Climbing: Outdoor Previous Next

7/20/2017

1:00 PM

100 m

4:00:00

0.02 mi / hr

Health

160 lb
0

Weather

95 F

Ratings

8 / 10
4 / 10
  • Map

Notes

We climbed mid-day as our route would be in the shade, but that seems like the popular thing to do as we found several people at the start. Most were just doing some easy routes nearby as an intro class, but our route, New Wave, was also the popular choice.

We waited around letting someone else put a top-rope up and the shade to fully come in before starting up the easy first pitch. It was mostly slab with finger cracks, but some of those cracks were filled and not great.

The 2nd pitch was a 5.10a, The crux was difficult and odd, but fun once I got it. I enjoyed this climb.

I did not enjoy the 3rd pitch as much, but maybe that had more to do with waiting 2 hours before being able to climb it. We were behind a 2 team Quebec group. The women were just finishing up but it was probably 30min before the men got going, it took them a whole hour to do it. By then we had another duo with us but we decided to let the pass as they were continuing the climb after that. But we knew they were fast and probably did it all in 20min. At least we had a comfortable place to wait.

'Assembly Line' is a long hand crack. I started off stemming but decided I might as well work on technique (if I had realized just how long this climb was, I would have been happy to stem for 30 feet of it). I think I did well, I just haven't done enough to do a climb this sustained. My feet were hurting by halfway and my hands started soon after. I took a few takes/falls and finished not very happy, but I think that was unfair and anyway, I didn't have time to dwell on my climbing...

So.... I join Rebel and Emma at the top and they point me North where some storm clouds are brewing. They make it clear we are going to descend quickly and we begin. The first repel was still fairly basic other than having to swing around for the anchors. At this next anchor, it became clear that the storm was going to come over us as well. We were blocked at the moment, but we could see the strong wind and rain coming for us.

Rebel repels first and we don't hear from him for a bit. Eventually, I suggest to Emma that she just tether to my harness and take a look. Rebel had made it nearly down (he'd decided to make the 2 repels into 1) but was desperately holding on to the rope as the wind had blown it and it was caught on a rock, that was why we couldn't take any slack and of course we couldn't hear him.

I pulled hard to get some rope and get it into my belay device. The rappel was probably the most intense I've ever had as the wind/rain were blowing as I tried to descend fast while also not getting the rope stuck again. I got to Rebel and had to downclimb some easy rock to officially be off the climb. Emma made it down fine as the thunder was starting to get real close. We left the rope and hiked down another 100ft to get some cover.

This was a bit more of a close-call than any of us would probably have liked. Checking the forecast may or may not have helped, but it wasn't easy with little cell phone coverage. Really we were out there longer than anticipated due to other groups but thankfully every group made it off fine (good thing we let that other group go ahead).

Comments

Emma Spoon

We'll remember this afternoon/evening for a long time to come. We have enjoyed recounting this story to our families, ending with the more humorous raccoon-in-the-car anecdote to lighten the mood.

It was a good learning experience!

Nutmeg

Agreed, not really sure how to feel about it yet but will certainly be thought about next time I'm up on the west face of something.