Lost In the Sun

This past weekend I had the chance to climb my longest multi-pitch route yet: Lost In the Sun (5.5) in Crawford Notch, NH.  It's a 7 pitch route, but with running water over the bolted section of the 6th pitch, my lead partner decided to rap after completing 5 pitches.  This was just fine with me.  Prior to this, the longest route I had climbed was Birdland at Red Rocks and I only completed 4 pitches on that route due to timing.  I had gone into this climb with the goal of climbing my longest multi-pitch (check!), but it ended up being so much more than that. 

Our day started with a 6:15am alarm to give us enough time to pack up our campsite from the night prior and eat a good breakfast before driving to the highway pull off.  I'm not a morning person, so I gave myself a big gold star for this one.  We probably left camp at about 7:30am & arrived at the pull off around 7:45am. The approach was intense.  Not quite as bad as Seneca Rocks, but so far this approach takes second place.  I knew this when I agreed to climb the route, so mentally I was somewhat prepared, but physically I was not prepared.  Right off the bat, I had to cross the Saco River barefoot.  My partner was able to cross by stepping/jumping from boulder to boulder, but I just knew that I would fall in and hurt myself if I attempted this.  So, I clipped my shoes to my pack, rolled up my pant legs and crossed the river barefoot.  My feet were almost numb by the time I reached the other side, but I was proud of my accomplishment.  Only yards from the car... and I was giving myself bonus points.

The online descriptions that I read for this climb estimated the total approach time to be 30-45 minutes. Mine was over an hour due to the slow pace that I kept (my partner could have made in 30 minutes flat!).  We stopped to rest a couple of times at my request. The heat wasn't awful, but I was sweating up a storm and wanted to make sure that I was staying hydrated & giving myself time to catch my breath.  We finally made it to the base of the climb sometime around 9am.

The climbing was fun and easy (although run out).  My favorite feature on the climb was the famous Snake Flake.  I had intentions of swapping lead with my partner, but after seeing how run out and wet most of the pitches were, I ended up just following him.  All went well until he reached the top of the 4th pitch & I took him off of belay.  I was preparing myself to go on belay, when he yelled down to me that I needed to take cover fast and get down low.  I was confused by this command until I heard a loud rumbling noise & realized that a rock fall was happening.  I had no visual on this before getting down low, so my heart was pounding thinking that the worst was about to happen. I stayed down low until the rumbling stopped.  Apparently, a large boulder had come loose from the top of the mountain.  My partner witnessed a cloud of debris at the top of the mountain as the boulder made it's way down and alerted me then.  Luckily, the boulder rolled down the gully that we had hiked up on our approach & not the slabs that we were climbing on.  The gully was just yards away from the route that we were on.  Crazy stuff.  Luckily, neither one of us was on lead when this happened!

We rapped down 5 times with our double ropes, took our time descending the steep, rocky trail & called it a day.  Our big reward for the day?  Dinner & ice cream frappes from a diner on our ride back to Boston.  And we live to climb again.

I'm No Longer a Virgin

Well, the Gunks trip was a success!  I'm no longer a virgin & was able to get in my first Gunks lead climb.  I climbed a total of 8 pitches between the 2 days.  It was a slower pace than I had expected, but I was happy with all of the routes that we did.  I was able to climb on a wide variety of features that included some crack climbing, off width, layback, slab, chimney stemming & roof pulling. It was an interesting mix & a good full body workout.

On my first day, I seconded the first two pitches of Beginners Delight (5.3) - the third pitch was too wet to climb - and both pitches of Son of Bitchy Virgin (5.6).  I could have lead the first pitch of Beginners Delight, but with it being my first climb at the Gunks & my first trad in a couple of months, I just didn't have my lead head to jump right in.

On my second day, I lead the first pitch of Betty (5.3) & loved it.  It was just scary enough to keep my attention.  I was pretty proud of myself until I started belaying my partner up & a guy who was free soloing climbed up to my belay ledge.  No helmet, no rope, no gear. Hell, he wasn't even wearing his climbing shoes - they were hanging from his belt loop. Jerk. After this climb, I seconded Belly Roll (5.4).  Lots of exposure on that second pitch!

I always seem to learn at least one new skill every time I climb. On this trip, I learned how to manage double ropes & how to properly coil my cordelette.  Oh, and I also got some much needed feedback on my poor belay anchoring.  Ugh, I need more practice at that!  I built a solid 3 point anchor, equalized it with a cordelette, but I built it so low and off to the side of where I was belaying from that the anchor wasn't weighted during the belay and I belayed my second from my harness.  It worked & I think it was safe, but definitely could have been better.  Hopefully I will have the chance to get back on lead soon & sharpen up this skill.

My first Gunks lead - start of Betty 5.3 PG

It's a Completely Different World

I'm in the middle of packing for my trip to the Gunks tomorrow & I can't help but feel nervous and panicked...  Do I have everything?  Am I ready to trad lead in the Gunks? I don't think I can fully explain it to someone who has never rock climbed before, but this nervousness and panicking is actually part of the allure of rock climbing. It's the build up before the main event...sort of like foreplay.

So many questions swirling through my head -- Do I remember how to build a belay anchor? What if I can't complete my lead? What if I get my period? (yes, I'm expecting my period this weekend. Ugh... guys have it easy!) Do I trust my partner(s) with my life? Literally. 

 

As my co-worker commented to me before I left the office today: "It's a completely different world."  We were discussing why I had taken tomorrow off from work & when I explained what my long weekend was going to entail, she literally shrugged her shoulders in horror.  Her big plans for the weekend include getting a manicure. Don't get me wrong, I used to enjoy a weekly manicure myself before I started getting serious about rock climbing (hence the name of my blog). But, with the polish lasting a mere few hours before getting jacked up from a climb, I only indulge in this now when I really need it or when I want to feel girly for something.  I didn't even bother getting a manicure for my last internet date & he noticed. He actually remarked on how "short & unpainted" my nails were. Oh, boys.

I'm bringing very few comforts with me. My iPhone will be my biggest comfort by far, complete with a new mophie juice pack air (+100% battery life) & an external battery charger to juice up both in the tent at night.  The mophie was a last minute purchase feeding into my fear of running out of battery life during this trip.  I'll be using my phone all weekend as my camera, watch, alarm clock, compass, GPS, radio, portal to my Facebook addiction & guidebook mid-climb (I'll be taking pictures of each climb description from the guidebook prior to each ascent & referring to them if needed).  If I run out of battery life during this trip, I think my world will promptly end.

Gearing Up for the Gunks

Ever since I started rock climbing, I've come across many articles & have heard people talking about "The Gunks".  From what I've heard and read, this is the destination for serious trad climbers in the East.  "Tough, old school ratings" & many "classic routes" are the buzz words I've seen and heard.  Even my most recent internet date asked me within our first few email messages if I had been to the Gunks yet?  Well, no...  But, I plan to!

Without a partner, I had looked into guided trips earlier this year & came across an REI camping weekend for June 14th-16th.  It wasn't a trad trip though - more of a group top-roping trip.  I didn't book it because if I was going to spend $600 on a solo climbing weekend, I wanted to get trad instruction.  So, when I saw a Meetup group posted a couple of weeks ago for the same weekend pairing up experienced trad leaders with experienced followers, I jumped on it.  I didn't know the host, or even anyone who had signed up already, but this didn't stop me.  I wasn't sure if my experience was going to be enough to make the cut (the trip was capped at 10 people & you had to fill out a questionnaire about your experience).  But, a week after signing up, I received an email from the host that I was in!  Bonus: one of my climbing friends (also a trad beginner) had signed up for the trip & had been accepted as well.

I was so excited... I couldn't sleep that night!  I spent most of the night on the internet buying gear.  First order of business was guidebooks.  Our host strongly felt that we should all have books for the trip, so I found the recommended titles and checked those off of my list.  Next order of business was camping gear.  I was seriously lacking in this category.  I found a tent (Marmot Limelight 3) & a camping stove (Jet Boil Flash) after pouring through many reviews and options.  I already owned a sleeping bag & pad, but ended up upgrading the pad I owned to something thicker & more comfortable (REI Camp Bed 3.5).  I also bought a couple more cams to complete my double rack.  All in all, I spent almost the same amount that I would have spent on the REI trip, but now I have some sweet new gear to show for it.  Oh, and I purchased my last critical piece of gear tonight: a portable iPhone 5 charger from Amazon.  I think I would have a legit meltdown if my battery died on this trip!

Climbing Outside of the Box

Tennessee 5.10

My climbing routine had started to get a little stale lately, so I decided to mix it up and sign up for a Meetup to climb in a crag that I had never been to with all new climbers that I had never met.  And to really make things interesting, I carpooled to the crag with a complete stranger (who I thought was cute).  The crag was Rose Ledge in western MA & the group ended up being a total of 10 climbers.  The crag was great - it was super hot and humid and the wall that we were working was in the shade for most of the day.  I had no idea what to expect from the day, but it was fun!

I was a little nervous with my carpool situation as I was going to be in his car for an hour and a half & we had only exchanged a few text messages prior to meeting, but it all worked out fine.  I was a little concerned when he asked me the diameter of my rope - I'm not going lie, I had visions of him tying me up in it - but he turned out to be a pretty normal climbing dude.  We spent the ride talking about our climbing experiences, which made the time fly by.

We met up with the rest of the group at a convenience store near the crag and then followed our host to the parking lot - none of us had climbed there before, so the escort was helpful. The 25 minute uphill approach to the ledge had me covered in sweat & pretty sore, but it was worth it.  I got in 5 solid climbs on 4 routes & finished all of them: Double Helix (5.9), Widowmaker (5.10), Marie Antoinette (5.10) & Tennessee (5.10) - I climbed this route twice.  I think my favorite climb was the Widowmaker - it was tough and couldn't be finished by everyone, but I pushed through the finish.  I did a lot of finger and hand jamming on this route, which I rarely get a chance to practice. I also enjoyed the layback & roof of Marie Antoinette.  All of these climbs were quality routes & well worth the effort to get to them. I'll definitely be back to this crag again.

Our group was small enough that we really had a chance to get to know each other & support each other on our climbs.  This is when I tend to have the most fun climbing - when I can get encouragement and beta from my fellow climbers to help push me through the crux.  I definitely made some new climbing friends today & hope to climb with them again soon.
  

Marie Antoinette 5.10

My 5.12 beer and Sasha DiGiulian

When my alarm went off at 8am on Sunday morning, I had no idea what I was in for.  After indulging in a couple of snooze buttons,  I finally got up, showered & ate a light breakfast (a nectarine & some Chobani pineapple yogurt - double yum!). A new rock climbing gym just opened up in the Boston area this past week & I wanted to check it out along with a group of my friends.

We had all made plans to meet at the gym @ 10:30am, but only one of my friends had arrived with me on time. After filling out our waivers & taking the belay test, we looked around for an easy 5.7 climb to warm up on.  I tied into what I thought was a 5.7 rope, but then realized that I had tied into a 5.12 rope by mistake. I looked at the route & decided to just give it a try, not expecting to make it too far.  It was crimps the whole way up, but I did it - my first 5.12 climb!  It felt great!

That set the tone for the rest of the day for me. I felt like I could conquer anything.  After this climb, I jumped on a 5.11, which kicked my butt for 20 minutes, but I didn't give up.  My poor belayer... She ended up ripping off a callous on the palm of her hand belaying me on this route. I climbed mostly 5.11's and 5.10's for the rest of the day.  At one point, one of my friends said that there were some pro-climbers working out in the gym.  I honestly didn't know who they were, but watched in awe as they lead 5.11 routes on the lead wall like they were 5.6's.  It was only after we had left the gym did I realize that the girl that I had been watching was the best female sport climber in the world - Sasha DiGiulian!  C-R-A-Z-Y!  She was in town for the weekend for a competition. We all had so much fun that I hardly noticed how long we had been climbing.  I was shocked when we left the gym & I realized that I had been there for 5 hours.

Every new accomplishment and experience leaves me loving this sport more and more everyday.  Of course the day had to end with a 5.12 beer (Allagash).  Cheers! 

West Virginia - Part Two - Summersville Lake

5.6 Unnamed Trad lead at Orange Oswald Wall

We arrived at our cabin on a Monday afternoon. One of the first things I did was take a shower.  I didn't mind camping out at Seneca Rock, but after a couple of days and nights sans shower, it was pretty much the first thing on my mind.  The cabin was awesome & the perfect size for 4 adults. I think it was described as being able to accommodate 8, but this would have been too cramped.

After relaxing for a bit, we ventured out to find a supermarket and liquor store.  I don't remember if we heard the news about the Boston Marathon bombing before or after we ventured out.  Since we're all from the Boston area & Jess is a part of the running community, this news was quite shocking & odd to experience from far away.  We made a pasta dinner in the cabin that night, watched the news until they kept repeating the same information & then tried out the hot tub.

On Tuesday morning, some of us more hung over than others, we packed up and headed to Summersville Lake.  We got a little lost trying to find the Orange Oswald Wall, but we made it there eventually. When we finally reached the crag, I warmed up by top roping Hippie Dreams 5.7 and then trad lead the Unnamed 5.6 corner route just to the left of Hippie Dreams.  This climb was the highlight of my climbing at Summersville Lake.  It was a long route (about 60 ft?) and had a couple of tricky gear placements.  I never felt like I was in any real danger of falling, but still felt challenged by the climb.  I loved the sandstone feel of the rock.

Tuesday night we went out for Latin food & margaritas.  There was another group from Boston that we had met at the crag that day who recommended Diogi's in Fayetteville.  I had the fish tacos and a strong margarita.  Perfect refuel from a solid day of climbing and bush whacking.

Amazing view of the New River Gorge bridge

Wednesday morning was rainy, so we decided to take a rest day and go for a hike along the New River Gorge.  It was a much more interesting & dramatic view with the fog lifting off from the river.  Then after our hike, we went into Fayetteville for some shopping and a visit to the Cathedral Cafe for lunch.  For dinner, we went to Pies & Pints and ran into our fellow climbers from Boston.  Oh, and we played credit card roulette for the tab.  It was my first time playing this, as well as our waitress, who had just as much fun playing as we did!

Thursday was a perfect day for climbing.  We had enjoyed the Orange Oswald Wall of Summersville Lake so much that we returned there again to try a couple more 5.7 routes on lead.  On this day, I sport lead Hippie Dreams 5.7 as my last climb.  I had watched everyone else lead this route on Tuesday, so I had to try it again on lead.  So much fun!  Also on this day, Jason taught us all how to set-up a self-rappel.  Thursday night we had an elaborate Mexican meal in the cabin- so yummy!

Friday we checked out of the cabin and headed towards our final destination of the trip - Philadelphia.  This had randomly worked its way onto our itinerary out of a need to stop 1/2 way on the long road back. 15 hours was going to be a long ride back home without a stop, so Lu had recommended Philly with the promise of experiencing the best Moroccan restaurant that she's ever been to. We had a hotel room at Le Meriden and after checking in, we grabbed some drinks & then headed to the restaurant for our meal.  Knowing for months that this was on our itinerary, I had tried to work in some meat to my pescetarian diet, which was met with much revolt from my stomach.  I gave up on working it back in & just decided to go-for-it that night.  I gorged on chicken & lamb (which tasted so good!) and surprisingly had minimal reaction from my stomach.  It was the perfect end to a memorable climb trip with good friends.  Can't wait to plan our next trip!