Let's try to get back to what this forum is all about...climbing.
We've been out and at it the last couple days.
Thursday I got spit off Battle Hamster and then went to climb Lost Horizons Fat Crack Finish to get my confidence back.
I forgot how much fun the first part of Lost Horizons is and the Fat Crack skips the hairy traverse on pitch one.
The Fat Crack was pretty casual (easier than expected) and the rock is really good. I placed a #3 to get started and then a #5 from a comfy stance about halfway up and a #4 for the exit moves. Standing back to look at the cliff and reading the old guide books - Fat Crack appears to be the finish that Bridwell used for Entrance. It is clearly the continuation of that crack. No matter. There are 3 fun ways to the top from the Stupendous Man anchor. Now I have done them all. It's weird to do climbs that I would actually want to go back and repeat.
It was mid afternoon by the time we finished all that and I wasn't feeling particularly spunky after taking a break and snacking. Usually by that time of day I am not up for doing anything more than fairly casual climbing. I typically get on the harder stuff earlier in the day when my energy is at its peak. I wanted to climb something else good though - so we roped up for Wet Kiss. That thing definitely had me at my limit... repeatedly...and the one arm at a time shake outs weren't allowing me to recover much. I was a bit bamboozled by the moves onto the big ledge at bolt 4. I got up all of it clean though and it is a nice route.
Yesterday we started on a new route Brad did all the work on - in the High Peaks. He hasn't published the area up there, so this may be a bit cryptic. The route follows a couple ramps. The second ramp is much more pronounced and has better rock than the first, although the first is not bad by any means. There are 3 pins on the first ramp (the 3rd pin protects the crux), a bolt where you turn the corner, a thread through and sling knob after the bolt and then a second bolt protects another 10 or so feet of difficulties - until the ramp gets easier (4th class). The route has a pretty high fright factor.
Thanks to BAP for following me.
Here's a couple pics (thanks to Kat for taking them).
Scrunching up through the crux. Kat says she has never seen me so scrunched up on a climb. The yoga must be paying dividends.The moves are not hard (5.5 or 5.6) but the nature of the climbing is very balancy and committing. It is not a route you want to fall on. clink - you probably would not like it.
After clipping the first bolt and turning the corner it's still scrunchy for a bit. I'm checking out the thread through and sling knob.
Making a few more delicate moves past the 2nd (and last) bolt. Once you get past the gray streak it eases.
waldo joined us to climb another new route with me, while Tuff Chik and BAP climbed Abnur Bear is Everywhere.
The new route is really fun, well protected and has lots of cool holes and pockets. It's a little bit dirty (I'd put it on the same level as The Long and the Short of It for lichen and dirt) but that did not detract from the fun for me - or anyone else. It's definitely star-worthy and two stars would not be unreasonable (providing The Long and the Short of It also gets upgraded to two stars).
Mr Boltjangles 5.8*
Kat came up with the name a while back when we were out doing some new stuff with Brad and T. We were staging and getting ready to climb and I heard a weird clinking sound. I looked over and realized it was a bolt and hanger clinking on Brad's gear and Kat immediately said Mr. Bolt Jangles.
I'll wait and let Brad publish the details since he did all the work with Peter B.
