First two days at the Motherlode!

The next couple on days we decided the Motherlode was the place to be to get in better shape. Good call one would think since is wicked steep with (mostly) bigger holds. We started off at the so called Warm Up wall which has an 11a, 11b, and 11c all clustered together. My friend Evan taught me about a concept called "closest grade complement" which basically means that if you are at a wall where there is a couple 5.11s and everything else is 5.12 or harder chances are that the 5.11s are going to be HARD.

The warm up wall was no surprise that they had some nice tough cruxes. I wouldn't saw the grades were unfair but they are hard for the grade. Since the 11a was busy we worked on the 11b, Trust In Jesus. It took me 3 goes to get the ascent and the third attempt was touch and go as the crux is making a tough left hand Gaston to move up to a crimp then back onto good holds again. The route was not considered steep, a paltry 10 degrees overhanging. After the guys patiently let me work this route we all headed to the Undertow wall.

James set about working a 12c call Resurrection, while I headed around the corner to work on a vertical 11a called Snapper. Two goes later and I had done this. The guys ribbed me for picking to do a vertical climb when there was some of the best overhanging lines in the world just around the corner but I figure at this point I should play into my strength and work back into it instead of climbing at my limit in a style that is my weakness. Though I did make one attempt (bolt to bolt) on a 12a called Kick Me In The Jimmie. The holds were huge but the climb felt impossible especially for the last climb of the day.

Pete had a good day, getting the ascent on Pushing Up Daisies, 13b. While James worked out the beta on Resurrection.

The second day we return to the Warm Up wall. This time we got their earlier and the wall was free. We hopped on Injured Reserve, 11a. James made the first attempt on this tricky climb. He made it to the crux and tried working it out for a while eventually building up a good pump and taking the fall. I was up next and wanting to try to onsight it I climbed to the crux as well and couldn't figure it out falling off. Pete offered up the critical beta to move through, a high left hand crimp to a high step then a big move to a jug.

As we took our turns warming up on the Injured Reserve some locals showed up. One a character I had met on the first day. I believe his name is Jeff but I've heard him more often called "Ash Tray" than his real name. He was a professor at one of the colleges here in computer engineering. So needless to say we had a lot to talk about. He was climbing with Chris Snyder, whom I was later to learn, was the person who found the Motherlode. All in all my encounters with the locals have been very interesting, they don't fit the stereotype of the over-all wearing red necks. Though the beer swilling did come out from time to time.
Since we had been monopolizing the warm up routes, when Chris asked to warm up, I pass on my turn to let them climb through.

My second attempt wasn't much better than the first as I missed the throw to the good hold after the high step. I didn't want to hold up the team as I had done yesterday trying to red point an 11a that I was sure we would be back on in the future. We packed up and move on to the Undertow Wall.

James worked Resurrection, again, getting pretty close with only one fall. Just a matter of time before he ticks this fine route.

Pete and MF went to GMC wall to work 8 Ball, 12d and Snooker, 13a. By the end of the day Pete had ticked 8 Ball.

I spent the day working on Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 12a, top roping the route twice and leading it once (well maybe I should say aiding it since i was grabbing draws left right and center). Tired we packed up and headed in to a rest day.

I had time to reflect on my rest day as to the nature of the climbs here and the ethics the people making route here have. Seems the ethics here are to make sure all the lines a really good, well spaced and of high quality (at least where we have been).

There seems to be a nearly endless supply of amazing crags that haven't been bolted. Rock that would be gridded up in a year if it were in Squamish but they either haven't gotten to or don't feel its deserving of attention (yet). Also I have never been to a place with so much variety, from good cracks, to off-widths (for my friend Paul Campbell), to technical face climbs, to overhanging jug hauls that don't end.

The routes are long and pretty heady with the spaced out bolts at the top on the overhanging climbing. I've routinely seen 40 ft whippers in the Motherlode, but in their defense they only occur up high and only on the overhanging routes. Since I haven't been climbing routes and am wildly out of shape this has resulted in grabbing quick draws to clip on more than one occasion so I could work a hard section.

Enjoying the rest day and look forward to some new crags when we return to climbing. Next crags up are Left Flank and The Gallery; does every climbing spot have crag with this name?