…last night. I was leading Heat Seeking. I did not float the crux. No falls, no hangs though. It was desperate, the moves difficult, sharp flakes biting my finger tips just like the last time. I pulled through but where did the rest go? What happened to the easy section?
The rock is vertical and I am able to get a thin side pull on a rectangular piece of rock. Reach up and grabbed a small, dirty edge. Where did the all the usable stuff go? It used to ease off here.
The knob by the next bolt was missing – not gone like fell off – but never there. And the bolt? No bolt, no hole. [ Dang, that was another on of those forever bolts to drill. Old twist bit with duct tape on the Rawl holder as a handle. Binding horribly, blisters. Had to use a little adjustable wrench to turn. Pound, wrench turn, pound, wrench turn… Pulling out to clean the hole was near on impossible. Poor John on slave duty, patiently waiting while I curse and sweat. ]
Mr Mud is belaying unseen down below in the overgrowth. Wait a second, overgrowth? There’s no overgrowth there?! A treetop with some half rotten branches is within reach. Where the heck did that come from? Should I sling it? “Hey! Eric watch me! Eric?” No response just snores. I grab an arm full of rope and yank hoping it will jerk him awake. Rope comes up with no resistance. Damn. “Mr Mud, dammit! WAKEUP!”
Snores
I see the next protection. It’s a 3/16 hardware cap screw bolt in the cobble 10 feet above. The kind you might still find on some of the more obscure formations in the outback. Wait, the 3/8” 5 piece rawl used to replace the original 1/4 button several years back is gone? I’m already 15 feet above the last bolt. The next section is slightly overhanging.
If I fly from here am I going to ledge? Forty feet - I could smack that other rock. Dennis Eric where are you? It’s starting to get dark. Should I go for it?
Going down does not come to mind as an option.
I start to move up…
…it is a dream.
