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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 7, 2007 - 08:01pm PT
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What have you been up to? Any ordinary climbs that were good fun but don't deserve their own thread?
First visit of the season to Cathedral Ledge this afternoon, perfect pre-summer weather. Retaliation and Bird's Nest on the menu.
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TradIsGood
Happy and Healthy climber
the Gunks end of the country
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Have a new partner.
This weekend we nearly killed somebody, see the Rock! thread.
But otherwise enjoyed Horseman, but waited too long for it, in retrospect. Wrist starts with a short little crack, has a nice layback dihedral section. Then P2 offers a beutiful exposed hand traverse under a roof, with a roof below the feet, and a step around the arete onto a face. Built one of the most complex anchors I have used to remain in contact with second through P2 crux, and turning P2 into two pitches. Second was very happy I did. It might not have turned out well otherwise.
Edit: The first time I saw Wrist I muscled through P1 crux, sweating. And the second crux had me completely baffled. Only when I was running out of forearms did I figure out how to handle it. I did not see my first go through it because of where he set belay on P1 and he did not short-pitch it for me. My new partner is about the same experience level outdoors as I was then, but stronger than I was. I told her how to do the crux, but while doing it, I decided that maybe it might be a good idea to stay where I could see her.
I would describe Easy Keyhole as the "most technical 5.2 in the Gunks". Did that as we were leaving just for fun. Features some weird stemming, balancy friction moves just to get started. At least that is what I thought. Was trying to figure out why I was only getting rope about 3 inches at a time while belaying. My partner demonstrated the alternative when we got back down. Apparently one can also squeeze into a chimney and inch-worm up. I guess it is just not that technical! :-)
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WBraun
climber
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Chiloe
Wow nice looking routes, I like those.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Yes, yes, what's that hand crack jobber on the right?
'Looks like the kinda thing one might find jammy.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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A climb so cool, that lichen refrained from growing near it.
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TradIsGood
Happy and Healthy climber
the Gunks end of the country
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Jaybro, is that an original?
Can't wait to use that one!
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james Colborn
Trad climber
Truckee, Ca
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Left climb Recluse 5.10 hard? Both Henry Barber FFA's. I love Cathedral. Dude you got some fine pics.
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james Colborn
Trad climber
Truckee, Ca
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Two weeks ago my wife and I took her mother on a cruise. The ship had a climbing wall, but you had to wear a helmet and they used bod harnesses, enough said. The real climbing came in Cozumel. We took a cooking class {highlight of the trip}, at some resort and after the cooking class we had an open bar and food for the rest of the day. Just offshore about 100yrds. they had this climbing/slide iceberg float. What a blast, after a couple of margs and beers the real fun was just starting.
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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A random TR. Sorry about the pictures, none are very good and don't capture the fun of the place. So what's the point? Dunno.
Six of us descended on Christmas Tree Pass at the end of April.
We caught a break with the weather, it was super for all four days of our stay. And the snakes weren't out yet.
The first day we replaced the bolts on Old School, a 5.7 slab on RCS Dome. I got to lead it, it's a long way to the first bolt, of course.
The second day Cliff and Nan showed up. Cliff had never been out to the Pass, so we put him on The Streaker, a 5.10a on H&R Block. This is not the crux.
Here's the belay.
MJ, Big Daddy and I swapped leads on the three long pitches of Prime Interest, 5.9, which was next door. We had replaced the old bolts on this route last year. We had a hoot climbing it. It's a little run out, but we all felt solid. JohnX asked if, while leading, we looked down at the bolt below us. No way. As Big Daddy said, "There's nothing for us down there but death and dismemberment."
MJ shocked us when she volunteered to lead the third pitch. I was happy to just relax and follow.
The Riverside Casino buffet tasted particularly good that night.
The third day we went to the excellent Dali Dome, home of Wilkinson Sword, which is just about as cool a climb as there is in the southwest. No kidding. It's a two pitch 5.7. The second pitch follows the flake system. Pull down, not out! When it's windy, that flake sings.
The last day MJ, Big Daddy and I went back to Dali Dome to try MC1. It's a nice, very sustained 5.8 that I had followed but never led. The second bolt is an old 1/4"er with a Leeper hanger. It's also a spinner. It's still good to hold a slider though, as I proved four times. Sometimes stubborness is not a good quality. MJ showed me how it's done, by going left of the bolt. Here she is at the crux.
After this move, it was fifty feet to the next bolt. Gulp.
This route is starting to clean up some. It didn't have the corn flakes of years past.
On the next trip in November, we're going to replace the bolts on a couple of climbs on Dali Dome: Surreal Peel, 5.10a, and Tough Animals, 5.9. Maybe someone will climb these again. We actually found some evidence of other climbers. Just remember kids: "Everybody climbs better at the Pass."
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Crimpergirl
Social climber
Hell on earth wondering what I did to deserve it
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No photos. Sorry. Everyone says I should get out and meet new folks in this ghost town. So, tonight a colleague and I went to a newish place in town that is a giant room filled with trampolines. I met four new people. All women.
We jumped and ran on those things for an hour. It was an aerobics-trampoline class. The first several jumps I was certain my heart was going to rip right off the "heart-stalk" and I'd drop dead immediately. I kept on anyway. It was fun going SO high!! The walls are at a 45 degree with trampoline surface so one can run at them and bounce off. SUPER fun. We'll go again soon and I'll try and take the camera.
Check it out: http://www.skyzonesports.com/
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L
climber
NoName City and It Don't Look Pretty
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Chiloe--That second photo rocks, Dooood! What an awesome place.
Gary--Better crappy photos than none at all...and yours were not bad!
Crimpie--Boing...Boing...Boing! A tramp gym in St. Louie??? Where???
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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The day Shelley blew her shoulder out on Scorpion, T Meadows,
Attire strictly defined by the Flash Dance era:
from an 8X11 I have which Greg Epperson produced
Corner of Madness, Meteora Greece, sans cowboy hat,
But my Dan Post pointy toed ridin' boots made the trip:
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Marshall
climber
bay area
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Nice shots everybody! Tarbuster, classic T Meadows lycra shot. Chiloe, that place looks great!
Hit Utah with the special lady friend a couple weeks ago.
Stormy over IC/Canyonlands:
The base of Fine Jade at 9am on a Tuesday. Number being help up represents place in line.
This guy Nate hucking off Castleton. Amazing...
The old lady on Fine Jade, finally:
Checked this out on the drive home. You folks been down there?
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Havasupai?
went down there once, very fun. seemed like stacks of climbing potential.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Reply - May 8, 2007 - 07:26am PT
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Christmas Tree Pass, cruise ships and iceberg slides, trampoline fun, climbing Fine Jade and jumping off Castleton, Meteora with no cowboy hat ... a day in the life of Supertopo. Let's see more!
Back on Cathedral, yeah those cracks were as fun as they look. On Retaliation you've got this positive diagonal layback that goes on and on, with much of the entertainment coming from having to place protection along the way. Bird's Nest gives you straight-on finger locks one after another. Its starting footholds have become nicely polished through the years.
Here's another view of Eric on the final section of Bird's Nest. The BN photos by the way shot by a kindly stranger, and the Retaliation one by Eric; I take no photog credit here.
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Crimpergirl
Social climber
Hell on earth wondering what I did to deserve it
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The trampoline gym is in Chesterfield - west county area. Um, I feel a little worked today!
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Reply - May 8, 2007 - 10:24am PT
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For some reason this reminds me of a short-lived TV show that used to feature a cheerful "girls on trampolines" segment at the end. Not that I watched.
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TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
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Went out and got some shots of the brother on this route he's been working on. He's so close it's painful. Still over my head though....
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Y'know, that looks kinda steep. That iceberg thingy has a better landing, though.
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snakefoot
climber
cali
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from the diving board
Clark from the top of HD
south face of HD
Watkins
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