Stepping up

G and I are making a concerted effort to climb more this year, which sometimes entails pushing boundaries of comfort (and sanity) a bit. This weekend we targeted the Gunks, with a goal of working single pitch 8/9 routes.

First off, however, was a Saturday of construction, yardwork, shoveling, and tractor-riding, capped off with homemade pork-belly buns (inspired by a recent trip to David Chang's Ma Peche). G pulled out all the stops, with home-cured pork belly and handmade Chinese steamed buns. Tasty, fatty goodness...







We left relatively late on Sunday, heading out the door at 7 am, but found a surprisingly empty West Trapps lot and a deserted carriage road. Potential zombie apocalypse notwithstanding, we headed over to old foe Ants Line (5.9) and I racked up. We had given this a go once before, but staring up from the base the overhanging corner system looked a lot steeper than I recalled. The bottom felt allright and I sewed it up, but the moves - even with deliberate stemming - had me pumped out right before the crux, where I took a brief hang (right at my high point the last time I tried to lead it).

Starting moves to gain the steep corner

Well-protected but pumpy

At the crux, poor rope management and all


After a rest, I pushed through the awkward crux step left and up (great passive pro in a vertical slot immediately above took a sideways big wallnut), but hung again another 15 ft above. Sitting on a clearly poor nut (too large for the crack but all I had left), I took a ride when it popped - seriously putting a scare into G on belay and enough to convince me to swap the sharp end. After fixing some of more poorly-extended placements under roofs on the way up to my high point, G made quick work of the moves above, up and left to the anchor.

Our next project was Groovy (5.8+?)), a fun left-arching finger crack up a left-facing corner and under a smallish roof. The business is getting through the top of the corner and traversing leftwards to a nose, where easy climbing leads you up to a fixed anchor. G made quick work of the initial corner, and toughed it out through the moves up under the roof and over to the nose. Nice lead: opinions vary as to whether the crux goes at 8 or 9; I think proper stemming (and laybacking the traverse rather than jamming) makes it 8ish, but you can certainly make it feel harder if you sequence it differently. Given the rope drag over the edge of the roof, G belayed me up from the top to clean.

Left-arching finger crack of Groovy (5.8+)

G stems all the way up


We had the fortune of shooting the breeze with a couple of grizzled regulars as the finished the route before us. Aside from giving some good beta for the original Groovy, they pointed us towards a 10a version which we TRed next. Same initial corner, but goes out right at the roof, with a solid sidepull above to gain the face and thoughtful juggy climbing to the anchor. Not sure I'd lead it, gear supposedly exists to protect the crux moves to get above the roof, but I didn't see it. Fun route though.

Last for the day was Space Invaders (5.10d), which we TRed through a directional off the Groovy anchor. Easy initial moves up the Groovy corner and arete leads into a sustained pumpy and technical right-leaning finger crack. G styled it in one go, primarily laybacking and picking careful foot placements. The crux is probably getting over a bulge 2/3 the way up the crack, but it really doesn't let up until near the anchor ledge. I felt good down low, but couldn't get it clean - popped out of a tenuous finger jam right after the crux (so close!). Nice work on G's part.

Good solid work. Besides needing to get stronger, we need to get our lead heads dialed in. I feel like it's still much easier on the 6s and 7s to keep a steady head and remember to look for rests and shake out, climb steadily, and place thoughtful gear. For example, we both had rope management issues: I slung too short under both the initial and crux roofs on Ants Line, and G slung short on the Groovy traverse.

Route log:
Ants Line (9)
Groovy (8+)
Groovy variation (10a) - TR
Space Invaders (10d) - TR