Winter of Our Discontent? Early Season Climbing in the Uberfall

(Photo: Snowshoeing around the Trapps in mid-February.)

Man, it has been a long winter, hasn't it?

When I climbed in the Trapps on November 10, I didn't really believe that was going to be it for the year. Usually we get a few warm days here and there, even into December. And sometimes there are some reasonable climbing days in January and February. 

Not this winter. It has been pretty brutal.

Of course it has probably been a tremendous winter for ice climbing. But I haven't felt motivated to make it happen this year. I don't feel experienced enough to lead on ice. I could top-rope in the Catskills. I really should have done this several times. But for some reason I just haven't gotten it together.

(Photo: The Casablanca wall in the Trapps in mid-February.)

I was feeling pretty good when the 2013 climbing season ended. After missing most of the summer with various obligations and vacations I had a little run of success in the autumn, knocking off several 5.10 projects-- Bird Cage (5.10b), Feast of Fools (5.10b), Wegetables (5.10a), Red Cabbage Right (5.10b), and Nosedive (5.10b)-- leading most of them on-sight. 

All winter I've intended to put in place a real training regimen, but it never seems to get beyond the incipient stages. Usually I enforce whatever diet and exercise plan I've come up with for a week or two and then inevitably I revert to eating whatever and "just climbing" at the gym.

On President's Day weekend I was up in the Gunks for the first time since November, with my wife Robin and the kids. Gail was kind enough to host us at her house in Gardiner. We did some snowshoeing around the Trapps as well as some sledding with friends who live in the area.

The Preserve was beautiful in the winter conditions. I'd never seen it so snowy. Walking past the "S" turn on the Undercliff Road, I could see icicles hanging from the roof on Casablanca (5.9). The Boxcar boulder was half buried in snow. We had a good time trudging around. I fooled around a little bit, pretending to boulder while wearing the awkward snowshoes.

(Photo: Doing the Andrew problem (V4) in snowshoes. Or pretending to, anyway...)

Our wintry visit to the Gunks sent my already-severe feelings of climbing withdrawal into previously unseen, dangerous levels. I was more desperate than ever to get out there at the first opportunity.

Last weekend this opportunity finally came. It was due to hit fifty degrees in New Paltz on Saturday, March 8. Sunday was supposed to be colder. Unfortunately we had evening plans on Saturday, which made it difficult to climb that day. So I decided to go on Sunday with my gym pal Deepak.

But the forecast for Sunday got colder and colder. At about 9:00 on Saturday morning I checked the forecast and, seeing projected highs for Sunday in the low thirties, decided I had to call it off. But then it occurred to me that half a day on Saturday would be better than nothing at all for the whole weekend. So I asked Deepak if he'd like to go, say, RIGHT NOW???

Luckily for me he was flexible and we were in business!

We got to the Gunks just before noon and only had a few hours in which to climb. But it was great to be there at all. It was like a Gunks reunion. We ran into local celebrities Denis O'Connor and Christian Fracchia. Everyone was all smiles, grateful for any opportunity to feed our little shared obsession.

The cliff was in surprisingly good condition. There was still more than a foot of snow on the ground (and atop the cliff) but the snow was pretty consolidated and easy to walk upon. And the walls were generally dry. The melt-off hadn't really begun yet.

(Photo: At the base of Nice Crack Climb (5.7), excited to climb! The tarp was helpful.)

We had limited time so we jumped on the first thing we saw. As we rounded the Handy Andy corner and got our first glimpse of the main face of the Trapps, it appeared all of the climbs on the Black Fly wall were dry, so I decided on Nice Crack Climb (5.7) for my first lead of the year. It is an okay climb. The crux move is right off the ground and the rest is pleasant enough, if rather unremarkable.

(Photo: Deepak working out the crux move on Nice 5.9 Climb.)

Since we were right there I decided to knock off Nice 5.9 Climb for my first 5.9 lead of the year. I felt good and had no trouble. I had to think through the high-step crux-- is the foothold really THAT high? Yes it is!-- but then it was not a problem. And the second crux is more fun than I remembered. This pitch looks like a throwaway but is well worth doing.

(Photo: Leo on Apoplexy (5.9).)

Next we walked into the Uberfall area and found climbers on Retribution (5.10b) and Nosedive (5.10b). We found our gym friend Leo there too, leading my old favorite Apoplexy (5.9). Deepak and I decided to do a quick run up Rhododendron (one of my earliest 5.6 leads, and a good one) and then we hung out briefly with Leo and his friends until they were finished with Apoplexy. When they moved next door to top-rope Coronary (5.10b/c), I led Apoplexy for our final route of the day. It felt so good. I was in control, casual. I felt absolutely free. 

(Photo: Chillin' (literally!) at the base of Apoplexy (5.9) and Coronary (5.10b/c).)

It was wonderful to be out there, even if we were just doing familiar climbs in the glorified gymnasium atmosphere of the Uberfall.

This weekend turned out to be kind of a repeat of last weekend. Robin and I were hosting a party on Saturday night so I planned to meet Gail on Sunday (today) for a full day of climbing. But again the forecast was for much warmer temperatures on Saturday than Sunday so Gail and I decided to settle for a half day on Saturday rather than risk being shut out entirely for the weekend.

The conditions had deteriorated from the week before. Numerous freeze-thaw cycles had caused the snow atop the cliff to run off and then re-freeze into icicles, which during our climbing day came noisily raining down at some locations around us. The carriage road was a treacherous sheet of ice as we walked in and a slushy puddle as we walked out.

But most of the cliff was fine. We stayed in the Uberfall area again and actually managed to do a few routes I'd never done before.

We started with Eyebrow (5.6), which was new for me. I was pleasantly surprised by this pitch. As you leave the ground it seems there is no obvious line, but as you climb up it presents itself. There is a lot of climbing on this one, including some good traverse moves. I enjoyed it.

(Photo: Gail at one of the harder sections on Nosedive (5.10b).)

I'd felt so good last weekend that I couldn't resist the idea of jumping on a 5.10. Retribution and Nosedive were open so after we were done with Eyebrow I hopped right on Retribution (5.10b). 

I found out pretty quickly that I'm not in prime Gunks mental shape yet. Retribution felt pretty hard to me, much harder than when I'd previously led it in the summer! I hesitated at the low move at the pin but got through it, and then at the little crux roof I got up into the undercling and only half-committed to the crux reach before taking a short fall onto my bomber gear. Angry with myself, I went right back up and committed fully to the big reach, getting the bomber pockets and moving up above the roof. Through the easier remainder of the pitch I placed good gear and made the moves, but after my little struggle at the crux I felt a bit shaky and pumped-out at the tougher bits. 

I had toyed with the notion of leading Nosedive but, recognizing that I'd been a little bit overly eager on Retribution, I was content to top-rope it. This remains a very high quality pitch, much better than Retribution, with several unusual challenges.

(Photo: Mitch on Dirty Gerdie (5.8++).)

Gail's husband Mitch came out to join us as we finished with Retribution & Nosedive. We moved over to the Gerdie Block so I could lead Dirty Gerdie (5.8+). I really enjoyed leading this one last year and yesterday I liked it just as much. It packs several great sequences into 50 feet of climbing. And I still think the 5.8+ grade is a ridiculous sandbag. This is the hardest 5.8 I've ever climbed.

I was already running out of time and Gail suggested one last lead for me, another climb I'd previously overlooked in the Uberfall: Sudoriferous (5.8 variation). It was just a short scramble up around the left side of the Gerdie block. 

(Photo: Gail negotiating the steep face on Sudoriferous (5.8 variation).)

This is a nice one, not unlike No Picnic (5.5) and Shit or Go Blind (5.8) on the same wall. It features good steep Gunks face climbing with jugs. I liked the early bits too, the easy climbing up the initial chimney and the step across to the right-facing corner beneath the bulging face. Good fun with nice variety. I would suggest caution at the step across, however: the rock quality here is questionable. 

After our long winter, I feel fortunate to have made the most of these two half days in March. I am eager to get more days on rock in late March and early April, because I have a big trip to Yosemite planned in mid/late April with my old buddy Adrian. It is a dream come true for me and I don't want to waste the opportunity. I plan to get my lead head together by leading as much as I possibly can outside, and now that the Cliffs of Long Island City is opening back up (any day now!) I hope to put as many sessions in on their jam crack as I can. I feel like I've lost every bit of crack confidence I acquired in Squamish last year and I need to do some crash prep in the gym before the big test out on real granite in California! 

Cool November Climbing: The Nose (5.6+), Bold-ville (5.8), The Winter (5.10d) & More!

(Photo: Gail in the traversing portion of the Nose (5.6+).)

We're running out of climbing days in 2013.

The last time I got out was Sunday, November 10, with Gail. The forecast was for temperatures in the high forties, with a zero percent chance of rain. Sounded good enough for November.

We decided to head on down to the Seasons area. Gail expressed an interest in leading the 5.9 first pitch of the Spring. I was considering (maybe?) leading the second pitch of the Winter (5.10 b/c), which is directly above the Spring's first pitch. I was also thinking about the first pitch of the Winter (5.10d), just to the left, as well as several other more moderate climbs in the immediate vicinity, such as Shit Creek (5.7) or Torture Garden (5.8).

When we arrived at the Seasons area there were some other climbers looking around but everything was still open. I elected to start our day with the Nose (5.6+), a route I've often wondered about. I never see anyone on it. I had previously done the opening moves of the route, up an open book, as the direct start to Fillipina (5.9-), but I'd never continued with the real business of the Nose. After the open book, the Nose traverses left for fifteen or twenty feet above the lip of a roof out to a point (the namesake "Nose") and then face-climbs upwards to eventually meet Fillipina above its crux roof at a fixed piton belay station.

With Gail I started up the open book and found it kind of tough to get established, just as I did when I did this part of the route in 2011. There is great gear in a crack at the back but the moves are a little stiff for 5.6 in my opinion. I had hoped it would feel different this time. You know, since I'm a much better climber now and all that.

But no, it felt the same.

Up at the top of the open book, as I prepared to move left into the traverse, I felt a few drops.

Looking up, I realized that it was raining.

I thought I was the victim of some cruel hoax. It was cloudy as we walked in but I figured it would just burn off.

There was a zero percent chance of rain! Zero!!

Life is so unfair.

I waited there for a minute, trying to decide what to do. I could probably get quickly to a fixed anchor up and right, rather than finishing the Nose, if I needed to bail. But it seemed like the sprinkles in the air weren't making the rock very wet, at least for the time being, so I continued with the original plan.

I liked the Nose traverse. There are footholds at the lip of the roof and the pro is fine all the way across. The exposure on the traverse is exciting. At the nose of the Nose you are forced to wrestle with a tree in order to move up to the crux face climbing. It is an enjoyable enough sequence if you like negotiating with living but unconscious obstacles. Just above the tree there is a thin move up that I think is again a bit stiff for the grade, and the pro is not that easy to arrange. I got a small nut in a twisted placement in a little horizontal that I thought would hold, but I had to work to get it and I wasn't thrilled with it. You can also sling the tree at a small branch.

After the one sketchy move there is very nice face climbing up a crack to the anchor.

The Nose is a really cool little climb. I think it is harder than 5.6, and in the cruxy spot above the tree the gear is pretty tricky. But there is a lot of good, varied climbing on the route. I think it deserves to be more popular.

I hadn't noticed any wetness as I finished leading the pitch, but after Gail lowered me and took her turn on the climb the rain picked up. It got pretty steady as Gail traversed and then moved up out of my view. She reported that the face above the traverse was starting to get slippery. Once she was back on the ground we stashed our things under the roof where our gear would stay dry and waited a bit to see whether the rain might stop. I wasn't enthused about leading any of my projects in wet conditions.

Others around us were still climbing.

Kathy, a great climber I know from Brooklyn Boulders, was leading pitch one of the Winter. I snapped a few photos of her as she did the second half of the pitch. I was interested to watch her since I was considering leading it too. I top-roped this pitch once with Maryana a few years ago and I remembered the crux as being short and not too bad. I thought there would be good nut placements in the crease at the back of the crux corner.

(Photo: Kathy starting the crux sequence on the Winter (5.10d).)

As I watched Kathy I lost my nerve a little bit. The crux moves looked hard and different than I remembered. Kathy went a bit to the right where I recalled staying in the corner. I worried about the fall I would take into the corner if I couldn't get a secure enough stance to place a nut mid-crux, before the fixed pin that is above the hardest moves.

(Photo: Kathy almost through the crux on the Winter (5.10d).)

Kathy made it up without incident and then she and her partner Matt decided to keep on climbing even as the rain continued unabated. They were excited about Matt's project, Uphill All the Way (5.12a), a climb he'd come very close to sending before. He'd previously fallen at the final crux move, a high-step over an overhang onto a blank face.

(Photo: Matt in the lower bits of Uphill All the Way (5.12a).)

Gail and I were inclined to wait for the rain to stop before continuing to climb so we watched Matt attempt Uphill All the Way.

I was deeply impressed with his performance. The climb ascends a thin little corner that turns into an arch. The gear is all tiny nuts and a few small cams. Matt made it look easy but it was obviously quite difficult all the way up to the final move. (Dick Williams says the early moves before the crux are 5.11d, which isn't much easier than the finishing 5.12a move.)

(Photo: Matt on Uphill All the Way (5.12a).)

At the last challenge Matt seemed to struggle for the first time but it all worked out. He made it over the roof and onto the glassy face without falling, getting his redpoint. I was very happy for him. He was psyched, and with good reason.

(Photo: Matt getting close to the final move on Uphill All the Way (5.12a).)

Kathy and Matt kindly offered to let me try Uphill All the Way on top rope. I was taken aback. It hadn't even occurred to me that I might try this climb. But I accepted their offer. I regret to inform you that I didn't get very far on the route. I made some difficult moves but then struggled three or four times at a bulging bit several moves up, right before the route starts to move to the right. There is a big reach to a jug. I couldn't find the right body position and repeatedly fell off. Matt and Kathy encouraged me to continue but I felt that I was wasting their time. I also suspected that if I removed the next piece of gear and then fell off while moving right I wouldn't be able to get back on the route. The rain was finally stopping so I figured we were all better off if I moved on. (Gail wasn't really interested in trying Uphill All the Way.)

I walked away feeling like maybe I should have tried harder. I don't want to be dramatic, but watching Kathy and Matt was awe-inspiring for me. I know I challenge myself, and I set serious goals for myself given my limited climbing availability. But what I do is nothing compared with what Kathy and Matt were doing. These two were REALLY going after it (in the rain!), on routes beyond my comprehension.

It is one of the great things about climbing: there are no rules about how hard you have to climb. You can compete against others if you are into that. Or you can admire the achievements of others and compete against only yourself. Or you can choose not to challenge yourself, and just have fun on climbs that are well within your limits. There's nothing wrong with that either.

I wouldn't mind being good enough to climb Uphill All the Way, though this isn't my goal. What I really want is just to be super solid at 5.10. But it isn't as simple as that, since top-roping more and working 5.12's would go a long way towards making me more solid at 5.10. So I probably should be more eager to work at routes like Uphill All the Way, even if I never plan to be a 5.12 leader. I have to readjust my thinking. I have to conceive of such routes as reasonable and possible for me. And then work on them. The same goes for harder problems in the gym.

I hope that watching Kathy and Matt will inspire me to work harder over the winter.

But I digress.

Once Gail and I got back to climbing, I decided to lead the first pitch of Bold-ville (5.8) to see if the rock was feeling dry. Bold-ville is a great 5.8, with several interesting moves up an arching corner/crack system and then a small overhang at the end of the first pitch. It is not what I'd call an easy 5.8. There are some challenging moves on Bold-ville and the difficulty is fairly continuous. But there is bomber gear the whole way so I would encourage anyone breaking into 5.8 to give it a try. (The second pitch is also a really good 5.6.)

Once I reached the end of the pitch I suggested to Gail that we top-rope the Winter. The rock felt fine but the rain must have sapped my mojo as I was no longer feeling so sure about trying to lead harder stuff. I thought it would be good to preview the Winter and then maybe I'd come back and lead it later.

(Photo: Gail getting started on the Winter (5.10d).)

I set it up from the chains over the Spring. There is a manky threaded sling anchor directly above the Winter but when I arrived there was a party using it, finishing up the Winter as I led Bold-ville, so I elected not to confuse matters by sharing the fixed anchor. I thought it looked pretty junky anyway. (There is a second junk anchor a little higher up that I wish I'd removed. It is just knotted old slings stuck in a vertical crack. At least two of these slings can be easily lifted out by hand. Please don't use this anchor. It is dangerous.) Instead of using the fixed junk I set up our rope on the bolts to the right (over the Spring) and placed some solid directional pieces over the Winter. It was easy enough to arrange and the bolted anchor gave me piece of mind.

I climbed the Winter cleanly but I found it difficult. It is steep down low and there is a little alcove near the ground that you have to work your way in and out of. This part of the route isn't 5.10d but it may be 5.9++.

Then you get to the crux right-facing corner. It is pretty blank but there are some crucial finger-locks and footholds. As I worked out the moves (staying in the corner, unlike Kathy), I said to Gail that I was finding it hard and that I didn't think I was ready to lead it. But then I immediately had second thoughts and considered that I'd been able to step up into pretty good stances in the corner. I thought I would be able to stop and place gear.

I might fall if I lead the Winter. But I am pretty sure I can protect it well. So I really should come back and lead it soon.

After we were both done with the Winter (which Gail also climbed cleanly) we moved left so that Gail could lead Fillipina (5.7). The traditional second pitch goes left through a neat roof at a sandbagged 5.9- but Gail planned to stay to the right, heading to the fixed anchor that is directly above the start. Gail's path is written up in the guidebook as the first pitch of a link-up climb that combines pitch one of Fillipina and pitch two of Bold-ville. If you do Fillipina this way, going straight up rather than left, it is no harder than 5.7.

Gail led the pitch in no time. I enjoyed it, though it isn't really anything special. A couple of steep moves up a crack right off the ground lead to easier climbing up a face and left-facing corner. It is a pretty casual 5.7 (we both thought it was easier than the Nose) and the gear is good. It would make a nice link-up with Bold-ville's pitch two, although pitch one of Bold-ville is much better than pitch one of Fillipina so if you're up to leading 5.8 I would definitely do Bold-ville instead.

We had time for one more pitch so I decided to try Lady's Lament (which is 5.8 straight up to the anchor-- there is a loose 5.10 roof traverse which Dick Williams now lists as a variation). This climb is on the face between the Nose and Fillipina. I've never seen anyone on it or heard anything about it. When Gail and I looked it over we saw no chalk. Dick calls it PG. I though it might be fun to give it a try.

So I stepped up into the reachy, steep first move and got a slap in the face. It was surprisingly tough to get the horizontal and rather strenuous to hang out and place gear. And the horizontal crack was pebbly and more shallow than I expected. Still I needed to get a piece in there because the next move was another big reach. I didn't want to crater after blowing this second move. It could be an ankle-breaker.

After some urgent fiddling I got what I hoped was a bomber green Alien and then I made the rather dynamic move up.

Having made this second hard move I could exhale a bit. These opening moves felt about as difficult to me as Maria Direct (5.9). I was not in the mood for such a challenge. I thought we were cooling down with a 5.8 hidden gem, or at least that was the story line I had already written for myself before I headed upward.

(Photo: Gail making the reach to the first horizontal on Lady's Lament (5.8).)

And it wasn't over. I was back in groundfall range before I got another piece in (though the climbing was easier) and then I arrived at the supposed crux face climbing up a face with a thin crack.

I studied this face for a while, not seeing any good gear above me and unsure of the move. Stepping up and down a few times, I decided I really wasn't feeling it. I knew it would be easy to step to the left and follow the Nose up past the crux of Lady's Lament, after which I could easily move up and right to the fixed anchor. So that is what I did. I aborted Lady's Lament because it was enough already and I just wanted the pitch to be over so we could go home. Not the proudest way to end a day that was already short on accomplishments.

I'll have to go back and lead Lady's Lament another time. Gail did the crux face moves when she followed the pitch and she spotted potential gear placements and some hidden holds. She said the crux was nice.

As we packed up to leave Kathy and Matt ran by us in the fading light. They were on their way to try to knock off the Sting (5.11d). Their mojos were certainly intact! I hope I recover mine if I get another shot at the Gunks before the year is out.

Gunks Routes: Teeny Face (5.10a), Simple Stuff (5.10a), Wegetables (5.10a) & Falled on Account of Strain (5.10b)

(Photo: Climbers on Cool Hand Dukes (5.8), as seen from the optional first belay on Obstacle Delusion (5.9).)

Another October weekend. It was a nice one in the Gunks.

I was climbing with Maryana, one-on-one, for the first time in a long while.

There was once a time when I felt like she and I were in the same place, working towards the same goals. But that was a long time ago. Maryana climbs much more often than I do and now she's much better than I am. Most of the 5.10's I'm trying now for the first time are old hat for her. She has done them enough times that she has them wired. She and her boyfriend Beau recently did a day in the Trapps in which they ran up ten 5.10's in a row, sticking to climbs they both felt familiar with and could knock off quickly.

I'd be thrilled if I could make a list of ten 5.10's in the Gunks that I felt so sure about.

Last Saturday she and I had a great day together. We did a bunch of climbs that I have written about before. Some of them were routes I've been meaning to lead and a couple of them were routes from which I've previously backed off.

(Photo: A leader on High Exposure (5.6+), seen from the Obstacle Delusion belay ledge.)

We started off at the Obstacle Delusion/Insuhlation buttress, just to the right of High Exposure, because Maryana wanted to lead a climb there called Teeny Face (5.10a).

I warmed us up by leading both pitches of Obstacle Delusion (5.9) in one pitch. I followed Maryana up this climb once before, in the spring of 2012. I've wanted to come back to lead it. I thought about trying it when I was at this same formation with Parker on Labor Day weekend this year, but on that day I was feeling kind of rusty so I decided to wait until I was in better shape.

(Photo: Maryana following my lead of Obstacle Delusion (5.9).)

I felt good leading it. It is a solid 5.9, with a tough roof problem and then a challenging endurance-fest through several good overhanging moves near the top. I really enjoyed it and was pleased with how I managed the moves and the gear. There is good pro everywhere you need it, so while I'd say this is by no means an easy 5.9, it is a well-protected one. It features steep Gunks-style climbing at its finest.

(Photo: A climber named Sung leading past the roof on Obstacle Delusion (5.9) after Maryana and I moved on to Teeny Face (5.10a).)

After we were both done with Obstacle Delusion we rapped to the optional belay ledge about forty feet off the ground so that Maryana could lead Teeny Face (5.10a) from there.

Teeny Face is written up in Dick Williams' guidebook as a variation to Insuhlation (5.9), but I think you can get at it from either side, by passing the first overhang on either Insuhlation or Obstacle Delusion and then moving up to the orange face that sits between the two climbs. Whichever way you approach it, the climb is quite nice and worthy of consideration on its own apart from the surrounding climbs. It isn't very long but the crux-- which is really two separate crimpy sequences with good gear in between-- is pumpy and challenging despite its brevity.

(Photo: Maryana below the Insuhlation roof, about to head up and left to Teeny Face (5.10a). Unfortunately the tree branches in this photo obscure most of the route.)

Maryana did a great job leading it. She did one thing I'm pretty confident I'll never be able to do. She climbed through the first crux sequence, placed gear, and then down-climbed back through the first crux to get a good rest! Then she climbed back up and fired through the rest of the pitch. She later said she thought this was a dumb idea, but I was pretty impressed that she pulled it off.

I felt strong following Teeny Face, much better than I did following Parker up the same climb on Labor Day weekend. I've now followed this pitch three times. I've climbed it cleanly every time but have never tried to lead it. I think I know it pretty well now and I should go back and lead it just to add it to my list of 5.10 leads. It is well-protected though the pro is spaced. The second set of crux moves comes above gear, but the gear is super good (yellow Camalot) and the fall should be clean, as the face is flat and steep.

Once we were done with Teeny Face we headed down to the far end of the cliff so I could have a go at Simple Stuff (5.10a), a stem-corner climb I tried once before but from which I backed off, never completing-- or even attempting-- any of the hard moves.

(Photo: Maryana following my lead of Simple Stuff (5.10a).)

The first time I tried Simple Stuff, the weather was terrible. It was brutally hot outside and at the first hard section I'd hesitated and lost my nerve.

This time around, in perfect fall temperatures, I hoped things would be different. But I hesitated again at the same spot. I have heard that people have been hurt when their gear has ripped out at this location. Now that I've been there I understand. Although there are vertical cracks for gear, it isn't so easy to get nuts to seat well for this first hard move.

Luckily for me, someone has fixed a nut up above the first tough bit and with a few twists and reaches I was able to clip the fixed piece before making the move. With my own gear plus the fixed nut I felt very safe. I nevertheless had to step up and down several times before I figured out a way to move up, getting rather tired in the process. And then after moving up I still had to confront what Maryana told me was the crux move, past a bulge.

I botched it at the bulge and had to take a hang. I was fatigued and off-balance, and couldn't make good use of a hold on the right wall. After hanging, I set my feet better and found the move to be not that bad. Then I got through the rest of the pitch without a hang or a fall but it wasn't exactly pretty. I'm sure I could have made it easier for myself in a few spots.

(Photo: Maryana working through the third hard bit, above the crux bulge, on Simple Stuff (5.10a).)

I was a little disappointed in my one-hang performance on Simple Stuff but I took some comfort from the fact that this time I eventually got it done and did not back off. I think that the first hard move will remain the crux for me. I'm not quite sure how I eventually got through this move and I may find it just as difficult the next time I try it. I can visualize the rest of the pitch and I think the other difficult sequences, including the part past the bulge, will be easier for me the next time around.

I don't see Simple Stuff as an "easy" 5.10 and I find it rather mystifying that people recommend it as a good early 5.10 lead. The gear is good for most of the way but it is at times tricky to get bomber pro and at other times it is strenuous to place. The climb is sustained, adding to the challenge. I can think of several 5.10's that are easier to lead. Almost every other 5.10 I've tried, actually.

When Maryana followed the pitch it appeared much more straightforward for her than it had been for me. She arranged herself into comfortable stances in places where I got pumped out. I had thought I was getting good with corner climbs, based on my success on climbs like Bird Cage (5.10b) and Slim Pickins (5.9+). But after working on Simple Stuff I can see I still have a ways to go. I think maybe I just need to stem wider. Sometimes I think I'm already stemmed out, but I'm not getting anywhere. Maryana at times commented that she thought I wasn't stemming enough, even though I felt pretty widely spread out. I should just stem more, even if it seems awkward.

After Simple Stuff it was Maryana's turn to lead and she wanted to hop on Falled on Account of Strain (5.10b). But when we got to the base we found a party working on the first pitch. The second was struggling on the 5.6 moves right off the ground so we figured it was going to be a while before we could get on it.

Maryana suggested I could lead Wegetables (5.10a) and then we could come back. It sounded like a great idea to me. I previously tried for the redpoint on this climb in October of 2012 and I should have been successful. I stopped and took a hang one move from the top, mistakenly thinking I had two tiers of overhangs still to go. After resting I easily did the final move and felt like an idiot. I've been kicking myself ever since.

As I walked over to Wegetables one year later, I was pretty confident that I would send it.

(Photo: Maryana in the thick of the multi-tiered overhangs of Wegetables (5.10a).)

It ended up going very well. I protected the bottom moves the same way I did it last time. The pro here is tricky but I believe what I get there would hold. A low blue Alien in a horizontal won't do much to keep you off the ground but it does guard against the zipper effect. Then I get a tiny micro nut at the bottom of the vertical seam that runs up the low face, and a slightly larger (but still small) brass nut a little higher. Maryana has purchased a secret specialty curved nut just for this climb, which she believes provides an even better placement than the small brass nut. But I couldn't make her weirdo nut work when I tried it and I thought the brass nut was fine. I wasn't too concerned about the gear in any case. I knew I had this part of the climb all sorted out. (The thin face moves are thoughtful but not strenuous.) Falling was not on the agenda.

After the thin early going was finished, I just had to motor through the three-tiered roof. And I'm pleased to say it felt relatively easy for me. I stopped to get good gear at every tier and still had plenty of gas left to get over the top. The holds are fantastic, and they are everywhere.

We can put Wegetables at the top of my list of 5.10 climbs I feel super solid on. Now I just need to find nine more for my day of ten 5.10's...

(Photo: Maryana getting into the crux 5.9 face climbing on pitch one of Falled on Account of Strain.)

After we knocked off Wegetables we went back over to Falled on Account of Strain (5.10b) and found it wide open. Maryana wanted to lead both pitches in one. I was happy to follow her because I had been on the route two years ago and I was interested in getting a second look at the thin climbing on pitch one. I remembered thinking pitch one was a bit of a necky lead and I wanted to see if I still felt this way now. I was also very excited to follow pitch two, which goes through a huge, improbable, multi-tiered roof. Two years ago I led up to this roof but then I chickened out and finished on an easier route to the left instead.

Maryana and I tried to scope out the Falled on Account of Strain roof from the ground. She had been on the route before but neither of us were completely certain where the final roof was to be surmounted. In the guidebook Dick Williams mentions a small, hard-to-find corner at the final roof. We thought we could see it from the base of the climb. It turned out to be easier to see from the ground than from right underneath it.

Maryana did well managing pitch one. The crux moves are pretty well protected, but it is run out for the easier climbing that comes before and after. There is one crucial placement at a spot that resembles the low crux on Red Cabbage Right (5.10b). You have to step up to a great horizontal for the hands, where you place a good piece while your feet are smearing on nothing. Place this piece carefully, because the next couple of moves are still hard and there is no other gear.

Maryana made it through this section just fine and soon she sailed past the bolted pitch one anchor and into the crazy multi-tiered roof that makes up the majority of pitch two.

(Photo: Maryana at the final overhang on Falled on Account of Strain (5.10b).)

Despite her prior experience on the route, Maryana got a little confused about exactly where to go up into the roof. There is a trail of chalk to the climber's left and another path further right. It looked to me as though the left-hand path was the way to go but what did I know, standing on the ground? After some scouting around, Maryana eventually picked the left-hand way and it seemed like a good choice. It was only an instant before she moved up and found a piton at the second-to-last tier. She clipped it and backed it up, then prepared to do battle with the final overhang.

As she reached out to the little hard-to-find corner, it seemed she was right on track but struggling. She found another pin above the roof, on the main face, and managed to clip it, but the noises she was making suggested she was barely hanging in there.

I started shouting encouraging words at her.

"Come on Maryana, you've got this!"

Just then two more climbers walked up. I didn't know them. But maybe they knew Maryana? I never found out. They started yelling too.

I don't know whether Maryana even heard us, but suddenly she had a cheering section urging her over this ridiculous roof.

"Come on Maryana, you can do it!"

She threw a heel and rocked over, making it to the belay stance.

She had done it. I was proud of her; it looked hard. She always says roof climbs aren't her style, but this big roof seemed to suit her just fine.

I managed to follow her cleanly, but barely. I felt fine on pitch one and had no worries. I felt pretty good on pitch two as well. The tiers of roofs are of course very steep and the atmosphere is insane but for most of the way they aren't as hard as they appear. It's all jugs until the final overhang.

But this final overhang is the real deal. It is a tough roof problem. I thought I knew exactly where to reach out for the little corner but I missed the spot twice. You have to lean way out just to paw around out there and you get more and more pumped as you search in vain for the magic hold.

On my third try I finally found it.

I was overjoyed but now I was feeling the namesake strain and I still needed to pull the roof. I did not want to fall. I wasn't sure I could get back on if I fell. I didn't want to have to prussik up the rope to get back on the wall.

More importantly, I didn't want to fail. I wanted to send.

There was no time to waste. I heel hooked on nothing and somehow managed to haul myself up.

Wow, what a climb!  Great face climbing on pitch one is followed by a phenomenal roof on pitch two. I want to come back and lead Falled on Account of Strain IMMEDIATELY.

Our day was done. The wind had picked up as Maryana led Falled on Account of Strain and the sky had grown overcast. By the time we got down from the climb it was starting to drizzle. But it was of no importance. We were both pretty happy with our day.

They say 5.10 is the premier grade at the Gunks. As I work my way further into the grade I'm really starting to see why. There are so many high-quality tens and I've just scratched the surface. It seems like every new ten I'm exposed to becomes my new favorite. Recently it was Stannard's Roof, then it was Bird Cage, and now it just might be Falled on Account of Strain.

I can't believe the season is almost over. It feels like it's just getting started.

Weekday Fun in the Uberfall: Birthday Biscuit Boy (5.9), Nosedive (5.10b), Red Cabbage Right (5.10b) & More!

(Photo: Peak colors along the carriage road.)

September was a beautiful month.

October has been a little more spotty. Gail and I were supposed to get together to climb on October 6 but we got rained out. The next weekend I was away. Though little time had really passed it felt as though it had been ages since I visited the Adirondacks with Manny in late September. I had plans to climb with Maryana on October 19th, which was right around the corner. But as the days dragged on I was preoccupied with finding some way to go climbing sooner.

Then a weekday just dropped into my lap.

I had to work a night shift at the courthouse, which meant I didn't need to come in to my office during the day. This happens from time to time.

Ordinarily I would not have considered climbing on such a day. I would need to be in downtown Manhattan, dressed in a suit, by 5:00. This would require me to leave the cliffs at, say, 2:00 p.m. at the latest? It hardly seemed worth it.

But maybe this was no ordinary time.

We were in peak season. Sending season. If we had a truly perfect weather day, maybe it would be worth the drive up to the Gunks from NYC for just half a day.

I mentioned the possibility to Gail, not really expecting much support from her. To my surprise, she said she was on board. She was working in NYC on both the day before and the day after but she was free on the day I could take off.

So we were really going to do this? We are sick people, the two of us.

As the day approached the forecast seemed poor. I was expecting to have to cancel but then the weather suddenly improved. The chance of rain dropped to practically zero. It was going to be pretty warm. We were on again. I drove up to Gail's house in Gardiner the night before so we could start climbing on the early side.

When we left Gail's house at 7:30 a.m. it was already 60 degrees out. It was cloudy and threatening rain as we got in the car but by the time we started climbing it was already clearing up. It quickly turned into just the kind of perfect day I had dreamed of, with ideal temperatures, blue skies and peak fall colors.

Climbing-wise, we accomplished a lot given our limited time. We stayed in the Uberfall and knocked out six pitches before we had to pack it in.

It was kind of a weird day. I backed off of two 5.9's but did well on the 5.10's!

Right after we reached the cliff I asked Gail if she'd ever done Birthday Biscuit Boy (5.9), a no-star climb at the very beginning of the Trapps. She had not. I've been curious about it, just as I'm always curious about climbs in the Uberfall that no one seems to do. I'm always hoping to discover some gem hiding in plain sight, right in the most crowded part of the cliff.

When I was working my way through the 5.9's I thought this could be a good one to knock out quickly and put in the bank-- it is a short route-- but I never got around to it.

Why not today?

We looked it over. It seemed like a one-move wonder, with easy climbing into an alcove and then a short roof problem crux, after which the climb would be finished. I decided to do it.

Of course I was forgetting one of the rules of Gunks climbing, which is that if a climb has a one-move 5.9 crux it is likely to be a doozy of a move.

I climbed up into the alcove with no trouble. I got gear at the roof level. But I couldn't for the life of me figure out the roof. I knew I was supposed to follow a seam that goes up from the right side of the ceiling, but I couldn't find any good holds. I kept climbing up into it, pawing around, finding nothing useful, and then stepping down. I added gear on a few of these trips up and down. Soon I had three pieces protecting the crux. I thought the gear was good but I still didn't want to fall into the blocky alcove. It seemed like a bad idea.

Eventually I gave up and climbed back down to the ground.

(Photo: Gail working at the crux on Birthday Biscuit Boy (5.9).)

I walked around left to get on top of the climb, and then I set up an anchor on a tree and lowered in so we could clean my gear and top rope the route. Gail went first and after some exploring she found a hidden hold that got her over the roof. I felt like a chump for missing this key hold.

When I went back up on top rope I still couldn't see the hold! I don't want to tell you where to look; it would spoil your dream of on-sighting Birthday Biscuit Boy without unwanted beta. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. But the hidden hold is slippery, like polished marble. It is unusual. Once I finally found it I was over the crux.

There is gear to be had after this one move, and then a bit of a run-out up slabby, dirty territory to the trees. I don't think I'll bother to go back to redpoint this one. It just isn't worth the time and effort. It is a stupid little climb.

After our inauspicious beginning we headed over to Nosedive (5.10b). Now, Nosedive is not a hidden gem. It is a very well known, popular climb. But it is a good one for a weekday since on the weekend you will usually have a large audience if you try to lead it. If that idea makes you uncomfortable then weekdays are where it's at.

I wish I could say this was an on-sight attempt but I did climb Nosedive once before, in 2011. I followed Adrian when he redpointed it. Watching him do it was inspiring to me. As usual he was solid through the crux, making sure to stop and place gear even when in the middle of the strenuous layback.

(Photo: Adrian at the crux of Nosedive (5.10b) in 2011.)

I didn't recall any tricks or secrets from my prior ascent. What I did remember was that the climb had some hard moves other then the crux layback. I remembered a sketchy mantle onto a pedestal near the ground, and then some tough moves up a corner, followed by some easier bits and then the steep layback crack to the finish.

(Photo: Looking down from halfway up Nosedive (5.10b).)

This time around with Gail I hoped to be patient and in control, just like my friend Adrian, for my own Nosedive lead.

It went very well. I am proud of this one.

I got good gear for the sketchy mantle. A lot of people place nothing through this hard part of the climb but I got a small nut, sideways but locked in, in a horizontal crack at the same level as the mantle shelf.

The next move up into the right-facing corner was the crux of the whole pitch for me. It is a tough little move, but the gear is good. Gail did it very differently than I did. After that move I relaxed a bit, and the final layback went like butter. I negotiated the footwork well and found it easy to stem out and place pro while in the midst of the finishing flake.

Another win for the good guys! All of a sudden I seem to be on a roll with the 5.10's.

(Photo: Gail getting started on Nosedive (5.10b).)

After we did Nosedive it seemed like it would be a shame not to take a quick top rope run up Retribution just to the left. So we did it. The climb went down easily for both of us. After the multi-cruxed Nosedive it seemed a bit pedestrian, with its one-move rooflet crux. Still, both routes are of very high quality, and both are well-protected leads.

What next? I decided I wanted to lead Dirty Gerdie (5.8+), the climb that goes right up the middle of the huge detached block that sits just to the left of Retribution and Nosedive. I had never led it but I'd tried it on top rope several times. In fact one of my earliest climbing memories is of the time I came to the Gunks with my friend Greg and utterly failed on top rope to get anywhere on Dirty Gerdie. Another time early in my climbing life with my friend Vass we top roped both Dirty Gerdie and Apoplexy (5.9) on the same day and I remember thinking that Dirty Gerdie was the harder climb of the two. I took a fall that day at the low, stand-up move to the first piton. This move seemed very difficult to me at the time but now that I have broader experience I know that this climb is typical of harder Gunks thin face climbs, with long reaches between good horizontals and some mantles and high steps required.

(Photo: Looking down from most of the way up Dirty Gerdie (5.8+).)

I'd always thought Dirty Gerdie looked like a heady lead, with hard moves above gear to reach questionable pitons. But Gail had led it and she said she thought it was reasonable so I gave it a whirl. And it should have been no surprise that I found Dirty Gerdie to be a great little lead. You do have to climb up above your gear several times, adding excitement to the route and creating the potential for short falls. But the falls should be clean. The gear is good. There are three pitons protecting the cruxy bits but each of these pitons can be backed up if you wish. And the moves are great. The climb packs several nice sequences into a short distance. I thought it was very worthwhile, and the stand-up move was still not a gimme for me. Gail led it with my pre-placed gear after I was done and made this move look much easier than I did. She turned the opposite way (I won't say exactly which). I'll try it her way next time.

After we were done with Dirty Gerdie, Gail suggested we try a climb around the corner on the steep side of the Gerdie Block called Red Cabbage Right (5.10b). This relatively obscure climb probably sees a lot of top rope ascents, although I have never seen anyone on it. I get the feeling it is seldom led. Gail had done it on top rope before and thought it appeared to be leadable. I was willing to check it out.

I looked in the guidebook and found that the right-hand start (which was the way Gail had done it before) is rated R. But I could see a series of tiny seams that I thought might take small nuts. If these were good placements then the climbing would be safe. So I scrambled into the gully to the right of the block and tried to reach over to test out the first two of these seams. One of them turned out to be flaring and useless. I couldn't get anything to stick in there. I got a nut to seat in the other seam but I thought it was really marginal. I wasn't sure it would hold in a fall. I decided I did not want to lead the right-hand start.

The left-hand start has a PG rating in the guidebook. It appeared to me that the crux of the route was the first step up onto a smooth face, and that I would need to reach a thin horizontal with my hands and plug gear there with no real footholds. I was concerned that a fall here might be an ankle-tweaker to the blocks at the base.

I thought the solution I came up with was pretty neat, if I do say so myself. I climbed up a couple of moves onto Red Cabbage (5.9-), which ascends a vertical crack just to the left of the start of Red Cabbage Right. Then I placed a bomber cam, clipped it, and climbed down. Using this pro on Red Cabbage I felt safe making the crux step up at the start of Red Cabbage Right. Still the stance was very tenuous after I made the step up and as I carefully placed an Alien I said to Gail "I really might fall here."

Sure enough, as soon as I clipped the Alien one of my toes popped and I did fall. The Alien caught me and kept me off the ground. I'm not sure I would have been so lucky had I fallen before making the clip. With an armload of rope pulled out I'm not certain the cam to the left would have helped me.

Anyway after I shook off the lead fall jitters I started all over again and led the whole pitch cleanly. So I'm counting it as another 5.10 win for me. It is a pretty good pitch, with the early crux, then some steep enjoyable moves with pebbly jugs up and right to a smoother face with a vertical crack, where another pumpy crux move awaits. (It is a Gunksy crux-- you think you'll have to crack climb but instead you end up finding the hidden good holds and making a big reach.) There is bomber gear for this second crux but in between the first crux and the second there are few placements. I got a tiny nut in a little right-facing corner. I thought it was a good placement but the nut was the smallest one I carry. Until I got to the horizontal just below the upper crux where I could place more gear I was pretty tense about the prospect of a sideways, swinging fall onto this nut. Despite this one issue I would probably do Red Cabbage Right again. I enjoyed it. And it felt not-so-hard for a 5.10b.

(Photo: Gail working up the last bits of Red Cabbage Right (5.10b).)

It was almost time to go, but we wanted to do one more climb. Gail pushed me to lead Trapped Like a Rat. This climb is either a tough 5.9 or, if you believe the guidebook, a (ridiculously sandbagged) 5.7. There is a steep, awkward vertical crack up a corner right at the start. Dick Williams claims the climb is easy if you use the "5.7" face holds to the left of the crack, but he concedes that if you stick to the crack it is a 5.9.

Gail recently led this climb cleanly, using just the crack and not the face holds, and I give her tons of credit because I still haven't led it at all. On one occasion several years ago I attempted the lead but as soon as I confronted the move into the crack I decided I had no desire to do it and backed off.

This time, with Gail, I thought it would be different. But it wasn't. I stepped up to the crack, placed what I thought were two good pieces, and pulled myself up, using both the crack itself and some holds to the left. I thought the next move would present itself but I got stuck. I went up and down a few times. Then I took a hang.

We were running out of time. I tried again. I climbed up again, but it still wasn't happening. I decided to hang again, but this time I dropped onto my top piece from above, and it popped! I still had another big cam right below it so I was perfectly safe. I was left hanging a few feet above the ground. But this was the last straw. I was done for the day with this annoying climb. It is no route to do in a rush anyhow. I'll have to come back and conquer it when I can be more patient and really work it out.

We ran over to Bunny (5.6 direct) and did that one instead, with Gail in the lead. It was a nice mellow way to end our short day.

As we rushed back to the parking lot I thought I had left myself enough time to make it back to NYC. But a forty minute traffic jam at the tunnel foiled my plans. I was still basically on time, but I didn't have any time to freshen up. I've never felt so tired during a night shift but my two 5.10 sends more than made up for it!

I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Crack-A-Lackin' Adirondack-in' at Poke-O: Fastest Gun (5.10a)

Manny and I had a good day at the Spider's Web on our Friday in late September. That evening we were in Lake Placid, eating sushi and drinking sake. I felt tired. I'd driven five hours the night before after working all day. I arrived late, woke up early, and then climbed some hard routes.

I was tempted to put my head down right there at the dinner table.

But first we had to pick a climbing objective for the next day.

I knew just what I wanted to do. And I thought maybe it would be perfect for Manny too.

It was his first trip to the Adirondacks. In just a few days he'd seen many of the prime areas. He'd been to the Beer Walls, Pitchoff Chimney Cliff, and Hurricane Crag with Gail. He'd visited the Spider's Web with me.

But he hadn't yet been to Poke-O Moonshine. It is a major cliff with many many classic routes.

I'd been there once before but I needed to go back, for what seemed like a million reasons. I was most drawn to one climb in particular: Fastest Gun (5.10a).

I NEEDED to do Fastest Gun. I'd been dreaming of it all year. For many years, really.

I'd heard great things about the climb from Parker and others. It is a full-length route up Poke-O's main face, ascending over 500 feet in four pitches. Each pitch is reputed to be challenging, with all but the first one rated 5.10a in the Lawyer and Hass guidebook. The first pitch isn't 5.10, but it has something far scarier. It carries the dreaded 5.9+ rating, which so often portends doom.

I told Manny to take a look at the description for Fastest Gun in the guidebook. I hoped he would read about it and get psyched. Sure enough, as soon as he read the first sentence of the entry, which describes Fastest Gun as "perhaps the most sought-after climb at Poke-O, a real prize," he became excited. "Let's do that!" He said. "We should definitely do that one."

We were in business. Now we actually had to climb it.

I volunteered to lead pitches one and three. I thought it was the nice thing to do, since I had read that pitches two and four were the best ones. It also made sense that I do the 5.9+ pitch since it seemed like Manny was a stronger climber than me. If I did the (theoretically) easier first pitch then I'd only have to lead one 5.10 pitch while Manny would lead two.

Still, while it seemed (based on the ratings alone) that I was picking the easier pitches, I had concerns. I was a little apprehensive of the off-width crack that runs up the middle of pitch one. I had no experience with off-widths. But I didn't worry too much about it since I'd seen pictures of people laybacking and stemming past the off-width. (There is one such picture in the guidebook.) So I figured I could handle it. I had bigger doubts about pitch three, which was reputed to have difficult face moves up to a bolt, with only tiny nut placements nearby for pro. I thought this pitch might be pushing it for a beginner 5.10 leader like me. Sketchy face moves above tiny gear sounded scary, but on the other hand I'm pretty good with fiddly small gear. If there were good nut placements to be found I was pretty sure I could locate them.

I knew very little about pitches two and four. It seemed from the descriptions that they involved crack climbing and roofs. Would these be more my style, or less? It was hard to tell.

Was I really ready to tackle a 5.10 lead in the Adirondacks? The last time I'd climbed at Poke-O, the 5.8's had seemed hard. But that was two years ago. In the time since then I'd grown a lot. I figured Manny was solid and if I needed to bail he could take over the lead on pitch three. I just needed to take care not to get committed in a dangerous situation.

After a good night's sleep we awoke to blue skies and crisp temperatures. It was supposed to warm up but it was only in the high thirties as we packed up our stuff at the house in Lake Placid where we were staying. We took our time, getting a leisurely start and stopping in Keene for breakfast before eventually driving over to Poke-O. By the time we reached the cliff it had warmed up so much that I changed into short sleeves as we left the car.

There were several other vehicles parked at the now-defunct Poke-O campground. I feared we'd end up waiting in line to climb Fastest Gun. But this was the low-key Adirondacks, not the overcrowded Gunks. As we walked past Gamesmanship (5.8), the most popular climb at the cliff, I was shocked to find it empty. Fastest Gun was open too. It turned out we were the only party on it all day. And this was on a gorgeous Saturday in peak season!

Gotta love the 'Dacks.

Anyway, this was it. We hadn't exactly gotten out early and we needed to get on with it. The first pitch was my lead, Adirondack 5.9++ with no warm-up. It looked tough, with committing moves up a crack right off the ground and then the off-width. Up above the off-width I could see the steep layback flake which I guessed was supposed to be the crux of the pitch. I looked at the off-width and decided to bring a No. 4 Camalot with me. Maybe I could push it up the wide crack for a few moves and then place a normal-sized piece in the layback flake above.

I had no clue how I was going to get up the off-width. It appeared to me that laying back off of it would feel very insecure, as I didn't see much in the way of footholds. I could instead go into the off-width and climb the crack directly but frankly I had no earthly idea how to do that. It was longer than I'd expected, maybe a couple of body lengths.

Not wanting to chicken out, I headed upward. I got up to the off-width in no time, and found I could place the No. 4 at the bottom of the wide crack. But it wouldn't fit any higher; the crack quickly got too wide. I started trying to figure out what I was going to do. I couldn't make myself commit to laying back off the edge; it seemed very insecure. I started testing the off-width crack, trying to scrunch my side into it. I didn't like that either. I kept trying both ways, back and forth, and not liking either option. Finally I stopped and took a hang.

I was flailing on Fastest Gun already, and we'd just left the ground. I had Manny toss me the No. 5 Camalot and steeled myself to actually try to climb this stupid thing.

Committing to the off-width, I got my right foot and arm wedged in and moved up a few feet. It actually felt fine once I did it. Progress was being made. Then I reached up and placed the No. 5 high in the crack, and now with the cam over my head and a top rope protecting me I scrunched up some more. I found out I could repeat this process. When I got to the top of the off-width, basically level with my big cam, I took another hang, just because I was scared. I'd never done this kind of climbing before.

As I rested there I realized that climbing the off-width had actually been pretty easy. It is a good size for camming one foot across and there are actually some incut holds inside the crack. Once I actually got into the crack there was no way I was going to fall out. If I ever go back I might do it this way again, although committing to the layback would likely work out fine too. If you climb it as a layback you probably don't need the big cams because you can reach a vertical crack off to the right that can take small/medium cams.

In retrospect it all seems like no big deal but at the time I was totally out of sorts. I felt fried. I started moving again. I found the layback flake above the off-width difficult to get into and took another hang before finally doing the real crux and getting up to the easy finishing blocky flakes.

Pitch one of Fastest Gun was not one of my prouder climbing moments. At least I was totally safe about it. You can get pro pretty much everywhere on this pitch. It is a very good pitch, steep and strenuous at the crux. At the time it seemed ludicrous to me that it is rated 5.9+ but looking back I think my problems were all mental. I never fell off of it. I was just extremely tentative because it was so unfamiliar. I feel now like if I went back it would be no problem. Maybe I'm dreaming.

(Photo: Manny in the (loose) finishing blocks on the 5.9+ pitch one of Fastest Gun.)

As I waited for Manny to follow me up pitch one I wondered if I really belonged on this climb. Manny certainly did. He easily followed the pitch, with no apparent difficulties.

I decided to see how I felt following Manny up pitch two. If pitch two went well I would still plan to lead pitch three.

The second pitch is steep. It follows a pair of vertical cracks upward until these cracks become the sides of a shallow chimney. Manny kept calling this chimney "the coffin," which I thought was a poor choice of words, karma-wise. The coffin/chimney, whatever you might like to call it, is capped by a ceiling.

(Photo: Manny in the early stages of the 5.10a pitch two.)

Manny did well, moving deliberately and placing lots of gear. He seemed to think the climbing was difficult but he sent the pitch on-sight.

I followed it cleanly and really enjoyed it. It is sustained. Steep crack and face moves take you to the chimney. It is hard right from the start, but it is all there. It seemed to me the crux moves come when you reach the twin cracks. It is strenuous and committing until the walls of the chimney become deep enough to allow for some chimney technique. Once you can throw a shoulder into the chimney it gets a bit easier and you can rest. I thought the final moves over the little roof were exciting but reasonable.

(Photo: Manny in the middle of pitch two.)

What an awesome pitch, with great move after great move after great move. Although I couldn't point to any one move that seemed harder than 5.10a, I was still surprised that this pitch isn't considered harder than that. (In the old guidebook Don Mellor calls it 5.9!!) Like pitch one, it seems easier to me in hindsight. There is no one move that is especially hard. It is the cumulative, continuous nature of the difficulty that makes the pitch feel like a sandbag.

(Photo: Following Manny up the final bits of pitch two.)

When I joined Manny at the belay, the moment of truth had arrived. I'd felt fine following pitch two. I knew that pitch three started with easy climbing up to a pedestal. Then there was an optional belay before the committing move into a right-facing corner described in the guidebook. I could certainly go up to that point and then bail if I felt weird about going forward. So without any discussion I took the gear and headed upward.

The moves up to the pedestal went fine. I could test some holds in the committing corner before getting out there, but I wouldn't really know what I was dealing with until I made the move. It seemed like I was heading into less-than-vertical territory with thin moves and small holds. I couldn't see the crux moves up to and past a bolt above. I spent some time fiddling in some small gear. Eventually I was satisfied that what I had was totally bomber. Then I committed to the corner. After one smeary move I found a jug. I had passed the first test, and I could now see the bolt above, not so far away. This built a little confidence.

On the Internet some people complain about the pro leading up to the bolt at the crux. I was determined to place the best gear I could. I got a good small nut, and then another. I moved up again and placed a third micronut, probably six feet below the bolt. I felt that all of these placements would hold but they were small pieces in a little vertical seam. And now I had to make the hard move to the bolt. It appeared to be a balance move, stepping up on small toe holds while making use of a shallow vertical rail for the hands.

I made the step carefully and it went fine. Better than fine, actually. It felt 5.8 to me; it was no problem. I clipped the bolt and knew I was one hard move away from a total sendage moment.

I didn't want to blow it now. I felt very safe with the bolt clipped but I wanted the on-sight, badly. I tried to diagnose the move. There were slippery, small handholds. I could place the right toe on a good indentation, then smear with the left...

I tried it and it worked. In just another step I had better holds. I had cleared the difficulties. All I had to do now was make it through 5.6 territory to the belay ledge. The guidebook suggests that there is scant pro to be found here but I looked carefully through the rest of the pitch and found plenty of placements. I did not feel it was terribly run out.

It was my first 5.10 lead in the Adirondacks. I felt great. I really enjoyed this pitch, and it was so different from the ones that came before it. Thin face climbing used to scare me to death but now I think it may have become one of my strengths. People complain about this pitch and find it frightening but to me it was the easiest of the four.

(Photo: Manny following the easier final bits of the 5.10a pitch three.)

Manny once again cruised up to join me. He was having no trouble so far.

Having finished my leads now I could just relax and watch Manny handle pitch four. It looked amazing and ridiculous, and again totally different from what came before. The pitch involves steep moves up a hanging, blank corner, then a traverse left under a huge roof. It is quite intimidating. This is the only pitch of the four that was rated 5.10 in the old Mellor guidebook.

(Photo: Protecting the start of the 5.10a++ pitch four.)

The very first move requires stepping up the steep slab to an undercling, with burly moves up around left into the hanging corner. It appears there are no footholds to help you get established. Manny struggled here, for the first time all day. He stepped up and slid down a few times, then decided to just get on with it and aid through the first steps.

Once he was established in the main corner he made it up just fine, but it still appeared tenuous and strenuous. About halfway to the big roof the angle eased and Manny seemed to really relax and enjoy the final bits to the top of the cliff.

I really wanted to cap off the day by following this pitch cleanly. I started a little further right than Manny and found out I could get established in the undercling better over there. This required some awkward stepping left to get around the low ceiling and into the main corner, but it was helpful to use the better feet to the right to get onto the wall before moving up.

I felt solid in the main corner. There weren't many indentations in the smooth wall for the left foot, but I found I could almost always wedge my right toe in the crack, so I never really felt that I was about to slip off. I thought the difficulty would be much increased by having to place gear, but still I felt pretty good about how this section went for me. Once the angle eased the moves remained thin but the pitch became much more relaxed and the traversing territory around the upper roof was no big deal, at least for me. Gunks experience can sometimes pay off like that. Traversing around roofs is just another day at the office for me.

This was definitely the hardest pitch of the four, but the difficulty is concentrated in the early going and the final moves to the top are a joy-- or they were for us, since the pitch was bone dry. Lawyer and Haas warn in the guidebook that the upper portion of this pitch is often wet.

(Photo: Heading down.)

Once we reached the top we moved up to the climber's right. We could see a tree with fixed gear for rapping. I was carrying a topo for this part of the cliff which showed a rappel route here. This worked out for us, more or less. I won't bore you with the details of the near-disaster I caused when passing one of the fixed rap stations, thinking our double ropes tied together would reach the next rappel station. The lesson: NEVER pass a rappel station!

Next time I would use the central rappel route, since some of the stations indicated on the topo for our rappel route apparently no longer exist.

I loved Fastest Gun. It is challenging throughout, and so varied. The rock is very good, except for the occasional loose crap you'll find all over Poke-O. The route was a milestone experience for me. I have wanted to do this climb for a very very long time, and it totally lived up to my high expectations. It also revealed areas where I've made great progress (slabby moves and thin face, working with small gear) and areas where I need much improvement (wide vertical cracks). Speed is another issue. We were lucky no one was behind us because we were definitely slow guns, taking most of the day to do four pitches.

After doing this route I want desperately to return to Poke-O. If pitches two and three of Fastest Gun are good indicators of what the face climbing at Poke-O is all about, then I think this climbing suits me very well. I'll have to find out for sure some time next year.