Scores to Settle
February 3, 2001
Eldorado Springs Canyon is a great place to climb and probably the most famous Colorado crag. It is a devious place that often humbles the new comer. All the holds tend to be at odd angles and the climbing proves quite cerebral not only because of the mental problems in deciphering the crux sequences, but in the heady nature of the climbing - this is a traditional stronghold with many runout climbs.
For some reason the 5.10c grade in this canyon has caused me fits. I've onsighted more 5.10d and 5.11a routes here than 5.10c's. On many I have failed more than once. This year I'm going to give a concerted effort to "clean up" these problem climbs. Below are the 5.10c pitches that have caused me problems in the past are. In all of these efforts, I did complete the pitch, but it wasn't a redpoint ascent.
Table 1: Eldorado 5.10c Nemesis Climbs
|
Route Name |
Pitch # |
Past Performance (before 2001) |
|
2nd |
failed 4 times, 3 on lead |
|
|
1st |
failed 2 times, both on lead |
|
|
March of Dimes |
2nd |
failed 2 times, both on lead |
|
Outer Space |
2nd |
failed once leading, done clean following twice |
|
X-M |
2nd |
failed once following, never led |
|
Grandmother’s Challenge |
2nd |
failed once on lead |
|
1st |
failed 2 times, both on lead |
|
|
Psychosis |
2nd |
failed once on lead |
|
Sooberb |
2nd |
failed once on lead |
|
Cruisin’ for Burgers |
1st |
failed once on lead |
|
1st |
failed once on lead, followed cleanly on-sight. |
|
| Potato Chip | 2nd | failed once on lead |
This past weekend, I went climbing for the first time in two months. I wanted to start the year off right by immediately attacking my problem pitches. I wasn't so concerned about redpointing them on this first day out;, I just wanted to start learning their secrets and figure out what works best for me.
Just like Rabbit had to come to grips with the annoying idiosyncrasies of Tigger, I had to figure out a way to solve Tagger. I had climbed it four times before, leading it three times, and falling on it every time. The crux of Tagger is short, only a few moves really, but technical and then burly as it turns a large roof - bypasses it actually. The crux roof is on the second pitch and forms the ceiling of a right facing dihedral. Since it is in a corner, you use the wall on the left to turn the roof. In fact, you wouldn't even touch this roof if the wall on the left had any holds on it, but it doesn't. There are only two microscopic footholds on this wall, but they are key.
The approach is short and the route was in what little sun we had. It was windy, overcast, and 45 degrees. Steve Mathias - an Eldo neophyte - was my partner today. Steve led the tricky and somewhat scary first pitch of Tagger. This 5.9+ feels very insecure, but Steve looked solid and onsighted the pitch. I had more trouble following than I should have, but I didn't fall off. At the top of the pitch, I quickly put a bit of tape on my left hand only - there is a crucial and burly hand jam at the crux of the roof.
I methodically worked my way up the moderate ground to the start of the roof. Rossiter gives this route an "S" rating - indicating a serious fall potential. This is mainly because of the old fixed pins under the roof. I don't think the route is dangerous though, and my falls on this route lend some evidence to that hypothesis. Nate Beckwith has an excellent page giving more information on the somewhat dangerous climbs in Eldo: http://home.rmi.net/~nate/eldobeta.html. He gives Tagger an "S-" rating, but this is mostly for the first pitch. I didn't bother to clip the pin at the far back of the roof - too much drag is created. I did clip the pin a ways out on the roof, but backed it up with a fairly solid yellow Alien. I then treated to a more comfortable stem and regrouped.
There is a fair hold on the underside of this roof and the key, for me - all of this is for me, is to match hands on this hold. At this point you are sort of dangling from the middle of the roof, except that you have your feet on tiny footholds on the left face. If your foot can't stand on these tiny features, then you're coming off. Once you match on this hold, things start to get strenuous fast. I made the match and, while feeling the strain on my arms, tried to move deliberately in moving my left foot over to a better placement. Then I reached up for the lip of the roof and got a fairly solid hand jam with my left hand. Moving my right hand out to the edge of the roof, I could press up into a stem and get my right foot on some edges on the underneath side of the roof. From this stem, I was able to slot in a #1 Camalot and clip it. I was now completely safe, but not done turning the roof.
I got my right hand on a good hold and then moved my jamming left hand out onto the face on the left to a small, crimper edge. Pumped now, I hopped my left foot up even higher and then pulled hard to get my right foot over the roof and onto the edge. I had done it! I let out a whoop of joy. The remaining thirty feet is tricky 5.8 - especially when pumped from the roof, but I was careful and didn't fall. One down, six to go!
Steve followed the pitch with one fall at the crux and then zipped up the third pitch of the Wind Ridge to top out on the Wind Tower. We soloed down short the 5th class descent route, re-claimed our gear that the base and then headed over to the Bulge Wall and nemesis number two: Blackwalk.
Blackwalk is an infamous climb. Jim Erickson was the first to free this pitch and risked a monstrous fall on the upper part of the wall. The crux climbing is protected by two bolts about eight feet apart (not the 18 inches mentioned in the brand new guidebook). The crux climbing actually starts at the second bolt and finishes when your feet are slightly above the bolt. The crux is very hard, but you better have your head together after pulling it off, because now you have 30 feet of unprotected, greasy, 5.8 climbing. At the time, I had forgotten just how scary this section was. I was soon to be reminded.
I led up to the crux, clipped the second bolt, and promptly screwed it up and fell off. I was here to learn though and I didn't know how to do this crux well enough. I quickly tried again and fell off. This time I took a longer rest and on my third try, I did the move and established myself above the crux on greasy holds. Ten feet later, I was faced with a very difficult move and a 30-40 foot fall if I blew it. I was afraid and asked Steve if I'd hit the ledge if I came off. I wouldn't, but it would be nasty. Eventually, I figured out that I had to stem to the left and then match hands on the left instead of pulling up on the tiny hold I had with my right hand. The climbing progresses like this: somewhat hard move to some good footholds and a reasonable rest, but with greasy handholds and my chalkless hands were now sweating with fear. On the last hard section before pulling onto a lower angled ramp, the fall would be sixty feet and I'd hit the ramp below. The move here is probably only 5.7, but it felt a lot harder under these circumstances. I made the move and then continued further up the ramp to where I could place a #3 Camalot - finally some protection.
The remainder of the pitch is not trivial and probably 5.8/9, but it is protected by this Camalot and a couple of fixed pins - placed right next to each other. I finished off the pitch and lowered to the ground - only possible with a 60-meter rope. Whew! I was glad to be back on the ground. It was a bit early in the season for that pitch.
Steve cleaned the pitch and fell just once at the crux before pulling it off. Further up, he cranked the hard move with his right hand and shuddered at the fall potential. After he lowered off, he untied and then let go of the rope. The wind was so strong that it pulled the rope sideways and thirty feet off the ground. This wouldn't normally be a problem since I had the other end and we were done, right? Nope. I told Steve to leave the draws at the bolt anchors since I wanted to toprope the pitch - I needed more work on this one. Thankfully Steve was able to scramble up the easy lower ground and then traverse over on a tiny ledge to retrieve the rope.
I fell off the crux again while toprope, but I did work out a way to do it. I lowered down three more times and repeated the crux so that I'd have it wired. I then climbed the upper section back to the belay bolts. On toprope this section felt so much easier. The key on this section is to keep a cool head and don't do anything too hard - if you do, you are probably doing it wrong.
I rapped off and we called it a day. Only five pitches, but we didn't get started until around noon. Now the cold is coming again and it will probably be at least three weeks before I lead another route on real rock. It's back to the gym for now, but I've got some more scores to settle.
February 24, 2001
When I pulled into Eldo at 9 a.m. the only car there was Steve’s. It was 32 degrees out and windy. There wouldn’t be any queues for the routes today. Or so we thought. Homie arrived a bit later and while he went to get park permit, we headed up to the Wind Ridge (5.6) on the Wind Tower. This route was my very first rock climb in September 1980. I love this route and it was in the sun and easy enough to climb with frozen fingers.
I strung the first two pitches together and Steve and Homie followed. It was Steve’s first time up this classic route. We all had frozen fingers by the top, but they soon warmed up. We decided to climb the Bulge (5.7) next, since it was in the sun. I led the dicey first pitch and Steve took the second. Homie wasn’t leading on this runout terrain so I took the crux third pitch and then Steve did the variation 5.9 direct finish. We all agreed that this is probably the easiest 5.9 pitch in all of Eldo – by far.
We descended and headed for Reggae (5.8) but a slow party was on it, so we climbed the West Overhang (5.7) route on the Wind Tower. Homie led this route in fine style, Steve followed it and I pretty much soloed it.
We rapped down one pitch and then I led Reggae. This was Steve and Homie’s first time on this route and it didn’t disappoint. I’m sure Homie will come back to lead this baby soon.
Finally, we headed over to the Bastille Crack. I didn’t have time to do the whole route, so we decided to just do the first pitch. Steve led it nicely and then Homie went up it. Homie was aware of the potential danger on the first pitch of this route and wanted to learn the secrets before leading it. I then toproped the pitch, lowered down, and then floundered my way up the Northcutt Variation (11a). I came off at least twice. I’d like to blame frozen fingers, but I think a lack of power and reading the sequence wrong were bigger contributors to my lack of success. Steve did much better on it, only coming off once. I headed for home as Homie took another lap on the Bastille Crack.
February 25, 2001
I met Hardly this morning at the South Mesa trailhead and we zipped into Eldo it was about ten degrees warmer than yesterday, but still only 40 degrees and this was very evident when the wind blew and you were in the shade.
We geared up at the car and then hiked over to the south face of the Lower Ramp to do an obscure, but good climb called Slimy Spoon (5.8). I led the first up broken, unaesthetic, slightly loose rock. Surprisingly the climbing wasn’t too bad and it was more challenging than it first appeared.
Hardly followed and led the second pitch, which is very steep. Looking up at it, I doubted it could be 5.8, but it turned out to be at least close to that rating. I’d guess 5.9-, but I wasn’t leading. Hardly moved methodically up the pitch and I was soon following. I found the climbing very interesting and varied. Some crack climbing down below gave way to some stemming and then a very scary loose flake. I tapped on it and it shook, but I figured it would be okay to hold onto as long as most of my weight was on my feet. I matched hands on this flake and I heard it crack! I thought this couple hundred pound block would fall out on top of me. I immediately let go of it and delicately climbed around it. I thought briefly about kicking it off and probably should have, but I was concerned about the racket it would make and wasn’t sure the path was clear.
Slimy Spoon leads to the top of the Lower Ramp and the base of one of my nemesis climbs: Super Slab. This four pitch route starts with a burly 10c pitch. I’d led this pitch twice before, in fact I’ve never followed it, but both times I hung on the gear. The crux of this route is supposedly the last pitch at 10d. This pitch is infamous because of a scary runout. It certainly is scary, but I’ve followed and led this pitch and haven’t fallen off of it. The angle is less than vertical and more technical than burly. Hence, for me, the crux is the first pitch.
I started up the pitch with surprisingly little confidence. I think I have a mental problem with this pitch. I clipped the first three fixed pins (this pitch climbs almost like a sport route), and made the big reach for the fingerlock. I expected this hold to feel much more like a jug than in the past. I was hoping that all my gym training would give me power to spare and I’d now wonder why this pitch gave me so much trouble. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. It felt horrible and my confidence crashed. I hung on the rope like a sissy – without even taking a fall. After a rest, I made the reach again and, hanging from this hold, barely made the next clip. I briefly tried to step up before hanging again. It was a pitiful effort and all because of a lack of confidence. I had the power. I didn’t have the head.
I struggled up the next scary ten feet, clipped a fixed pin, backed it up with a stopper and an Alien, and then lowered back to the ground, cleaning the gear. I had climbed about a quarter of the way up the pitch, but decided to come down and clean the gear to give Hardly a chance to flash the pitch, which he did. I think he found it somewhat challenging, but that was only because it was the first time he had seen it. He loved the climbing. Once he got to the fixed anchors at that top of the first pitch, I lowered him to the ground and we pulled the rope. I’d try again.
This time, with the gear pre-placed, I climbed cleanly up the crux section, which lasts for the first twenty-five feet before you get a descent rest. Hardly said it looked easy for me and encouraged me to lower back to the ground, clean the gear and do it again for the redpoint. I hesitated, afraid to risk a worse performance, but then I acquiesced and lowered back down.
Now, leading up for the third time in the past hour or so, I climbed confidently and smoothly. In fact, it felt easier than pinkpointing it. I was obviously getting this section wired. I was quite excited about this rapid improvement and convinced that confidence is the key here. I continued up the rest of the pitch, pulling some of Hardly’s original gear, unclipping the fixed draws and clipping them again anywhere the placement wasn’t trivial. I wanted to get full credit for the redpoint and Hardly awarded it. Another troublesome Eldo 10c checked off my list.
Hardly followed easily and joyfully. I belayed from the end of the first pitch and then we rapped back down to the ledge and downclimbed the 5.0 West Face of the Lower Ramp back to the ground. We hiked out and I was home by 12:30 as I had promised Sheri. I can’t wait to go back to Superslab. I’m really starting to enjoy that pitch.
March 4, 2001: More Eldo Sandbags
Today was my sister Kim's 40th birthday. My mom organized a ski tour for her and all the female friends and family she could recruit. Not sure why it had to be all female, but it was. That left me alone with the boys for the weekend. On Saturday, the boys and I and the Goo Man and his boys all went out to Eldo to hike around. We explored caves and Daniel and Taylor led us all the way up the to the bottom of the lower ramp. They loved the hiking and the exploring. Along the way, I talked with a climber belaying his partner on the first pitch of Jules Verne. I had never seen someone climb this pitch before and asked them if they were going all the way up (and doing the infamous 4th pitch). He said yes and he'd probably lead that pitch. He was working on a new runout finish to Lene's Dream (direct link-up of Jules Verne to the Naked Edge). His finish would keep the route separate from the Edge all the way to the top. I asked his name: Topher Donahue.
This guy is a well known Colorado hardman and what I remember the most is his epic link-up in RMNP: Pervertical Sanctuary on the Diamond, North Ridge of Spearhead, Petit Grepon, Northcutt-Carter on Hallet (just after the route fell down), and then Notchtop! Each one of these climbs is a big day for most climbers and the first one is frequently a two day climb if approached the day before. They went from the parking lot to the summit of Longs in 4 hours! They topped out at 7:30 a.m. Of course that was just the beginning of this day.
Sheri returned around 1 p.m. on Sunday and I dashed out the door for Eldo. I met Steverino and Trashman in the parking lot and we headed for Superslab. Why? To make sure I could still lead the first pitch. Also, it was a nice multi-pitch route that we could pull off in the afternoon. Unfortunately, we found the route mobbed. Two parties were on Superslab and another party was on the Doub-Griffith (and doing the Dubious Graffiti - got to love that name - variation on the second pitch), which shared the same belays. We'd later meet this climbers, the best of whom was named Andy with a strong British accent. He was a stud who on-sighted a 5.12a just left of Vertigo and ran out the top fifty feet because it was only 5.9! His partner was the famous, though from my only encounter with him the famously slow rappeller, Steve “Crusher” Bartlett. Crusher didn’t do so well following the 5.12 and had to use aid.
With the traffic jam on Superslab, we decided to do Rosy Crucifixion. This route is rated 5.10a and it is the biggest sandbag in Eldo. I had only done it once before, where I followed the first two pitches (frequently combined these days) and then led the final pitch. Back then, I was desperate following this pitch, but somehow didn't come off. I thought it much harder than the rating. Today I would further confirm those feelings.
Trashy told us that it took three trips before he completed this route. Steve, still an Eldo neophyte but quickly losing that status, hadn't done it before. I wanted the first lead since I hadn't led it and the others acquiesced. We soloed the West Face of the Lower Ramp (5.0) and then did the very exposed traverse to the base of the route.
Rosy is one of the most famous Eldo routes and mainly because it is so photogenic. The first pitch is gains no altitude, but traverses straight right across the lip of a big roof with big exposure right from the start. The initial traverse is probably only forty feet, but there is no respite along the way. This is classic Eldo climbing with very technical moves on holds that are small and always at awkward angles. The footholds here are small and slippery where they exist at all. The climbing is very continuous and the burn in your forearms continually builds until you fall off or reach the rest at the belay.
Two fat bolts, a stopper, and small Aliens protect the traverse. Trashy claimed you could clip the first bolt from the starting ledge, but I climbed up and desperately made the clip before coming back down to rest. I could see the stopper placement only three feet past the first bolt and prepared the proper size on a quickdraw. Then I launched out.
The climbing is desperate from the start, but a few feet past the first bolt there is a good foothold that allows a quick stopper placement. A couple of positive, but slanting, holds allowed me to move further right and clip the next bolt. Just past this second bolt you have to do the crucifixion move - an iron cross reach with apparently no footholds at all. The only hold I could reach wasn't sufficient and I started to fade rapidly. I matched back on the left hold - a lieback type hold - and my partners shouted directions to a foothold down and right, impossibly far right, and I came off.
Photo 1: Trashy leading Rosy in 1983. He's about 1/3 of the way across the traverse.
Hanging from the bolt I spotted a tiny foothold tucked underneath a small overhang and this is key. I tried again and once on this foothold made the iron-cross reach to a better hold and stepped over. The climb is far from over at this point, but I could drop a hand and stuff in a yellow Alien (I recommend a minimum of doubles of yellow and red and singles of blue and green for combining these two pitches). The climbing now actually goes slightly down along a tips crack, once again with horrible footholds. I placed a blue Alien and then was too pumped to continue and I hung from the piece. I placed a green Alien before stretching way to my right for a good, but slanted foothold. From here I could reach up and grab a jug and pull up to the first belay. My forearms were completely cooked!
There are a couple of fixed stoppers here, but it isn't a good belay position. I rested for quite awhile before continuing upwards. The next section goes straight up and it is dead vertical. The climbing is difficult and technical with small and high-tech gear necessary to protect it. I struggled for every foot gained and barely got the pro placed and clipped. Desperate at the top, I finally pulled onto the one-foot ledge and clipped the two fat belay bolts.
I think this pitch is 5.10+, not 10a. 10a is a joke. It is by far the hardest 10a in Eldo - harder than every 10b and most 10c pitches. I'd rate it 10c/d if you combine the first two pitches, and I've now added it to my list of 10c nemesis climbs. The problem with this route is that you can't work it on toprope. You can't even retreat from the end of the traverse without two 200-foot ropes! Twenty-four hours later, my forearms still haven't stopped aching. I need to get a lot stronger for this route because it will be difficult to practice.
Steve came next, belayed from both sides. He had the very difficult task of unclipping the lead rope and then re-clipping the trail rope. This is probably tougher than leading the pitch. Despite this, he did fairly well on the traverse. He came off only once - at the crucifixion move - before gaining the first belay. On the second pitch, his forearms were so pumped that he clipped into a piece to rest near the top. Then, going for the last move, he came off. This is a good pitch for someone with forearm endurance. Thankfully, the Trashman had it.
Finally it was Trashy’s turn and, with the benefit of watching Steve and I, he motored very quickly across the first pitch without any falls. He also did well on the second pitch until right at the top where things got a bit desperate for him. He said he was coming off, but Steve and I, only a few feet above him, urged him to push on through and he did. Great job, Trashy!
With Steve and Trashy still nursing pumped forearms, I volunteered to lead the third pitch. I had had the most time to recover. This last pitch isn't nearly as hard, but is no give-away either. It is rated 5.9+ and that is probably correct if the first pitches of Tagger and Cie L'vie are also 5.9+. The pitch goes up difficult and very steep ground for about twenty feet, then traverses ten feet right and then up another ten feet before the climbing gets easier. There is a bolt at the traverse, but after clipping it I had to go about ten feet before I felt I could place gear again. I found the pitch challenging, but led it clean. Steve and Trashy followed cleanly but both commented on the difficulties. It isn't very obvious how to do the traverse. The whole climb isn't very obvious and that adds to the pump. You tend to waste a lot of effort hanging off small holds trying to decipher the next moves.
We soloed up the Upper Ramp to the top and then rapped down the west side. We were held up here by Crusher and Andy. Apparently Crusher had forgotten how to use his rappel device because it must have taken him five minutes to get it on the rope. I know this because I was perched in a small tree two feet above this head, waiting for him to get out of the way. Then it took him another ten minutes to rappel the 150 feet to the ground – normally a one-minute task.
It was warm and sunny here and we didn't have much time to go anywhere else, so I led up Mickey Mouse Nail-up - a tricky, continuous 5.9+ pitch. I'd led this once before with Mark Oveson but didn’t remember the chimney at the top of the route. I said as much to Crusher, who was gearing up with Andy for the 5.12 next to us, asking him to confirm the route and he said, “You don’t remember the chimney?! What else is there to remember about the route?” He implied that the chimney was the key feature of this route. It’s not. It is only the last ten feet of the route and not the crux. After this comment and his considerable troubles with rappelling, I was beginning think that Crusher was a bit of a doofus, though he was a very nice guy.
I was surprised how hard the Nail-up felt. There aren’t many good rests on the pitch and there is a scary flake on this pitch which you have to stand upon. The climbing is continually interesting and thought provoking, though, and I would recommend the route. Steve and Trashy followed and we headed down and out.
We only did four pitches, but every one was hard. I'm already formulating my plan to return to Rosy. I need to move faster, be more confident, clip the first bolt before leaving the ledge, use the hidden foothold, skip the last Alien placement, and move fast!
March 9, 2001: Back to Black
The weather report called for a cold and snowy weekend, yet Friday it was almost 60 degrees. We did the only the only thing we could: took off early on Friday and headed for Eldo. I met Hardly and Neeraj at 3 p.m. in the Eldo parking lot. I was geared and ready to go first, so I started up Blackwalk (5.10c) for the second time this year. My last bout with this route hadn’t gone well, but I worked it on TR and was confident I’d do it this time.
I moved quickly up to the crux, did it, and then couldn’t move any further. I couldn’t believe it. I was supposed to be done, but I was stuck. I couldn’t move my feet up. What was I doing wrong? After taking a seven-foot fall, I tried again. This time I realized that after reaching way right, I had to switch my left hand from the Gaston to a small crimp a few inches higher. This new hold allowed me to lean out a bit and get my foot up high. I was through the crux.
Now I faced the scary 30-foot runout, but I had it wired, or so I thought. I screwed up on the 5.9 section and was flaming out quickly. I had walked my hands out along some good holds and got stuck. My feet should be on these holds, not my hands. I started to panic a bit. I was looking at a 30+-foot fall. At this point the fall would be pretty safe, but very scary. I started whining to Hardly about how I had screwed up. He told me to keep it together, but my arms and, more importantly, my head were shot. I couldn’t continue in this state - further up the fall becomes extremely dangerous. I downclimbed three feet or so to shorten the fall and then tried to get up my guts to jump off. While I was doing this, I found I had recovered some strength in my arms. I now felt I could continue, or at least I felt it was less scary than jumping off. I corrected my mistake on the section above and things went well up to where I could place a #3 Camalot and then continue to the belay. Whew! This route ages you.
While lowering off (you need a 200-foot rope for this) and cleaning the route, I scoped out a placement that I thought would take a small stopper. This placement is about 17 feet above the second bolt. Hardly placed a stopper here while zipping up the route easily. Watching Hardly, I learned a couple of foot placements that would save a bit more strength leading up to the crux move. I lowered him off the top and he cleaned the gear off the route. Then, after Neeraj took a try on toprope, I led off again. Just heading up again after such a scary experience was a victory for my head. This time up, I cruised the route easily. I had everything wired and moved very quickly up the route, using the newfound stopper placement. Hurray! One of the scariest routes has been checked off the list.
Next, Hardly led up Back in Black (5.11d) and did a great job. He onsighted the super burly, and I think underrated, 5.11b roof crux. Then he moved up continuously difficult and devious climbing to the crux. Each bolt on this climb is at least ten feet above the last and size-able, though probably safe, fall potential abounds. The crux of this route is from the last bolt to the anchor. Hardly carefully worked out a sequence to get by the last bolt and did a series of very difficult moves until his left foot popped off and he went for a 15-20 foot fall. He yanked me three feet off the ground. Hardly went back up three moves times and three more times took the big fall. He was too fried to finish it and came down.
Another pair of climbers planned on TRing this route, but traversing over from the top of Blackwalk to the anchors, hence they could get our draws down, but not before I had a go. I climbed up the initial 40 feet of 5.7/8 climbing to the 11b roof move. This move is intensely difficult and I fell off it numerous times. Eventually, Hardly just pulled me through it so that I could continue the climb. I was able to barely free climb the rest of the way to the top bolt and the start of the crux. I even climbed six inches above the top bolt before lowering off. I figured if Hardly was falling off, it was way over my head. Hardly lowered me back down the roof where I failed to climb it a few more times and then to the ground.
We did some bouldering on the backside of the Whale’s Tail and waited for our draws to be stripped off the route by our new friend, Rob. Sufficiently tired, we hiked back to the car in very dim light.
Table 2: Current Status of 10c Nemesis Climbs
|
Route Name |
Success? |
Attempt Dates |
Additional attempts this year |
|
yes |
Feb.
3rd |
First
try! |
|
|
yes |
Feb.
3rd Mar.
9th |
One
failed lead attempt, worked it on toprope on Feb. 3rd. Failed again
on first attempt on the 9th, but cleaned the gear off and got it
easily the second try. |
|
|
yes |
Feb.
25th |
One
failed lead attempt, then pinkpointed, then redpointed. All the same day. |
|
|
Outer
Space |
yes |
|
Cleaned up |
|
X-M |
yes |
|
Dave Mackey led the first pitch and I redpointed the 2nd and 3rd pitches (combining the latter with the first pitch of Outer Space). |
|
Grandmother’s
Challenge |
yes |
|
Cleaned up in 2003. Warren led first pitch and I fired the crux. |
|
March
of Dimes |
yes |
|
|
|
Psychosis
|
|
|
|
|
Cruisin’
for Burgers |
|
|
|
|
Sooberb |
yes |
|
Cleaned up in 2003 as well. It took me two tries that day. |
|
yes |
Mar.
4th |
Failed
on first try to lead this. Took two hangs on the first pitch. |
|
| Potato Chip |