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mazzystr
Aug 2, 2004, 1:59 AM
Post #1 of 2
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Registered: Jan 8, 2003
Posts: 450
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OK. All these climbing mishaps need to stop right about now...
Allow me to start from the beginning... So this past week, I was forced to give the girl I'd been dating the ole boot. Too many games were being played and my patience wore thin. So like removing a chess piece from my life, she is now gone. Feeling bad about the whole ordeal...I needed to get out of dodge. What better way to celebrate than to get out the ole rope and do some climbing.
So my first weekend spent in freedom was spent in the New River Gorge area in west virginia. I must say, this area is absolutely gorgeous. The constant roar of a raging river that you hear from a half a klick away really puts your mind at ease.
On to the events...
We roll in at 2.30am...get shop set up and we're in bed at 3am. No problem. Who is knocking on my tent at 7am??? OMG...if I had a gun someone wouldve been shot. I was pissed. Anyhow, I drag my half-asleep carcus out of the sleeping bag. over to the rest room, took care of business, took a shower. OK...I'm good, I think I can survive today. My headache never did go away and my weariness of mind didnt help much for later events. Back to the subject...We head to Biscuit World. MMMM...Bicuit World! Oh Boy! it actually waaas nooot bad! for $2.69...I got two eggs scrambled, a biscuit and a 12oz orange juice. Thats a pretty darn good deal! So we've ate and its time for craggin'
You know...there is a mighty valid reason for calling endless wall...endless wall. That reason is...its freeeakin endless! oh boy! we finally find our descent after a 2mile approach. I'm really exaggerating this...mind you, I'm operating on something like 3 or 4 hours of sleep and might be running on 5cylinders. We find a sign with a wierd bug and I'm tapping on the sign to try to get him to come out. This is very ironic considering what was about to happen. So we descend. First climb is a 80degree slab called The Glass Onion. I get volunteered to lead it and its a 10b. Whoo Heee! I can top rope a 10b on a good day, after I've streched and warmed up! Not to mention that I started feeling a bit shaky from my fall a couple weeks ago. So I gear up... I clip the first bolt, this isn't so bad. OMG, finger crack side pull! High lunge for another fingr crack, shoes onto micro chip. I wasn't having it. I want down...now please. thaaank you! Doug gives her a whirl. He takes a couple 2footers trying to make the move. I'm watching him try. I know I can do this. I gear up again. Get in position, roll my wieght nicely onto my left foot...right foot out to a chip, wieght it, throw right hand up and pray something is there... There is! I nice little ledge that has a crack for my long finger nails! muaaaah! Snappity snap goes the quickdraw. the rest of the route was more or less balancy moves like this.
I'm just gonna stick this in here because I dont know where else to put it... There was drizzling rain the day before and all rock was moist if not soaked limestone. So remember this when you say OH I CAN DO THAT :P
anyhow... top rope is set and we're waiting to see what terry and ross are doing... they are on a 5.10 trad climb right next to us. this route starts on a slab...moves along a ledge to another slab...up 3meters to a hauuuuuuuuge overhang that was like 10meters. our route goes to the left of the overhang...up a slabbed arete with a finger crack feature...up to a small overhang and around the bulge to topout. Terry led this beautiful route and Ross seconded. Terry was lowered. Doug climbed it on top and lowered ross. Doug is on belay from above and I never thought I would say this but thank god that he had a gri gri... Here is where nature and Chris met...and nature won, incidently. I was starting to feel good and I want to add a bit of spice to a route that three other guys climbed. They all wussed out and took the 5.2 way up the log to a large ledge then pulling the overhang. I decided to make my start from the moist slab 3meters lower. An flake was broken making that portion harder than what it shouldve been. Doug was near puuuulling me up the route so i really can't claim climbing this portion, next time. I got to where I should be and pulled out from the roof. Pulling out from under the overhang was the exact sequence on chris callegari's bane. Terry is the man for leading that and not whipping. So up the arete. lay back lay back....foot out to the arete...lay back... I'm taking my time salivating the movements like one would suck softly on um, nevermind, is that a bee on my arm? I'm gonna get you ya lil bastaaaaard.... SMACK! youre goo now. Oh shoot another one! Next thing I knew I was covered with yellow jackets. At first I wasnt too worried, then they got my ears, my eyebrow, my chin, my neck, one got me on my chest because I was being cool wearing my new hawaiian shirt that i bought from eBay for $3.99. Finally I couldn't take it. I jumped from the rock yelling Drop me...Drop ME!!!! It wasn't a quick of a descent as I wouldve preferred at that particular moment. I was fully prepared for a deckin. Doug kept his head, I was lowered, the bees disappeared and all was good again. I'm fortunate that they were yellow jackets. They are a more aggressive bee but they dont leave stingers and my wounds were ok after about 10minutes and the swelling was gone after 30minutes and after a few hours, I didnt even notice anything.
Obviously we pack up shop and move, lol. We head to a chimney system and another slab. Chimney was a 5.7trad and the slab was a 5.8sport. I look at teh chimney and thought OK, I can do this. Chimneys are my spec-e-ality. I like chimneys. They like me too! Note! I was talked into leaving my rack in the car for weight savings against my misgivings I agreed. That wont happen again. I started this climb with a makeshift rack put together between two peoples' gear. At first I try to be slick and climb the face, bypassing the chim chiminey, got stuck, required the assistance of a spotter so I could come down. *sighs* Then I'm up the chimney with a #4 cammie stuck in the crack of the overhang. Good job, no problem. Another move another cam. Wha Wait a minute, theres no other move... My last piece is 2 feet below me and I have no more large gear. Damn. This is stupid. My rack is full of gear that this route would suck right up. Crapola. I get an #8, #9, and a #10 curved hex thrown up to me. I'm done here. Let me down please. I come down feeling like a jackass...leaving 2 pieces of gear behind that require us to rap down and retrieve later on. In the meantime, Terry has led the slab and is topside waiting for us to top out and get out of this place. Doug climbs up. Next go the bags. Next goes me. It was a nice route. it was a fun one too. I dont remember much about it. Ross is next. They set up the system to retrieve the gear and soon we are on our way back. the sign with the wierd bug mocks me as I walk by...
Eating was at a cool pasta shop in town. It was good. At 9pm, We were whipped and went to bed. I slept well. Its now saturday. Weather is still full overcast and chance of rain. We ask Rodge if its going to rain today...he says Yeeeep and that was that. We head over to Summersville Lake. There is a dam at teh end of the valley. they close the dam and flood the valley in the summer months. Word on the street says that Summersville lake is over 250feet deep. We walk to a wall find two 5.9's. Terry leads one and Ross has the other. Me and doug top both. Terrys route was a slab up to a ledge a dihedral with a finger crack. it was a good climb. i wished the slab wasnt wet so i could lead. Ross's route was a slab up to a ledgge then up a face. it was damn nice damn damn nice! We fid two more routes. a 5.10a sport and a 5.9 / A1 sport. the 5.9 / A1 sport was something of a unique climb. It reminded me of a route from the Grand Ledges...wet dirty and worn down. the 5.10a sport was beautiful. it was another i wish i had led. We find another 5.8 above a 1.2meter cave. We had a bit of lunch than hit this route. i declare i'm leading this one. I get alot of Whoooa's and Are you sures from everyone. Yes I'm sure dammit, heehee. Been made a fool of so far all weekend...I need to redeem myself and this is it. Ok, haul right foot up to the start, pull, bring left foot, stand... bring right foot into the crack system... i'm on... no problememo... snappity snap goes the quickdraw. what is this? an epoxied hold? wow, first time i ever saw that. the rock is wet and its a side pull with a left foot smear up to a finger ledge. OMG how am I going to do this. I fell twice trying to pull the move. Had my mind been functioning proper and the rock not wet, I could've pulled it easily. It wasnt a bad move at all. I made the decision, stoood and three and made the move. I was up. There wasnt anything else about this route that was out of the ordinary until i got the ancors and it started raining....hard. I yell down...Its dry up here, should i set toprope? terry yells back Juuuust Cleeean. I think what a bunch of wusses. Just then hell breaks loose in the form of torrential rain and thunder. Oh man. This is a regular riot. I set up to be lowered...cleaned the gear and touch down to the ground. I'm grinning in satisfaction. Everyone is soaked and I look like a drowned rat!
We pack up and head over to the Coleseum, which is an 60foot high cave where everyone gathers when it rains. There are about 50climbers hanging around...watching a couple people climb a 5.12 overhang. Soon we decide to swim. The lake is right up against the boulders at this point....3meters down. Everyone take a flying leap and theyre in. I'm the scaredy cat. Finally, I close my eyes and let her rip. Wow, that was...that was pretty fun! We swim over to a 5.6 arete that is coming out of the water....climb that up 2meters....and jump again! Oh this is a blast. The rain is pouring...The water is warm. What a moment! So we swim further along the clif and around the second corner is another ledge 2.5meters up. We climb...jump...climb again...jump again... Oh! We can climb higher! Climb another 2meters...jump. All of us trade turns climbing higher and higher and jumping. Soon we are 30feet up! Um...Guys... I dont know about this. Ross is like 40feet and takes a flyyyyyyying leap! OMG! You are a nut! I decide to jump. My legs dont cross and I get a boat load of water up to my small intestine. I got the ole summersville anema... lovely thought, eh? You need to experience it, LOL. It was a blast though...for sure the highlight of the weekend. Easy climbing free as high as you want then jumping.
Dinner was at Dirty Earnies rip shack. It was an ok dinner...i had a portebella burger, mmm. We went back to camp, went to bed. woke up this morning and tore down shop and that was it. I dont feel like I thought I would coming home from a trip but I do feel soothed and relaxed. I hope you enjoyed this trip report.
Take Care,
-Chris
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andy_reagan
Aug 2, 2004, 1:44 PM
Post #2 of 2
(1209 views)
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Registered: Jan 12, 2004
Posts: 1075
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too bad about the rain, bro, but it looks like you dealt with it in the best possible way - turned it into a good situation. Seeya around!
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