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Gmburns2000
Apr 9, 2012, 1:42 PM
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Sounds like a nice weekend for both of you. I was in Sao Paulo. Big city. Didn't really like the city that much, but Sao Paulo state apparently has some of the best climbing in Brasil. Someday...
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gblauer
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Apr 9, 2012, 2:21 PM
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Greg, How long will you be in Brazil? My son wants to come down...
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losbill
Apr 9, 2012, 3:51 PM
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Dip -- Well done! You packed a lot into less than 24 hours! Climbing by moonlight! I bet it was beautiful. I haven't done any moonlight climbing in a number of years, at least on purpose. I'm definitely going to get motivated to do so at the next opportunity.
Gail you clearly have more energy than any 3 of the rest of us. Glad to hear Mitch is back out.
I have had a good start to the season with the dry and warm weather here in the Northeast. I have been out one day for each of the 5 past weekends. Spent one of them at Crow Hill. Led Watusi for the first time, great climb! 5.9 in the guide book but I think it deserves the New England 5.9+. Way more sustained at grade then I thought it would be. I had a couple of years ago led up Birds of Fire couldn't figure out where it goes (I do now, very scary, glad I didn't do it back then, I would have really been over my head) and ended up traversing over and finishing the top of Watusi. From below figured it would be one tough move gaining the top of a block on a small arete before cruising up to the cruxy bit I had done before. Not so! Definitely a full value climb. In addition the moves at the block were significantly harder than they appeared from below.
The other four days have been at The Crag That Cannot Be Named. I do consider myself very lucky to have what I consider two quality crags within an hour of the house. Given the dry weather many of the routes that are normally seeping a bit this time of the year are completely dry. In addition route development goes on. So despite the peregrine closure there has been plenty to keep me busy. One of the highlights (spray alert) was my first 5.10 lead. I had top roped the route the weekend before and decided to give it a go. It is another sustained full value route. The start features an relative easy 5.10 overhang about 10 feet up. The next bit is some really nice 5.9 hand jamming. Finally you get to the crux. Pretty demanding with a bit of a bulge, crimpy with limited feet. Really have to work to hang in and get the feet high enough to be able to reach up and get the good horizontal above. I got through it in good style after a number of up and downs working out the sequence. Got a jam and a good cam in the horizontal and had a couple of 5.8 moves left to run to the anchors. Moved up but unfortunately I was absolutely spent and my right hand, despite very significant mental efforts to the contrary, simply buttered off a hold and I took the whip. I should have milked the rest after the crux a bit longer! Shook out a bit, reclimbed the crux; took a hang on the gear above it, I was toast; and finished it. Next time! Brought Ed up. He led up a new 5.9 pitch above us. Thanks to Tony for pointing it out and thanks to Earl for cleaning and equipping it! The crux is standing on tiptoes getting gear and a jam in a crack above that is completely undercut and swinging a foot up on to the face. You continue up the crack a bit and then a thin traverse protected by a bolt to the left to an arete. Around the arete, up a attention-getting, bolt-protected slab to the finish. Great climb with great position out on the arete and slab. Just another day of Massachusetts cragging!
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Dip
Apr 9, 2012, 5:15 PM
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In reply to: I haven't done any moonlight climbing in a number of years, at least on purpose
Haha, funny that you say that. This was my first intentional one, and i have to say it was much more fun than the unintentional one
Edit to add: Nice work on the .10. Funny how it's such an arbitrary thing yet such a real hurdle at the same time.
(This post was edited by Dip on Apr 9, 2012, 5:17 PM)
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dagibbs
Apr 9, 2012, 5:45 PM
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Yes, this trip report is somewhat delayed... things have been a bit busy back home and all.
We flew down to Mexico on March 10th, or at least that was the plan. Unfortunately United had an overweight plane from Houston to Monterey, so we got delayed, and couldn't actually get in until Sunday evening -- March 11th. Magic Ed was there at the airport to greet us, though, which was a relief. (I did have maps & directions to the Posada printed in both English and Spanish just in case we had to take a taxi.)
We were flying back early on Sunday, March 25th -- so that gave us 13 climbing days in Mexico, and I ended up climbing 12 of those 13 days. The weather was generally pretty good -- some cloudy, some hot, and one thunderstorm. We chased shade a fair bit on the hot days.
The classic of the trip was Estrellita -- 1100 ft, 12 pitches. It is, nominally, 5.11b, but the 5.11b pitch has a 5.8 variation, and the hardest other pitches are nominally 5.10b, so most of the people doing it for a long, lovely, bolted moderate-to-easy multi-pitch climb the 5.8 variation. I lead all the pitches but the first 5.8, the 3rd class, and the two 5.7 pitches -- linking pitches here and there, too. I found it all pretty easy going -- I do know on one of the 5.10b pitches I dodged what looked like the crux by going slightly off-route onto 5.7 jugs, but I don't remember anything that felt like 5.10b on the other pitch either -- really nothing felt much harder than 5.9+ the whole way up. So, an absolutely approachable and enjoyable climb, easy to follow route-finding, to a lovely ridge summit with a lone palm tree. Truly a classic climb.
Also, we met some really good, friendly, climbers -- mostly I climbed with Celine who travelled down with me, but occasionally we split up, climbing with others (group or seperate) or occasionally I climbed with someone else on a day when she needed a rest.
Day by day:
Day 1 - warm-up climbing, getting used to be on rock, and what the rock is like around there. The Cat's Meow (5.8, lead), Skairdy Cat (5.9, on-sight lead), Cat Daddy (5.9, bailed 2/3 way up), Nasty Screwdriver (5.8, on-sight lead; recovered bail gear), Jungle Boy (5.8, bailed at overhang -- might have been off-route on the 5.11 beside it?), pitch 1 of Los Chimuelas (5.8, onsight lead).
Day 2 - Crack Test Dummies (2 pitches, 5.7, 5.9 - followed pitch 1, onsight lead pitch 2. Some interesting chimney work.), Mr Hanky (5.8, onsight lead), Asombrame (5.10a/b, top-rope clean).
Day 3 - Libertad (5.7, 5.7 - followed both; first pitch is really more like 5.5), first 3 pitches of Yogi Unchained (5.8, 5.9, 5.9 - onsight lead 2 & 3), First pitch of Face the Music (5.9 - onsight lead, seemed soft).
Day 4 - Cat's Meow (5.8, lead), Skairdy Cat (5.9, TR), A Gringo Ate My Baby (5.8, onsight lead), TRed some variant of Cat's Meow/Skairdy (5.9+, was making it harder on the way up to clean the anchor since I was on TR), First 2 pitches of Ramsey's Shenanigans (5.9, 5.9 - followed first, onsight lead 2nd; 3rd pitch looked too hard -- we were looking at the wrong climb.)
Day 5 - rest day.
Day 6 - Estrellita (1100ft, 12 pitches, 5.10b - red-point lead on most of the stuff).
Day 7 - Ramsey's Shenanigans (5.9, 5.9, 5.9 - followed; found the correct 3rd pitch this time). First 2 pitches of Yogi Unchained 5.8, 5.9 - lead the first pitch -- tried again to finish this climb, but backed off due to rain starting, with thunder rumbling as we rappelled down. 10 minutes after we walked back to the Posada, it was clear again.)
Day 8 - One Dead Teardrop (5.9 onsight lead), Monkey Booty (5.9+, follow), Chicaboom Nights (5.9, TR), Mr Patacca (5.9, onsight lead), Doof Crack (5.8ish [Ed says 5.9, Dane says 5.7], onsight lead), The Popsicle Kings (5.10b, TR with one fall).
Day 9 - Run for the Border (5.8+, onsight lead), El Cachorro (5.7, follow), The Black Smith (5.9, 5.8 - onsight lead first pitch, follow 2nd), The Anvil (5.7 TRed, then followed taking 5.9ish variants).
Day 10 - Slip of the Tongue (5.7, onsight lead; felt stiff for an EPC 5.7), Sabroso (5.9, follow), Upside Down Cracker (5.8, follow), Fupa (5.9-, onsight lead). Day ended early when a climbing companion took a big lead fall and hurt (turned out, after X-rays to be a sprain) his ankle.
Day 11 - Another slow day, Osito 5.9+ crack climb (followed clean, ouch to hands), Cat Daddy (5.9, TR), Nasty Screwdriver (5.8, TR).
Day 12 - Las Chimuelas (5.8, 5.9, 5.8 - lead 1st and on-sight lead 3rd pitch), 31 Foot Smurf (5.10a, onsight lead), Spin Doctor (5.9, onsight lead), Catwalk (5.10b, TR clean), first two pitches of The Flamingo Wall (5.8, 5.8 - onsight lead pitch 1, follow 2.)
Day 13 - I Believe I Can Fly (5.8 onsight lead), Emillio's Posse (5.9, onsight lead), Zombie Wolf (5.9, onsight lead -- a long climb for a single pitch at 140 ft, rappels in two raps.)
So, lots of good moderate climbing and a lot of leading.
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dagibbs
Apr 9, 2012, 5:53 PM
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More weekend-warriorish, I did get out climbing locally (Ottawa, Canada) Saturday and Sunday of last (Easter) weekend. The weather was pretty good both days, and I had good fun. The rock, though, is so different... back to small edges on the local granite, rather than the lovely jugs of the limestone in EPC.
Saturday we went up to Home Cliff (basically the closed by combined driving & approach time crag) since one of the group needed to be back in town by 4pm for family stuff. This was mostly a practice trad on easy stuff day for the guys with me, both climbing on my rack. I did get a successful red-point on a local classic, Peggy (5.7), which I find a bit intimidating as it starts with a bouldery and awkward crux with poor feet right off the ground. And, I realized once again that the local grading is much stiffer than at EPC.
Sunday we drove up to Montagne d'Argent, which is a lovely climbing destination about 2 hours north and east on the Quebec side. It is land that is owned and maintained as a climber destination -- so there is a $7 climbing fee (or $35 annual), but it is generally well worth it in order to be welcomed (rather than tolerated) and to have well maintained access paths, cables across the top of cliffs for setting top-ropes, etc. I on-sighed a 5.8 sport [technical work on little edges but less than vertical, SO different from EPC], and on-sighed a 5.7 trad line. Plus, we climbed a few other things that were new to the rest of the group, but which I had climbed before. One of the group was a co-worker, and it was her first time ever out-door climbing. She liked it, but says the gym seems boring now. Ah, the curse of the sweetness of climbing on real rock.
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jakedatc
Apr 9, 2012, 6:20 PM
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Got outside for the first time this season. Met up with Josh at Rumney sat morning. late start cuz it was COLD anyway so it didn't matter.
Warmed up at Vader, doing Obi won and yoda. then moved to Bonsai and did masterpiece, josh did Centerpiece. Josh gave a good go at Noodle and sussed out the beta for next time. I wanted to try Social Distortion. the bottom crux is really reachy and I couldn't find a body position to make it work. i have 2 sets of beta to try for next time. the top isn't bad at all so as long as i can do the bottom the rest should go easy. especially with a sitdown rest after the first crux. Ended the day at Triple corners. did Amore Eel, Man with a Hueco, Loose & baggy and Triple delight (was going to go do the .9 above it but i think you need to do it as 2 pitches and we didn't want to)
Sunday: met up with some guys i had met saturday and who knew Josh.
warmed up at Armed and dangerous on Metamorphisis. then ran up to Bonsai and did Masterpiece and cleaned our draws off Peer Pressure. Met everyone else at Waimea. they all wanted to do Waimea, i passed. I belayed another friend on Cote D'azure. Was really fun watching someone who has that hard of a climb completely wired.
This guy Adam and I left them at waimea and hit up Below New wave. We did Son of Sammy, Couch Potato, Debbie does CPR (his first .11 redpoint outdoors in 3 burns), Bullwinkle goes ballistic. then everyone else showed back up and i followed Sallys Ally(1hang frozen fingers) and Barking spiders (2 hangs.. really hard crux and finish). Called it a day, fingers toast.. pulled muscle in my forearm screaming.
Was going to do a short day hike today but too much recharging of my phone and laptop left my battery dead when i stopped to get gas it wouldn't restart. I wasn't sure if the drive to the trail was long enough to charge it enough so i bailed and went home.
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Gmburns2000
Apr 9, 2012, 6:22 PM
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gblauer wrote: Greg, How long will you be in Brazil? My son wants to come down...
I'm here for the foreseeable future. I'm in Curitiba, in the south. When is he coming and for how long?
Curitiba isn't a tourist stop, but if he passes through on his way farther south then he can certainly look me up. I have a not-so-good couch and a floor he can crash on. Getting out climbing is difficult (depends on the availability of a car), but maybe we can give it a shot.
What's he doing down here?
Bill - nice job. Way to get at it. Please say hi to Ed for me.
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jakedatc
Apr 9, 2012, 6:25 PM
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Gmburns2000 wrote: gblauer wrote: Greg, How long will you be in Brazil? My son wants to come down... I'm here for the foreseeable future. I'm in Curitiba, in the south. When is he coming and for how long? Curitiba isn't a tourist stop, but if he passes through on his way farther south then he can certainly look me up. I have a not-so-good couch and a floor he can crash on. Getting out climbing is difficult (depends on the availability of a car), but maybe we can give it a shot. What's he doing down here? Bill - nice job. Way to get at it. Please say hi to Ed for me.
Saw Ed at rumney saturday.. i asked him if he was lost ;)
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Gmburns2000
Apr 9, 2012, 6:41 PM
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jakedatc wrote: Gmburns2000 wrote: gblauer wrote: Greg, How long will you be in Brazil? My son wants to come down... I'm here for the foreseeable future. I'm in Curitiba, in the south. When is he coming and for how long? Curitiba isn't a tourist stop, but if he passes through on his way farther south then he can certainly look me up. I have a not-so-good couch and a floor he can crash on. Getting out climbing is difficult (depends on the availability of a car), but maybe we can give it a shot. What's he doing down here? Bill - nice job. Way to get at it. Please say hi to Ed for me. Saw Ed at rumney saturday.. i asked him if he was lost ;)
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Dip
Apr 22, 2012, 3:56 PM
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I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the weatherman for keeping the Gunks mostly empty on Saturday. Climbed at the Nears for the first time ever and had our choice of routes all day. Went for the Land theme with Disneyland, both pitches of Birdland, Roseland, then threw in Farewell to Arms for good measure. Roseland and Birdland were both immaculate, although i have to say if Roseland is 5.9 I ain't buying 5.8+ for Birdland, as i thought Roseland was much more difficult. I think i placed nearly my entire rack on that bitch, and nearly fell pulling the first roof. Bounced before the deluge arrived. Great day.
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jakedatc
Apr 22, 2012, 4:11 PM
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I found Roseland to be tough but .9 is still ok. i think the slippery insecure feeling makes you overgrip a bit and the traverse move is just one hard move. for me the crux on Birdland was less straight forward and i hung out at a stance for a while figuring it out.
good job on both though they are solid leads.
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Gmburns2000
Apr 22, 2012, 4:20 PM
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jakedatc wrote: I found Roseland to be tough but .9 is still ok. i think the slippery insecure feeling makes you overgrip a bit and the traverse move is just one hard move. for me the crux on Birdland was less straight forward and i hung out at a stance for a while figuring it out. good job on both though they are solid leads.
just curious, what do you think is the crux on birdland? I think P1 and P2 are both excellent and incredibly different from each other.
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Dip
Apr 22, 2012, 4:23 PM
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jakedatc wrote: I found Roseland to be tough but .9 is still ok. i think the slippery insecure feeling makes you overgrip a bit and the traverse move is just one hard move. for me the crux on Birdland was less straight forward and i hung out at a stance for a while figuring it out. good job on both though they are solid leads.
Yeah i'm definitely not arguing the .9, as it's all there. I didn't think the traverse was too bad, i was just pumped silly from the overgripping on the way to it, which made it interesting.
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jakedatc
Apr 22, 2012, 5:45 PM
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Gmburns2000 wrote: jakedatc wrote: I found Roseland to be tough but .9 is still ok. i think the slippery insecure feeling makes you overgrip a bit and the traverse move is just one hard move. for me the crux on Birdland was less straight forward and i hung out at a stance for a while figuring it out. good job on both though they are solid leads. just curious, what do you think is the crux on birdland? I think P1 and P2 are both excellent and incredibly different from each other.
i found the bit right above this person to be the crux for me. I also wasn't seeing a left hand hold for a little bit that helped me pull up but it was still tricky. i really wanted a piece in the weird slot above their head but i didn't have any offsets. i think i eventually got a small nut in above that.
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jakedatc
Apr 22, 2012, 5:47 PM
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Dip wrote: jakedatc wrote: I found Roseland to be tough but .9 is still ok. i think the slippery insecure feeling makes you overgrip a bit and the traverse move is just one hard move. for me the crux on Birdland was less straight forward and i hung out at a stance for a while figuring it out. good job on both though they are solid leads. Yeah i'm definitely not arguing the .9, as it's all there. I didn't think the traverse was too bad, i was just pumped silly from the overgripping on the way to it, which made it interesting.
i shook out at the jug before the traverse as much as i could. i think there were other spots to get stem rests along the way so i felt ok. steep overhanging sport climbing = good training for pumpy gunks routes :)
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Gmburns2000
Apr 22, 2012, 8:25 PM
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jakedatc wrote: Gmburns2000 wrote: jakedatc wrote: I found Roseland to be tough but .9 is still ok. i think the slippery insecure feeling makes you overgrip a bit and the traverse move is just one hard move. for me the crux on Birdland was less straight forward and i hung out at a stance for a while figuring it out. good job on both though they are solid leads. just curious, what do you think is the crux on birdland? I think P1 and P2 are both excellent and incredibly different from each other. i found the bit right above this person to be the crux for me. I also wasn't seeing a left hand hold for a little bit that helped me pull up but it was still tricky. i really wanted a piece in the weird slot above their head but i didn't have any offsets. i think i eventually got a small nut in above that.
Yeah, that's the technical crux of P1. Going left and laying back helps to gain that slot.
BTW - I fell on this once:
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jakedatc
Apr 22, 2012, 9:35 PM
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yea.. i tried all kinds of stuff in that and really wanted a midsize HB offset that i did not have. a yellow/green offset alien might have also worked.
i found a sidepull on the left face outside the flake system and then crossed my right and used the flakes. i never fell but i up and down climbed that section for a while to look and rest/evaluate life.
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Gmburns2000
Apr 22, 2012, 10:04 PM
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jakedatc wrote: yea.. i tried all kinds of stuff in that and really wanted a midsize HB offset that i did not have. a yellow/green offset alien might have also worked. i found a sidepull on the left face outside the flake system and then crossed my right and used the flakes. i never fell but i up and down climbed that section for a while to look and rest/evaluate life.
right on the flake, step out left to a sketchy-but-solid looking nub, right foot up, bam!, hit the horizontal.
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gblauer
Moderator
Apr 22, 2012, 11:45 PM
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Totally jealous of your climbing day on Saturday. I stayed home due to a work event on Saturday night.
climbed at the gym today, but, that's not the same isn't it?
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losbill
Apr 23, 2012, 12:14 AM
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In reply to: I stayed home due to a work event on Saturday night. climbed at the gym ....
What!!!! I think Gail may need an intervention!!!! I have to assume at the very least it was black tie and Mitch looked great in a tux and you were stunning in some designer frock!
DA Thanks for the TRs. Enjoyed your account of Estrellita. Sounded like an outstanding outing.
Dip sounds like a great day. Jake, I did the same thing the first time up Birdland. Up and down, up and down, up and down until I finally said to myself "This is only a 5.8! There has to be an easier way!" Stepped up, leaned out left, thinking there must be a hold out there to step up off, and sure enough there it was. Freaking Greg!!! Even after following me on it you still turned it into a 5.10!!! Given a choice no easy way for you! You are truly a manly man!!! Definitely have Roseland on the tick list for the next trip to the Gunks after this discussion and previous accounts by Jake.
It has been an unbelievably dry spring here in the NE. I have climbed for the past 7 weekends in a row in perfect conditions. Something I haven't experienced in 10 years. Was out cragging at Crow Hill yesterday. Hadn't arranged to climb with any one but Ed, Gerry, Brian, Kevin, and others etc. were out. It is nice to have a nearby crag where "everyone knows your name". Had fun bouldering, tradding, TRing and admiring the very elegant nails of the Kevin's very beautiful three young daughters. I was told that the nail designs were very complex since they had been done by a very complex individual!!! Huh!?!? The youngest, Alina at 5 1/2, was very solicitous of my safety and insisted that I wear a helmet while belaying her Dad on top rope!
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Gmburns2000
Apr 23, 2012, 12:20 AM
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losbill wrote: In reply to: I stayed home due to a work event on Saturday night. climbed at the gym .... What!!!! I think Gail may need an intervention!!!! I have to assume at the very least it was black tie and Mitch looked great in a tux and you were stunning in some designer frock! DA Thanks for the TRs. Enjoyed your account of Estrellita. Sounded like an outstanding outing. Dip sounds like a great day. Jake, I did the same thing the first time up Birdland. Up and down, up and down, up and down until I finally said to myself "This is only a 5.8! There has to be an easier way!" Stepped up, leaned out left, thinking there must be a hold out there to step up off, and sure enough there it was. Freaking Greg!!! Even after following me on it you still turned it into a 5.10!!! Given a choice no easy way for you! You are truly a manly man!!! Definitely have Roseland on the tick list for the next trip to the Gunks after this discussion and previous accounts by Jake. It has been an unbelievably dry spring here in the NE. I have climbed for the past 7 weekends in a row in perfect conditions. Something I haven't experienced in 10 years. Was out cragging at Crow Hill yesterday. Hadn't arranged to climb with any one but Ed, Gerry, Brian, Kevin, and others etc. were out. It is nice to have a nearby crag where "everyone knows your name". Had fun bouldering, tradding, TRing and admiring the very elegant nails of the Kevin's very beautiful three young daughters. I was told that the nail designs were very complex since they had been done by a very complex individual!!! Huh!?!? The youngest, Alina at 5 1/2, was very solicitous of my safety and insisted that I wear a helmet while belaying her Dad on top rope!
heh. if I remember correctly, you finished on the 5.9 variation, too, didn't you?
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gblauer
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Apr 30, 2012, 9:59 PM
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Beautiful weather at the gunks this weekend.
I enjoyed 6 hours of climbing on Saturday, followed by a bike ride from our house in Gardiner to New Paltz for dinner, followed by the obligatory bike ride home (gently cradling my Moxie cupcake the whole way home). I enjoyed splitting said cupcake with my honey by the fire. (Yes, there is a burn ban, but, according to the rangers we are allowed to have a small backyard "cooking" fire. A heated up Moxie cupcake was the order of the day.)
Climbed on Sunday with Maryana, a remarkable climber from NYC. Alas, as I was scrambling to CCK I somehow dislodged a rock, it landed on my hand and crushed my thumb. Within 10 minutes my thumb was twice the size of my normal thumb. I left Maryana with some very nice guys who decided to adopt her. Mitch met me at the bridge to take me home. My thumb is not broken, just smashed and sore and very blue.
Regrattably the weekend was marred by a tragic death on Sunday. As Mitch was waiting for me on the bridge, he was talking to the rangers about the accident in the Black Fly area. Ranger Frank was still puzzled over the sling configuration and the matter of failure. No one really knows what happened and we understand that the young woman died enroute to St. Francis. (According to Frank, they elected not to chopper her out; he said "that's really good or really really bad".) It is indeed a very sad outcome for all involved.
I will not be gunking for two weeks (hope my thumb is healed by then).
By the way...Mitch is out for the season. He needs another wrist surgery (the metal plate in his wrist is busted into three pieces). So, if anyone is looking for a partner please let me know. I have middle of the week flexibility and will be up most weekends (climbing every Friday or Monday from May on).
Happy Climbing and stay safe out there. Check your knots, check your anchors.
(This post was edited by gblauer on Apr 30, 2012, 10:01 PM)
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jakedatc
Apr 30, 2012, 10:23 PM
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Posts: 11054
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gail get better soon.. i could be down for some mid week gunkin' soon.
My "weekend" was wed-friday hiking through Connecticut on the AT. I had given myself 5 days, i would have finished the 50mi in 4 days had i not sprained my knee a bit thursday and bailed 1 day early.
TR with some pics here
http://www.backpackinglight.com/...orum_thread_id=63509
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gblauer
Moderator
Apr 30, 2012, 10:30 PM
Post #950 of 1159
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Registered: Oct 4, 2002
Posts: 2824
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Jake...are you planning to hike the entire AT? It's on my bucket list...
Did you have fun?
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