Right now...

It's raining.

Aid climbing??

So I'm sitting here on the couch after work, relaxing in the sunshine and thinking about climbing. (What else is new?) And then I got to thinking, what's so cool about aid climbing? I've always kind of been a hater when it comes to aid climbing, and so it's been weird to be super psyched on spending three hours to climb 60 feet. (Yeah, I'm pretty slow.) So, coming at'cha is my A3 defense of aid climbing.

Looking at all the climbing magazines, one would think that a 25 year old rock climber should be super psyched to climb V12, or redpoint some heinous 5.13d knee-bar-beta-cave-climb. Climbing a 60 foot A2 is not quite as glamorous. One hook move -- ooooh, aaaah, scary...

Ok, well I can't come up with a counter to that one. I kind of do want to climb V12. Same with the knee bar thing too. But aid climbing does have it's finer points. And it is another great tool in one's 'climbing repertoire,' if you will.

Have you ever stood up on a hook? Or maybe stood on two hooks with your last "real" piece of gear six feet away? It's exciting. I would even go as far to say that it's almost as exciting as, say, pulling on a mandatory mono; or perhaps as exciting as a big dyno above your gear; maybe even as exciting as doing that knee bar.

Then there are the skills you learn while aid climbing. Mastery of gear placement, for example. You have to stand on every piece of gear you place. With this, you are able to find out what holds, and what doesn't. What is a passable gear placement, and what isn't. (Good skill, I'd say.) Other skills, like dialing down systems for super efficiency is another good one. After all, when push comes to shove, anyone can aid climb practically anything. It would seem to me that speed is where it's at.

So what makes someone a good climber? Well that depends on your definition of "climber." If it's simply being able to pull hard, well, then that's it. But there could be more. Why not go for the well rounded approach? I like bouldering, I like sport climbing, I like trad climbing, I like easy climbing, I like hard climbing and finally, I like aid climbing.

(I still don't really like ice climbing. Sorry Matt.)

A brief window of opportunity

We had a brief window of opportunity to go climbing today. Matt, Rich and I all had off the first part of the day (those suckers are at work right now...suckers!), so we ran up to Potter Mountain at Silver Lake, and we did some fun climbing. WOOHOO!

We ended up doing the first pitches of two different climbs -- Groovitational Pull (5.10a) and Where the Wild Things Are (5.10b). And we all got to lead. And although we had all already climbed these routes, it was good just to get back out there, stretch the tendons, practice clipping, hanging out with buddies -- all that groovy kind of stuff.

Keep your fingers crossed. It's supposed to get cold, but you and I both don't want it to get cold. So keep your fingers crossed. No, seriously, do it.

Woooooah, Check it out Again!!!

It is official. The Silver Lake climbing information is now available online. Jim has been busy at work, and here we go:

http://www.AdirondackRock.com/silverlake/silver%20lake%20routes.htm

Thanks Jim!

Yo, check it out!

Yo, check it out!

http://www.climberism.com/adirondack-rock-climbing-an-unknown-adirondack-adventure/

Two new pitches... :)

First and foremost, I hope y'all appreciate the use of the emoticon in the title. And maybe another... :)

So yeah, anyways, did some climbing at Silver Lake. 'Twas very much fun indeed. Here's how it all went down.

Per usual, I had Wednesday and Thursday off from the mountain. The weather was completely blue bird on Wednesday and very warm and it wasn't half bad on Thursday either. Unfortunately for me I didn't have a climbing partner for the first day, so I went snowboarding instead. Eventually I came to the conclusion that it was just too dang nice to be at the mountain, and I hiked out to Silver Lake to look for new lines. And I found one.

On the hike in I kept saying to Rich, "I have no idea what to expect with this one, we may be free climbing, we may be aiding." Needless to say, our packs were quite heavy.

Since I had gone out and scouted a little, we were able to walk right up to the thing and get started. One of the perks of the line too was that it was really clean. We hardly scrubbed anything. And it looked like it would go on all gear, following a series of disjointed cracks. That was the hope at lease.

So we get up to the base of this thing, get all geared up, and I try to pull off the ground on some would-be-jugs. They weren't jugs though -- heinous slopers. Yum. So I put in an alien, stood up on it, and was still a ways from the start of the crack -- A long ways. And then I busted out a hook.

I've never used hooks before, but boy, let me tell you, they are fun. And so is aid climbing. (There. I said it.) So yeah, after a hook move, and some more small gear, I made it up to the crack. And that start was pretty indicative of the whole climb. Lots of small small gear, a hook move here and there, and barely any free moves (yet).

I ended up climbing a 55 foot pitch with a solid A2 rating. And Rich climbed a 45 foot solid A2 pitch as well. We didn't make it to the top yet, but we will very soon.

The climb starts under a crack. Then it follows the crack up to a small overhang. Then it traverses right to the base of another crack. Climb this until it slabs out. The second pitch climbs the crack in the slab, up to a horizontal break and a steep headwall. Climb the crack in the headwall, up to the next overhang.

And now a few photos...

The start.

Second crack on P1.

Rich on top.

Goodbye Snow, Hello Rock

So, it's supposed to rain all weekend. I guess that means the snow is going to go away. No more skiing. Oh well.

But then, the forecast for next week is nothing but 50 degrees and sunshine. WHAT?!?!

Oh, and Rich and I did end up going to Silver Lake, making the start of the climbing season -- officially -- March 11. I'll post some photos and a story later tonight.

For now, back to the ol' Mountain for another day of stupid work.

Genesis

Yes.

The beginning of rock climbing season is close.

Anyone want to go to Silver Lake on either Wednesday or Thursday?

ROOOAAAAARRRR!!

In like a lion, out like a lamb?

Please.