Coming back to climbing
I think the self-discovery process started in the middle of the trip, on Mt. Baker, as I realized that while anything's possible, I don't have the right build for mountaineering. I could still do it, but I'd have to train constantly for it -- and I just don't want it enough. I like brunch and museums and books and I refuse to spend all my free time training. so yeah. (This, btw, is the best argument for not moving to Seattle: surrounded by outdoors culture, I'm afraid I'd lose myself.) I have scaled back my mountaineering ambitions. For me, there's no freedom of the hills. I'd never planned to lead anywhere other than the Gunks - I like to make it to my objectives when I go on expedition and I can afford to pay pros for this sort of thing - but I'm realizing even with that constraint I have to pick my mountains carefully, to ones with support and/or short approaches.
I'd like to do: the Ecuadoran volcccanoes, Elbrus, and the Kautz route on Mt. Rainier. They take newbies on the first two, but I think they may be at the edge of my physical abilities. It's so frustrating to have so much technical knowledge and lack the strength/physique to use it. My guide told me I don't have enough ice climbing background to do the Kautz, but I'm going to call a guiding company that, y'know, has a permit for that mountain to ask =them=. (I think that's the route my sister did with a mere 6 days instruction that, btw, I had too.)
I definitely want to go back to Wyoming for more granite and I think it'd be a hoot to climb Devil's Tower. I loved Mazama (and the country store) so much, I want to go cragging in the area. I'd love to go seracing again. Everyone I've asked about the poll who's been to the Alps or Austria has put it on their list, but it's awfully expensive to learn there. The former chair of my climbing club went there for his honeymoon and recommended Steve Monks for rock cragging in the Alps, but I'm jumping ahead of myself.
Sat I went climbing for the first time since the trip. I'd emailed GMac from the middle of the trip, bc I knew he usually goes to the club picnic and since he finds it hard to get out... At one point during the day he asked if I plan to get married and have kids over the next few years. When I said I did, he said bitterly, "Your climbing will go to shit." Yes, I expect it will.
I was nervous before we went climbing, bc I was afraid I'd oversold my skillz. Over the course of the day, I realized he's not all that strong a climber, but he's a terrific instructor. We took the long way 'round to the end of the Near Trapps - only to find our climb had been taken! Instead, we did Keystone Kop, which was great bc it had a 5.4 first pitch and a 5.7 second pitch. By the time we got down, King of P had opened. It has the advantage of being G-rated (G means it has good, meaning easy, protection), 5.3, and only 45' long so GMac could watch me the whole time and answer questions. I'd forgotten how heavy a rack is! although some of it is that GMac has all the old, heavy gear and he insisted I double up on the heaviest cams. I placed 7 pieces and built an anchor on a tree. GMac said the one cam I placed, the first one, was overcammed, but the other six pieces were solid and while my anchor/belay setup would've been better if I'd had a longer leash, it was fine. W00t!!!
Next we climbed Punch & Judy (5.5 PG *). I'm glad GMac didn't let me lead that first pitch: I'm really not up to PG, and probably not up to leading 5.5 yet. The second pitch is the greatest 5.4 I've ever been on, with lots of interesting features to grab. The whole day was pretty diverse, with some facey climbs, a little overhang (on the second pitch of P&J), and King of P was crack-y (hence the G rating). I fell twice, which he didn't have the luxury of doing, but then found an "invisible" hold to the right. GMac went up again to reset the anchor for a top rope on the climb next to us (R2-OK?, 5.8 PG), and checked out my invisible hold, eventually getting it.
GMac then lead Akidlleativytoowouldn'tyou?, a 5.7 G **; I told him I'd be willing to lead it and he said, "No, I want to lead it!" I think he's leading 5.7 these days, which is a little lower than some of the hotshots in the club, but he's also got a lot more mountaineering knowledge/experience/ability. I've been in the club for 5 years but I'm only just beginning to see the nuances. Anyhow, he had a lot of trouble on one move and when he got it, commented, "I can't wait to see how you do this." Uh oh. That was 7 pitches in one day, including a lead by a n00b - I do 8 or 9 with guides who live in the area - so it's not surprising we got to the picnic late. Unfortunately, there was no food left, so I had lasagna and cake, which fucked up my system :( I was also exhausted - probably sleepy as well as physically drained - so I wasn't nearly as social as I should've been, considering the weather's getting cold and I need to get ice climbing buddies. I found a ride who'd've gotten me back to NYC that night so I could sleep in my own bed, but as I negotiated that, I realized it'd be a slap in the face to my ride who got me there (who is also the current club chair) and to GMac, so I stayed and had bourbon and scotch with them at the Mt Brauhaus.
Sun we woke just after dawn; MLev was having female issues and was generally slow, but we still got to the base of the cliffs by 8. I'd suggested to GMac that we do Wise Crack, which I once tried (with GMac) and ignomiously failed - he brings it up a lot - but MLev commented that we had to do Middle Earth, a nearby classic. I don't understand why it's a two-star climb. We then did Faithful Journey, a 5.8+ * next to it. MLev, who is more experienced, taller, and oh yeah, club prez, tried and tried - but couldn't get off the ground. It's probably just well that I fell the first time I tried it and grunted through it, hm? The second move wasn't much easier and there was at least one section later in the climb that I muscled through. Glad to see I can still do that, considering last weekend's silks class was all skill, no strength. Afterward we repaired to the Gardiner deli, which is almost as awesome as the Mazama country store and their cupcakes are teh yum. I felt bad that I slept most of the ride home - and then I was useless all afternoon from exhaustion.
I'm glad the return to climbing went well. I think the instruction on my trip was great, but it really did a number on my confidence. I knew the next step was more supervised leads on the rocks I intend to climb (and lead), but before this past weekend, I wasn't sure if I should book them for this fall and was feeling pretty hopeless about climbing in general. I suspect the truth of my skill lies somewhere between what my guide and GMac said.
And then NRod (my new "lj" name for my climbing buddy, the White Russian) and I had lunch the day after to discuss our trips: she's climbed Rainier and Grand Teton since I've seen her. We bonded over the difficulties of roped travel, personality conflicts on expedition, and the terrors of rockfalls. I think her trips made her appreciate me more ;) and we had negotiations about how we get grumpy and why she's willing to put up with my slowness (short version: I'm consistent and she knows I'm trying and she likes me). And then she sent me mail about climbing in WV over Hallowe'en, so.. climbing. fuck yeah!
I'd like to do: the Ecuadoran volcccanoes, Elbrus, and the Kautz route on Mt. Rainier. They take newbies on the first two, but I think they may be at the edge of my physical abilities. It's so frustrating to have so much technical knowledge and lack the strength/physique to use it. My guide told me I don't have enough ice climbing background to do the Kautz, but I'm going to call a guiding company that, y'know, has a permit for that mountain to ask =them=. (I think that's the route my sister did with a mere 6 days instruction that, btw, I had too.)
I definitely want to go back to Wyoming for more granite and I think it'd be a hoot to climb Devil's Tower. I loved Mazama (and the country store) so much, I want to go cragging in the area. I'd love to go seracing again. Everyone I've asked about the poll who's been to the Alps or Austria has put it on their list, but it's awfully expensive to learn there. The former chair of my climbing club went there for his honeymoon and recommended Steve Monks for rock cragging in the Alps, but I'm jumping ahead of myself.
Sat I went climbing for the first time since the trip. I'd emailed GMac from the middle of the trip, bc I knew he usually goes to the club picnic and since he finds it hard to get out... At one point during the day he asked if I plan to get married and have kids over the next few years. When I said I did, he said bitterly, "Your climbing will go to shit." Yes, I expect it will.
I was nervous before we went climbing, bc I was afraid I'd oversold my skillz. Over the course of the day, I realized he's not all that strong a climber, but he's a terrific instructor. We took the long way 'round to the end of the Near Trapps - only to find our climb had been taken! Instead, we did Keystone Kop, which was great bc it had a 5.4 first pitch and a 5.7 second pitch. By the time we got down, King of P had opened. It has the advantage of being G-rated (G means it has good, meaning easy, protection), 5.3, and only 45' long so GMac could watch me the whole time and answer questions. I'd forgotten how heavy a rack is! although some of it is that GMac has all the old, heavy gear and he insisted I double up on the heaviest cams. I placed 7 pieces and built an anchor on a tree. GMac said the one cam I placed, the first one, was overcammed, but the other six pieces were solid and while my anchor/belay setup would've been better if I'd had a longer leash, it was fine. W00t!!!
Next we climbed Punch & Judy (5.5 PG *). I'm glad GMac didn't let me lead that first pitch: I'm really not up to PG, and probably not up to leading 5.5 yet. The second pitch is the greatest 5.4 I've ever been on, with lots of interesting features to grab. The whole day was pretty diverse, with some facey climbs, a little overhang (on the second pitch of P&J), and King of P was crack-y (hence the G rating). I fell twice, which he didn't have the luxury of doing, but then found an "invisible" hold to the right. GMac went up again to reset the anchor for a top rope on the climb next to us (R2-OK?, 5.8 PG), and checked out my invisible hold, eventually getting it.
GMac then lead Akidlleativytoowouldn'tyou?, a 5.7 G **; I told him I'd be willing to lead it and he said, "No, I want to lead it!" I think he's leading 5.7 these days, which is a little lower than some of the hotshots in the club, but he's also got a lot more mountaineering knowledge/experience/ability. I've been in the club for 5 years but I'm only just beginning to see the nuances. Anyhow, he had a lot of trouble on one move and when he got it, commented, "I can't wait to see how you do this." Uh oh. That was 7 pitches in one day, including a lead by a n00b - I do 8 or 9 with guides who live in the area - so it's not surprising we got to the picnic late. Unfortunately, there was no food left, so I had lasagna and cake, which fucked up my system :( I was also exhausted - probably sleepy as well as physically drained - so I wasn't nearly as social as I should've been, considering the weather's getting cold and I need to get ice climbing buddies. I found a ride who'd've gotten me back to NYC that night so I could sleep in my own bed, but as I negotiated that, I realized it'd be a slap in the face to my ride who got me there (who is also the current club chair) and to GMac, so I stayed and had bourbon and scotch with them at the Mt Brauhaus.
Sun we woke just after dawn; MLev was having female issues and was generally slow, but we still got to the base of the cliffs by 8. I'd suggested to GMac that we do Wise Crack, which I once tried (with GMac) and ignomiously failed - he brings it up a lot - but MLev commented that we had to do Middle Earth, a nearby classic. I don't understand why it's a two-star climb. We then did Faithful Journey, a 5.8+ * next to it. MLev, who is more experienced, taller, and oh yeah, club prez, tried and tried - but couldn't get off the ground. It's probably just well that I fell the first time I tried it and grunted through it, hm? The second move wasn't much easier and there was at least one section later in the climb that I muscled through. Glad to see I can still do that, considering last weekend's silks class was all skill, no strength. Afterward we repaired to the Gardiner deli, which is almost as awesome as the Mazama country store and their cupcakes are teh yum. I felt bad that I slept most of the ride home - and then I was useless all afternoon from exhaustion.
I'm glad the return to climbing went well. I think the instruction on my trip was great, but it really did a number on my confidence. I knew the next step was more supervised leads on the rocks I intend to climb (and lead), but before this past weekend, I wasn't sure if I should book them for this fall and was feeling pretty hopeless about climbing in general. I suspect the truth of my skill lies somewhere between what my guide and GMac said.
And then NRod (my new "lj" name for my climbing buddy, the White Russian) and I had lunch the day after to discuss our trips: she's climbed Rainier and Grand Teton since I've seen her. We bonded over the difficulties of roped travel, personality conflicts on expedition, and the terrors of rockfalls. I think her trips made her appreciate me more ;) and we had negotiations about how we get grumpy and why she's willing to put up with my slowness (short version: I'm consistent and she knows I'm trying and she likes me). And then she sent me mail about climbing in WV over Hallowe'en, so.. climbing. fuck yeah!