extra credit
I might have intimated before that I was all done climbing for the season after Labor Day. But I just can't quit.
Over the weekend I went out to Leavenworth with Doug and we climbed Hyperspace. I don't really think it should be called "the Astroman of Washington" as I have seen a couple times- it's nowhere near as hard or as long- but it was good. I've been thinking about that route since I first heard about it after learning to climb, probably 5 years. Now as Doug put it, we never again have to think about when we're going to do it, what it would be like, how hard it is... cuz we did it and we're never going back.
Okay, I might do it again, I suppose, the route is really good except for about 10 feet. That 10 foot section is called the Pressure Chamber and it's the reason the route has been in my head for so long. Described as a 5.10d overhanging, flaring squeeze chimney, it originally sounded like a complete impossibility and something for me to laugh at incredulously. Then I got good enough that 5.10d was within striking distance. And then I had a willing partner.
Well I don't know how the hell you grade a feature like this, but 5.10d doesn't really conjure up the right picture in my mind. It was bonkers. You reach in far enough and you can get hand jams in many places but they don't move you up, they just suck you in farther. And there's nothing but air underneath you, you can't see where to put your feet... Doug led it and pulled through on gear, which was hard enough. I tried to free most of it but ended up hanging a lot.
It looked like this:
But I can't blame you if your brain can't make sense of it; At one point I was looking up at Doug leading and he suddenly did this crazy stemming move, and rotated 180 degrees, and my brain just shut down. NORMAL PHYSICS DO NOT APPLY.
All of the rest of the route was fun sustained 5.10 climbing. We didn't take the Psychopath option down low, which is supposedly stellar 5.11a crack, so I would like to go back and hit that, and then divert around the Pressure Chamber by linking up into Outer Space.
Sara pointed out last night it's been a big year for me, and it's true. In the last couple months I've ticked off at least 4 long-time goals. I'm feeling good, maybe I can keep the momentum rolling into ice climbing season.
Now if only some lovely fall weather would roll in on Saturday so Sara and I can do our little day hike of the Enchantments and maybe tag Prusik...
Over the weekend I went out to Leavenworth with Doug and we climbed Hyperspace. I don't really think it should be called "the Astroman of Washington" as I have seen a couple times- it's nowhere near as hard or as long- but it was good. I've been thinking about that route since I first heard about it after learning to climb, probably 5 years. Now as Doug put it, we never again have to think about when we're going to do it, what it would be like, how hard it is... cuz we did it and we're never going back.
Okay, I might do it again, I suppose, the route is really good except for about 10 feet. That 10 foot section is called the Pressure Chamber and it's the reason the route has been in my head for so long. Described as a 5.10d overhanging, flaring squeeze chimney, it originally sounded like a complete impossibility and something for me to laugh at incredulously. Then I got good enough that 5.10d was within striking distance. And then I had a willing partner.
Well I don't know how the hell you grade a feature like this, but 5.10d doesn't really conjure up the right picture in my mind. It was bonkers. You reach in far enough and you can get hand jams in many places but they don't move you up, they just suck you in farther. And there's nothing but air underneath you, you can't see where to put your feet... Doug led it and pulled through on gear, which was hard enough. I tried to free most of it but ended up hanging a lot.
It looked like this:
But I can't blame you if your brain can't make sense of it; At one point I was looking up at Doug leading and he suddenly did this crazy stemming move, and rotated 180 degrees, and my brain just shut down. NORMAL PHYSICS DO NOT APPLY.
All of the rest of the route was fun sustained 5.10 climbing. We didn't take the Psychopath option down low, which is supposedly stellar 5.11a crack, so I would like to go back and hit that, and then divert around the Pressure Chamber by linking up into Outer Space.
Sara pointed out last night it's been a big year for me, and it's true. In the last couple months I've ticked off at least 4 long-time goals. I'm feeling good, maybe I can keep the momentum rolling into ice climbing season.
Now if only some lovely fall weather would roll in on Saturday so Sara and I can do our little day hike of the Enchantments and maybe tag Prusik...