Climbing highlights Descartes' Error.

I finally found a climb that suites my style, bits of slab to gentle overhanging with technical climbing with great rests and lost of technique; a rarity in the Red. After falling off of both warm up climbs yesterday I got on Swahili Slang at the Motherlode, a 5.12b/c. Pete onsited it with some difficulty.

Since I've been struggling with my confidence of late and wasn't sure if I could pull all the moves (I've only lead one 12c in my life), I decided to clean the route on top rope. I headed up with some difficulty falling off at ever second bolt.

Picture: Pete L taking a rest before the ramp on Swahili Slang, 12b/c.

Picture: Pete L climbing the ramp on Swahili Slang, 12b/c.

* Warning Skip the next two paragraphs if you aren't a climber...*

The moves were amazing, a boulder start, you hand jam side pull a big pocket, to make a long move to a crimp at the first bolt maybe 3' above. Then you high step left foot, adjust you right to get under you and then did a stretching move to a good pocket, some jug hauling for the next 10 ft leads to another big pull off an undercling to a rail where you get the 3rd bolt. A couple more moves onto slopers and you mantel up onto a slab ramp and a rest. You then climb the ramp for 3 moves and then clip around the arete to clip on the face below the ramp. You then fall out of the ramp back onto the over hanging face for another 4 moves and a wicked rock on to the ramp once more to make a long move to a ledge where you get to rest before having to pull the first of two mantel moves to establish on the left.

You get a shake on some crimps and then move left on side pulls and crimps to get to the next ledge which sets you up for the crux moves; a mantel into an undercling that you catch with you thumb. Though the crux move is done, its not over, you need to shuffle your feet left on the small ledge to set you left foot up at the edge. So you can reach up to a right hand gaston, go again to a pocket another foot to the left. If you are tall you can work you right foot to a sloping hold down and right of the hold, this is a really stretchy move and probably won't work for people under 5'9". You can come into the gaston with you right hand then make a coupe more moves right on a sloping rail then move you left foot to a high step and make another big move to a ledge. If you latch you have just one more long move to make the anchors.

* End of climber beta spray section *

Picture: Pete L back out on the face on Swahili Slang, 12b/c.

Needless to say, I fell all over it while cleaning. I didn't feel like any of the moves were show stoppers, I think I could do all of them in groups. As I walked over to the undertow wall I couldn't get the route out of my mind, the moves really suited me, and I know that the style suited me. I could get rests and get my heart rate down on the rests since it wasn't steep but was really intimidated by the grade and feeling fragile ego. I don't know if I could take committing to trying to do the route and having to deal with failure if I didn't get it. I recognized that I wasn't really committing to any route and because of this I wasn't having any success. My fear of failure was holding me back, it was giving me an excuse when I failed - I didn't really want to do the route, I wasn't committed to it.

Picture: Pete L giving a flex after onsiting Swahili Slang, 12b/c.

I walked back to the route to find two guys working on it so I changed my plan for the day. Instead of doing fitness on the steep 12a of the Undertow wall I would commit to doing Swahili Slang.

My first go showed I could makes the movies since I one hanged it after falling at the 3rd bolt trying to get into the ramp.

My second attempt is when I realized just how distracted I was climbing. I was focused on "getting the tick" and how "good" about myself I would feel if I did. The symbol of success instead of just enjoying the process. This pressure to succeed that i was putting on myself culminated in failure when I climbed to the top and then fell off the last hard move at getting to the last bolt. I wasn't tremendously tired. I hit the jug ledge I was going to with my left hand and could have latched the hold but I was so distracted by what it would mean if I did the climb, I didn't allow myself to latch the hold.

Tired and keenly aware of how the chatter in my head was causing my failure I walked over to belay James on his second attempt on Skin Boat which he did without too much apparent trouble. On the walk back I talked with Pete about how distracted I have been climbing. He mentioned that he could almost see me thinking about ticking my 8a score card while I was climbing. He was right, I knew it but I didn't realize how apparent it was in my climbing.

It seems that this lesson of not being focused on the goal but on the process is a lesson I'm going to have to learn over and over again since I remember the same process last year. Maybe that is a complement to climbing in the Red, it forces you to deal with grade chasing since the grades are all over the map. In the end the joy of climbing here should come from the routes not the glory of getting a route done or the grade associated with it.

So I practice a bit of meditation before starting up on the route and this my forth attempt of the day, third on lead I was very aware of my self talk and more importantly how catching myself when I started to focus on thoughts of completing the route or thinking about how my pump would affect me for the moves 4-5 moves ahead instead of the one I was trying to make. Sure enough, this time I made the ascent without difficulty. Seems that as with Burlier's Bane, I need to get in a meditative state in order to climb well. I can't be distracted with other thoughts. Its an example of just how powerful the mind and emotions are in the process of doing anything. I think in climbing its very easy to see the affects of the mind on performance.

It seems that I can take comfort in something I already knew; I can climb 12 when its to my strength by I need to find way to accept that the Red, in general, is not to my strength and I need to let go of getting ascents as my measure of success.

The return to the Red.

The return to the red after a year away has so far been eventful. This year I didn't have swine flu and wasn't traveling for the three weeks prior to arriving so I should be in much better shape for being able to do well. With that comes the extra baggage of expectations. As much as I've tried to avoid creating them they have found their way into the side door. I hope i can manage them appropriately, since i know this place is one of the hardest climbing destinations to prepare for.

There have been a few hiccups so far. We got a crazy taxi driver from Jordan who pulled a classic move of "making a wrong turn then playing stupid to make sure our fare about another 10% more. It was a bit annoying and I hate to profile but I have seen these tricks before in my travels.

So we picked up the car then went over to the airport on Sunday to pick up Pete's bag which arrived at 11 AM. We then change and repacks some bags for climbing at the airport and met Luke, MF and James at Miguel's. I saw the horse race track in the trip and thought of you.

Picture: Leo and I keeping each other warm at the Undertow wall.

We met up then headed to the Drive-By crag with a cool cat named Matt from Portland whom I had met last year at Chek while working on Face the Music. Once at the crag, I found that I had forgotten my harness .... in my other pack and so it wasn't at the crag. So Evan, James and I spent the day trading off harnesses so that i could climb. I warmed up repeating a 10d, then an 11a and an 11c from last year. I finished up the day attempting a 12a called Prima Noctum. I'm feeling much stronger than last year but still realized that the steep climbs intimidate me. I was also pretty tired from the traveling so didn't push too hard. Evan managed to do the same routes I did but attempted the first 12a that I did then tried another one called Check Your Grip which I want to do.

Picture: Luke Zimmerman on Kaleidoscope

James made an attempt on Beer Belly, 13a and made good progress so it looks like we'll be going back there again soon.

Picture: James on Beer Belly, 13a.

Picture: Pete, Luke and James at Drive-By Crag.

I slept light, waking up to the sound of the showers several time and my weekday wake up call. The jet lag was a bit of pain as we are 3 hours ahead. I woke up feeling fairly good at 9 AM.

We all at and headed out to the Motherlode in two separate cars; James, Evan and I in one, MF and Pete in the other. On the drive I noticed that the air pressure low light was on so I checked the car when we arrived. The front left tire was a bit low. So I made a mental note to fill it up when we left. After warming up on a couple 11a and 11b's we went over to the Madness to cave to show Evan but decided that the holds were too humid and moist to climb there so we headed out the go to where MF and Pete had decided to go after coming to the same conclusion.

When we hiked back out we jump into the car and I drove over. After arriving at the parking lot for the new crag I rechecked the tire and found we could hear the air leaking from it and it was super low. I sent Evan and James on their way and drove out to deal with the tire. I filled it at a nearby gas station then drove back to the dirt road that goes into the the climbing area's. Finding a puddle i rolled the tire through the puddle and checked for bubble to find the leak. It seems we had driven over a screw. The leak didn't seem too fast so I drove back into and joined the guys at the new crag.

Evan and James had only managed one 12b in my absences so I was able to join back in with the circuit. I started with the STEEPEST 10d I have ever been on; the name, Girls Gone Wild, Wooo! I nearly pumped out a couple times but managed to pull through from shear stubbornness and some good technique to recover after I made a hard move or two. It was nice to get through an onsite this year which I'm sure I would have fallen off of last year.

I followed up with the steepest 11c I have ever been on. It was a lot of fun but I elected not to attempt to red point it and instead try another 11c in the area. After top roping the second 11c, I was done for the day. Evan was getting beaten up on pretty bad, having to hang dog his way up the 11c that I top roped. He finish the day by doing the 10d I put up initially. He was pretty bagged and so had to go bolt to bolt at the top.

At this crag we met a guy you and I saw in Red Rocks at xmas two years ago; Don Walsh. He is a fairly prominent climbing in his time. He put a famous 13c called Sissy Traverse at the Gallery in Red Rocks. It was fun to chat with him, he was a very humble fellow and offered some great advice.

We packed up and headed home. The car tire only a little bit less full than when I had returned. So we are leaving it over night and will fill it with air tomorrow an get it fixed.

Frustrations and the Steep (Solarium, Midnight Surf, Military Wall and Left Flank)

As a change of pace we headed to the Muir Valley to check out the Solarium and Midnight surf. The day was looking a little colder so the morning in the Solarium enjoying the sun would be a great place to warm up.

The hike in was wonderful. A thanks is in order to Liz and Rick Weber who own the property on which Muir Valley sites. They generously provide access to this valley as a climbing spot and hiking area. I want to thank them for access and the facilities they put in place for the public. They have provided washrooms and a parking lot on the property for everyone to access.

The valley itself if beautiful you start by hiking down a gravel road for about 15-20 minutes at which point you arrive at the valley floor and cross a small river. The valley floor is grassy and we walk across it for a few minutes then start up a earthen path that tracks the valley floor for another 5 minutes before turning left up a path that wound its way up to a steeply overhanging cliff: The Solarium.

James and I warmed up on the five star 5.11a, I went first hoping to onsight. The first moves were nearly vertical. As I climbed higher the route progressively got steeper as you move up a series of horizontal breaks to a final roof that pulls out to a small ledge on a head wall above the roof. It was just below this edge that I finally pumped out trying to get over the final and fell off.

I finished the route then lowered and went up again to get the tick. Even the second time up I still pumped out at the last ramp and I had wrap both my arms over the final ledge to catch some rest so that I could de-pump. It work but I was till pretty gunned. I wait for my heart rate to drop before moving up to clip the anchor and clean it.

After I getting down I felt heavy and that I might have gotten a bit of flash pump so after James onsighted Banshee, an awesome five star overhanging 5.11c at the end of the crag. The belay position was a bit tricky as it was at the top of a ledge maybe 4 meters up. The belay was excellent as you had a pair of belay bolts and and directional bolt for belaying.

The route starts up a right trending diagonal arete to a break then up and right on jugs to a hueco in which you can climb into for a no hands rest. The next series moves out onto the face for about 4-5 meters of jug to a pair of huecos the first of which is small but the second is large enough to comfortably get into and sit down. I think someone put up a chalk drawing waiting around inside before moving through the final face climb moves to at he anchor. The journey takes you a full 35 meters of climbing.

On my attempt I fell of moving to the second big hueco because I misread the route going up instead of traversing across. I was frustrated because it was the second time that day that I felt I should have on-sighted but ended up coming off. I went down rested up for a while clearing my pump and tried to find a way to deal with my frustration. Luke suggested I throw a wobbler and just let it out. I didn't feel involving others in my frustrations that I have inside me with the world so I opted for trying to break down my expectations and detach from the out come. The change was significant though I would start experiencing it till a day later.

I got back on Banshee, climbing through the first crux, resting in the small hueco before setting out to the next hueco and the red point crux to pulling through the lower hueco which doesn't have the best holds up into the big hueco you can climb inside by pulling on a nice finger lock. I felt calm and collected and just enjoying the climbing instead of worrying about the out come. After resting I climbed on the most amazing hand jugs in breaks in the rock that would appear every 6 feet till you reach the anchors. I was happy with the it on the second go. Feling a bit physically drained I decide to not climb the rest of the day and save my energy for climbing at Military Wall and Left Flank. I would want to make a few good attempts at Wild Yet Tasty, the 12a I decided to project at the previous visit to this crag.

James, Luke and Pete continued climbing at Midnight surf. This crag was amazing and different, the wall starts vertical for the first 6-9 meters at which point it kicks back sharply getting progressively steeper as you move higher on the wall. The wall reaches an angle somewhere around 30-40 degrees till if backs off to near vertical at around 28-30 meters off the ground.

Pete dispatched Shiva, 13b. While Luke nailed Tapeworm, 12d. Both James and Luke started working the outrageously steep Cell Block Six, a five star 12c denied by the long, powerful reaches between jugs.

The day completed with everyone's fun card punched we make the hike up the steep gravel road to return to the car and home.

The sun was shining for our day at Military Wall and Left Flank. We started at Military to enjoy the morning sun as it was colder than previous days. James and I warmed up on the openning 10's. The only one of note was the so rated 5 star 10c called In The Light. The climb was short and stout with fairly hard moves off the ground and continuing on right ot the end. There is a ledge part way up that provides a bit of reprieve from the pump but only for a few moments. The real sting comes at the top where the clipping position is quite challenging and pumpy, the style seems to be come here. In either event, I missed the clip on the anchors first time then pumped out and grabbed the chains and clipped.

Thankfully, I was focused on trying to enjoy the climbing so mach as collect another climb and having to get the ascent. As a result, I didn't beat myself up for the rest of the day and as my next climb flashed the classic 11b (11d?), Fuzzy Undercling. The crux is right on you off the ground (read stick clip suggested) and through the move following the first bolt. They route the steers up and right up underclings and jug on a good position at the arete. I caught a knee bar (thank you James for the beta) and then finished up on the good jugs to pull over the last bulge to clip the anchors. Thanks to the beta and encouragement of Pete, Luke and James while on route I'm sure I wouldn't have made the onsight.

In short order we headed over to Left Flank, shortly after arriving we were joined by my friend Bryant. Bryant and I met in South Africa on my previous trip climbing trip but now lives in Cincinnati doing graduate studies in Environmental Engineering.

I spent the rest of the day throwing myself at Wild, Yet Tasty. Figuring out what techniques I could use on a cruxy long move after the last bolt on the route. I also found a few suggestions for how to clip the crux bolt and change how I would do the crux throw to a three finger pocket. I was enjoying he process and by end of day I had the climb down to a single hang and was able to climb from the crux move to the chains. I have my fingers crossed that I will get another chance but I'm okay with leaving this as an open project for the next time I get to come to the Red.

James and Luke both onsited the five star 12b, Sex Farm. Pete managed to pick up a project in Stunning the Hog, 12d. Bryant got on Wild, Yet Tasty and on possibly the best 12b in the Red, Mercy, the Huff.

Everyone seemed to be happy with the day and we retired while it was still light.

I'm going to publish this now but check back in a few days and I will have some pictures embedded as well.

A day at Left Flank and the Gallery

Our next outing on the rock was for a bit of new material. We headed over to Left Flank for a day of fun climbing with some different rock. It was MF's last day at the Red and she really only had a half day as she was flying out of Lexington in the afternoon.

We arrive at the base of the cliff around 9:45 AM. James and I split off and warmed up on a reachy 10a called To Defy the Laws of Tradition. While MF and Pete did Maypop, a three star 5.11a with a bouldery start to some vertical crimping and these really amazing tubes of what appears to be iron ore mixed in with the sandstone. James and I both did Maypop as our second warm up then headed over the the end of the crag where Pete was trying Table of Colors, 13a.

I was still feeling like I wanted to do some more on-sight climbing so I move to a nearby 11b four star slab climbed called Hen-ry. I managed the on-sight after a few attempts at different sequences at the crux. James followed making quick work of it.

I stopped for lunch and watched Pete and MF climb a little while longer working out the moves on Table of Colors. I was eyeing up Mercy, the Huff, but still didn't feel up to a Red 12b. I instead decided to do the four star 12a on the far right called Wild, Yet Tasty. I was glad as this proved to be the most fun 12a I had been on so far at the Red.

The crux was so fun, the opening sequence goes up a corner crack to a stem rest (though you don't need it too much) then you move out right on good holds to where the wall kicks back to a 20 degree overhand and you start up on good pockets to a side pull pinch in a Hueco. I set my feet up high then go high right to a crimp above the hueco, match my left then move out to a good pocket for the right hand, clip off a heal hook in the hueco. The crux sequence moves your left hand into a iron ore tube that eats your whole hand. Step on to a bulge, move to a reasonable crimp for your right. Reset the feet on the crimps rock up onto my left foot, look off my right hand and then make a HUGE reach to a good ledge. A few more big moves and the rest of the climb was hauling on jugs.

I tried this route three time that day but just didn't have the energy and on an earlier attempt manage to tear up my finger throwing to a pocked and falling short. James seemed to be having a harder time than me, he was climbing The Dinosaur a 12c with a really small crimp down low for the crux. He seem to have a frustrating time as he was able to pull through the crux sequence on his first go but couldn't repeat the move after.

The story for the day was Pete who pulled it together for a his fourth go of the day he made an ascent of Table of Colors, 13a. A truly inspiring experience.

Our next day we headed to a new climbing area called The Gallery, near the Sore Heal parking area. We started the day off with a route that was not in the guide book. After we all climbed it we figured a grade of 5.10a. It was a fun route with a few long moves and some fun pulls (see pictures below)

Picture: Chris Singer on first section of Unknown, 5.10a.
























Picture: Chris Singer on first section of Unknown, 5.10a.

We followed up with a five star 11b called Random Precision. The route was worth ever star. It started with a technical problem with a few balancey moves to the first bolt. A few moves up to a ledge then a bigger move to a hueco. Edges and pockets get you to a great position on the arete to finish up with a great position. So much fun.

Picture: Belayer, Pete Lindgren; Climber, Chris Singer; on Random Precision, 5.11b

James then proceeded onsight Goldrush, a four star overhanging jug haul at 5.11d. James showed outstanding endurance ( though he denies it) working out the crux to finish up clipping the chain.

I followed up with an attempt on this amazing route but after the opening moves I was going to pump out fast, clearly I was still not on the Red endurance program. I managed to dog my way to the top. What an amazing route, pull out through a roof on great holds then out onto a steep face where you make move after move on huge holds. The crux comes at the top where the route kicks back at a major break in the rock then a couple crimps, high-step, rock up and lock off to the next ledge. I think the start is the only reason this doesn't get five stars. Great route that I'm definitely going to enjoy working on.
























Picture: James Fillman on first section of Goldrush, 5.11d.

After the beating I took on Goldrush, I realized that I was running on empty. I caught myself spacing out on a rock a few times while James and Pete worked on Calm Like a Bomb, 13b and Break In The Scene, 12b. I decided to take a nap which didn't take too long to make happen despite the slightly lower temperatures for the day. I woke up a bit more refreshed but thankful that we were going into a rest day.

James got his ascent of Break In The Scene, on this third attempt. Pete provided comedy relief on his ascent of Calm Like a Bomb, writing in chalk "WEAK" at the no hands rest just before the final sequence. It was nice to see both of them get good ascents on the day. Tomorrow is our first double rest day which we are taking so that our climbing days align with the arrival of our last trip member: Luke Zimmerman.

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?

First days in the Red

It been over a year since I've logged anything to the travel blog but hey, times have been busy and I haven't been on any climbing trips that have been long enough or had internet access to blog. That has changed with my arrival in Kentucky for my first trip to the Red River Gorge or as most climbers call it, the Red.

The time leading up to this trip was pretty intense and put me in a position for being the weakest in my climbing ever. The month of October leading up to the trip saw me go to California for work spending a little over a week down there and working (including travel time) over 75 hours. It was a successful work trip but not a lot of climbing.

I return to Vancouver hoping to squeak in some last minute training in the gym but that was all for naught as I came down with Swine Flu on the Monday was a bed ridden for the entire week with a fever, lack of appetite, shallow breathing etc... I haven't been that sick in 15 years. It was a challenge to get well enough to make the trip to Kentucky on the Saturday morning. Thanks to the support and care of my girlfriend Angela and my roommates Hazel and Mike I was able to bounce back in time to make the trip.

I took the advice of my Boss who suggested I take it easy for the first couple days and so I enjoyed watching Pete and James climbing for the first day out at the motherload. I am amazed at how the rock has formed in this place. It is so steep the Undertow wall is 35 degrees overhanging and it only gets steeper as you move to climbers left to probably closer to a sustained 50 degree overhang. Rodellar was steep but in a far different way than this sandstone. The holds and the feet are much different causing you to hang on more on your arms. In Rodellar Spain for some reason (at least the routes I climbed) you could get your feet underneath you in such a way that you could take the weight off you arms by twisting to get your hips up to the wall. Here the feet force you to climb more head on as the feet are not nearly as wide in stance and as a result you hang on you hands and arms a lot more.

I had been warned that the Red would be a whole new experience and I should control my expectations on what I could climb. After watching James struggle with climbs as easy as 11- I knew I was in for it. I also had to manage my expectations as I was still weak and even experiencing dizzy spells.

For my first day on the rock Pete, James and I went to Drive-by crag. This was just past the Motherload down a gas and logging service road. The weather had turned a bit cold and we showed up slightly later to let me catch a bit of sleep in time.

The crag was busy with lots of people climbing on the easier "warm-up" climbs all day. I did my first climb at the Red onsight. It was an amazingly fun 10a called Make A Wish. The climb moved up through the rough overhanging sandstone to a mid-height ledge where I caught a rest before finishing off the pumpy upper half of the climb.

For my second climb I did what I will now call my favorite 10c climb: Breakfast Burrito. This amazing climb is slightly overhanging moving through long reaches between good holds to a no hands rest. I recovered fully then moved up and left out of a huge alcove onto an overhanging arete to finish off. The position on this climb is amazing as you pull out onto the overhanging arete you have nothing but air beneath you and the clips are well spaced to give you a sense adventure. I haven't seen a position like this on any other climb at this grade. Amazing! I'll admit, the blood rushed through my forearms on this climb and I worked hard to hang on to the finish.

My next climb of the day was a 10d called Fire and Brimstone. This climb earned its name as I struggled up the steep arete. Even catching a no-hands rest by wrapping my leg around a flake and putting in a heal-toe cam. The route spit me off at a difficult clip in the crux which I was almost too pumped out to clip. This was just before a sit down rest which lead to technical climbing up a crack to finish.

I rounded out the day with an epic battle on Slick and the 9mm at 10b. The route moved up through some fun crack to a roof crux in which I got trapped hunting for a clipping hold. Feeling the lactic acid building in my forearms I knew I couldn't hold on long. Hunting around wildly as my hands began opening I found a good in-cut crimp for my left hand. I was able to clip and move up and establish myself on the vertical section above the roof.

After this I tapped out feeling tired from my first day of pumping climbing at the Red.

The next day was a rest day so we all packed up and headed in to Lexington for stocking the house for food and alcohol.

Tuesday we were back at it again, back to Drive-By crag to resolve some unfinished projects. I warmed up on Make A Wish and then followed up by doing Fire and Brimstone with relative ease. For the third climb of the day I on-sited possibly one of the best 11a's I've ever climbed: Whip Stocking. This climb moves up through a series of steep jugs and flakes. I was clearly not in shape for the climb but managed to pull through by finding 4 knee bars and one no hands rest just before the final roof before the anchors.

Pete offered to hang the draws on the four star 11c, Spirit Fingers. I was feeling good and eager to get on some harder routes. Harder it was, the crux moves up through a steep overhanging section to a hard clip and then two more hard moves off smaller crimps while you are tired to get back onto huge holds and a run-out to the anchor. I made two attempts on this route grabbing the draws in a few occasions (my head was not prepared for the big run-out at the tops of most of the steep routes in the Red).

James continued to work on a 12a called Primus Noctum, which he did. The tick of the day went to Pete who did Dirty Smelly Hippie, a proud 13b that climbs out of a massive 40 degree roof for a full 28 meters. Since we were all a little roughed up from the physical aspects of the climbs and Pete had split his finger we decided to take the following day off to recover.

Our next days on would be at the Motherlode, and we would need ever ounce of skin and strength for the 35-50 degree overhangs that go for 20-35 meters.