2017: The Year in 5.10 and Beyond

(Photo: That's me, leading Turdland Direct Direct (5.10d). Photo by Nancy.)

It is always fun to take stock of the year as the climbing season draws to a close.

We had a weird autumn this year. Summer seemed to drag on forever, and after just a couple of weekends with good temperatures we find ourselves with little left of 2017. While we often get some good days here and there during the winter months (so long as there isn't too much snow), it seems like our Gunks season is for the most part at an end.

So what did I accomplish in 2017? If you know me, you know I like to have goals. I always go to the Gunks with a list of things I need to get done.

The top agenda item for me this year was my project to finish off the 5.10 grade in the Gunks. More specifically, I wanted to send all of the "star-worthy" 5.10 climbs in the Trapps and the Nears, on lead. I came up with this goal in late 2016, when it occurred to me that I was already pretty close to achieving it. I figured that with a little bit of focus I might be able to get through all of the remaining climbs on the list in 2017.

My guru for this project has been Dick Williams. I view his assessments of the routes in the Gunks as definitive. When I look at Dick's ratings for difficulty, quality, and protection, I generally know exactly what to expect. When I rely on his description to do a route that is new to me, I usually walk away feeling like I get why he says what he does. Even if I find some surprises on a route, or occasionally disagree with Dick's opinion, I can usually construct a rationale to defend his point of view.

I used Dick's guidebooks for the Trapps and the Nears to put together my list of the 5.10 routes to which he assigns at least one star, and which I had not yet sent on lead as of the end of 2016. As soon as 2017 got under way, I started working on the list, checking them off.

As of mid-May, which was the  last time I reported to you on my progress, this is where things stood on my list:

Trapps:

Sonja (5.10a/b)

Stirrup Trouble (5.10b) (DONE in March)

Matinee pitch two (5.10d) 

Nemesis (5.10a) (DONE in March)

Birdie Party pitch two roof (5.10b)
Interstice pitch two roof (5.10d)

Mother's Day Party pitch two roof (5.10a)

Reach of Faith (5.10c) 

Turdland Direct Direct (5.10d) (ATTEMPTED in April but fell at roof)

Nurse's Aid pitch two (5.10a) 

Directissima Direct (pitch one 5.10b/c variation) (DONE in February)

Ent Line (5.10d or 5.11a) 

Space Invaders (5.10d) 

Tweak or Freak (5.10a) (DONE in April)

Bragg-Hatch (5.10d)

Creaky Joints and Trigger Points (5.10b)

Tennish Anyone? (5.10c) 

Near Trapps:

Topeka (5.10a)

Outer Space Direct (5.10b)

Criss Cross Direct (5.10a) (DONE in April)

Fat Stick Direct (5.10b)

Tulip Mussel Garden (5.10d) (DONE in April)

Elder Cleavage Direct (5.10b) (almost DONE but took hang on Pitch 1; have to go again)

Boob Job (5.10b) (DONE in April)

Wooly Clam Taco (5.10c) 

Hang Ten (5.10a) (ATTEMPTED in April but fell)

Whatever (5.10a) (SECONDED in April; have to lead)

Spinal Exam (5.10b/c)

In the second half of the year, I've made significant progress towards completing the list. But I'm still not finished.

I've accomplished nothing in the Nears since May. I went back once on a very hot day in June. I managed to fail for the second time on Hang Ten, hanging twice before I figured out where to put my feet as I pulled the roof. So my Nears list is exactly as it was halfway through the year.

But in the Trapps I have much to report. I redpointed Turdland Direct Direct (5.10d) with Nancy in early September, and on an assortment of different dates I attacked most of the other remaining climbs on my list.

Sonja (5.10a)

I've been both attracted to, and repelled by, Sonja for a long time, because it is a vertical crack climb. We don't have too many of these in the Gunks, and crack climbing is not my strong suit. People often describe this as a "thin hands" crack, but it actually varies. In the portion of the crack that I think is the toughest/steepest, there are textbook, gold-Camalot-sized hand jams.

(Photo: Attempting Sonja (5.10a) in the dog days of August. Photo by Gail.)

Because I am a crappy crack climber, I had to try this one on two different occasions before I got the send. On my first visit to Sonja with Gail in August, everything felt slippery in the heat. We both struggled in the crack. My so-called jams felt insecure. I had to hang a couple of times on my lead attempt, and I was soaked with sweat by the time I finished. I ran up it again for practice, getting it cleanly it on TR after Gail took her turn. I figured I was sure to send it on lead as soon as it got cooler.

In early November I went back with a new partner, Will. This time around, I got it done, though it was touch-and-go there for a minute as I got into the thinner hands part up towards the top. After I was done, I watched Will casually stroll up the thing on TR and saw that I still have a lot to learn about crack climbing. While I had executed a high-stepping layback move off the crack to get up to a stance near the finish, Will never deviated from straight-in jams and looked totally solid doing so.

(Photo: Cruxing out on Sonja (5.10a) in November. Photo by Will.)

I should go back and try to learn some more from Sonja but now that I've gotten a clean lead on the climb I'm not sure if I ever will. My first thought as I got to the top was "Thank God, I never have to do that again!" It is a very worthwhile climb, short but challenging. Steep and varied. You can place great gear over your head before you commit to anything so there really is no excuse not to lead it.

Mac Wall Roof Pitches

I have spent more than my fair share of days at the Mac Wall over the past several years. Sometimes I feel sick and tired of the whole wall. And yet, in all of the time that I logged at this wall prior to 2017, I never led the second pitches of Interstice (5.10d), Mother's Day Party (5.10a), or Birdie Party (5.10b). I think that I'm not unusual; few people bother to do these roof pitches, which is a shame. The Birdie Party roof gets done the most out of the three, but I hardly ever see anyone on that one and I've NEVER seen anyone on the other two!

When I finally got around to doing these pitches, I found out that they are all great. If you have a seventy-meter rope you are really cheating yourself if you don't tack on one of these roofs whenever you do any of the Mac Wall tens at this part of the wall. It is a simple matter to continue in a single pitch through any of the roofs to the fixed anchor that sits above.

I led the Birdie Party roof pitch in early November with Will. (I chose to start with pitch one of Mother's Day Party (5.10b), making for a very direct line.) I'd followed this roof pitch before so I knew what to expect and ticked it off without a problem. It is a typical Gunks 5.10 roof. With a heel hook and a couple of crimps, you are done. It is a little bit spicy after the roof. You need to move up on some non-juggy holds for a couple of 5.8/5.9 moves before you can get gear again. Once you do, you are very close to the fixed anchor.

Later in November I returned to the Mac Wall with Rob to do the other two roofs.

I started with Interstice, which breaks the overhang just a few feet to the left of Birdie Party's obvious flake in the ceiling. I was a little bit worried about Interstice because in the guidebook Dick describes the face above the roof as R-rated. But I believe Dick has it wrong in this one instance. I found this roof to be as well-protected as any roof in the Gunks. You can place a bomber piece above the lip before you pull over the roof, and once you stand up, you can get a good Alien or other small cam, although at this point the gear is strenuous to place because you are standing in an overhanging position on some small holds.

I actually blew it on my first attempt as I stood up over the roof, before I got to place the small cam, and the fall was totally clean. Then I started over from the level of the MF bolts and led through the whole roof so I'm counting it as a redpoint send and calling it done.

(Photo: Rob making the reach over the roof on Interstice (5.10d).)

I loved this roof. It is my favorite of the three. It takes a big reach to get past the initial overhang and then a few more good moves in a steep little concave section of the wall before you reach easier climbing and the fixed anchor. If you do Interstice in one pitch from the ground through the roof (which is what I did), you get three incredible cruxes, all completely different from one another. I think this is one of the very best tens in the Gunks, which is saying a lot.

After we got done with Interstice I led MF Direct into the Mother's Day Party roof. This roof is just to the right of the Birdie Party roof, directly above MF's bolted anchor. Aim for a rectangular notch in the roof. If you look to the right you can see the pin on MF approximately five feet further over.

(Photo: Rob getting through the rectangular notch on Mother's Day Party (5.10a).)

This roof presents a very interesting, bouldery problem. You have to make a big, committing move up into the rectangular notch (with pro at your ankles), and then move left to a bomber horizontal that takes good gear. Once you reach this horizontal the actual roof pull that comes afterwards is straightforward and easier. I got the on-sight on this one (with much stepping up and down), but I would say it felt harder to me than 5.10a. I think it is tougher than the Birdie Party roof and maybe as hard as Interstice.

I'm so glad my little 5.10 project led me finally to get around to these roof pitches! I will definitely go back to all three of them.

Reach of Faith (5.10c)

I can't say the same for Reach of Faith. I did all three pitches of this climb with Rob on the same day that we did those Mac Wall roof routes. I will likely never return to it.

I was curious about Reach of Faith, since no one does the route. I expected it to be dirty and loose. But Dick had to have some reason for giving it a star in the guidebook.  

I found the first two pitches to be poorly protected. The first pitch goes at 5.4, so the sparse gear isn't terribly troubling. The second pitch, on the other hand, is one of the scarier 5.8 pitches that I have ever led. There isn't any gear to speak of as you trend up and right over a couple of ledges with blueberry bushes. I finally found some pro when I reached a spot of rock that is lighter in color than the surrounding stone, but I was dismayed to find that all of the features there rang hollow. I felt like I was in a do-not-fall situation as I entered the crux 5.8 climbing, venturing left on a mystery traverse (with no additional gear) for ten or fifteen feet until I could head up through a notch and easier climbing to a belay ledge.

(Photo: Rob coming up the final bits of pitch two of Reach of Faith (5.10c).)

When I led the crux 5.10c pitch, I could sort of see why Dick granted the climb a star. This pitch is better than the other two, and you can reach it by taking Hawk or Southern Pillar to the GT Ledge if you want to check it out, though I'm not sure it is worth the trouble. You have to battle past a tree to get over an initial overhang, and then finally you are rewarded with a good mid-5.10 roof, with solid pro. Then you top out through a thick field of lichen.

I wrote up Reach of Faith for Mountain Project if you want a more detailed description.

Space Invaders (5.10d)

I'd done Space Invaders on toprope, but it was a few years ago and I couldn't really remember much of anything about the climbing. Call this an alzheimer's on-sight. I led it in November with Will.

This climb has a variation to the left and one to the right, but Dick's book only lists the right-hand version so that's the one I led.

I felt pretty good about how I performed on this one. The climb has lots of fun bits as you work your way up the overhanging, right-slanting crack. To my relief, I found great gear. I placed something every time I reached a good hold. And the climbing is really good, sequency and interesting.

Creaky Joints (5.10b) and Tennish Anyone? (5.10c)

(Photo: Leading Creaky Joints and Trigger Points (5.10b). Photo by Rob.)

I knocked both of these off with Rob on a beautiful October day.

I liked Creaky Joints and Trigger Points (5.10b). I wish it were longer. But the crux is my favorite sort of climbing: thin moves with gear placed under pressure. The business comes right away, as you step onto a a steep face with a slanting, thin crack. You can get gear before you commit to getting out there but once I was into the real climbing I really wanted another piece before making the crux move up. I placed a small nut in a hurry and I think it would have held if I tested it, but luckily I never had to, as I made the move and it was all over.

This climb is well worth checking out if you are down in the area.

I'd previously attempted Tennish Anyone? during a very hot and humid Memorial Day weekend back in 2016, and on that occasion I'd had to hang in the crux traverse. I'd found the crimpy holds to be difficult to use.

(Photo: Rob heading into the crux on Tennish Anyone? (5.10c).)

When I returned to the route in 2017, in perfect October conditions, the holds felt huge! This is a great pitch, a bit technical and demanding, different from the usual thing. With its crimpy moves sideways and then up, it reminds me a bit of Black Crack (5.10+) out in Lost City, but I think Tennish Anyone? is easier.  Not too many people lead it, since it is very easy to toprope the route after you do Wegetables (5.10a), but it is a very good lead. The crux is well-protected. There is a committing move up to a jug before the crux, which I protect with a tiny tiny nut that I think would hold. This move isn't really difficult, but it is smeary and might give one pause.

Ent Line (5.10d or 5.11b)

This climb has been my white whale of 2017, occupying too much of my time and frustrating my every attempt. I still intend to go back to finish it off but I'm starting to grow weary of my own failures on the route. I'm tempted to call it done for 5.10 purposes but I know that this would be dishonest and break my own rules, since I haven't yet led the thing to the finish without falling.

I've never done it the 5.10 way, in which you merge with Ants' Line through the overhang, after the 5.10 crux. Instead I've tried to do it the 5.11b way every time, staying left of the Ants' Line crux and blasting straight over the roof. 

My first attempt, with Nancy back in September, was a reconnaissance mission. Even though I had done the climb before on toprope, I was wary of the PG/R rating that this climb gets in the guidebook, so my main concern wasn't the climbing but the gear. I was also concerned about smacking into the big tree next to the wall. Of course, since I was worried about falling it became a self-fulfilling prophecy and I took a whip from the 5.10 crux, which is a tricky move where you have to step to the right using very small holds. The fall was clean, much to my relief, and from that point on I explored the gear with every move, stopping several times to hang and inspect the potential placements.

(Photo: That's me heading up Ent Line (5.11b). Photo by Gail.)

A week later I went back with Gail and tried for the send. It was a super summery, hot day, and every move felt difficult. Nevertheless I got through the 5.10 crux and made it all the way up to the 5.11 roof, where I fell off after making a weak throw to the ledge above the roof. This fall, too, was totally clean. Going up for the second time, the roof felt easy. So I walked away secure in the knowledge that I had everything worked out, and that I could come back on a cooler day and finish Ent Line off.

(Photo: Gail approaching the crux roof on Ent Line (5.11b).)

That cooler day arrived in October, with Josh. Conditions were perfect and I started up the route for my third attempt with confidence. The rock felt great and the 5.10 crux was over before I knew it. Everything felt right as I got set up for the 5.11 roof. But somehow I fumbled my footwork up there, and though I made a game effort to regroup and actually grabbed the shelf above the overhang, I slipped off and took the fall AGAIN. 

There were numerous people standing around on this peak-season weekend day. I know that most people don't lead this route, so just getting up there and leading Ent Line is pretty cool, I suppose. Several of the spectators offered words of praise about my efforts. I was happy to give them a show, including a nice whipper, but I felt like a chump. I couldn't believe I'd blown it again. Up until the moment I slipped off I felt like I had it.

I still have to go back. I'm disappointed in my performance but now I know what to do. I just have to execute. 

And the route is really awesome. It is relentlessly steep and the moves are tricky/beta intensive. The protection is very good at the cruxes but I hesitate to say that the gear is exactly what you'd want throughout. In between the first 5.10 crux and the 5.11 roof there are a few moves where hitting the tree is a real possibility and I wouldn't want to fall. But I feel very good about those moves and I think Ent Line is a safe lead for me.

Bragg-Hatch (5.10d)

On that same October day with Josh I failed at my on-sight attempt on Bragg-Hatch. 

This is a short but high-quality climb up a tricky corner below a roof. At the top of the short corner you escape right on some more tricky moves on crimps, for just a few feet, and then move up to easier territory.

I struggled to place a good nut at the top of the corner, but hung in there, only to fall as I tried to move to the right. My nut got totally welded when I fell on it and Josh could not remove it. I don't know if the nut is still there but if it is the climb will now be much easier to lead! Even if it isn't there I think I will find the climb easier the second time, and should be able to get the send without too much trouble.

(Photo: Josh on Bragg-Hatch (5.10d).)

Bragg-Hatch is very different from Creaky Joints, discussed above, but the two climbs are similar in that they both would be truly great if they were longer. Both climbs feature tense moves with gear placed in the midst of the action. They are both worthwhile climbs but I wouldn't make a special trip for either of them.

There are two options for finishing Bragg-Hatch, after the hard part. You can continue straight up a right-facing corner to a tree with slings. Or you can traverse right to a left-facing corner. I chose to traverse to the right and I enjoyed the 5.8/5.9 climbing up this corner. 

* * *

As of now, I have just four pitches left on my 5.10 list for the Trapps: Ent Line, Bragg-Hatch, the second pitch of Matinee and the second pitch of Nurse's Aid. These are all redpoints. I have led every one of these pitches, just not cleanly. So I think I know what I need to do.

If we get the right conditions in December I just might be able to finish all of these tens in the Trapps by the end of the year. I'm trying to stay motivated and to seize whatever opportunities I get. If the high is above 40 degrees you can expect to see me out there!

I hope I'll see you out there too, working on whatever your own personal project may be.

2016: The Year In 5.10, So Far

(Photo: That's me on Never Never Land (5.10a). Photo by Adrian.)

5.10 is the premier grade at the Gunks. Everyone knows this. I sometimes refer to the Gunks as "Our Little 5.10 Paradise."

Just take a look at the guidebook and you'll see why. There are so many star-quality tens.

As I've worked through the various 5.10 routes, I've come to realize that the quality of the 5.10 grade at the Gunks runs even deeper than you might guess from reading the guidebook. The supply is all but bottomless in the Gunks, going well beyond the obvious classics. Sometimes it seems that lurking around every corner is an unheralded 5.10 that turns out to be awesome.

Over the years I've done many of the obvious tens. And lots of non-obvious tens. But still there are gaps in my 5.10 resume. I'm always trying to do new routes, and I love climbing 5.10 in the Gunks. As 2016 has progressed, I've tried to fill in my 5.10 gaps.

(Photo: Alec confronting the huge Wishbone roof (5.10+).)

One way in which I've been filling in the gaps is by climbing at Lost City. By tradition there is no guidebook for this part of the ridge. Lost City is known for its hardman top-rope scene, but I have discovered over the past few years that the area isn't just a place to get thrashed on 5.12's. It is also a 5.10 leader's dreamland. Lost City's collection of well-protected, leadable 5.10's is world-class.

You want roofs? In Lost City you'll find the amazing overhangs of Wishbone (5.10+) and Stannard's Roof (5.10-). If you like face climbs, try Texas Flake (5.10+?), or the beautiful Resistance (5.10+), which might be my favorite single pitch of 5.10 in all of the Gunks. Lost City also has steep, technical climbs like Lost City Crack (5.10-) and Black Crack (5.10++), and still others I have done but which I can't put a name to, like the fun roof climb just to the right of Agent Orange, and the one that follows the rap line just to the right of Stannard's. And there are more great Lost City tens, I am certain, upon which I have yet to stumble.

(Photo: Andy following my lead of Resistance (5.10+).)

I have gotten the send on most of these Lost City tens, though not always on the first try. I achieved the on-sight on the Wishbone Roof last year, which I was very very happy about. Both Lost City Crack and the ten next to Agent Orange went fine the first time I tried to lead them this past spring, but they weren't technically on-sights since I'd followed them before. Others, like Stannard's Roof, I've had to redpoint after messing up at least once on the lead. I was proud to send Resistance in 2016, after previously failing. Black Crack-- a real toughie-- frustrated me twice this summer. I need to go back in cooler weather to get it, finally.

(Photo: That's me top-roping Texas Flake (5.10+) in January 2012. Photo by Adrian.)

I've also tried in 2016 to hit some new tens back in the more familiar terrain of the Trapps and the Nears. 

Though I've really improved a lot over the last few years, I am still not above failing on a Gunks 5.10. I am always hoping for the send but I am still more than capable of misreading a sequence, botching my footwork, running out of gas, or just getting scared. When I try Gunks tens, I win some and I lose some.

In May I was climbing with Andy and decided the time had come for me to try Stirrup Trouble (5.10b). The starting move off of a block and onto the face had always scared me off. You have to get on the wall, place gear blindly over your head, and then make a thin move up to a jug. If you fall here and the cam blows, the landing will not be pleasant.

But everyone says the route is a great classic. I had to give it a shot at some point.

I'm sorry to say it didn't go well. I stepped up onto the wall but I couldn't commit to the move. It was impossible to judge the quality of the gear up over my head. I had no idea whether it was good or bad. I kept stepping up and then stepping back down to the starting block. Eventually I decided I wasn't feeling it and I gave Andy the lead.

He confidently stepped up to the blind cam we'd placed, and then slotted a nut under pressure, looking a little bit shaky. I was impressed that he got the nut in, but I didn't have time to tell him so, as he promptly fell on it! The gear held. Then he stepped back up and the rest of the climb went fine.

(Photo: Andy past the spooky start of Stirrup Trouble (5.10b).)

As I followed Andy's lead of Stirrup Trouble I wished I'd been a little bit bolder. The moves were all reasonable. This one goes in the redpoint queue; I have to go back and try again to lead it. It is quite a climb. It's so in-your-face right off the deck, and then the great sequences just keep on coming all the way to the very end.

(Photo: That's me at the crux of P-38 (5.10b). Photo by Robbie.)

I consoled myself that day by getting the send on P-38 (5.10b), the route next door. I'd previously failed to get a clean lead of this climb on three separate occasions, always barn-dooring off at the last hard move before the climb gets easier. This time, I hesitated at the move once again, sure I was about to go flying for the fourth time. But eventually (helped by some verbal encouragement from my friends) I made it, planting my toe as precisely as I could and carefully stepping up to the jug.

Now I never have to do P-38 again!

But I probably will. It is a quality climb, with a good crux right off the ground and then awkward moves up the crack. It is a different sort of ten.

On Memorial Day weekend I was out with Alec and Liz, a climbing power couple who've now moved west to conquer desert towers. Despite the sweltering, humid weather, we attacked some harder climbs down at the end of the Trapps at the Slime Wall and Sleepy Hollow. After Liz started us off with Wegetables (5.10a), I took a go at Tennish Anyone? (5.10c). I'd done this on TR once before, but I couldn't remember anything about the climbing.

(Photo: I'm leading Tennish Anyone? (5.10c). Alec is belaying. Photo by Liz.)

It is an interesting pitch, and I get the feeling it doesn't get done on lead all that much. Most people do it on TR after leading Wegetables. Tennish is a safe lead. There is a committing move to get up to the crux overhang. At this move I placed a nut over my head. It seemed solid but it was tiny. The gear for the crux is great: small Aliens and nuts.

I didn't get Tennish cleanly. I'd like to blame the heat. At the crux you have to move to the right, at the lip of the roof, on some poor holds. The feet drop away beneath you. I managed to move to the right but then got flummoxed trying to step up and out. After falling, I worked it out. It is another one for the redpoint queue. It is a quality climb. The crux is good, and similar to my Lost City nemesis Black Crack.

As the summer of 2016 dragged on endlessly, I didn't get too many chances to climb in the Gunks. On one day in late August Gail and I were in the Trapps, looking for something in the shade, when we came upon Size Matters (5.10c). Seemed worth a try.

(Photo: Gail at the crux of Size Matters (5.10c).)

On this one I got the on-sight. There is a hard move right off the ground. You can't protect it, but the fall would be only a few feet. Once you successfully get on the wall, there is good gear for the crux above. The hard part is literally a single step to the left with smeary footholds and crimpy fingers, under a sloping roof/left-facing corner. I was happy to put a send in the bank, for once, but it was no big deal.

As October approached and summer showed no signs of fading I started to wonder what happened to my year. I had accomplished a few 5.11 ticks in the spring but since then I'd done precious little. I'd had some good days at Poke-O but I hadn't exactly torn the place up. In the Gunks my success rate had been decidedly mediocre.

But the weather was finally cooling off and I felt like the time was right for me to start hitting it again. I was pretty much injury-free. And I was feeling very fit, as I'd been religiously doing an Insanity program (much too boring to talk about) and I'd lost several pounds.

I had a Gunks Sunday in late September planned with Gail. I thought it might be productive to head down to the area in the Trapps around Never Never Land (5.10a). Gail had been urging me to lead Never Never Land for years. I had been on it twice, on TR, and hadn't particularly enjoyed it. I thought the crux move at the bolt was desperate and greasy. Also, I thought the route's techy, thin face climbing wasn't my strong suit. I recalled thinking "I hate this climb" as I worked my way up the face.

But it had been years since I'd tried the climb. Maybe I'd feel differently now? I used to be all about the roofs but in recent years I've become much more comfortable with thin face climbing. And, as I thought it over, I realized that there were a bunch of other 5.10 routes near Never Never Land that I'd never done. Why not check them all out?

When Gail and I got to the area, we found the Never Never Land wall besieged by a large group. So we shifted gears and moved a bit left to try Cheap Thrills (5.10c), which was new for both of us. I decided to start (as most people do) by doing the first couple of moves on Alley Oop (5.7) and then moving up and right to the orange face beneath the crux two-tiered overhang.

The guidebook describes Cheap Thrills as having a committing move before the upper overhang. 

I found out that this is an understatement. It is pretty scary.

(Photo: I'm at the first tier of the two-tiered overhang on Cheap Thrills (5.10c). Photo by Gail.)

The climbing up the orange face to the roofs is very nice. Then there is great gear at a horizontal below the first tier in the overhang. After placing two cams, I did a little exploring and figured out how I was going to move up to the next tier. And then it was on. I made the move and found myself fully extended, with two fingers in a pocket just beneath the upper tier and my toes at the level of my gear. There was an old piton off to the side but I couldn't clip it without making another delicate step to the left. 

Carefully I moved left, using crimps for the hands and smeary nothings for my toes. I admit I was shaking pretty badly as I clipped the pin. It wasn't easy, but I got it done-- I did NOT want to fall! Once I had the pin clipped, I was very relieved, but I had to work to calm myself and shake off the flop sweat. I was still clinging to little crimps, with crap for the feet, and I had to get over the big roof!

There were good holds above the overhang, thank god, but there were a few different ways one could approach the roof problem and I tried a couple of them before getting worn out, admitting defeat, and dropping down on the pin.

So much for the on-sight.

(Photo: Placing gear to back up the piton on Cheap Thrills (5.10c). (Click on the photo to enlarge.) You can see where the last gear is, beneath my feet. Photo by Gail.)

Once I rested a bit, I stepped up again to the pin. It was so much easier the second time. Then I backed up the pin with a cam and got over the roof without much trouble.

Cheap Thrills has good face climbing followed by a very good roof problem. It is tough for 5.10c! The idea that it is the same grade as Size Matters seems a little silly. Even though I didn't get the on-sight, I was gratified that I really went for it. I intend to go back and get it soon. It is now at the top of the redpoint queue.

And by the way, if you try Cheap Thrills and decide you can't commit to the move up to the pin, it looks like it would be pretty easy to escape left along the good horizontal to Alley Oop's finish.

(Photo: I'm heading up J'Accuse (5.10b) after slinging the tree. Photo by Adrian.)

It was two weeks before I got back to the Gunks, on Columbus Day weekend. I planned to climb with my old buddy Adrian. We were going to have two days in which to play, which is extremely rare for me. I suggested we go back to the Never Never Land area and that we do EVERYTHING. I was feeling good and wanted to go for it.

After we warmed up a bit on Saturday, I went at our first target, J'Accuse (5.10b). This is Never Never Land's less-popular sister climb. It looks unsafe from the ground, since it begins with a blank face, with no apparent gear, below a high bolt. But I knew that people often protect the opening moves by girth-hitching a sling around the small-but-sturdy tree right next to the wall. I found it easy to shimmy up the tree and attach a sling just above the tiny branch.

With this unusual gear in place, I started climbing. The moves were fun and well-protected. And it went well. I got up to the bolt, clipped it, then made a couple of thin moves to where the climb eases off. It's all great climbing and once you get gear above the bolt there is good (if spaced) protection to be had for the rest of the way. I really enjoyed the climbing style and was proud to get the on-sight. This route isn't easy.

(Photo: Adrian at the bolt on J'Accuse (5.10b), leading it through my pre-placed gear.)

After we were done with J'Accuse, I figured Adrian would lead Never Never Land. But since he'd already led it a couple of times before, he offered it to me.

It was time.

And it too went off just fine. I think this climb is a tiny bit dicey right off the deck, since there is a hard move past the first horizontal, and the slot for gear is shallow and flaring. I got an Alien that I thought was probably okay. But I'd use caution in the early going. After the first hard moves, there is good gear and a bolt, plus two or three pitons, along the way. I felt that overall the protection was good.

(Photo: That's me on Never Never Land (5.10a). Photo by Adrian.)

And I enjoyed the climbing too. I was struck by how similar Never Never Land is to its neighbor J'Accuse. This shouldn't be surprising, since they are only a few feet apart from each other. But I can't understand why one of them is so much more popular than the other. To me, J'Accuse is the better climb. Both routes have cruxes that are similar in difficulty and style but the one on J'Accuse is more pleasant: it isn't so slippery and polished. 

I came off of Never Never Land on a high, and I wanted to keep it going. I decided we should do Nevermore (5.10b), a climb which starts up the first fifteen feet of Triangle (5.9-), but then ventures to the right on a blank face and then up through a bulge. The initial climbing on the face is 5.8 R, but the 5.10b crux above is well-protected.

Adrian is not a fan of unprotected 5.8. His position is entirely reasonable. I respect it. But for some reason I seem to thrive on runout 5.8 climbing, so I was happy to give Nevermore a try.

(Photo: I'm just past the runout 5.8 part of Nevermore (5.10b). Photo by Adrian.)

Again it went well. The initial runout when you leave the Triangle blocks is unavoidable. There is no gear on the face. You can place a piece at the Triangle blocks but if you fall from the first moves on the face you will slam sideways into the blocks. But you can test the holds before you commit to stepping out there and once you go for it the moves are reasonable. It isn't too long before you can get some gear.

There is also a good slot for pro right before the crimpy crux, which goes up and left through a bulge. It is good climbing but relatively brief, after which you wander to the right past some scary detached blocks before moving up to the Never Never Land anchor.

I was psyched to put away another on-sight ten, but in the final analysis I didn't think the climb was that great. The good climbing was over quickly. I might go back again to try the variation in the Trapps App called Never Better, which moves left after the crux instead of right and adds some additional difficult face moves into the mix.

As we finished Nevermore, we decided to head off to the Mac Wall for some climbs that Adrian wanted to do. And, honestly, I had every intention of doing whatever Adrian wanted to do for the rest of the day. I was pretty happy with the day so far. But then as we walked down the carriage road I could see that Welcome to the Gunks (5.10b) was just sitting there, open.

I felt ready. I had to do it. Adrian was fine with it.

(Photo: I'm between the first and second roofs on Welcome to the Gunks (5.10b). Photo by Adrian.)

This was another 5.10 I'd always been afraid to try. The climb features several roofs, but the mentally challenging parts come in between them, on poorly-protected slabs. I'd done the route on TR all the way back in 2010, and about all I remember is that on that occasion I fell a lot. The climb seemed hard and scary. I posted at the time on mountain project that my hat was off to anyone who would lead this thing. 

But now? I wasn't worried. I took the rack from Adrian and dove in.

I thought the initial slab was kind of heads-up, with non-trivial moves and no gear. Then the first roof was well-protected and really fun. At slab number two (the 5.9 R section) I thought the big move to a jug was reasonably safe. The next move after that, to some slopers, is where you want to be careful, for the sake of your ankles. But it didn't seem like a big deal to me, and before I knew it I'd placed gear and surmounted roof number two. I was still waiting for the route to seem hard, but it only got easier after that. The final two overhangs were nothing but fun. And I loved the ease of lowering off of the new bolted anchor.

(Photo: Adrian at the first roof on Welcome to the Gunks (5.10b), with a couple of raindrops on the lens.)

I'm not going to lie: I felt amazing after leading Welcome to the Gunks. It was my fourth 5.10 send of the day, and all four of them were on-sights, or climbs I did on top-rope so long ago that they might as well be on-sights. It was one of my best days on the rock. Gotta love the high season! 

On Sunday morning we awoke to misty rain. It quickly stopped and Adrian and I headed to the Nears. We took it easy for a good part of the day, but eventually I wanted to try something new and interesting.

We selected Disney Point (5.10d). This variation on Disneyland (5.6-) goes left when Disneyland goes right, and heads out a diagonal rail under a huge roof. When you reach the "point" at the end of the rail, you have to figure out how to get up onto the face above.

(Photo: I'm up atop the cliff, waving, as Adrian climbs Disney Point (5.10d). He is about to embark on the crux flake, out to the point.)

As I led up Disneyland and turned left to approach the roof, the route appeared more and more intimidating. But when I got there, it didn't seem too bad. I was able to place gear halfway out the traverse before committing to the moves. 

Once I decided to go for it, things got pumpy in a hurry. As I heel-hooked out to the point, I had to hang in there to place a piece. And once I was satisfied with the pro, I had to diagnose the exit. Unfortunately I went the wrong way at first. I was able to hang in, shake out, and try again, but by the time I found the slopery exit holds I ran out of steam and fell off.

(Photo: Adrian headed into the crux section on Disney Point (5.10d).)

It was my first fall of the weekend. I wasn't too upset, though I'd almost had the send in the bag. After falling, I started the whole sequence over again from the beginning and I got through it without a problem. So I sort of got the redpoint right then and there, although I didn't hang out to place gear on the second try. I still have to go back and do it cleanly in one go from start to finish.

I loved Disney Point. It is short, but it is also as exciting as climbing gets. The route is a hidden gem, buried in the guidebook as a one-star variation.

(Photo: That's me, feeling dog-tired at the end of our weekend but knocking out one of my favorite tens, Birdcage (5.10b). Photo by Adrian.)

With autumn finally upon us, I am really excited about what's to come. I feel good and I'm climbing better than I have all year. I haven't really picked a "project" for myself but I'm sure something will soon present itself. 

Until then, there are still plenty of tens, both new and old, with which I can pass the time! 

Climbing in the Far Trapps: Footloose (5.8), Fancy Free (5.8+), Casanova (5.9-) & More

(Photo: Past the sketchy bit on Wegetables (5.10a).

It seems like a long time ago, but actually only a few weeks have passed since we enjoyed plentiful groceries, steady electrical power, ample gasoline, and dryness.

And warmth. It was October, a time of beautiful high-season climbing in the Gunks.

I was fortunate enough to climb on one of these gorgeous fall Sundays with Gail.

I reckoned it was going to be crowded so I suggested we walk all the way down to the far end of the Trapps. It seemed like a good day to attack Wegetables (5.10a), a climb I was determined to send in 2012. I had bailed on the lead a year ago but now I was hoping to get it clean. And I figured that once we trooped down to the end of the cliff we'd find lots of other climbs we could check out.

Gail had spent hardly any time down there so she was more than willing.

The walk down the carriage road was beautiful. The leaves were just barely past peak, a chorus of oranges and yellows. The temperature was perfect, neither too cold nor too warm. I decided to hit Wegetables right away. I didn't want to chicken out after struggling through some 5.8.

So we racked up and I went right at it. The bottom part remains a little pucker-inducing for my taste, with a reachy opening move and then this tiny vertical seam the only option for protecting the low crux. I did okay with the pro, or the best I could do, anyway. I thought my nuts were more attractive than Adrian's were last year (COUGH... that's what she said, COUGH). I still did not want to fall on them. But no worries, I was confident in my beta from last time, so the moves were not a problem.

(Photo:  Gail working through the opening move on Wegetables.)

I tried to psych myself up to power straight through the upper crux roofs, but I fiddled a bit too long with a cam and ended up taking a hang. I was really pissed off when I realized I'd chickened out just below the last overhang. I had thought there were still two to go. I could have made it.

I rested a minute, then punched through to the top. I'll get it next time.

After Wegetables we took the opportunity to toprope the route next door, Tennish Anyone? (5.10c), a fun short climb. It has an interesting move over a little roof to a horizontal and then a pumpy traverse. I think I could maybe lead it, but during the hard traverse it would be strenuous to place gear. The climb is interesting in that the crux horizontal is just above a little overhang. I thought it would be easier to keep my feet below the overhang, but I struggled in the traverse and had to take. Gail, by contrast, got her feet up above the lip and crab-crawled through the traverse. She made it look much easier.

We were having a good time and there was nobody around so we decided to keep on going in the same area. We did the two obscure no-star climbs Footloose (5.8) and Fancy Free (5.8+). Both of these climbs have short first pitches to fixed anchors. Dick doesn't recommend continuing with the lichen-choked second pitches.

(Photo:  Contemplating the awkward move into the bulge on Footloose (5.8).)

I thought Footloose was kind of a waste of time. It has one awkward move up to a little bulge. After that it is a cruise, nice enough but nothing terribly interesting. And the fixed rap station is just a bush. It is alive but it is impossible to judge its strength. I didn't want to use it, so we traversed left over to the Wegetables/Tennish tree. (Even this tree is a bit small for my taste-- we backed it up with a cam the first time we used it.) You could traverse even further. The ledge widens until you find yourself walking off.

While Footloose isn't so hot, Fancy Free is quite worthwhile. Good climbing up a corner leads to an intimidating traverse out a horizontal seam. The handholds for the traverse are tiny crimps and the feet are just smears. It is just a couple of moves to better footholds but the traverse still gave me pause, since even assuming my blue Alien out there was bomber, I was still risking a fall back into the corner. I probably smeared out the traverse for one step too many, making it a touch harder for myself. Gail found a good foothold a couple of steps out that I missed-- if I'd found it I likely would have placed another piece.

I will definitely repeat Fancy Free next time I'm out there. It deserves a star. If only it were longer.

(Photo:  Gail working through the first steep bit on Art's Route (5.9).)

We continued our spree of short climbs with Art's Route (5.9). I struggled a bit when I led this earlier this year, but this time around it went off without a hitch. The upper roof crux is all about footwork, forget what I said last time. I really like this little pitch; both cruxes are unique and challenging. I used a knee again to get through the initial mantel, but then Gail discovered some holds on the left wall that I'd completely ignored, which made it possible for her to do the first crux without any mantel at all. It's so often instructive to watch other climbers. To me one of the beauties of climbing is that every problem has multiple solutions. Sometimes the different solutions work for different body types-- and sometimes your partner just finds a hold that makes you look like a moron.

We still had some time left and I thought it would be fun to check out another obscure Far Trapps no-star special. We looked around a bit and came up with two candidates: Counter Strike (5.9) and Casanova (5.9-). Counter Strike looked like it might be fun, but only for the crux traverse, for which both Swain and Williams recommend multiple big cams.

We decided to try Casanova instead. This was a good decision. We both really liked it.

The climb follows an non-obvious line. Dick's description helps. But Dick makes the climbing sound more difficult than it is. He talks about "intricate route finding," but I thought it was pretty clear where to go. Easy climbing leads up to the right side of a small overhang, then after moving a few feet right you head pretty much straight up the face, wandering just a little left or right to keep the face climbing at 5.7. It is pretty apparent where you are going, because the face is slightly cleaner when you are on the right path. You do have to look around, though, and there is no chalk highway there to help you along. This is high-quality classic Gunks face climbing, with good moves between horizontals.

(Photo:  Gail at the crux of Casanova (5.9-).)

And then the crux turned out to be a little different than I expected. You move up into some overhangs beneath a larger roof, and then traverse left a few feet to escape the ceiling. I thought it would be nothing but steep jugs but once I got fully into it I was surprised to discover that the holds for the moves left are sandy slopers. The pro is very good but I still went up and down a few times before I fully committed to the slopers and got through it. Exciting!

Be warned that after the crux you find yourself in extremely lichenous territory (as you can see in the photo above), with lots of loose rock. The little ledge beneath the crux also has a bunch of loose stones on it, so be careful. In addition, take note that this pitch is over 100 feet. Dick says you need two ropes to descend, but we moved left to belay at the Emilio tree and Gail's 70 meter single rope just made it to the ground.  

Our day was winding down so we decided to head back towards the Uberfall. As we walked out, we looked for a good pitch with which to finish our day. Gail suggested Apoplexy (5.9), and though I wasn't sure I had another 5.9 in me I decided to just go for it. I was psyched when it felt pretty casual. Such a joy. I took my time with it, savoring the moves all the way to the top. In the spring of 2011 this was a milestone lead for me, but now it is just a normal climb, well within my limits. It is a good feeling.