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New Four-Pitch Mixed Testpiece in Utah

On October 4, Scott Adamson, Angela Van Wiemeersch and Nathan Smith took advantage of the rare early season conditions of Utah's Uinta Mountains and established The One Who Knocks (WI 6 M5 R/X) on Reid's Peak.

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Smith on pitch one of <em>The One Who Knocks</em>. Photo by Scott Adamson.” /></p>
<p>On October 4, Scott Adamson, Angela Van Wiemeersch and Nathan Smith took advantage of the rare early season conditions of Utah’s Uinta Mountains and established <em>The One Who Knocks</em><span> (WI 6 M5 R/X) on Reid’s Peak. </span></p>
<p></p>
<p>“I scouted the line all last fall but conditions were never right for it to fully form so I kept quiet about it,” says Smith.</p>
<p>This October, however, the snow fell early and then a few warm days followed to create the “perfect mix” of conditions, according Smith.</p>
<p>“I drove the hour and a half ride from Salt Lake City before work on Friday to check the route, and then called Angela and Scott to see if they were interested,” says Smith. “I think both initially thought I was nuts, but when I showed them photos of the line from Friday morning, they were in.”</p>
<p>On Saturday morning, the climbers hiked the one-mile approach to the base of the route and Smith took the first 80-foot pitch (WI 4), which he described as a thin verglass wall leading to a small runnel of ice.</p>
<p>Pitch two turned out to be the crux and was lead by Adamson. A 50-foot section of “frozen blobs” with poor gear lead to a rotten pillar that Adamson “bear hugged” to move right from where he was able to place a knifeblade piton—the first solid pro on the pitch. Adamson then committed to the body-width pillar and finished the 80-foot pitch (WI 6 M5 R/X). </p>
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