MudNCrud Forums
Climbing and ... Climbing => Masters of Mud -- Pinnacles => Topic started by: Brad Young on May 08, 2014, 10:01:09 AM
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Holy crap!
So far both yesterday (climbing with Bob and Jon) and today (at work) are "smell the flower days." I don't much care what I'm up to, I'm truly just enjoying the "done with that route" status.
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Jon and I would have brought something fragrant for you had we known!
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Jon and I would have brought something fragrant for you had we known!
Oh but you did, didn't you? ;D
Thanks for an excellent "smell the flowers" first day Bob!
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congrats. Told you it would be easy.
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...Told you it would be easy.
Um, actually no you didn't. You told me I could lead it, and your comments helped a lot. But I don't remember anything about "easy."
And it wasn't easy. This is what I wrote to J.C. about the climb:
"I pulled off a perfect lead. Scared shitless until I got into it and then I just kept going. Absolutely brutal. I'm so sore and stiff that I'm going to bed now after dosing on Ibuprofen."
Here's what I wrote to Kelly Rich (who did the route's first ascent):
"I led it clean on Tuesday."
"Bad rock, guano, pro that varies from iffy to pretty darn good. Super exposed cruxes, one after another. Maybe not a route that is worth a "star," but what a brilliant effort, seeing and conceiving of such a natural line. The route may not be "quality" (whatever the hell that means), but, if I were you, I'd be really damn proud of it."
I would absolutely recommend this route to any climber who is determined to do every route under 5.10 at Pinnacles.
Two days later I'm realizing that this was an all-out, total effort for me mentally and physically. Everything I had. I still hurt all over like someone pounded me with a baseball bat. I still recall my (instant) thought process halfway through the last crux: "Shit - this is getting hard. Shit - I'm so pumped. Shit - I don't want to have to come back here." I pulled that off with nothing left.
I also still recall the fun of watching Gavin follow it. He is so damn smooth and so totally calm. Impressive as always. And then, with one move to go to "easy" a hold broke and he was robbed.
Thank you again both Gavin and Alacia for your encouragement and your patience.
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Jesus.
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"Shit - this is getting hard. Shit - I'm so pumped. Shit - I don't want to have to come back here."
Love it!
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nice work Brad!!!
That's a great wedding present for Kelly.
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...That's a great wedding present for Kelly.
That's right - wasn't the wedding last weekend?
I oughta kick him though for telling me that that last crux is "really fun 5.9 hands."
I may not climb 5.12 ("may not," hell - I flat out don't climb 5.12), but I am damn good in 5.9 and 5.10 cracks. And I surely know the difference between the two. That section may have been "really fun" (at least it was looking at it now in retrospect), but that last crux section wasn't 5.9.
Still, given everything it involves and takes of a climber, 5.9+ is absolutely the perfect rating for the route.
(And thanks Adam for the nice words.)
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So boss!
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um, oops.
::)
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Alacia downloaded her camera and sent me some colorful shots of the first crux of Embarassemnt.
Starting:
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3892/14497266592_cd51c1bce1_c.jpg)
Into the first crux (the only one that is truly loose and really ugly):
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5502/14495068271_4a147ed226_c.jpg)
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2938/14497153664_6f7c31e1a7_c.jpg)
It's nice to be flexible in a climb like this:
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2895/14498462365_b112217274_c.jpg)
I'm well into granite season now, and so it seems strange looking at these. But, like I said, they're colorful and they also give a sense of the route's flavor too; and so they're probably worth posting.
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is that the causal route? ???
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It's not a valid ascent without the "normal" length shorts.
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It's not a valid ascent without the "normal" length shorts.
He has a perfect tan to preserve.
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He has a perfect tan to preserve.
How do you know about his tan?
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How do you know about his tan?
Quality time at the reservoir.
Shorts? Look at his shirt.
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He has a perfect tan to preserve.
Exactly true. Obvious.