. Who is going to get the first ascents? Who cares?

Hiking to the new routes.

Climbing is more fun when you’re climbing with your friends.