Trip Report
Birthday Challenge, 35 at the Pinnacles
Monday November 2, 2015 2:09pm
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Kalen Glenn on Fourplay, Pinnacles National Park
Kalen Glenn on Fourplay, Pinnacles National Park
Credit: karodrinker
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Last Saturday, October 24th, I did a birthday challenge to show myself that I'm not old!
The challenge, to climb 35 routes at the Pinnacles National Park in a day.
Thanks mostly to my support crew, I was able to do it in about 12 hours.
The climbs were: The Ordeal 5.8, Jorgies Crack 5.10a, Fly Bye 5.9, Fly Bye Bye Bye 5.9, Swallow Crack 5.6, Between a Rock and a Hard Place 5.11a, Fat Lips 5.11, Labor of Love 5.11, The Big Pucker 5.10d, Portent 5.7, The Wet Kiss 5.9, First Sister Center Route 5.5, First Sister Right 5.5, Foreplay 5.11b, POD 5.10d, POD Eliminate Black Streak 5.11, Hawaiian Noises 5.10d, Terranean Tango 5.10a, Subterranean Tango 5.11, Direct Route 5.7, Regular Route 5.8, Sound Chaser 5.10a, Castles Made of Sand 5.10b, Relayer 5.10c, Organ Grinder 5.8 (x4), Me and My Monkey 5.9+ (x5).

Ended up climbing a bunch of routes that were new to me, and generally just had a phenomenal day of climbing with great friends and family. My Dad was there until about route 20 or so and made a video.

[Click to View YouTube Video]

  Trip Report Views: 3,100
karodrinker
About the Author
Kalen Glenn is from San Jose, CA.

Comments
StahlBro

Trad climber
San Diego, CA
  Nov 2, 2015 - 02:16pm PT
Bitchen!!!

Proud list as well.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Nov 2, 2015 - 02:57pm PT
Proud!
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
  Nov 2, 2015 - 03:08pm PT
sweet! Congrats again on cranking it out! Lots of higher numbers in that list!
k-man

Gym climber
SCruz
  Nov 2, 2015 - 03:48pm PT
Way to clip 'em up!

And I recognize that pose in the opening pic! LOL...
looks easy from here

climber
Santa Cruzish
  Nov 2, 2015 - 04:09pm PT
Organ Grinder 5.8 (x4), Me and My Monkey 5.9+ (x5)

Weaksauce. :p

Happy birthday. Sounds like a great time.
mtnyoung

Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
  Nov 2, 2015 - 06:01pm PT
Nice, long day.

Hint: it's gonna get harder to keep up with your age every year ;)
karodrinker

Trad climber
San Jose, CA
Author's Reply  Nov 2, 2015 - 06:49pm PT
Lol I did want to do 35 distinct routes, so it was weak sauce to lap the 2 final routes. I am a failure, I will now fall on my sword;)
mtnyoung

Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
  Nov 2, 2015 - 06:51pm PT
Before you fall on it, could you post on here that I get all your climbing gear please?
drljefe

climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
  Nov 2, 2015 - 07:07pm PT
That's a lot of choss.
Happy birthday!
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
  Nov 2, 2015 - 09:29pm PT
hey there say, kalen... wow, happy birthday!!! and thanks for sharing the trip report...

wow, a next generations, from OUR neighborhood... :)
in san jose... :)


always fun to think back, on that... and where some of us are, now...
and how--there IS that next generation... :)
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
  Nov 2, 2015 - 09:30pm PT
hey there say... ooops, forgot the cake, :))


donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
  Nov 3, 2015 - 06:54am PT
Congrats! A diverse list of climbs. Quit while you're ahead, i certainly didn't shoot for 72 routes in July.
Ed H

Trad climber
Santa Rosa, CA
  Nov 3, 2015 - 12:36pm PT
Happy Birthday! Fun video! TFPU! Very impressive!

I'm sure you know Alex did 290 pitches on his 29th birthday...
kaholatingtong

Trad climber
The fake McCoy from nevernever land.
  Nov 3, 2015 - 11:24am PT
Proper birthday challenge that, and quite an accomplishment to boot. Good work. And thanks, it makes me realize I really need to get back to the Pinns soon. :D
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
  Nov 3, 2015 - 01:12pm PT
I'm both jealous and worried. If I follow your trend, does it mean I need to do 65 routes on my next birthday?

Very nice work, sir.

John
looking sketchy there...

Social climber
Lassitude 33
  Nov 3, 2015 - 01:22pm PT
Well done! Birthday challenges are tons of fun and a great way to bond with friends (and challenge yourself).
karodrinker

Trad climber
San Jose, CA
Author's Reply  Nov 7, 2015 - 10:18am PT
I had planned to do the easy routes next to Organ Grinder, but enjoyed the heck out of Me and My Monkey. It felt kinda hard the first lap, but after multiple ascents it just felt better and better as I dialed in the sequence.
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Nov 8, 2015 - 11:54am PT
Happy belated birthday, again. Know we share the special day, maybe we can share an adventure for it on one of these years.
Mike Bolte

Trad climber
Planet Earth
  Nov 8, 2015 - 12:09pm PT
nice! (it's "Foreplay" to fit in with POD)
FRUMY

Trad climber
Bishop,CA
  Nov 8, 2015 - 02:22pm PT
Nice work!
Chris McNamara

SuperTopo staff member
  Nov 9, 2015 - 05:36pm PT
This was included in SuperTopo Climbing News Check it out here >> http://goo.gl/AvcFOq
Jeff P

climber
  Nov 9, 2015 - 06:22pm PT
Give me a break. You think 35 is old? I did not peak until I was 45, at 5.12a. Then my shoulders froze and I had to quit.
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