Great day of adventure climbing in Tennessee
TradMan
Hi ho gang,
Yesterday we hiked into a nearby gorge where we are putting
up new trad routes. Lots of beautiful lines are just waiting to see an
ascent. I led an easy first pitch to a ledge and my bud Terry traversed
to a tree, slung it, and headed up a knobby face hoping for decent pro.
The climbing was perfect, 5.9ish face moves 100' off the deck, small
pro cracks and holes, and a dicey sequence to top out. Great new route.
Later, I saw a dihedral up on a higher level and we scrambled up to
check out. The dihedral was dirty and bushy, but I spotted a good
looking crack beside it. Racking up, I headed up the route. The first
moves off the ground kicked in to 5.10 right away and eased into a rest
spot. The next section was a beautiful 20' bulge split by a hand jam
crack. It protected well at the start, so I ran it out to the next rest.
Another 5.10 cruxy spot almost spit me off, but I gained the ledge
above it. Now came the last section, a juggy overhanging face with a
flaring crack above it. The jugs helped me hang out while sticking in
some bomber pro, and I headed up into the flare, hoping for the best.
A balancy high step, lieback and hand jam or two got me 12' or so
above my last pro and suddenly I began to feel pumped and sketchy.
The flare wasn't helping at all, the hand jams were gone and I was
seconds from peeling off. I gave it one more grunt and edged up another
foot higher, getting a bit worried, and finally matched hands on a small
incut. Even with both hands on it, my feet were on slopey spots and I
could feel my arms losing power quickly. Maybe 2 seconds from popping,
I looked down at the rope going way down to that last piece, and decided
that I Really didn't want to fall off! In the last moment before airtime
I spotted a small 3" round dead tree sticking out of the flare and made a
desperation deadpoint move toward it. I snagged it with a pumped out hand
and sorta lunged on up, grabbing a tree on top of the route. The rock at
the top was too sloped and dirty to help at all. I pulled over onto the
top and lay there panting but very happy! I rigged a belay and brought
Terry up. At each crux he would yell up, "I can't believe you led this
thing, man!". He almost popped off a time or two while seconding! Terry
said it felt like maybe 5.10b or c when he came up. If so, that's my
hardest trad onsight flash so far! Yeah Buddy! I decided to call it
Grateful Deadwood cause of that last second save by the old tree.
This is what adventure climbing is all about for me, heading up
unknown lines, not knowing how hard it's gonna be, and just crankin for
the top! I've crossed a line with lead climbing lately- before, I tried
to lead trad routes that I was reasonably sure of getting up without
popping, but now I'm trying to onsight new unknown stuff that looks OK
but the chances of falling are much more likely. It's definitely a
different feel to fall on your trad pro instead of bolts! Yippy yiay!
Well we hiked out, tired and contented, cleaned up and went out to
Hooters for hot wings, and then to Yesterdays, a great bar with live
music where everybody dances on the tabletops. What a perfect day!
Can't wait til the next adventure! TradMan
James Kruger
Congrats!!!!! Makes you glad to be alive.
I'm searching for virgin crags in VA and W. VA myself. The only one
I found so far is limestone. Not the best for trad.
-------------------------------------------------------
| . . |
| \O_. "All I leave behind me, ._O> |
| ,/\/ is only what I found" \/\, |
| \ (GD) \ |
| ` ` |
| ( Climb Trad ) |
--------[ James Kruger - jkr...@ucg.com ]-------------
Jeff Noffsinger
Tradman, good to hear your story. I know you remember when you and I put
up Living in a Van down by the River. That is what it is all about,
picking a good line, and going for the gold! Who knows what lies in
yonder hills!
Barbarian, Nashville,TN
John Carey
Sorry, but I have to disagree whith your assessment of limestone. Some
of the best trad routes I've done are on limestone..
On this rock the trad routes tend to follow crack lines and can vary
from solid and excellent to the extremly loose and scary. It's this
nature of the rock that adds variety and excitement to climbing.
My point is don't limit yourself in anyway, go out and climb every
where you can and enjoy.
John