Sat. 10/6 - We wake up have a quick bowl of cereal and hit the road, We check in with Bob, JED + Joao, they stopped for the night in eastern Maryland so were now about a ½ day ahead of the rest of our band of climbers. We cross into Kentucky with in 1 hour and we are at the Fortress Wall around 10:30 dumping all our climbing gear in our packs and start the sweat slog to the base of the cliffs. Bedtime for Bonzo 5.4-5.6 trad was the first route JDW did both sandbag pitches. What do I mean by a Sandbag route (its way harder than the published grade in the guidebook)! Next Don leads Calypso 5.7 trad it was a great route, then I got to lead the plum of the day Party Time trad (5 stars) - 5.7 P1 was 40 feet, and P2 was 100 feet it was a stellar route. After that we head to the cabin we rented, It was a very nice place.
View from top of Cliff First route Sat .
Home Sweet Home for our week in Kentucky....Sunday 10/7 - We get our sorry butts going around 8:00 and head to pebble Beach Cliff. The rest of the Gang went to another crag. JDW started with Environmental Impact 5.7 trad, It was a great route much better to follow it was harder than 5.7 with lots of lay backing. Next Don Sport lead E.I. and SD did on TR, Next I jumped on Scabies 5.9+ a short bolted sport route with 5 bolts. It was hard and I was doing the Elvis thing and sweating bullets big time, making the holds very slippery. I had to take once and fell just below the Anchors. Next JDW lead Zambezi Plunge 5.9 Trad and the upper face pitch of Ju-Ju 5.10 bolted ish. Don + I both did on TR. Next I led Arrow Head 5.7 trad, JDW TR’ed it stayed up top, we pulled the ropes and Don led and JDW took pictures from above. To finish off the day JDW lead Central Scrutinizer 5.9 Pin + Bolt + rest trad (5 stars) a fantastic face climb! Don + I Did on TR – It was just an outstanding climb. Off to the Van and the store for food for the week.
Very Cool Free standing formation Arrowhead 5.7 trad
Monday 10/8 – The house / cabin we rented is very busy every AM with a small kitchen and 7 people trying to get breakfast made, and get lunch packed for the climbing day ahead. Today we all venture to the Dip Wall. This place had a few OK trad routes and some CRAZY hard stuff. Don was the ROPE GUN this day leading two very hard trad JAM crack no one else wanted to do or had the skills to JAM UP! We all tore up our hands working these routes on T/R and letting Don teach us a few things about jamming. After climbing we all decided to go to the Famous MIGUELS Pizza for dinner. We meet Gary White and all have a great time chatting about the climbs and eating. The group is now up to 8 people.
Don the JAM MASTER jaming up a very toug 5.9+ JAm crack.
Tuesday 10/9 – Today is MUIR Valley, Bruise Brothers Wall - all bolted routes today – This area is on private property but the owners let us crazy climbers up to 30+ car loads a day invade the property every day. I think the owner said he had 7 miles of cliff bands on his property WOW !!!!!! This was a landmark day for me as I did my first two 5.11a clean (on TOP rope but that’s OK with me!!). Any how the Funny story from today was after a warm up Climb -- JDW + I went looking for the second warm up climb, I sorta messed up and picked a tough route, But JDW cranked up over the cruxes with great style. He was commenting how hard the moves were but I assured him it was 5.8. Well after he was back to Tara Firma. I opened the guide book again and realized JWD just lead a 5.11a. Opppps!!! Well now I had to try the route as I picked it. I was shocked as I also made the moves even getting the very thin crimper move at the start; crimpers are not my strong point! We moved on after that climb all pumped up and did a few 5.8’s them moved around the corner to a bigger wall with some tough routes. I lead a 5.10a + a 5.9-, then JDW lead a 5.10d, 5.10c, and a 5.11a Wow some tough stuff, and no falls !! So to summarize this day I sandbagged JDW into leading a 5.11a early in the day and he showed what his stuff was made of leading all the hard routes for everybody else to enjoy on TR. JDW got the ROPE Gun of the day award !!
Wed 10/10 - Global Village crag today. I was getting tired and wanted an easy day. I lead Father + Son 5.7 trad very nice (3 star) route, then we all moved around getting several more climbs. Vision 5.7 trad Don, Eureka 5.6 Bolted SD, Jake Flake 5.8 trad –Thin + hard to protect route Don lead this, I was still dragging so Don also lead Casual Viewing 5.7 trad, we finished with a T/R up Kentucky Pinstripe 5.10a Bolted Sport route.
Father + Son 5.7 trad 4
Thurs 10/11 – Today was Roadside Crag, This cliff was very close to the road and has 49 routes. This is a big Sport climbing Crag; it has lots of SICK overhanging bolted sport routes not for the mere mortal climbers. We started the day with Roadside attraction a two pitch 5.7 five star route, it was my turn for the lead so I tapped up and got ready for the first 40-50 feet of hand size jam crack. The moves went easy after Dons training a few days before, My feet were hurting just like they did on Reppy’s Crack 5.8 trad on Cannon in N.H. last summer. I also did the second pitch with a wild move at the top. It was great fun. Next we did Five Finger Discount 5.8 Trad JDW had the honors to lead - it was a beautiful route, Don then lead Motha 5.6 trad, and I led Jump for Joy 5.9 Sport. The name tells it all I had to literally jump for the first hold with a polished wall below and no feet – cool. Next JDW leads Fadda 5.10a Sport, and off we head to the other end of the cliff looking for more fun. We were thinking of Andromeda Strain, But JDW + I decided it was way big – overhanging, and we would need like 8 each gold + Blue cams, which we did not have. Good excuse to move on to the extreme other end of the cliff – They call it the slab section. Don did Kampsight 5.9+ Sport, JDW did Altered Scale also 5.9+ + I opted for a fun easy 5.7 as the last climb of the day Ledger Line 5.7 Sport. We packed up and headed to the house for dinner, we did a huge Pasta meal at the house– gotta get those CARBS…… 
Roadside Attraction 5.7 -Five stars - Pitch two crux
Friday 10/12 - Friday was a big adventure day with a 35 min hike to a Crag way back deep in the Kentucky wilderness. We picked Wall of Denial for our day’s arm + finger burn out session. Don’t forget this is 7 days in a row climbing with out a rest and several of us are over 50. Somehow I got the first lead of the day again cool with me !!!! I picked Funhouse 5.7 five star trad route in a steep corner system Bob said was a great climb. It was very cool till the wet section when ELVIS can to visit again. He had not been around for days you know. ( Elvis leg is when your brain sends these weird signals to you leg if you get a bit freaked out – and your leg does this shaking thing) .. Some climbers also call it sewing machine leg. Anyhow I got past the wet green slimy section and Elvis went away and the rest of the route was just good fun. Next JDW jumped on a cool corner called Strick 9 trad 5.9 also a five start and every bit a great route. I followed on TR and then we broke up and all mixed up partners for the rest of the day. Gary belayed me on Bongo next 5.6 trad, then we all sport lead a 5.9 Trad route up a steep overhanging corner Bob lead. Go Bob it was very cool - Bob said the moves were 5.7 with 5.9 exposure. After a few days thinking about it I agree with that rating for sure. Glad all the cams were in place and we just had to clip in!! The day was almost over JDW was leading some heinous steep thin looking thing ( Toxic Avenger 5.10d Trad + Sport – very run out) I did not want to attempt with a slight injury to my right hand from the day before. So I just hung out and watched. All the time I was talking to Gary saying I really want to lead Strick 9 – So Gary throws a pile of rope in front of me and says let’s do it. So I got some balls and put a rack together, we had gear all over the cliff that day and racks were all split up, Several guys had already lead this route and I had top roped it so I had a real good idea on the gear ( CAMS) I needed . It was a great lead as I felt very solid I have not done a lot of trad 5.9 leads so this was a good confidence inspiring route for me. After my climb we did a group Pic and we all did the 35 min hike back to the cars. We ate at some barbecue place then headed to the house to pack up for Sat our final day – we would not go back to the cabin after climbing Sat.
Group Photo at end of climbing Friday ..
Steve on Slick 9 Layback section
JDW on same route, Steve on belay duty.Sat 10/13 – Sat was a short day with climbing only planned till noon. Don, JDW + Joao went to Phantasia wall for our last day. JDW started off with Overload 5.10b sport, I did on TR, then I led You Got served 5.8 Sport, JDW then did Pogue Ethics 5.9+ a bolted Sport route + lastly Attack of the Sand Shark 5.9- sport I did on TR, We packed up our stuff all piled in the Eurovan @ 1:30 and I drove for 11 hours till just east of Scanton Pa. Sat night camp site on the way home
Sat night camp site low budget style ( rest area in Eastern Pa.).
Sunday 10/14 - We hit the road, a dinner for breakfast, and I was home before noon. Trip over all full success + a great time ……
1 comment:
WOW!
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