The Evolution Traverse

Along the Matthes Crest (photo by Mike Garity)

by Alan Cattabriga

For almost two years this climb has been occupying space in my head, this Evolution Traverse and for that same amount of time, almost everything I’ve done in the mountains of the northeast has been geared to helping me with this line. I hate to call it a project, for I don’t “project.” I boulder Vermin 0 negative and sport climb, on good days, solid 5 easy. In my early climbing years, when sport climbing in Rumney was in it’s infancy, I was a never a “hang dogger”, working routes never worked for me. I covered up my weakness with a warped sense of ethics. But, the Evo. was a “project”… a once a year, long distance project and the best there could be.

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