A day at the New with Matt...

Matt, his friend Paul, Ryan and I did a day at the Meadow - at Area 51 and the Pebble...what a day! It was PEEEERfect - like maybe mid 50s and cloudy....I was feeling pretty good about my day - I warmed up on one of the 10s, then managed to do Sam's 12a/b (If You Lick It, They Will Come) second go - a good route - I managed to trundle a laptop sized block out of it though! Its a good route - for sure.

Then we went to the Pebble where I onsited Gray Goose (12b) - though I hear eddie said he thought it was more like 11d - I can't really tell since I've been away from the new for so long.

I did "Brown Star" second go - a 12a - I totally missed a dead-point at the crux on the onsite, pulled the rope, no rest and then did it (though I was really really close to pumping out on it!)

Matt did really well - as well - doing almost all the moves on "One for the Gipper" (13b/c?) - He was really really close to sticking the crux dyno and basically hiked the lower crux (bolt to bolt)

Some Lilly Video

So we rolled into the Obed late Friday night - as we roll in - there's two dudes (Hunter and Tom) getting ready to go bouldering - a night session with lanters....we couldn't turn down filming that! Stay posted ! We filmed several problems - including Laurel Arete, Long Arm of the Law, Take that Kelly Brown and Some jump (next to Laurel arete...)

Heading back to WV today!

Been a While

Its been a while since I've posted, just been climbing a lot - this weekend, we did a two dayer at the OBED which ended up just being a one-dayer for me - just hanging out - causing trouble, you know all the good stuff.....I managed to do 2 new 12s....so that means I only have 18 more 12s to do until I don't have an excuse (I vowed not to seriously try 5.13 until I've done 200 5.12s.....)

Back at the red tonight - my last night here - then heading to WV - gonna climb at the New Weds - then Pitts with the fam (and bouldering friday I think at Coopers Rock...)

not a bad day...

we climbed at the PMRP today - which is one of them there new crags - at the Red River Gorge - pretty rad - we warmed up at the playground - then I was really psyched to onsite the route - that like everyone onsites (I had to try pretty hard for it darnit!) - Far From God (12b) - yay go Dan.

Been a while since I've onsited a 12b - not counting the stuff at Jackson's Canyon of course. You know - I don't think I've ever onsited 12b at the New River Gorge - infact, I don't know if I've onsited 12a there.....

Another Creek Shot...

and a day at the new...

having been creeking for a week - i figured i'd get on all those old intimidating trad routes at the new that I've never been on.

did

Smooth Operator (off-width)

Bio Hazard (crux at the top - sweet)

Diversity in Microcosm (not R and not 5.9 - more like 5.7)

Wall Street...

so my overview of Moab

Moab is sweet - no other way to say it - the camping is free - in the desert; over aminities (except a sketchy porta potty) - not even water, but you just drive the hour into moab, stock up - and you're set - that's camping at Indian Creek....which is awesome!

Its basically just a bunch of splitter - perfect cracks - with sometimes roofs and features and that sort of thing...

So a lot of times - you need like 8 number 2 BDs...its crazy like that.

Moab itself is a cool little town - mormon, but not giving in without a fight. The downtown library is great - and they have a bunch of cool audio books!

Wall Street - belaying off your bumper - is where good routes go to die...the rock is pretty bad...like its cool to climb, its just scary to fall on....

If you're going to the creek - and are not a crack climber, you're gonna need a lot of rest days - my quads and ankles hurt from putting them in cracks...seriously...its like you got down wrestling a bear when you get off a route!

Its crazy - the desert, you just don't feel like you're on earth. You don't believe that something like that exists on the earth....its rad....

Here's a vertical from Two Bag Face...

Rest Day - oops...yeah Wall Street

So I was totally on my way to taking another rest day when Phil and Jessica showed up at the Library.

We did Wall-Street - which is like....well - the sport park of moab minus the grid bolting. Its NO JOKE belay off your bumper - really cool though! Good routes, but scary gear placements...its really really soft sandstone.

Managed to bag a new 12a - it was hard though.....

Freaking A - hard boulder problems hrmphhh.....

Back to the creek tomorrow

Unpack and Re-pack

how much stuff CAN you fit into a Honda Civic? the world may never know....

OK - the Creek...yeah....!!

So - here at Indian Creek - I feel like a total gumbie....I've basically been getting ripped a new one - this jamming thing is super rough....I may be kinda getting it - I don't know though. But we climbed two days.

Unfortunately, the guidebook does not describe approaches - and is inaccurate on gear beta. For example, on Mr. Peanut, the guidebook says 8 1" pieces, when you get to the beginning of the book - you convert 1" to 0.75, so I bring 6 0.75" and and um well two 0.5s...of course, I needed 0.5s. I ended up throwing a wobbler.....ran it out on a crappy 0.4 BD...a bit - then managed to overcam the crap out of a 0.75...and then managed to get some smaller gear (that was actually good) to the anchors.

Of course - that route at 11- felt easier than Chocolate Corner (5.9).

The first day, I tried Desert Moon - which absolutely kicked my butt....after the opening crux, from 30 feet to 130 feet - it was totally just slogging....omg....it was nuts...its not like you can actually fall out of the jams, but you just give up because you don't have anything left in you...its rough...

Oh - we did "Tom Cat" too...that was cool - it was my first route of the Creek (not counting that other time I was there.) - more slogging and jams.....pretty cool. I had to run that one out too. Dropped a #3 BD...that I needed for the top - I just stacked to #4 BDs and ran it thirty feet to the chains - once again - its not like you can actually fall out of it...you just give up whhen you can't stand the slogging anymore....

Today is my rest day - just chilling in Moab - two more days of slogging =)