Mike Doyle Sends Blue Jeans Direct 5.14 on Yam
Mike Doyle has made the third ascent of Blue Jeans Direct 5.14 on Yamnuska with Cory Rogans climbing and jummaring behind.
Doyle moved to the Canadian Rockies this summer with no climbing projects in mind, but he set on a plan after a trip up to Castles in the Sky 5.14 on Castle Mountain.
In early July, Doyle visited Castles with Sonnie Trotter and Sasha DiGiulian to check out the wildly exposed 5.14 arete pitch.
Castles in the Sky and Blue Jeans Direct are two of three routes in Trotter’s Rockies Alpine Trilogy, the third being Shining Uncut 5.14 on Mount Louis. Trotter completed the trilogy in 2017.
DiGiulian was visiting Canada this summer in hopes of making the second ascent of the trilogy and needed only five weeks to send all routes. She battled wildfire smoke and heat waves, but made quick work of the alpine 5.14s.
DiGiulian went up with Doyle to show her beta to him mid-August before she left Canada for her home in Boulder.
On Aug. 29, Doyle finished work in the early afternoon and headed up the slopes below Yamnuska with 17-year-old Rogans for the redpoint attempt.
Blue Jeans Direct adds one direct pitch to Blue Jeans 5.13, the crux being a V10/11 boulder problem with low-percentage crimps, pinches and an undercling about 100 metres off the ground.
Doyle only needed one go at the crux on his redpoint attempt and completed clean sends of all pitches, which break down to 5.12b, 5.12d, 5.12d, 5.13b, 5.14a, 5.12a and 5.10d.
Doyle said he couldn’t believe DiGiulian was up on Blue Jeans Direct in the thick smoke and heat this summer and that it would’ve added a grade or two. He was also quick to give a shout out to Rogans, see below.
The Rockies rock season is winding down, but it was full of memorable moments which will be featured in the next issue of Gripped magazine.
Trotter established the Rockies Alpine Trilogy in hopes of bringing other strong climbers to the area to experience the alpine and it worked.
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