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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 17, 2007 - 12:17pm PT
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I know there's still some days left to get more best moments in for some of you...GO GET EM! But it's cold here now and no more climbing for me this year.
In the spirit of keeping ST climbing-related, let's hear about our best moments on the rock(or somewhere NEAR the rock) this year.
For me, it was following a 5.8 pitch at the Gunks called Raunchy.
I was in a party of 3, and the leader had gone up Hyjeck's Horror. He set up a TR, and I was going to try it. The route is thin at the start, with an awkward opening move, and then up on small holds.
Having tried it once before, I knew the key to the start. But I hadn't been able to commit to a move a bit higher at the time, and though I got a little further on this attempt, I just could not commit to the sequence. I tried, half-heartedly and of course I came off. Well - maybe my attempt was even three-quarter or seven-eights hearted, but it wasn't enough to stick to the wall.
The other in our group did get through, and they asked if I wanted to try again. I did, but again failed. They told me to keep trying, but I knew I didn't have it, and declined.
It was "my turn" to pick the next route, since the others had chosen the first two we had done. Since we had a ropegun for the day, I didn't want to choose - it's the leader's prerogative, in my opinion. But David(divad, here at ST) is pretty easy-going. And he was like "Oh come on - pick something!"
I looked through the book, for something nearby that would be a decent lead for him but not impossible for our other partner and myself. Not so much in the neighborhood, that I knew he'd not already climbed many times. Finally, I came upon Raunchy, and said "What about this one?"
off we headed.
Imagine my dismay when I came to the route and saw a line of exactly the same type of climbing I'd just failed trying, but on steroids. Not just a few thin holds, but a quite long sequence of them, with no rest until a ledge several feet up.
I was belaying, and with the no-pro start, it was a spotting job until he reached that ledge. He told me he had led the route before, and to watch him just in case. And so, I did.
While he was preparing to start though, I had taken a look at the lower portion, and though it looked harder than anything I had ever done before, at least in the "thin, face" category, I could see a sequence and understood it. I told myself to give one hundred percent when it was my turn to climb. No bullsh#t. No giving up. If I came off, it was going to be against my will.
When it came my turn, I took a moment to relax and get focused, and when I was ready, I committed myself and gingerly, tentatively, set to the sequence.
There was a moment where I almost lost it, and I quickly made a quantum shift in balance and righted things. I came to a crimp that was smaller than anything I had ever used before in my life. But I knew the route had been done before, by many people, and told myself that I could do it too.
When I moved onto and used that crimp to go up, I was elated at the feeling I had. But then it came time to find feet! I had to use a similar hold, and felt waves of insecurity. Again, I told myself to do it, and use my bodyweight and the shoe rubber for friction to aid passage. Setting my foot, and pressuring dead weight onto the spot, I found myself as rooted to the wall as the pine pitches growing from crannies in the face up above.
When I reached the big ledge, I was ecstatic! I had done it. Done what before had not been possible for me. I basked in the feelings until my partners egged me on and laughed. Then, I took just a little more time for myself. I had to, in order to stave off negative feelings. I'm not used to taking ALL I need to climb. I tend to be the type who doesn't want to hold someone else up or put myself in a position requiring another's patience.
Finally, I was ready to continue, and soon enough, I came to the ral crux of the pitch! hahaha. It took me a little effort to figure out, since there were actually two ways I could see to go. One definitely seemed harder, but the other offered an exposed vista, and I hadn't perused the route from ground to know what was on the other side of the void....
Eventually I chose the exposure, and was grateful once I passed through a bit of a troubling sequence. It had seemed nothing in comparison to the lower section to me, though.
The rest of the pitch was easier climbing and fun. I puled up to the belay about as happy as I'[d ever been on a day of climbing.
That's my moment in 2007. I fell off on p2, though and have to admit it was probably because I didn't fully commit before making a tough move.
Live, and learn.
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Ammon
Big Wall climber
El Cap
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Dec 17, 2007 - 12:27pm PT
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When the heli left the meadow.
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elcap-pics
climber
Crestline CA
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Dec 17, 2007 - 12:31pm PT
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When Ammon lifted his head after the plunge and I knew, at least, he wasn't dead... priceless!!
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Mr. D
Trad climber
West Coast
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Dec 17, 2007 - 12:32pm PT
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Fishook Arete of Mt. Russell in a day (Late April, 2007)
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divad
Trad climber
wmass
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Dec 17, 2007 - 12:34pm PT
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Happie,
Glad to be there for your best moment.
I'll have to think awhile about mine. I had quite a few of them.
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TradIsGood
Recently unshackled climber
the Gunks end of the country
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Dec 17, 2007 - 12:35pm PT
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Best?
Definitely up there.
Dropping into the boat, avoiding a swim back to the base of the climb.
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Euroford
Trad climber
chicago
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Dec 17, 2007 - 01:01pm PT
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Highlight of the year was almost definitely climbing Chrome Plated....blabla... at Lumpy Ridge this year.
one of my favorite long moderate routes, one of my usual 'warm ups' when i first get to Estes. this was my third trip up it.
I got to lead the whole way this year. the weather started off just a gorgeous day. just as my partner was coming into the 2nd pitch belay i could see the storm line coming in way ahead of schedule. told my partner, we're sure to get soaked like drowned rats whether we immediately bail or not, wanna try to wait it out? we traversed across the left and got in the lee of a boulder into a pretty comfy spot. kicked back, ate a candy bar, smoked some ciggy's and just chilled for about an hour. didn't get all that wet, the lightning was crashing like mad and when the front passed over the view was amazing the way you could see Longs bending the weather. after the storm we got out onto the ledge, stretched our legs and soaked up the sunshine as we once again returned to a perfect 80 degree bluebird day. half hour later us and the rock had dried up, we ran up the next three pitches thoroughly enjoying the wonderful climbing the route has to offer. Sat on the summit of The Pear for about an hour, soaking up the surreal view of Estes and then started talking about how starving we are. made is back to the car in the deserted parking lot just about dark, chatted with A ranger for a bit, i guess everybody else cleared out due to the storm, he laughed figuring it made sense some vacationers from chicago would be up for the full value outing.
followed up with a big dinner at Ed's, a bit of campfire and beers and an early bedtime to head up to longs in the morning.
just a damn enjoyable day. its amazing how completely fantastic a long moderate route can be.
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Handjam Belay
Gym climber
expat from the truth
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Dec 17, 2007 - 01:05pm PT
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Last week I was in Lake Louis, Alberta. It was my first trip up north, and the snow had shut down all the routes I wanted to get bouted on.
I was pulling around the final curtain on Loise Falls, and stopped to take a moment, really look around and actually enjoy where I was. It was breathtaking.
On my birthday July 15 I climbed the reg route on 1/2 dome. I can't believe it took me 14 years of climbing to climb that route. ALLTIME CLASSIC. My bestfriend tied to me, my girlfriend bivi'n at the base. Vegas to Vegas in a long weekend.
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Mtnmun
Trad climber
Top of the Mountain Mun
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Dec 17, 2007 - 01:08pm PT
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Every minute I could spend on or near the mountains was my best moment. Many hours I spent terraining at the top of the tram with climbing shoes and chalk bag. Meandering through the rock, I kept my eyes peeled for the next cool ascent. James, the local top of the tram expert, kept me up to date on the coolest boulders, many of which were beyond my ability. He coached me up some interesting moves. Here is a self portrait on the knife edge summit of Cornell Peak.
Climbing with my daughter is the best of the best.
The Jude's Joint Boulder sits on the rim of the world. Yes, I fed my ego with that name. I hope you can all visit there with me. What a spot to hang out and climb. There are some very cool routes on the left hand arete. An 8000 ft drop is just to the right of the photo.
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Richard
climber
Bend, OR.
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Dec 17, 2007 - 01:19pm PT
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Reaching the JMT after getting pasted with 42mph winds from pitch three to the top, then descending the slabs on Cathedral Peak
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survival
Big Wall climber
arlington, va
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Dec 17, 2007 - 01:39pm PT
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* SE Face of Steins Pillar, Mill Creek Wilderness, Ochoco Mtns, Oregon- With a couple of my oldest friends in the world. Keith and Mel I've known since I was 15 yrs old, Buggs I've known since I went into the military in 1982.
Steins Pillar is pretty far from the crowds at Smith Rocks on a weekend. We had the whole place to ourselves for two days. We walked in, humped some gear, took in the gorgeous scenery and did some unknown toproping the first day, then hiked out to our cozy camp. We played old school tunes on the guitars and had some firelight talking late into the night.
The next day we hiked back into the pillar and had five great pitches of steep free climbing, a little funky aid, some manky gear and a beautiful summit to ourselves. All in all a perfect central Oregon day!
Second favorite, taking my 9 yr old daughter and my 7 yr old son climbing here in Virginia and sitting on top of the cliff watching the sunset and talking about what it means to be a climber!
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lars johansen
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Dec 17, 2007 - 02:04pm PT
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Heeeeey Jude!!
I thought climbing with me was the best of the best.
lars
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Tahoe climber
Trad climber
a dark-green forester out west
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Dec 17, 2007 - 02:09pm PT
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Hey k - the conness north ridge is proud, man. I did that a year ago or so with a couple of friends. We ran up North Peak and then Conness and it was just an awesome experience.
Big hike, though. We didn't think we ever get back to the car over at Saddlebag lake - and the mosquitos were so bad that I'm pretty sure I saw them actually pick up one of my partners briefly...
Is Revival that thin-ish pin scarred crack in Church Bowl?
Aaron
I had two "best" climbing moments in 2007.
1) Climbing Comic Relief in the Black, leading Pitch 2 (10b or so) - crack traverses near-horizontally and gets thin and disappears for a wide armspan or so with palm-divot smears for feet and what feels like (and may well be) a thousand feet of exposure dropping off steeply below you. Making the move, runout 15-20 feet sideways, gripped, realize that the piece I place after the move will prevent my second from being able to make the same move, stopping and placing a different one and retrieving the first. Sending the rest of the route on guts and grimaces, with typical Black adventure and having the time of my life. Followed by wine-sloshed re-cap of every detail that night in Ouray. Awesome.
2) Sending 7 Spanish Angels (tallish V6 boulder problem on the Get Carter boulder in the Milks) in front of a group of new friends at dusk after working it with them for a couple of hours. It has a scary jump (for me, at least) at the top off of pretty bad hand holds to a three fingered jug. The full-throated roar that followed sticking that move made me feel like a hero for once. The cold beer and warm camraderie of that day and night was amazing, and in the true spirit of climbing.
-Aaron
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tdk
climber
puhoynix
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Dec 17, 2007 - 02:13pm PT
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Trying out the brand spankin' new Kaukulators I found on ebay for $65! I bought my first pair 15 years ago for around $150 and loved them through several resoles, finally had to give them up. The new ones are just as sweet as the originals.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Dec 17, 2007 - 02:20pm PT
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Hey Mike Bolte, I think you're the guy to whose webpages/photo I linked on the Lembert Dome Rescue thread. Nice pages BTW.
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AbeFrohman
Trad climber
new york, NY
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Dec 17, 2007 - 02:28pm PT
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1. Stayed alive.
2. Had fun.
Does anything else matter?
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SteveW
Trad climber
Denver, CO
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Dec 17, 2007 - 02:29pm PT
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I'm like Jody. . .none yet, too many days in school and
work! But readin' 'bout you all has been great!
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cowpoke
climber
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Dec 17, 2007 - 02:33pm PT
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wow, looking sketchy, I think you climbed more routes that day than I did all year!
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brat
climber
The Portal
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Dec 17, 2007 - 02:36pm PT
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I've got so many.
First time to the top of Mariuolumne, via Hobbit Book. I was just giddy leading the last pitch.
Topping out on the Third Pillar of Dana, and getting to eat a Big Sur bar from my pack right there at the top of the climb!
FINALLY getting to stick my feet in Roosevelt Lake after a day up the West Ridge and down the North Ridge of Conness. I do *NOT* recommend heading down the talus slope toward Roosevelt Lake from the North Ridge. But finally getting to the lake was awesome... saw a bald eagle!
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