Almost-Gunks

Due to a conspiracy of work and City Center's Fall for Dance, we opted out of a trip to the Gunks this weekend. Unsurprisingly, Mother Nature spited us with some beautiful climbing weather. Although we didn't get to climb outside, Kenway and I managed a few hours at TRC. Contrary to last time, we decided to warm up by taking a stab at the Great Traverse (I made it to 26, Kenway to 52!).

Worked some good problems. I led my anti-climbs (blue 10, purple 10); both were reachy and pretty committing. Finished the blue, but in typical dufus fashion slipped with an armful of slack out while clipping the anchors and took a nice long fall. Pulling out from under the roof on the purple caused me a lot of grief, mostly cause I kept getting worried that the sharp apex just below the next clip was going to castrate me if I failed. Kenway cruised the purple, taking the more straightforward route out from under the roof (obvious clipping stance that I somehow missed it). We then moved over to the wall with the double roof, and K made it up a very burly 11 (red), and I worked on the bright yellow 10.

We tried some hilarious top-roping near the tunnel. Some 11's and a 10+ with ridiculous start moves. Tried some half-assed bouldering and decided it was time to go home.

Didier Berthold on the Cobra Crack (5.14):