Can you believe it? Climbing!

Going in.

On Friday, Kenway, Will and I finally did some climbing after months of no activity. We headed for the Nears and tackled two climbs: Layback (5.5) and Broken Sling (5.8+).

I lead Layback, which I thought had a nice variety of types of moves. Not easy given my current shape, but not huge problems either. Will went next followed by Kenway. The starting chimney gave them both a bit of difficulty. I think this was mainly due to their taller frame.

The layback.

Broken Sling was co-lead by Kenway and I. He did the first (most difficult) part and I did the end. The first few moves are really hard and feel dangerous with no protection. The rest was OK except that I displayed some serious Elvis legs.

Just past the start.

Not climbing regularly means I often doubt whether I can do a move, hold a pose, make a clip; the hesitation than leads to more fatigue and the performance suffers. There's definitely some lack of confidence to work on, or rather to understand exactly what I can and cannot do right now.

Will still has his natural understanding of how sequences should go.

Fun to be back, we should climb more.

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

March madness

Visited G in his cabin in the woods last weekend looking to get out and climb. Even after we woke in the morning and dumped our rock gear in the back of the truck, I wondered if we made the right call of rock vs. ice. It was still pretty cold out (temps around freezing) and there was plenty of snow on the ground. Things didn't look better at the West Trapps lot: we were the only car there at 7 AM, and the trail and carriage road were under plenty of snow.

Empty parking lot!

Snowy approach

A little ice left

Things looked up further down the road, the rock was relatively dry and the sun was coming up. We headed down to the V3/Middle Earth area and climbed through the snow to the bottom of Thin Slabs Direct (5.7+). The original start goes at 5.6 but is pretty unprotected (Rish) until a bolt 30 ft up; G jumped on the direct start, which is a little tougher climbing (5.7) but provided more pro at the outset. Good lead, especially for the start of the season, well protected low and appropriately runout higher up. Fun, technical slab climbing with relatively good feet and smallish handholds, with a steeper vertical finish to a tree belay at a ledge 100 ft up. I followed up, and found it cold enough that feeling my hands and feet made it tricky.

Start of Thin Slabs Direct (5.7)

A nice comfortable belay

Keeping cool

Alpine light?

Slushy

P2 is easier climbing (5.3?); I went off the ledge to the right, up to a large overhanging flake which you undercling to exit up and left to layback up to a ledge. With water running freely, it took me three cams before I worked up the nerve to commit to the layback and move up to the ankle-deep snow on the ledge. From there, an easy traverse left led to a straightforward left-facing corner to the next tree belay. In hindsight, you could probably lead straight up off the P1 belay, less protectable but probably uncomplicated face climbing to the final corner. With the wet and chilly weather, we skipped the money third pitch hand traverse, but it looks like a definite target for later this season.

But what does MP say about that third pitch?

Thin Slabs Direct P3 hand traverse pitch


Rapping down, we set up a TR to run the original start of Thin Slabs as well as the neighboring slab "sport" route Sente (5.9). Thin Slabs P1 was similar climbing but leading would involve some delicate unprotected climbing to the bolt. Sente was loads of fun, super delicate slab climbing with tiny hands and marginal-to-decent feet (I'm pretty sure G pulled off a no hands step up at one point). Leadable, there's a horizontal for initial pro before the first of three bolts which close out the relatively short climb.

Heading back, we finished up with a serviceable attempt to lead Red Cabbage (5.9-), on the right side of the Dirty Gerdie block. The route goes up a vertical fingers-to-thin hands crack, eventually heading around the arete to the left to easier face climbing up to the top. I overprotected going up, and wore myself out with poor crack technique (gotta remember to keep the toes in the crack). After G gave it a go, we threw down a rope from the top and finished it out on TR. At least on TR, you can exit up and right when the crack peters out before heading left, but it involves a dynamic throw to a small pebbly horn; the better option is probably heading left around the arete from a little lower. Pro beta: the crack eats pro, including a bomber large nut near the top; the tricky part is leaving enough room for your fingers. Doubles would be nice on this route, BTW. It will be good to jump on this again with a little more endurance in the tank.

Start of Red Cabbage (5.9-)


Great start to the season. As the weather warmed, plenty of groups arrived, mostly climbing near the Uberfall, but it was relatively uncrowded further down. Still working to dial down my racking system, but we did better about streamlining gear and the general process. More pics here.

Redeeming the prize

M and I headed up Saturday afternoon to Stone Ridge for a beautiful late summer weekend of quality time with G and Ariane, arriving just in time for some Canadian craft beers and late afternoon sunlight. Started the weekend off with excellent food at the Red Onion in Woodstock - I have the vague memory of multiple calamari dishes and some tasty steak, but mostly recall being stuffed to the gills.

Of course, the primary goal of the weekend was to get some climbing in, with the added responsibility of showing Nikita (and his wife) the beauty of the great outdoors. In a charity auction, Nikita had won the envious opportunity to climb outdoors under the tutelage of none other than G himself, and we wanted it to be worth his money (price unknown, but I'm sure it was worth it).

Nice leisurely start, relaxed enough for a breakfast of coffee and sandwiches from the deli (mmmm. Mountain Man) eaten at the swankest digs around - the bed of G's new old pickup. With Nikita meeting us later, we packed up and headed in to put up a rope on Herdie Gerdie (5.8). G having climbed it before, I took first lead of the day, though I admit thinking that it was a pretty stiff warm-up climb. The crux is low, situated between the ground and a big ledge 20-25ft off the ground, coming after a right leaning crack peters out. Having stuffed the crack with as many tiny nuts as it would take, negotiating the crux involved getting my feet high up on the greasy ramp and working up to the ledge, with a balancey mantle to surmount the lip. The rest of the climb was straightforward, with plenty of pro available.

The only casualty of the day


With a mind on the first day outside for Nikita and Liuba (and one that was prized!), I took my time and set up a careful, redundant anchor: good tree, girth-hitched rock, and solid cam, all (relatively) equalized. Was pretty proud of myself, until I came down to find that I had kicked down a rock that targeted my phone like a homing pigeon with ill intentions. In any case, G made quick work of the climb on TR and we soon had Nikita tied in and on the rock. Tough intro to the great outdoors, as the crux moves were delicate and crimpy, with crappy feet - determined, he eventually figured out the moves. From the same anchor (though we really should have put in a directional), we next TR'ed Dirty Gerdie (5.8+) immediately to the right. Super fun, with balancey moves and a technical mantle on crappy feet down low - not a lot of pro opportunities till halfway up, can't believe G led it in the past.

Nikita below the crux on Herdie Gerdie



Tricky mantle on Dirty Gerdie





To find something a little more enjoyable, we looked at Double Chin - which was taken - and settled on Boston (5.5). Though the moves are fun, the offwidth moves are not straightforward and the climb is difficult to protect without large gear (#5 or #6 BD), which we didn't have. G did an admirable job with the lead, though I was biting my nails the whole time belaying. He managed to fiddle in a decent amount of smaller pro outside the wide crack (including some ballnuts thrown up to him), but would definitely have benefited from some super small gear. Crux move is high off the deck, involving layback moves to get up and over a small roof near the top - excellent heady lead, toughest 5 I've been on for sure. Both Nikita and Liuba took multiple turns on TR - congrats to N for his first day outside, and L to her first day climbing ever, I think I see a future climbing for those two.

G wishing he were in Boston


Looking for small pro at the crux


First time climbing!




Wrapped up at the crag by 2, was back poolside with the ladies and mojitos by 3. Capped off the weekend with tasty burgers fresh off G's backyard grill. We need to do this again soon...

Why, yes, it's a very nice chair...

Some Canadian craftiness

Oscar and Charie on a horse

To take advantage of the warm weather predicted for Saturday, G and I stayed at his house by the Gunks on Friday night and got up before the crack of dawn, at 5 AM. We didn't quite beat the sunrise to the Trapps, but did beat pretty much all the climbers, arriving at an empty carriage road.

Friday night entertainment

Alpine start on the carriage road

G was generous enough to give me first lead of the day on Horseman (5.5), a climb I've been eyeing for a while and one that G led the last time he was here. Extremely fun lead and a good start to the day, Horseman goes up a huge right-facing corner to a small roof where you can exit out via a solid traverse to the left. There's an optional belay there of two old pitons, but I strung it out through the face above into one long pitch. The first part in the corner is solid and thoughtful, requiring some stemming on imperfect footholds to the right. Good place for a big cam on the way up (BD #4). Leaving the optional belay requires a few funky moves including a highstep, but once you're on the face above it's easy cruising on good holds up to the ledge.

Laid back start

In the initial Horseman corner

Jedi belay

Midpoint, at the optional belay

We headed over with the aim of doing Shockley's Ceiling next, but as expected the crowds were queued up - two parties headed up via Shockley's proper and another party of 2 headed up the start of Oscar and Charlie to cross over to the ledge below Shockley's roof. We decided to wait it out and do Oscar and Charlie (5.7) in its entirety instead, which is a fantastic link up of the best parts of three climbs: p1 starts out with a left-facing corner (Oscar variation), p2 rejoins Strictly From Nowhere and to go through the pumpy Strictly roof, and p3 joins Travels With Charlie on the face above.

G led up the first pitch, which is a tricky left-facing corner with small gear close to the ground and a bulge crux. Nice work on delicate protection and funky moves, requiring insecure stemming and finger-locks in the corner seam. G even got his #2 ballnut slotted solidly on the way, and set up his gear belay past the pine tree rap station at the top of the corner, up and right on the large Strictly ledge. I geared up for the short but adrenaline-inducing second pitch, which goes up and a little left from the belay towards the overhanging left-facing corner of the Strictly roof. I found the pro a little sparse, and ended up fiddling in two cams into a downward-facing horizontal crack at a steep section right below the corner. Probably could have gotten another piece in once I was up and stemmed across the corner, but I could feel the pump clock ticking so I climbed through up and right to the hanging belay chains. Good solid jugs at the crux, but I wish I were more level-headed about the protection.

G leads up the p1 corner of Oscar and Charlie

You talking to me?

G follows p2, Oscar and Charlie

In the crux

Showing off the guns

G was nice enough to take the last pitch, where the route-finding was the hardest part. Williams says to head up the face and traverse 12-15 feet left to join the end of Travels With Charlie, but I think we ended up exiting the overhang a little to the right, which might be the end of Strictly From Nowhere. G did an admirable job of sussing out the different possibilities, which were not clear at all. Either way, good climbing and we made good use of the double ropes (which also got us back down to the ground in one rap from the GT). Nice climb, I think we might go back and swap leads on the pitches - you can also link up the first two pitches up to the hanging belay, as long as you have the juice and mental focus for the pumpy moves at the end.

Wandering on p3

We took off a little before 2, as the crowds were starting to fill the popular routes and we had to get back to the city. I loved the early start, it was great to get some climbing in before things heated up (temperature- and crowd-wise).

Full set of pics here.

Ticklist:
Horseman (5.5)
Oscar and Charlie (5.7)