Crimson Chrysalis 5.8

 
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Cloud Tower


Red Rocks, Nevada USA


Trip Report
Three Blind Dates in Las Vegas

by TWP
Sunday May 14, 2017 5:07pm
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Crimson Chrysalis Lies on the Right Hand Side of This Wall and Ends on...
Crimson Chrysalis Lies on the Right Hand Side of This Wall and Ends on the Red Pillar Furtherest Right with Sunlight on its right side. Route is Straight Up; Rap is Straight Down on Same Anchors.
Credit: TWP
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Three Blind Dates in Las Vegas

Now that I’ve hoodwinked you into reading at least the first sentence of this trip report, I’ll tell you what it’s really about: Using the bulletin board at the BLM campground to find climbing partners during a solo trip to Red Rocks outside of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Knowing my climbing limitations from personal observation, Jorge Urioste gave me a list of climbs I should climb - in the correct order - to advance my multi-pitch trad skills.

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Jorge Urioste, Giving El Llamero Vagabundo Sage Advice, Which I Failed...
Jorge Urioste, Giving El Llamero Vagabundo Sage Advice, Which I Failed to Fully Follow.
Credit: TWP
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The list contained five climbs - beginning with Geronimo - a four pitch 5.6 with big ledges for every belay - and culminated with Crimson Chrysalis - 1,000 vertical feet of continuous, solid 5.8 with hanging belays.

So on the day of my arrival, the sole bulletin board posting which sought a “partner tomorrow for Crimson Chrysalis,” presented a take-it or leave-it option.

Being compulsive, impatient and stubborn, I decided to ignore Jorge’s clear instructions and sought out the poster at site #5.

Introductions made, Craig Chang looked me over, became skeptical, and posed appropo questions, like:

“Do you have any injuries I should know about?”

“Can you swing leads?”

“Do you know this climb is hard multi-pitch with hanging belays?”
“Do you really think you can do this climb?”

This obviously-bright, 30-something, of Oriental ancestry won my confidence with his skeptical, probing, highly relevant questions. I made a note to myself: maybe I should be more like Craig in my own partner selection process.

“You ask really good questions; I’m impressed,” I told Craig. “I’ll climb with you.”

Though less-than certain, Craig gave his assent as well. We agreed to rendezvous at 6 A.M. tomorrow and use his gear and my new, twin 7.8 mm ropes.

We’d made our first mistake already.

I spent the rest of the day scouting the climb’s approach and location. I decided the Oak Creek approach looked more straight forward - instead of Pine Creek. (By trip’s end I learned this too was an error.) Nonetheless, the scouting mission yielded dividends as our approach at Oak Creek brought us to the climb’s base in good time, with one party above us, still on the first pitch.

The sheer verticality of the climb hit home. In fact, without the guidebook assurance that the climb is “only 5.8” the visual impression from the base would have dissuaded our attempt.

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Craig Chong, Lacing Up At the Beginning of Crimson Chrysalis
Craig Chong, Lacing Up At the Beginning of Crimson Chrysalis
Credit: TWP
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Craig led pitch one and we swung leads to the top.

The climb looks like it will follow a crack for the first four pitches. In reality, one’s options prove more attractive making steep face moves and eschewing the crack. The rock feature tells you to do so and the bolts ratify - nay force and compel - the same conclusion.

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The Disconcerting View Up Crimson Chrysalis From Bottom of Pitch One
The Disconcerting View Up Crimson Chrysalis From Bottom of Pitch One
Credit: TWP
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The character of the 1,000 feet of moves repeats itself with remarkable similarity. Contemplating the more committing moves, the climber can imagine how to gain height with the thin foot holds and a marginal hand hold to reach up precariously for purchase upon a better hand hold up higher. It’s the transition that looks and indeed feels tenuous. Repeat that 5.8/5.9 feeling perhaps one hundred times, and you’ve made it to the top. Between those committing moves, the difficulty of individual moves never (or rarely) drops below 5.6.

Our problems came from the double rope system we deployed. Costing us hours of time. A single rope protection system, carrying a light tag line in our pack, would have been better.

Twin 7.8 60 meter length ropes, lap or shoulder coiled as one belays the second, yields in short order 400 feet of rope around your person that can’t do anything other than create a spaghetti salad fully compliant with the laws of entropy and Mr. Murphy.

So I learned at the second hanging belay as I tried to feed out rope to Craig on lead. Within 50 feet, I - the belayer - became Craig’s worst problem.

I could not unscramble the rope mess and feed out rope fast enough. Exasperation grew. I knew that yielding to anger would only worsen my problems, but the temptation to rage grew. I’d struggle to clear five feet of rope, then tell Craig he can climb. Repeat. But the density of thick snarls in the remainder of the coil only grew. With the pitch only half complete, I admitted total defeat and told Craig he’d have to stop and hang while I worked out the mess.

In the end, I had to untie one of my ends and completely work the two strands free from each other. Precious time was lost - like two hours to do a 45 minute pitch!

Craig proved more adept; he managed at each of his belays to allow me unimpeded advancement as I led.

I resolved to more carefully lap coil on belay after my second lead so as to avoid rope salad. I wasn’t as good as Craig though I improved from “miserable failure” to “marginally better” on my second, third and fourth efforts.
We paid the price for poor rope management on the hanging belays. Instead of turning around at a reasonable “drop dead” time of 4:30 P.M., we let summit fever take over. We reached the top at 6:15 P.M., with no prospect of touching ground, 7 rappels later, before full-on darkness fell.

“Let’s bivy on top.” I’d brought enough clothing and a warm hat, so I didn’t fear becoming too cold.

Craig wouldn’t consider it.

We made another mistake when I went first on rappel and failed to find the anchors - until they were 30 vertical feet above me and I’d nearly reached double ropes’ end.

Sixty-six year-old guys shouldn’t try to “Batman” up 20 or 30 feet of vertical rock. Now I know that for sure. Thankfully, I’d tied a big, fat honking knot at the end of both ropes before trying this jackass move. And thankfully, I hung from rope’s end after failing my Batman impersonation - and falling 30 feet - to dangle upon said rope’s end. More time was lost as I yelled upward to Craig, still on the summit, the news that I proposed he belay me back to the top so we could bivy there.

Adamantly restating his “no bivy” veto, Craig offered to led the rappels and find the chains.

We should have done that in the first place, as my old eyes see poorly in low light, so youth had all the advantages - and a stronger headlamp to boot.

I assented; Craig set up a top rope belay, and I finally gained purchase on the first rappel chains.

Darkness gained and sunset deepened before Craig joined me at the first hanging belay and took over the led on our descent. Our fate lay in his hands. Would he find the anchors in the darkness? Would we futilely hang on this wall all night, should he reach an impasse? I resigned myself to fate, knowing, “This too will pass.”

I have a useful mantra to deploy in such situations. I find it comforting to realize: “I have the rest of my life - if need be - to work out this problem - one way or the other.” Takes a lot of time pressure off to achieve a quick resolution - if you restate the problem in these terms.

Thankfully, Craig proved competent, efficient and fully up to the task.
“You are God,” I chimed in as he sounded our reprieve with the finding of the next set of chains.

He found each anchor in turn; the rapps never hung up. I heaped on the praise. We reached the bottom about 11 P.M.

I’d been awake since 4 A.M. and we’d been on the go since 7:30 A.M. when we began walking from the trailhead.

“Let’s bivy,” I again proposed at the base of the climb, sure evidence of my fatigue.

Craig works as an occupational therapist, urging decrepit survivors of modern surgery to become active enough so they can be discharged as soon as possible from the hospital. He now deployed his professional training to keep me motivated and moving.

“You will feel so good when you finally slip into your own bed back at the campground,” he implored.

“Hey kid, don’t you think I can see though your cheap tricks,” I thought to myself.

We saddled up to begin, in moonless darkness, a long sloppy, crumbly gully-thrutch, groping for our way. We both had headlamps, but mine none too bright.

After thirty stumbling and bumbling minutes, my exhaustion mandated a stop.

“I need to stop for at least 20 minutes and do my evening meditation,” I announced with finality.
Craig claimed to know how to meditate by following his breath, so he joined me. I’ve practiced transcendental meditation twice a day since 1969, without fail. I wasn’t going to make this a day when I missed even once - and I needed the rest and revival it quickly and immediately affords. In 30 minutes, Craig had grown cold and squirmed the last ten minutes. So I stopped, though I’d gladly have passed the night in a bivy right there. I arose, much revived.
Soon the pitch gradient lessened, but the bushwacking amidst gullies continued to offer route finding challenges. We lost our way and found ourselves headed too much toward Pine Creek and away from Oak Creek.

My exhaustion promoted me to suggest about 1:30 A.M. to Craig, “Hey, just leave me here to bivy. You don’t even need to come back for me tomorrow. I’ll hitch back to camp.”

I meant it.

Craig resorted to more professional prodding, refusing to stop because of fear of getting too cold.

“Is this bivy thing something you old mountaineering types did just at the drop of a hat,” he asked me, alluding to my supposed “good old days of long ‘ayore.” I did not let on that I’d never “force bivyed” back in the day - always going on through the darkness, exactly as he now proposed.

By the time we got back to our car at 3 A.M., I’d had to stop for rest about four times, but Craig never lost faith in his ability to beg, plead and prod me along.

Next morning, we had a fine time recounting our glorious suffering, then Craig departed.

I recuperated for two days. The first day I only slept and ate; the second day, I slept, ate, walked about 50 feet and responded to a cell phone number posted on the campground bulletin board, looking for a new partner, who came to my site around 10 A.M., the third day afterward.

Curiously, my new partner, Hao, age 27, shared an incongruous set of traits with the old, Craig, age 30.

Both were “only children” born in Shanghai, China, to parents with ambitious and highly controlling expectations for their sons.

Both sought escape in rock climbing.

Craig lived half his life in the U.S.; Hao only left Shanghai at age 20, wanting a “complete change” and to go “as far away as possible” so he enrolled in post graduate engineering studies in Montreal, Canada. After five years of working, Hao quit his job to travel, solo, flying from city to city, renting and then living in a car and was “loving the freedom.” Craig had a real job in Reno and returned to work when he departed Red Rocks. Both spoke nearly perfect English yet their first language was Mandarin.

While Craig actually had significant trad and multi-pitch experience, Hao had exactly one day experience outside and is otherwise a gym rat.

So, I headed out with Hao for a trial on Man’s Best Friend, a simple, two-pitch 5.7 sport climb, with two rappels to return to the base.

Good thing I didn’t jump any further into the deep end. Hao knew next to nothing about any trad/rap technique but showed no fear and displayed an engineer’s mind as I explained the details. Our climb went smoothly and I felt encouraged. Hao said he was ready for more, so we spent the rest of the day scouting and walking to the base of Geronimo: the climb which Jorge said I should have started upon.

Next day, Hao and I climbed Geronimo, basically without a single glitch. I only got a bit irritated with Hao’s incredibly nonchalant and lax attitude towards approaching nightfall. I called for greater speed as he slowing wandered up the easy last pitch. “Why hurry?” he asked. Obviously, the lad had never spent the night rappelling and bushwhacking in total darkness - but he was about to find out if I couldn’t light a fire under his ass soon.
A lecture on the summit, when we faced four rappels, got the message across. In the end, we reached my truck by 7:15 P.M. in fine form.

Next day, Hao announced he wanted a rest day and he never showed up again at my campsite. So, happy trails Hao, wherever you may be now.

Meanwhile, I’m still at the dance and looking for a third blind date, so it’s back to the bulletin board. At 8:30 A.M. I followed a bulletin board message to site 26 and knocked on the door of a large, rented RV, a wee-bit too early for the occupants.

Unlike my Chinese partners, I detected an immediate language barrier with this European Sleeping Beauty.

I announced my interest in a climbing partner for a multi-pitch trad classic. The thought didn’t exactly light a fire in Claude’s eyes, though he allowed how he was a mountain guide in his native Switzerland, and if I could wait 30 minutes, he’d talk it over with his wife and make a decision.

About one hour later, Claude asked about the gear since he only had a harness and shoes. My tackle passed inspection, including a discussion of how to improvise a belay device for him since I only had one. He decided to go.

We drove separate vehicles. Emboldened by the wonderful news that I had a real, bona fide Swiss climbing guide as my partner, I allowed my choice of objective to wander to more ambitious lines.
The Angel Food Wall - and the 900-foot Comiciesque line in its center from top to bottom named Purloined Pillar - struck me as a most-worthy objective from the first day I’d seen it. And I’d developed a fascination and desire to do it. So now -with Claude Swiss Guide in tow - I decided, “Today is the day.”


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Angel Food Wall, Purloined Pillar in Center, Use Your Imagination, Fin...
Angel Food Wall, Purloined Pillar in Center, Use Your Imagination, Find the Comiciesque Line
Credit: TWP
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From the trailhead, the Angel Food wall and this route are right in front of your face and less than one mile (as the crow flies) distant. I pointed out the wall and line to Claude from the parking lot. I also told him I’d never done the climb, didn’t have a topo, and didn’t have the guidebook.

Claude’s discomfort with English and our fast walking pace meant we’d had little conversation by the time we neared the base of the climb.

As we beat our way through the bush at the base, the exact starting spot wasn’t dead obvious, and Claude grew disenchanted when I didn’t deliver our party straight away to the base without skipping a beat.

“We have no information. We have no information.” This seemed to bother him

“Maybe we’ll find some bolts at the beginning,” he hoped.

“No, total trad climb. No bolts,” I told him.

With about fifteen to thirty minutes of extracurricular scrambling about, we’d scouted the alternatives and both come to agreement upon the most likely point-of-beginning.

Claude spied other climbers making the approach. “Maybe they have a book. Maybe we can ask them.” He seemed content to sit and wait, though whether the climbers were headed to our climb was still unknowable.

“You didn’t represent this right,” Claude asserted.

Oh boy! Now I began to worry about our language problem. Was he calling me a liar? What did he really mean?

“Claude, at the trailhead, I pointed out the cliff and the climb. I told you I’d never done the climb. I told you I don’t have a topo and I don’t have the guidebook. How did I lie to you?”

He backed off and took a different tangent. “I’d do this climb with my friends. I just don’t know you.”

“Claude, I like to do routes without topos and guides. I just want to get to the correct start. I should be able to figure out the rest, just like on the first ascent,” I explained.

Sure enough the climbers below were after the same climb. Shortly a young New Zealand couple, book in hand, arrived. Now we had all the confirmation we could ever want that we were indeed at the correct starting spot.

Would Claude change his tune?

The young couple asked, “Well, who’s going first?”

“I guess you are,” I said.

I hoped Claude might regain some confidence if I said nothing and we had a bit to eat and watched the others begin the climb.

Thirty minutes later, it was again time for us to fish or cut bait. Claude headed downhill, wordlessly, until we nearly reached the trailhead about 45 minutes later.

“I’m sorry” is all he said.

Ten minutes later my next and last word to Claude was “Chaio” - after he returned my gear and we parted ways.

So there you have it.

Three blind dates. Every one as improbable as the next.

  Trip Report Views: 4,363
TWP
About the Author
TWP is an Old Llamero and Trad Climber from Mancos, CO & Bend, OR.

Comments
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
  May 14, 2017 - 05:18pm PT
"I resigned myself to fate."

And you cheated death.
Fritz

Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
  May 14, 2017 - 05:26pm PT
Nice story Terry! Them blind dates don't always turn out good, but when they do, wooohooo!
hamie

Social climber
Thekoots
  May 14, 2017 - 05:30pm PT
What were the other 3 climbs suggested by Jorge U?

Geronimo
Crimson Chrysalis
and 3 more.......?

Thanks, H.
Splater

climber
Grey Matter
  May 14, 2017 - 05:44pm PT
excellent & well written, brought up some memories.

"I like to do routes without topos and guides. I just want to get to the correct start. I should be able to figure out the rest, just like on the first ascent,” I explained.

Hmmm
my first thought to that is I hope you have a lot of extra time and bail gear.
The FA may have hit various dead ends before finding their line. Even sometimes when I am repeating a wandering route I've done before and brought no beta, I have gotten lost, or taken different lines. But I do it knowing there is some chance for adventure which is unlikely a good idea with a complete stranger.
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  May 14, 2017 - 06:11pm PT
Really nice story and writing,
Thought provoking 👍👏
scaredycat

Trad climber
Berkeley,CA
  May 14, 2017 - 08:20pm PT
SomebodyAnybody;

Stick to surfing. You don't get it.


otherwise, nice TR TWP.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
  May 14, 2017 - 08:42pm PT
Great TR Terry! You have abmirably pointed out why people in Vegas eschew blind dates and pay for hookers.....you know what you're getting...sort of.
Jon Beck

Trad climber
Oceanside
  May 14, 2017 - 09:30pm PT
A good read with some lessons to learn, thanks for posting such an honest story. Not sure I could have done that.

F

climber
away from the ground
  May 14, 2017 - 09:38pm PT
Don't listen to the haters man!!
We're all totally incompetent when we first start climbing!
From the sounds of it you're the perfect partner. Old and slow with poor rope management skills. I'd go climbing with you anytime! Give me a call next time you're in Vegas. 867-5309.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
  May 14, 2017 - 10:00pm PT
Oriental
?

um, pretty sure that's offensive AF.

But what do I know. I only got one good day of climbing this weekend thx to a good partner. The other day was hiking and bouldering.
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  May 15, 2017 - 09:55am PT
It is totally cool to climb without topos etc if you properly advertise it in the board post. "Planning to climb route X and hoping to do it without a topo, figuring our way up it from the base. If you are OK with that, call me at xxx xxx xxxx and here is my comfort level to lead and to follow: ....... "
If you don't do that and jump on routes that are at your complete physical limit, you put your partner at more risk than they would likely consent, if properly informed. If soloing, do whatever, but when other people are involved, communicating your desires is a key for a positive mutual experience.
But if you want to have a proper FA experience, stay off the classics, they usually look like a chalk highway, which is easier to follow than a topo. Climb on!
Rustie

climber
Coeur d\\\\\\\'Alene
  May 15, 2017 - 07:02am PT
Viva los locos (pardon my French)..........
WBraun

climber
  May 15, 2017 - 07:31am PT
Three blind dates .... LOL

Thaks for the epic story on the first date, I'm glad you got to experience your life like this .....
phylp

Trad climber
Upland, CA
  May 15, 2017 - 07:28am PT
Look, I appreciate the TR. I'm glad you got out climbing, but it sounds like a bad experience from the perspective of your partners. This is a litany of poor planning and poor judgment.
Stewart Johnson

Gym climber
top lake
  May 15, 2017 - 08:08am PT
proper!
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
  May 15, 2017 - 08:37am PT
HaHaHa! I've a new word: Comiciesque!

I've never understood trolling for partners, unless drama is the desired goal. ;-)
Brian in SLC

Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
  May 15, 2017 - 09:47am PT
Fun TR, thanks for sharing!

Not all climbing is climbing, eh?

Once you deviated from JU's sage advice...

We used twins on CC. No issues. But, we had experience with them. Started about 2 hours before you guys did, and, were back at the car at 2:30pm. We weren't particularly fast...

"Purblind" Pillar is a great route. The base of that wall is confusing without a topo and description of what starts where.

Anywho, lessons learned and good stories for the campfire...

Thanks!
nathanael

climber
CA
  May 15, 2017 - 11:28am PT
LOL it's 6pm man, f*#k it let's just bivy.
Nick Danger

Ice climber
Arvada, CO
  May 15, 2017 - 01:20pm PT
TWP, I'd climb with you in a heartbeat. For me climbing is like flying in that any climb you walk away from under your own power at the end of the day is a good climb. I have had some truly marvelous "didn't make the summit" climbs. Also, great trip report, made my Monday better.
Cheers
kunlun_shan

Mountain climber
SF, CA
  May 15, 2017 - 01:28pm PT
Very well written and entertaining read, TWP. I enjoyed this. TFPU!
looks easy from here

climber
Santa Cruzish
  May 15, 2017 - 02:43pm PT
Jorge Urioste gave me a list of climbs I should climb - in the correct order - to advance my multi-pitch trad skills.

Mind sharing the list?
hamie

Social climber
Thekoots
  May 15, 2017 - 05:05pm PT
Looks Easy ^^^^^^

I already asked for the list, but no response so far...........
TWP

Trad climber
Mancos, CO & Bend, OR
Author's Reply  May 15, 2017 - 05:54pm PT
Jorge's List:

Actually six climbs (I'd done one already).

Geronimo
Birdland
Frogland
Sour Mash
Olive Oil
Crimson Chrysalis
hamie

Social climber
Thekoots
  May 15, 2017 - 07:36pm PT
Thanks, TWP.
justthemaid

climber
Jim Henson's Basement
  May 15, 2017 - 07:39pm PT
Nice TR. When asked... I describe "Crimson Chrysalis" as a climb everyone should do once... then avoid for the rest of your life .

Super slow party of 3 or 4 with only one leader (even mid-week) seemed to be the norm. A major Clusterfvuck we had trouble avoiding. The one time we did it took three days of increasingly earlier and earlier wake-ups and begging to get into the park early to avoid sitting in the hanging belays for hours on end waiting on noobs. We got lost the first try and ended up on the Ho-Chi- Minh-Manzanita-death-march. Classic route nonetheless.
Technogeekery

Trad climber
Sydney, Australia
  May 16, 2017 - 12:02am PT
Enjoyable TR, thanks. Reminds me of a place amongst my favourite ever climbing destinations. Sounds like your sense of adventure is undimmed, good for you! Now I'd like to read about it from your partners' perspectives :-)
looks easy from here

climber
Santa Cruzish
  May 16, 2017 - 06:37am PT
TWP-Thanks for the list. All a little more on-the-radar than I was expecting, though.

hamie-I saw, but figured repeating the request was worth the bandwidth.
nathanael

climber
CA
  May 16, 2017 - 07:14am PT
Crimson Chrysalis, you were completely unfamiliar with double rope management on a long route. Very lucky to not pay the ultimate price in the end.

Most likely reason to pay the ultimate price in that situation would be your bulletin board partner literally killing you for dragging him into that clusterf*#k hahahaha.

Anyways I do want to thank you for posting up, it was a good read and very relatable having gone on a few blind climbing dates myself.
Jon Beck

Trad climber
Oceanside
  May 16, 2017 - 07:29am PT
I am not going to fault anyone for climbing with a total stranger. Some of my best days were with total strangers from other countries, with language issues. I do not remember doing much of a due diligence inquiry before committing, but I was always looking to climb well within my ability. I did Higher Cathedral Spire with a guy from Japan who got slack and tension confused mid-pitch on my lead. Easy fix, I just started calling for tension when I wanted slack. It was funny later.
TWP

Trad climber
Mancos, CO & Bend, OR
Author's Reply  May 16, 2017 - 12:55pm PT


To My Detractors:

I never got the Memo stating:

"ALL Supertopo Trip reports shall be self-serving, self-laudatory and self-congratulatory OR ELSE the poster will be ...."

Please forward same to me at your earliest convenience so I will not repeat my mistake.

The lesson to be learned from your remarks is captured in a Mark Twain witticism:

"Confession may be good for the soul, but it's bad for your reputation."

Did I not state myself that I made mistakes?

P.S. I am not deterred. I will post again.
Burnin' Oil

Trad climber
CA
  May 16, 2017 - 01:15pm PT
My kind of TR. It has all the fun elements. Good job. All the rule makers and judges on this forum need to lighten up.
Studly

Trad climber
WA
  May 16, 2017 - 01:17pm PT
Sh#t happens. If you like adventure, who cares about clusterf*#ks. Way to go after it. Living large!
WBraun

climber
  May 16, 2017 - 01:31pm PT
TWP

Just ignore the idiots here.

I once had to go fly to the top of Half Dome to pull two freezing climbers off of Big Sandy Ledge.

I had no rescue partner because they sent everyone available already hiking the trail to the top.
Something like 30 people, I came later and missed the cut so they told me to standby to fly when the clouds clear.

I went over to Camp 4 asked about 10 different people if they wanted to go with me.
They all had the deer in the headlights look and refused.

WTF????

I lucked out when Coz just happened to drive into the park as I was leaving the camp 4 lot, me and him went and pulled it off.

There was no internet forum back then but if there were all those same kind of clowns here would have gone ape sh!t for trying to do a rescue with some unknown man off the street ...... :-)

grover

climber
Castlegar BC
  May 16, 2017 - 05:57pm PT
Travelling alone and getting sh#t done, well done.

The impromptu interview by Mr.Chong was classic...

Alpinista55

Mountain climber
Portland, OR
  May 17, 2017 - 05:16pm PT
I also did CC with double nines; but had lots of experience with them in the alpine, so no problems. As we rapped we came across a pair who were bailing. The less experienced of the two had rapped past the next anchor and was hanging on the ends of his lines with the knots jammed in his descender and no gear. We took some gear from his partner, and built an anchor for the guy as we passed and got him off the lines so his partner could rap. We were on the ground and out of there before they arrived at the next station.

Surprised Dark Shadows wasn't on Jorge's list.

JK
Go
Cloud Tower - Crimson Chrysalis 5.8 - Red Rocks, Nevada USA. Click to Enlarge
The classic Crimson Chrysalis ascends beautiful Cloud Tower.
Photo: Sarah Felchlin