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Re: [boymeetsrock] The Ties that Bind Us - A Day Out on Whitehorse with my Dad:
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boymeetsrock
Oct 6, 2010, 2:16 PM
Views: 9523
Registered: Feb 11, 2005
Posts: 1709
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The next pitch brings us up into position below the head wall, and the business of the climb. We see out first vertical moves here, but climbing continues to be easy so far. Dad comes up with continued grace, moving through these vertical sections without problem. When he joins me I reaffirm that he is enjoying himself and that he wants to continue on. The next pitch will be through the headwall proper and will entail a couple of committing moves.
Dad in the lower section of the headwall
With the option to retreat at the top of this pitch I have little concern about continuing. Dad lets me know that he is not having any issues with the height or trusting the rope. We are over 400’ feet off the ground now and the exposure is starting to show despite the low angle of the rock. He says he is feeling comfortable with he in the lead… We’ll see how long that lasts.  
Dad leaving the Belay below the head wall.
Having reassessed our position, again, I set of into the crux of the climb. I decide to move straight up at first, following a small corner which provides gear. I then traverse right onto steep slab to a bolt. After I pass the bolt I decide that those moves felt a lot more like 5.7 than 5.5. I continue up until I can place some gear, then I lower off and remove the couple of pieces. I don’t want to make my Dad climb that so, I move off to the right this time. The climbing in this direction was closer to 5.5. There is one section with a couple of balancy moves in succession. What concerned me here was that there was the pendulum potential but, this was the way through.
Above the technical crux, a traversing ramp leads to the physical crux. This consists of a vertical corner that takes four or six strong moves to get through. I was less concerned for my Dad here as the fall potential on a TR was nearly non existent. By far this was the most difficult pitch of the climb. I knew if we made it through this section we would make the top (time permitting). I made the anchor and called off belay.
This is a crappy pic of the part on Beginner's Route going through the head wall. It serves to show the undulating topography up there. (Pics are clicky for larger image.)
(This post was edited by boymeetsrock on Oct 6, 2010, 2:22 PM)
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Dad Starting Headwall web.jpg
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Other Party on Headwall web.jpg
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Dad Headwall Anchor Far web.jpg
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