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taino
Dec 12, 2006, 7:26 PM
Post #1 of 6
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Registered: Jan 2, 2003
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This TR is in conjuction with Tigerlilly's TR, found HERE.
We join the story as our heros - having left the heroine at the top of the cliff - have just rappeled down to the second pitch belay and are on anchor...
I was quite excited to finally get back on P3 of Shockley's Ceiling; I'd seconded it twice, but had never successfully led it. I knew the moves. I knew the gear. If I couldn't do it this time, I was going to sell my rack and take up extreme knitting, or something.
The opening moves across the traverse and up to the roof went smoothly enough; no surprises. I noticed that the two angle pitons traditionally protecting the crux were different, and one of them had been changed for a ring piton; trusting neither, I equalized two cams, then put the #2 cam in the crack in the roof.
As I clipped the cam in the roof, I could have sworn I felt a tap-tap on my shoulder as my personal Shockley's demon let me know that it was watching; I experienced a quite-sobering rush of doubt. I'd been here before, and been found wanting. I'd never succeeded at leading this, even though it was well below my lead limit. Did I really want to line up for more abuse?
The doubt I'd felt so suddenly was quickly met by a surge of confidence - not the hot, defiant, desperate confidence of a last-place team making a goal-line stand against the top seed, but the quiet, steady, warm confidence that a master of their craft might show as their hands seemed to flow through their work. Yes... yes, I do want to do this. Yes, I am going to succeed. Bring it, beeyotch.
Handjam... reach up high for the hold you can't see... match... walk feet up higher... reach for the sidepull, and the crimp... get the foot up and heel-hook the horn... get the toe-lock... brace off the sidepull and mantle off the jug... stand up. You mean, that's it?!?!
And so, Shockley's Ceiling was finally led - cleanly. Easily. In an almost anticlimatic fashion. The demon that had haunted me ever since that day years ago when I flailed and struggled through the crux as a terrified second, was finally vanquished completely. I don't view it as my "winning", or my "beating the route"; it's not about winning or losing. It's about dancing - sometimes, you lead... sometimes, the rock leads. Sunday, on that route... I finally got to lead.
I set up a belay about 15 feet above the roof, and brought up Joe; his face, as it appeared in view from under the roof, was CLASSIC - his words upon reaching the belay "that... was EXCITING..." even moreso. The rest of the pitch is no gimme, with some tricky and awkward exit moves from the other roof, but soaring on my hard-won confidence, I hardly noticed. I was deep in my zone, and all cylinders were firing.
As Tigerlilly said, we then all - literally - walked off, into the sunset; subjecting her to a multi-stage rappel wasn't, I decided, the best thing at that point. Frankly, rappeling would have taken us MUCH longer with three people, one of whom having never done it before; I promised that I'd take her out early next season and teach her.
Thanks to both Kathy and Joe for their company, to Kathy for her n00bish enthusiasm, and Joe for his quiet, steady, confident belay and superb seconding. I couldn't have asked for a better close to the rock season.
T
(This post was edited by taino on Dec 12, 2006, 7:27 PM)
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gblauer
Moderator
Dec 18, 2006, 1:20 AM
Post #2 of 6
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Registered: Oct 4, 2002
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Tai...Congratulations on your lead! Gail
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gunkiemike
Dec 18, 2006, 2:37 AM
Post #3 of 6
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Registered: Oct 1, 2002
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Glad to hear (read) that you're ending your season on a positive note.
(Except, based on the last 2 days' weather, the Gunks "06 season appears to never want to end. Climbing in shirtsleeves at Christmastime...crazy)
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tradrenn
Dec 30, 2006, 9:29 PM
Post #4 of 6
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Registered: Jan 16, 2005
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Good to hear you had fun.
Hell of a route Eh.
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nedsurf
Dec 30, 2006, 9:50 PM
Post #5 of 6
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Registered: Nov 9, 2004
Posts: 387
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Thanks for the report. I am recovering from surgery right now so it brought a big smile to my face recounting those fun gunks climbs. It took me out of my house and up to New Paltz for a moment. Next memory, coming down on Sunday evening starving and exhausted, ordering a big, delicious burrito from Mexicali Blue, hitting the road with good memories of a fun weekend keeping me awake. Congrats on leading a fun roof pitch.
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nostalgia
Dec 31, 2006, 6:04 AM
Post #6 of 6
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Registered: Jun 18, 2004
Posts: 793
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Hey Tai! Nice TR :) You definitely made that roof look easier than I made it. It was like the beached whale maneuver, but with an epileptic whale in a disco. Floppity flop.
Thanks for the kudos. I'll second you any day, mah man. 'Specially if we can shoot some stick afterward ;)
-Joe
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