I had the alarm set for 1:30 a.m., and set off through the early hours to attempt my first wall solo at Looking Glass, NC. More on that later, but basically a storm moved in as I was half way up the route, so I rapped down.
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| My haul bags giving an attentive belay on the Open Book pitch (P3, C2). I avoided the C2 sections by doing some free/french free moves making it more 5.11 C1 ish? |
So 3 Wendy's stops, 2 podcasts, and one tank of gas later, I'd made it to the AAC. The next morning, Jay, Sadie, and I rolled out to Beauty Mountain. I'd been here once years ago on an early trip to the area, and remembered getting spanked on the classic 13b, Tubin' Dudes - as in, pulling through literally every single bolt (maybe that's where my career in 5.11 C1 began?)
Anyway, I was stoked as ever. I decided to warm up on a nice looking 12b called European Vacation (the name seemed especially appropriate). My hands touched the start holds and confirmed my thought that these were some of the worst conditions imaginable. Nonetheless, it turned out to be a really sweet route that I would totally do again.
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| Jay taking his European Vacation, probably wishing he was in Hueco. |
After we'd completed our rounds of warm ups, I was torn between a few options. I really wanted to give a fresh and honest effort on Tubin' Dude's, but the conditions were so bad that I set it aside in hopes that the humidity would drop later in the day. I eyed Zelda, a 13a which shared the first 3 easy moves or so then broke left. I knew Jay had been on it so asked him for bits of beta. I knew the crux was a big move, easily seen from the ground. Jay pointed out which feet to smear on for this move, then assured me the rest of the route was jugs.
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| Breaking left at the start of Zelda. |
I arrived at the big move and eyed up which feet I would smear on as I chalked up and shook. Not waiting too long, I pounced and stuck this crux, feeling a bit of a surge of confidence, but also a bit of frustration that it wasn't exactly a "jug" I had caught, despite what Jay had promised! I caught my breath as I had arrived at the hold I wasn't sure I'd be able to match. Despite it being worse than (again) the "jugs" I'd been promised, it worked well enough to match and I quickly made it to the last bolt. Here I had to pull into a very sunny headwall, but it ended up (finally!) being on the jugs I'd been promised. I was able to feel it out from the comfort of a sinker right hand, and a couple moves later I clipped the anchors! This was my second 13a flash, and I'm proud that I pulled it off in bad conditions and with very little beta.
After some rest, mini bagels, and acceptance that conditions won't be getting better, I tied in to try Tubin' Dudes. The first crux is a HUGE and precise deadpoint, but I was able to avoid this with a very high right drop knee, which allowed me to essentially static this move. Very memorable sequence, and unexpected for a face climb! Next I worked on figuring out the true crux, which involves engaging your core and stabbing good crimps for a few moves (my jam) until getting to a jug. Some pretty cruiser but high quality 5.11 takes you to the anchors.
Having sorted this all out, I tied in for my first RP attempt, and things went really smooth. I had a plan not to rest at the first bolt (I knew I would be tempred), but to essentially sprint to anchors as soon as I left the ground. I got in a really good rhythm, and thanks to a whole spring of developing this technique, was able to be very conscious about my breathing even during hard sequences. Soon I was through the crux and into the 5.11 - so focused that I realized I had forgotten to make a clip (which could've resulted in me striking a boulder behind me). I reached back low to clip it and continued on to the top, feeling like all the previous day's driving had been worth it.
After this, I decided to try the last route on the wall, a 13c called "Leap of Faith". I'd read that this one was a bit of a softy, with some dynos here and there. I onsighted the first two or three bolts and then arrived at a stopper boulder problem. I tried, fell, then spent 30 minutes or so trying to figure out a sequence. Ultimately, I was losing skin and the easiest sequence I'd found still felt v9/too hard to do from the ground. I pulled through and lowered down, ready to move on.
At this point, we still had plenty of daylight but no super quality routes to do at this crag, so I talked Sadie into questing to Southside. I wanted to try a 13c called "One for the Gipper", which I've fallen at the top of many times before. Once at the Brilliant Pebble, Sadie sampled the awesome arete that is Grey Goose, a nice overhanging line with good holds and a boulder problem down low.
After a quick beta run to refresh my memory of the subleties, I tied in for my 6th pitch of 5.13 for the day. Though not exactly fresh, my body and fingers felt perfectly warm. I floated through the bottom section to the last bolt, which is an incredible bit of 12d or so climbing. I shook out for a few minutes on a weird jug, but I was too many pitches in to still have that kind of recovery ability. I launched into the final v7ish boulder, and right as I caught the last hold on the route, my other hand dry fired and I exploded off the wall. Shit!
After Sadie had another go on Grey Goose, with big progress, I tied back in for a final burn on the gipper. I arrived at the rest up top feeling ok, but again couldn't recover as well as I should have. I launched up to the last hold, but didn't have the oomph to stick, despite my other hand sticking this time. I wasn't terribly bothered, as I'd had a great day. I've probably fallen on this last move ~15 times on point. Frustrating, but definitely something I look forward to revisiting. I love this pebble tremendously. The quality is impeccable and the style matches me perfectly. The line just left of the gipper is an absolute dream, and may one day become a goal. That should be a while...
The next 2 days I revisited One for the Gipper, but each time it was soaking wet. On Monday I bailed to the Coliseum and tried BC for the first time. I'd never really been inspired by this line, but had heard many people rave about the quality of the movement. They aren't wrong! This one flows like a dream. Each attempt I would climb faster and faster. Ultimately it breaks down into a juggy 5.12 into a v7 just at the anchors. It seemed most people grab the crux hold as a gaston for this boulder problem, but I couldn't make that feel as casual as I would've liked. Instead I chose to use the crux hold as a sidepull, allowing me to make the move much more controlled. After this, there are a couple of desperate moves going to the anchor clipping slot.
Day three I found myself warming up at the first buttress of Upper Meadow. I began up one of four 13a routes there, having been assured "they're all jugs". Unfortunately they were all sopping wet jugs, so I was a bit gripped getting to the no hands rest half way up the route. As a left this rest and turned the lip of a small roof, I heard metal jangling below me and realized the draw I had just clipped had slid down to the previous draw, with the bolt hanger still attached! The nut must have been very loosely threaded and fallen right off. I was a bit spooked between the onsighting, the wet holds, and the protection that had come off the wall. I downclimbed to the previous bolt, and lowered. Once again, I bailed to the Coliseum!
I was excited to try BC once more. When we arrived, it was not much better. The rock was noticeably darker due to how wet the wall was. The silver lining was that despite the majority of the route being wet, the crux was dry! Ricky and I both came as close as one could to sending our mini projects, but ultimately it was not in the cards. I fell after the crux on BC, peeling off on the bump into the anchor clipping slot! If I could only have one more day, no doubt Ricky and I would put these rigs down!
Now I am back home and training hard., trying to catch up on sleep and moneymaking. The stoke for Flatanger's "facemelting" (as a friend put it ) grantite is all time. I'll be doing my best to post updates from Norway!
After this, I decided to try the last route on the wall, a 13c called "Leap of Faith". I'd read that this one was a bit of a softy, with some dynos here and there. I onsighted the first two or three bolts and then arrived at a stopper boulder problem. I tried, fell, then spent 30 minutes or so trying to figure out a sequence. Ultimately, I was losing skin and the easiest sequence I'd found still felt v9/too hard to do from the ground. I pulled through and lowered down, ready to move on.
At this point, we still had plenty of daylight but no super quality routes to do at this crag, so I talked Sadie into questing to Southside. I wanted to try a 13c called "One for the Gipper", which I've fallen at the top of many times before. Once at the Brilliant Pebble, Sadie sampled the awesome arete that is Grey Goose, a nice overhanging line with good holds and a boulder problem down low.
After a quick beta run to refresh my memory of the subleties, I tied in for my 6th pitch of 5.13 for the day. Though not exactly fresh, my body and fingers felt perfectly warm. I floated through the bottom section to the last bolt, which is an incredible bit of 12d or so climbing. I shook out for a few minutes on a weird jug, but I was too many pitches in to still have that kind of recovery ability. I launched into the final v7ish boulder, and right as I caught the last hold on the route, my other hand dry fired and I exploded off the wall. Shit!
After Sadie had another go on Grey Goose, with big progress, I tied back in for a final burn on the gipper. I arrived at the rest up top feeling ok, but again couldn't recover as well as I should have. I launched up to the last hold, but didn't have the oomph to stick, despite my other hand sticking this time. I wasn't terribly bothered, as I'd had a great day. I've probably fallen on this last move ~15 times on point. Frustrating, but definitely something I look forward to revisiting. I love this pebble tremendously. The quality is impeccable and the style matches me perfectly. The line just left of the gipper is an absolute dream, and may one day become a goal. That should be a while...
The next 2 days I revisited One for the Gipper, but each time it was soaking wet. On Monday I bailed to the Coliseum and tried BC for the first time. I'd never really been inspired by this line, but had heard many people rave about the quality of the movement. They aren't wrong! This one flows like a dream. Each attempt I would climb faster and faster. Ultimately it breaks down into a juggy 5.12 into a v7 just at the anchors. It seemed most people grab the crux hold as a gaston for this boulder problem, but I couldn't make that feel as casual as I would've liked. Instead I chose to use the crux hold as a sidepull, allowing me to make the move much more controlled. After this, there are a couple of desperate moves going to the anchor clipping slot.
Day three I found myself warming up at the first buttress of Upper Meadow. I began up one of four 13a routes there, having been assured "they're all jugs". Unfortunately they were all sopping wet jugs, so I was a bit gripped getting to the no hands rest half way up the route. As a left this rest and turned the lip of a small roof, I heard metal jangling below me and realized the draw I had just clipped had slid down to the previous draw, with the bolt hanger still attached! The nut must have been very loosely threaded and fallen right off. I was a bit spooked between the onsighting, the wet holds, and the protection that had come off the wall. I downclimbed to the previous bolt, and lowered. Once again, I bailed to the Coliseum!
I was excited to try BC once more. When we arrived, it was not much better. The rock was noticeably darker due to how wet the wall was. The silver lining was that despite the majority of the route being wet, the crux was dry! Ricky and I both came as close as one could to sending our mini projects, but ultimately it was not in the cards. I fell after the crux on BC, peeling off on the bump into the anchor clipping slot! If I could only have one more day, no doubt Ricky and I would put these rigs down!
Now I am back home and training hard., trying to catch up on sleep and moneymaking. The stoke for Flatanger's "facemelting" (as a friend put it ) grantite is all time. I'll be doing my best to post updates from Norway!
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