Friday, May 25, 2018

Return to the Vertical

... our bud MG Sarah has been discussing venturing out as part of a group mountaineering trip (involving some vertical rock work as well) to the North Cascades of Washington State - maybe, maybe not - so we been giving her a hand refreshing some basic rock skills (she'll get the snow and glacier work there) - always a good thing regardless - until just recently, been a while around here since anyone's gripped even a ten foot boulder...

... rock was a bit wet last Sunday - good day to spring clean some ascending gear...

...and brush up on the knot work, rigging and rappelling...

... sure is a pleasure working with people when you demonstrate once and they run with it...

... didn't take long until they're running time trials - hey - is that some "scary Old Dad* climbing gear" that ZMan is totin'?!!...

... give 'em another day or two of refresher work and we'll throw 'em on anything...

... mid-week on the boulders...

... headed up to run some laps on the 'Rat' (aka: 'Workout Boulder')...

... one circuit will get ya' about 80 feet of climbing (although 100 is possible) - usually (used to) try to do at least a 240 foot minimum session...

... all crimpers and thin edging on the steep main face...

... a bit of variety, though - a pretty cool fingertip layback with sketchy feet (with a face variation below and over the small roof)...

... and a cool south face...

... with some bit stiff overhanging routes and variations thereof - that's the 'Mouse' yonder thru the trees...

... even had an 'Old Dad Bachar Ladder' that hung in the woods (left it hanging for posterity) - noticed it's gone now - thievin' pr*cks even shimmied the tree and snatched the rigging - should never had said anything....

*Ref: The Climbing Dictionary, Samet, 2011 - brilliant

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