Sunday, April 26, 2015

WAGG Day 10 - Go 30

04/24/15 (weight 179.2, AMRHR 44)

I drove up to Necedah on Friday after work to meet Charles and take a few quick burns on WAGG. To warm up, Charles led Tower Route while hanging draws, we pulled the rope, and then I led it with the draws in place. Then we hurried to the top of Y-Crack Wall and set a top rope on WAGG. Charles rapelled the line and I followed hanging draws and cleaning holds.

Conditions started to deteriorate almost as soon as Charles tied in for his first go, and they weren't any better by the time it got to be my turn. So, in a full rain, I tied in for a go  of my own (the route overhangs 10-12 feet, but the wind was blowing mightily) and found (mostly) dry holds up to and through the crux. For the first time ever, I climbed from the ground through the crux and fell a few moves above. I ended up two-hanging the route on TR, and doubt I would have sent if conditions were better, but I might have been able to one-hang it instead. I topped out in a full rain, cleaned the TR setup and rapelled to the ground. It was the happiest I had ever been in the face of failure and bad conditions. I was, and still am, incredibly psyched. Up until Friday, I was feeling like I had lost some ground over the winter, so the huge progress I made was exceedingly welcomed.

I cannot wait to get back to Necedah again. While a lead of the route is probably still a ways off, it feels like a real possibility. From here on out, I hope to leave the TR behind and make each go a lead go.

Monday, April 20, 2015

WAGG Day 9 - Goes 28-29

04/18/15 (weight 178.6, AMRHR 60)

I managed to get up to Necedah for a pair of goes on Whiskey over the weekend. Nothing special, I feel like I am stagnating on it a bit and need to change the training strategy around. It feels like I need more core, more forearm endurance and more general power endurance work away from the cliff. It also feels like I need to make a more reasonable pyramid up to the route, and climb some stuff a few grades easier. Maybe it was just a high-gravity day and I need to reengage...regardless, it felt a little stale on Saturday.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Utah in Photos...Mostly.

Jay and I had been planning a trip to Utah for about six months. We have been there together twice before, and on each of those trips we got our butts kicked for a variety of reasons. The reasons that immediately come to mind are; an overloaded station wagon starting on fire, both lead ropes getting core-shot halfway up Spaceshot and a general malaise/lack of motivation that neither of us can seem to shake when in the state together. Despite all of this, those two trips remain some of the most memorable of our lives and served as the basis for what has become an important friendship existing in the space beyond the carefree days of youthful climbing adventures in what has become the (occasionally all-too) real world we both inhabit in the present-day as adults with lives beyond the cliffs.

Morning Alpenglow on the Six Shooters

During those first two trips, our youthful exuberance was our biggest asset, while our corresponding inexperience was our biggest liability. We thought we would give it another shot and let our older, wiser and more experienced selves have a crack at it. We thought it would be different this time...we were wrong. In the end, we adjusted our agenda to meet some unforeseen circumstances, re-visited some prior epics, shared some laughs and climbed a few good routes - all things considered (it is Utah after all) we had a good trip.