Chinese Puzzle Wall - Hauling Gear for Brette Harrington

Greg Luesink
Jul 24, 2022
4 min read

TLDR: My boss Sam recruited me to help haul gear for Brette Harrington to the Chinese Puzzle Wall. I carried a heavy pack up, and an empty pack down. It was really really hot, like 39˚C later that week.

Written November, 2024

One day at work, my boss Sam Waddington (hence Mt Waddington's Outdoors, and also the actual mountain) asked if I'd be interested in being a pack mule for Brette Harrington and her crew to capture a climbing film at the Chinese Puzzle Wall. I got my shift covered by a coworker, and tried to bottle my excitement! Travis and Alanna also volunteered their services as pack mules.

The day before, I went on an alpine scouting mission with Ben into the Middle Cheam Range. It was a 12 hour day with 2,600m of elevation gain. You can read more about that in the Cheam Range Traverse Blog Post (still being written). Anyways, I was a little tired but I wouldn't let that stop me from meeting a legend!

The Approach

After meeting at the shop, we filled some massive backpacks with all the gear they would need to climb for several days. Oh, also this was for a film called "The Puzzle" which is out on Reel-Rock now (in 2024). I make a very short cameo on the approach! I'll have to fact check this but I think they were filming Brette and Tony climbing Manchu Wok. Tony, Nate, and Elliot were joining Brette on her expedition.

We carpooled up to the Rexford Trailhead, hoisted our oversized packs, and started up the trail. Brette is a very tiny human, and her comically oversized pack made her look even smaller. As I made conversation and asked about how she got into traditional climbing, I had to push aside many alders at headheight, or dislodge my haul bag from one. Almost a foot shorter, Brette would simply walk underneath, evoking several laughs at the contrast.

I had recently bought my first trad climbing rack of cams. When I asked Brette how she progressed in her trad climbing, her advice was something like this:

Start climbing easy things, learn good gear placements by using lots of gear. Then, try placing less gear on easy climbs. Eventually, you can progress to harder climbs, place lots of gear, and then work on placing less gear. Confidence will come with practicing running out longer sections slowly over time.

That made a lot of sense. "Zipper up" a trad climb with protection, then start to use up less pieces. The less weight taken on the climb, the lighter you will be and harder climbs will be more manageable with a lighter rack. Learning how to run-out sections of minimal protection is key for success in traditional climbing. Sometimes there are no options for placing a piece of gear to protect a fall, so the best thing to do is keep climbing. Keeping one's composure leads to making safe decisions.

First Sighting of the Puzzle Wall

After a discreet turnoff from the main Rexford trail, we continued to some granite rock slabs. This is where we got our first glimpse of the Chinese Puzzle Wall. To say that the wall is impressive is an incredible understatement. Not only is it huge, its pale granite face provides a stark contrast amidst the surrounding dark walls and trees. The only thing between us and the base was a somewhat sketchy slab traverse.

Brette and co. made their way across, bolting some handlines for the rest of us to cross safely. It was wet and mossy in many areas, and with such a cumbersome load I was happy to use a rope for assistance.

We scampered and smeared our way up the dryer slabs above the traversing ledge. There was a final section of exposed slab with a handline for us to use. One by one, we all popped into the trees at "basecamp."

Here, we emptied our loads, and the crew started to get the camp organized. Meanwhile, I asked Brette to point out some of the routes on the wall to me. She obliged, and directed my gaze to several bolted anchors glinting in the sun. Neato!

No photo can quite capture the magnitude of the wall. Gigantic blocks of granite loomed overhead, creating shadows with their roofs in the afternoon sun. The possible routes were seemingly endless! If only they were easy to climb...

We said our goodbyes, wishing them luck on their climbing and filmmaking adventure. One-by-one, we rappelled the old-fashioned way, with the rope wrapped around our waists. The remainder of the slabs, we smeared, scooted, and shimmied down by any means necessary. Travis, Sam, Alanna, and I made our way back down slowly but surely.

What a cool day out in the mountains exploring a new area and meeting some rad characters.

Back at Mt Waddingtons Outdoors, Brette and co. came by after their climbing was complete to say goodbye to Sam. As Brette was heading out the door, she said "Bye Grant, thanks for hauling all that gear for us!"

Oofta.

All that hard work for "Grant"... oh well, at least I got a polaroid.