heaven

We're having a gentle spring here, although I shouldn't say that out loud because it'll bring the rain. I got out to Rumney again yesterday-- its a treat to have so many days out so far this year.

I went up with Greg, Wanda, Scott D, and Avery, our dog-friend-for-the-day. Avery was fabulously well behaved-- didn't bark or fight or flip out when we climbed. She was friendly to other dogs and people and just hung out all day.

We did some routes at Jimmy Cliff, Bonsai and Monsters from the Id. Feeling sleepy and cold, I skipped my projects. My favorite route of the day was a TR on Heaven. Wheeeee!!!!

The route starts out with a silly high step into a knee bar. Then you shimmy/rock up onto the boulder and step into an overhung V-shaped chimney. You twist and turn and contort your way up, amazed you are still on the rock as you step onto nothing foot holds (and maybe fall a couple of times). There is a corkscrew turn in the route but I didn't do the full 360. Five bolts later and you're out, done. Its hard and strange and super fun.

coffee

Went to Rumney today with Ben and Scott. There was some bad weather (cold, cloudy, drizzly), a late start (sleeping in) and an early finish (Easter dinners). Even so, I had a really good time!

We spent the entire day at the Parking Lot Wall-- its a really short hike and, given the weather, was not too crowded.

We warmed up on Cafe au Lait-- a fun chimney climb that, with the cold, damp rock, I found a bit uncomfortable.

We then hopped on two of my Rumney favorites-- Juan Valdez and Espresso. These were projects two year ago. Juan Valdez was bagged but I never finished my lead of Espresso. I always got nervous hanging on a pinch, starting at the adjacent bolt, and seeing above me a long move. It was great to run this route a couple of times and I think it will go soon.

pics of us on Juan Valdez






pics of us on Espresso









We also hopped on Idiots Deluxe (5.10c)-- a brand new (sharp) long route with a funny top. The first half of the route is technical face/slab climbing (similar to Curly or Holderness Arete). Then it gets blockier and steeper at the top with horizontal holds and flat side pulls. Its definately a route that rewards resting and endurance.

good friday

Went to Rumney yesterday with Greg. Got spanked on some reachy warm-ups (yeah, I'm belly-aching)

We started at the Armed and Dangerous wall of the Main Cliff (still open despite the Peregrine closings). I finally rp'ed the route Armed, Dangerous and Off my Medication (10b)-- a route that has a committing reach and short, pumpy top and, two years ago, would make my palms sweat and knees shake.

We then headed over the Bonsai wall where I got on Centerpiece again. I finished it this time, but had to really work the top to figure it out.

Greg then bagged his rp of Social Distortion. Here he is cleaning the route.



We then headed over to Upper Darth and I tried out 3 Easy Pieces. Its been rebolted to make a fall at the crux less scary and treacherous. This is another new project of mine! I finished it but I need to practice it. Its delicate followed by burly.

Greg set up Squall, another route that has me belly-aching about the opening reaches. Greg offered a cheater stone for the bottom and was horrified when I agreed. Anyhow, the rest is really nice but burly and, at this point in the day, I was really burned.

We got more water from the car and then Greg ran a few routes at the Parking Lot Wall. I was happy to have enough left in my arms to belay.

We enjoyed the wildlife in Rumney yesterday. Aside from the herd of quebecois on holy week holiday (some of whom braved the swimming hole which was still frozen two weeks ago), we saw a turkey, which flew over us after being corners by a cliff, and some flowers coming up-- trout lily and blood root.

lost in dogtown

Went climbing with Scott last Sunday. I use the word "climbing" rather loosely here. Mostly we were lost in the woods in Dogtown in Gloucester, bushwacking around trying to find some big boulders. Dogtown has a strange history-- its a wooded area that once was a village, abandoned with only the feral dogs left. With the trees still bare, it reminded me a bit of the woods in Evil Dead.

The guidebook, Boston Rocks, described one of the boulders as the "best boulder in Cape Ann." We eventually found it-- its a big cube covered in slopey holds with a seven foot jump-off after you top out. No Thanks. Here is a pic of Scott, mouth full of apple, in front of it.


Yeah, so we got in a single boulder problem, half of a very cold trad lead, and a lot of hiking. I'm making up for it this weekend with plenty of time in New Hampshire. Spring is here (the daffodils are up! the trees have flowered!) and its still dry. Gonna climb.

will knit for food

Last winter (I'm so glad thats in the past tense now!), I knit some socks for Andrew in exchange for music. He recently sent me some CD's-- Joy Division and Brian Eno. Its been a real treat to my ears.

I've decided that I really like this kind of exchange. The knitted items are coveted and enjoyed. And I get a prize when I finish. Mathieu offered to make a similar exchange-- socks for a home cooked meal. He's a fabulous cook. I was so excited that the next day I ran over to the yarn store and picked out some delicious purple (and pink) yarn.

Centerpiece will go down!

I went to Rumney on Sunday with Scott. It was a nice first day out there this season. I was determined to take a whipper, having neglected to do so on the RRG trip. So, poor Scott, I got on a lot of harder stuff. He gets the gold star for belaying!

A run-down of the routes of the day:
a few slabby, technical warm-ups...
Curly for President (9, rp)
Holderness Arete (10b, rp)

then something to get my muscles warm:
Rhinobuckets (10a)-- took a nice whip at the third bolt when my wet shoe skidded off
Romancing the Stone (10c, rp)

then a first time on this one...
Milktoast (10d, lead)-- sharp and tricky

and the bain of my existence...
Centerpiece (10d, up to 2nd to last bolt)-- took a good whip at the top when I pumped out...

Junko (8+, tr)-- fell at the bottom I was so damned tired
Clip-ah-de-doo-dah (3, followed)-- in my tevas, giggling

Here is a pic of the upper portion of Centerpiece. There are better pics on the web-- just google "Centerpiece Rumney."

I was determined to lead Centerpiece, a route that had my knees shaking for the past two seasons, even on TR. Its super-pumpy! I hopped on it and braved my way through the first crux. At the second, I got intimidated, downclimbed to my bolt and a quasi-juggy rest, and removed my fleece with my teeth. Then I braved it and made it to the third crux, below the last bolt. All of the sudden, the route goes from overhanging slopers to a dihedral. Staring at the bolt, I hugged the boulder moaning and shaking until I fell off, taking a good ten foot fall and, forgetting to bend my knees, banged my right ankle. I tried the top a couple of more times before I was completely out of juice and was forced to abandon a few beaners and retreat.

After that ordeal, I was slap-happy and exhausted. That is when Scott broke out his camera so here we are getting on Junko and Clip-ah-de-do-dah.

KENTUCKY!

This past week, I scratched out Kentucky from my list of states-I-haven't-been-to. (Remaining are Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Washington and Alaska)

It was spring break and my birthday so I met Amy and Moose in Atlanta and we drive up to the Red River Gorge in southeastern Kentucky. The drive was supposed to take six hours but it took us eight plus-- we decided to take a shortcut across Kentucky along route 30 only to find out that there are two route 30's, neither of which corresponds to the one on Amy's map (which was about ten years old). So, after visiting the town of Corbin three times, we finally got pointed in the right direction and made our way to the RRG. It was the blond leading the blond.

The fun part about being hopelessly lost in rural Kentucky was that I got to see rural Kentucky. It seems to be where old cars go to die-- there were entire hillsides covered in stripped and rusted out cars and trucks. We also enjoyed the beaten up trailers and shacks, tiny gas station supermarkets, horses, cows, rolling hills, falling down barns... it was an eyeful.


One thing I noticed in Kansas and it seems to be true along the interstate in Kentucky and Tennessee is the perpetual juxtaposition of Jesus and Sex.

Anyhow, it was delightful to escape the monotony of strip malls and track housing that seems to have littered much of America. In the areas we were in, every single building and car and person (!)was unique. Our food options were local or Waffle House.

We set up camp at Miguels Pizza and had a few chilly, noisy nights. I went to sleep to the sounds of drunk college kids and I'd wake up ever few hours to the sound of snoring followed a a few hours later by frogs then birds and then people. Wrapped in fleece, coccooned in that sleeping bag (where a midnight turn in my sleep resulted in discovering a very cold section of my pillow), I wouldn't say that I slept very well. But I enjoyed the thriftiness of camping there (two bucks per night), pizza every night (with sweet potato and broccoli), and fun company and people watching-- college kids, couples on vacation, dirt bag climbers living out of their vans. Everyone was kind of dirty and stinky and really there so they could climb.

The climbing was stupendous! Hard sandstone cliffs with big roofs at the top (dry in the rain!!) , covered in finger pockets, sidepulls, beautiful pinches, and plates. The foot holds were always there. My forearms were screaming. We climbed overhanging sport, slabby stuff, and a few cracks (I'm still gettting this whole jamming things down)





Anyhow, it was a fabulous week of climbing and hanging out. Its been a long, wet winter so this was a nice way to start the season. I'm looking forward to getting good and strong this year and heading back there to hit some harder stuff. Did I mention that Amy rocks?


One last story-- on our drive back, we stopped at the Waffle House in Winchester, Kentucky, for breakfast. We squeezed in at the counter-- I was sandwiched between Amy and a guy with a big white beard and red, peeling hands, wearing a straw hat and dirty flannel shirt. I ordered eggs with toast and strawberry jam, at which point the bearded guy took his microphone to his throat, leaned over to me, and told me that strawberry jam will make your hair turn red. He lifted his hat to demonstrate, exposing long, thin white hair with a faint pink hue down the middle.